Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers to the questions restaurant owners ask before booking a session with Rod Downey.
Is this a sales call?
No. This is a paid, confidential session. You book it, pay for it, and show up. There is no pitch during the call and no required next step after it.
What happens after I book?
You pay securely, pick a time on the scheduler, and receive a short prep form. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. Rod reviews your situation before the call so you are not spending the session explaining background. You get a calendar invite and a video link.
Do I need clean financials?
No. Bring what you have. Rough numbers are fine. Even a general sense of your monthly sales, rent, and what you owe is enough to have a useful conversation. The prep form says rough is fine for a reason.
Is this confidential?
Yes. Your situation is private. Restaurant Exit Advisor does not contact your landlord, employees, vendors, partners, or anyone else. What you share is used only to prepare for and conduct your session.
Is this legal or financial advice?
No. Restaurant Exit Advisor provides business consulting only. Rod is not a lawyer, accountant, financial advisor, broker, or debt-relief service. The session can help you prepare better questions for your attorney, CPA, landlord, or lender.
Will Rod tell me whether to close?
Rod will help you think clearly about the situation and give you an honest outside perspective. You may not leave with an easy answer. You should leave with a more honest one. The final decision is yours.
Can Rod help me sell my restaurant?
Restaurant Exit Advisor is not a business broker. If selling looks like a realistic option, the session can help you think through whether to speak with a qualified restaurant broker and what to prepare before that conversation.
Can Rod talk to my landlord?
The diagnostic call does not include landlord negotiation. It can help you think through what to ask, what leverage you may have, what to prepare, and when to involve an attorney or other professional.
What if I just need someone to tell me it is okay to stop?
That is one of the most important calls Rod takes. Walking away to protect your family and your future is not failure. Having someone who knows restaurants confirm it can be the clarity you have been waiting for.
I have a personal guarantee on my lease. Does that change things?
Yes, significantly. A personal guarantee means your landlord can come after you personally, not just the business, if you default. That changes the stakes, the timeline, and the negotiation strategy. It is one of the first things Rod looks at.
Can I upgrade from the diagnostic call to the Full Exit Analysis?
Yes. If Rod recommends the Full Exit Analysis ($1,200) during your diagnostic call, your $195 is credited toward it. You pay only $1,005 more to upgrade. You never pay twice for the same work.
Are refunds available?
The fee covers Rod's reserved time and preparation. It is non-refundable once the call happens or if you no-show without 24 hours' notice. If Restaurant Exit Advisor cancels and cannot reschedule, you are refunded.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Most owners book within 2 to 5 business days. If your situation is urgent -- you have a lease default notice, a vendor threatening to cut you off, or you are deciding whether to open tomorrow -- email rod@restaurantexitadvisor.com directly.
Is $195 worth it if I am already losing money?
The session is designed to help you stop losing money faster, or to protect what is left before the situation gets worse. Owners who wait typically lose more -- in personal money put in, in lease exposure, and in negotiating leverage. The $195 is a decision-making tool at the moment when the cost of a bad decision is highest.
Who is Rod Downey?
Rod has spent decades in the restaurant business running marketing for national chains, owning and operating his own restaurant concepts, and consulting independently. He now works full time advising independent restaurant owners facing a hard decision. He has seen this from every side, including the painful owner side.
What if my books are a mess?
That is more common than you think. Rod has worked with owners who had no formal P&L, just a bank statement and a stack of invoices. Bring what you have. The goal of the prep form is to get a working picture of your situation, not a clean audit. Rough numbers are fine.
Will Rod tell me to close?
Rod will tell you what 40 years of experience says is true. If the numbers and the situation point toward closing, he will say so clearly and explain why. If there is a realistic path to fixing or selling, he will say that instead. He does not have a financial reason to push you in either direction.
Can my spouse or business partner join the call?
Yes. If you want your spouse, partner, or co-owner on the call, that is fine. Let Rod know in the prep form so he can structure the conversation accordingly.
Will anyone contact my landlord, employees, or vendors?
No. Restaurant Exit Advisor does not contact anyone connected to your business. Your landlord, employees, vendors, lenders, and partners will not hear from Rod or anyone on his team.
Will I be sold a bigger consulting package?
No. The Diagnostic Call is a complete service on its own. There is no pitch during the session and no follow-up sales call after it. If Rod thinks the Full Exit Analysis would genuinely help your situation, he will say so once and explain why. Your $195 is credited if you choose to upgrade.
What if Rod thinks I do not need the Full Exit Analysis?
Then he will tell you that. If the Diagnostic Call gives you everything you need to make a clear decision, Rod will say so. The upgrade exists for situations that are genuinely complex -- multiple locations, large personal guarantees, SBA debt, or a sale that needs structured analysis.