About Joe
Care for the places.
A head for the numbers.
I’m Joe, based in Holmes Chapel. I started Third Place Advisory to bring my analytical experience to independent hospitality — and to businesses that mean something to the people around them.
Why Third Place Advisory?
A café, restaurant or pub can be much more than somewhere to buy a drink or a meal. It gives people somewhere to meet, relax, have a conversation and feel part of a community.
I think that value is often overlooked. These places need to work as businesses if they are going to stay part of our towns and villages. That is the part I want to help with.
I understand the appeal of building something around food, drink and looking after people. I also know that finding time to make sense of the figures can be another job in an already full week.
The experience I bring.
My background includes range analysis for a major UK supermarket: looking at sales, pricing, shelf space and which products to stock in different stores. It meant understanding the information, comparing options and considering the commercial implications.
I’ve also worked with financial data, reporting, data quality, operational change and process improvement. A useful analysis starts by checking what the information actually tells us, how reliable it is and what might be missing.
Alongside that career, I’ve spent around four years in café and restaurant service roles. That experience gives me an appreciation of the work behind service. You and your team are still the people who know your own venue best.
How I work with you.
I listen to the question, check the information and explain the findings in plain English. You should be able to see how I reached a conclusion and what needs checking before you act on it.
The aim is a manageable set of priorities, with practical steps that make sense for your customers, your team and the kind of venue you want to run.
You’ll work directly with me. I’m not an accountant and I don’t guarantee business results. My role is to bring careful commercial analysis to the decisions you make.
Based in Holmes Chapel.
My initial focus is Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Much of the analysis can be carried out remotely, and we agree meetings and any visits before work begins.
If you’re further afield, get in touch and we can discuss whether the practical arrangements would work.