The Sage Advisory Group

SAGE Advisory Group is a hospitality advisory firm based in Brooklyn, NY, founded by Michael Balsamo.

We work hands-on with independent restaurant owners running 1–4 units in the $1.5M–$3M per location range — the operators building real businesses without corporate infrastructure behind them.

Our work is on-site and execution-driven. We embed directly into restaurant operations to deliver measurable financial improvement, build operational systems from the ground up, and create accountability structures that hold after we leave. Current and recent engagements span full-service restaurants, multi-location food concepts, and legacy fine dining operations across the New York metro area and the Northeast.

Core service areas include food cost and prime cost reduction, operational SOP development and implementation, kitchen and FOH accountability systems, financial tracking and reporting frameworks, staff training program design, and project management for restaurant launches and turnarounds. Our clients typically see 3–5 points of prime cost improvement within the first engagement cycle.

• Restaurant Operations Advisory
• Financial Management & Food Cost Optimization
• Operational SOP Development & Implementation
• Staff Training & Accountability Systems
• Project Management (Restaurant Openings & Turnarounds)
• Menu Engineering & Pricing Strategy

SAGE is led by Michael Balsamo, a 25+ year hospitality operations professional who has managed large-scale commissary operations, led multi-unit advisory engagements, and built the financial and operational playbooks that independent restaurant owners need to protect their margins and run sustainable businesses