The Founder's Story
From Line Cook to Operator to Coach
Lead by Example. Measure What Matters. Build to Last.
30+
Years on the floor
How It Started
A Career Built on the Floor, Not in a Boardroom
In 1986, fresh out of high school, Christopher stepped behind the line for the opening of Jamie's Great Hamburgers. That fast-paced 50s-style diner concept became his launching pad. Over the next four years, he grew alongside the business — working line cook and server shifts before helping the company open new restaurants in Corvallis and SW Portland, then stepping up to manage the NW 23rd store in Portland, Oregon.
Rising through the ranks taught Christopher a crucial lesson early on: militant management fails. Too many managers try to rule through fear, intimidation, and raw pressure. Christopher realized early in his career that if he wanted to see real change in this industry, he had to lead by example.
Later, after spending over a decade as a business technology sales consultant (1999–2013), Christopher took a leap of faith and purchased Kombi Coffee — literally overnight. By adapting proven tech consulting methodologies to the fast-paced floor of a real food-and-beverage business, he refined the exact operational framework that powers Dine Right today.
The Dine Right Philosophy
How We Win
Leadership by Example, Not Intimidation
Winning in hospitality isn't about raising your voice in victory — that just makes you the target people want to knock down first. True leadership means taking a knee, extending a hand, and lifting your team up so everyone can see the horizon you built together.
Profit is the Result. Not the Benchmark.
Profit isn't a bad word — it's the natural outcome of hard work, clear vision, and tight operational alignment. Net margin alone doesn't define success. Build a culture of genuine customer care, uncompromised quality, daily consistency, and team stability, and profitability naturally follows.
The 90/10 Rule for Sustainable Ownership
Asking yourself or your team to give 100% or 110% every single day isn't a strategy — it's a direct recipe for burnout. The 90/10 coaching philosophy asks for 90% active daily effort, reserving 10% for self-reflection. That dedicated 10% gives management and staff the space to celebrate wins while identifying opportunities for growth.
Why Dine Right
An Independent Coach vs. a Corporate Firm
When you partner with Dine Right, you don't get a team of junior analysts in corporate suits who have never pulled a shift or prepped a line. You get personalized, individual attention.
No Cookie-Cutter Advice
Having coached everything from tee-ball to high school baseball, Christopher knows that every player and team member learns differently. He identifies each person's unique style and coaches along that path — polishing skills, not prodding weaknesses.
Floor-Tested Operational Muscle
Christopher brings deep experience in process development, sales-demand scheduling, recipe costing, and inventory control to lower your COGS and stabilize labor.
End-to-End Strategic Systems
By integrating the 7 C's of Consulting with the 30/30/30/10 Financial Benchmark, Christopher turns daily operational chaos into predictable profitability.
Ready to Build a Better Restaurant?
Every great operation starts with an honest look in the mirror.
Whether you need to fix cash flow, stabilize labor turnover, or transition away from endless daily hustle, Dine Right is here to coach you through every step.
Complete our Complimentary Hospitality Diagnostic Questionnaire.
Schedule an initial discovery call using our online scheduler.
Let's build an accountable, profitable, and enjoyable operation together.