Five practical playbooks built by hospitality consultants with 18 years on the floor. Fix your labour. Engineer your menu. Survive the slow weeks. And build a business someone actually wants to buy.
"Most hospitality businesses don't fail because of bad food or poor location. They fail because the owner never had the financial visibility to see the problem coming."
ClearMargin Group is built by hospitality consultants who have worked inside cafés and restaurants — not studied them from the outside. We've restructured rosters, rebuilt menus, and helped owners turn unprofitable venues into businesses they're proud of.
These playbooks are the exact frameworks we use with consulting clients, packaged into editable documents you can work through yourself, at your own pace, starting this week.
You're busy, your customers are happy, and somehow there's never enough money at the end of the month. The problem is almost certainly in your labour or your menu — and this library will show you exactly where.
The first 90 days sets the trajectory for everything that follows. Most owners find out what they should have done in month four. The First 90 Days Playbook puts that knowledge in your hands before you open the door.
The difference between a business that sells for 2x and one that sells for 3x is preparation — clean financials, documented systems, a team that runs without you. The Exit-Ready Playbook shows you exactly what to build and when.
Each playbook is a fully editable Word document. Real frameworks, real benchmarks, real templates — not theory. Buy individually or get the full library at a significant saving.
Stop overstaffing your way to broke.
Engineer your menu to sell profit, not just food.
The new hospitality owner's survival guide.
What to do when sales fall off a cliff.
How to build a café or restaurant someone actually wants to buy.
The ClearMargin Operator Library gives you all five playbooks — labour, menu, opening, slow weeks, and exit — in a single purchase. It's the complete financial operating system for any café or restaurant.
Instant download · Secure payment via Payhip
Most hospitality business books are written by people who have studied the industry. These playbooks are written by people who have been inside struggling venues, looked at the numbers, and fixed the problems.
The benchmarks are real. The case studies are real. The scripts are the actual conversations that happen in consulting engagements. You're not getting a textbook — you're getting the working documents from the consulting room.
"The 4% gap between where most NZ cafés sit on labour and where they should be is worth $24,000 a year on a $600k turnover. That's not a rounding error. That's what's in these playbooks."
— ClearMargin Consulting
What format are the playbooks in?
All five playbooks are fully editable Microsoft Word documents (.docx). They open in Word, Google Docs, or Pages. The templates inside are designed to be filled in and used as working documents for your business.
How do I get the files after I purchase?
Instantly. The moment your payment is processed, Payhip sends a download link to your email. No waiting, no manual fulfilment. The files are yours immediately.
Are these relevant outside New Zealand?
The frameworks, templates, and case studies are relevant to any hospitality business. The specific benchmarks — labour percentages, sale multiples, minimum wage references — are calibrated for New Zealand. If you're in Australia, the frameworks apply but some figures will vary.
I'm about to open my first venue. Which should I start with?
The First 90 Days Playbook is built exactly for your situation. If you can only buy one, start there. If you can buy two, add the Labour Line Playbook — it covers the most common and most expensive mistake new owners make in their first weeks.
I've been trading for years. Is there still value here?
Yes — and the most valuable playbooks for experienced operators are usually the Menu Margin and the Exit-Ready. Most operators who have been trading for 3+ years have never formally costed their menu and have never thought seriously about what their business is worth to a buyer.
What's your refund policy?
If you buy any playbook and find it isn't actionable and practical, email us within 7 days for a full refund. We stand behind the content. Digital products are non-refundable after 7 days.
Can I share these with my business partner or manager?
Yes. Your purchase is for use within your business. Share freely with your team, your co-owner, or your accountant. Please don't resell or redistribute them publicly.
Do you offer consulting as well?
Yes. The playbooks are the self-directed version of the work ClearMargin Consulting does with clients directly. If you'd prefer to work through the numbers with a consultant, get in touch via the contact link below.