Questions, answered.

Direct answers about pricing, contracts, how remote working works, F&B operations and marketing in 2026. If your question is not here, email colin@wonderworksdesign.net and you will get a direct answer too.

Quick summary. Wonder Works Design is a full-service marketing department in one monthly partnership, in practice a fractional CMO. Alongside it sits a dedicated global F&B operations department, a fractional COO for restaurants, bars and hospitality groups. Founder-led by Colin and Neli Rooney, based in Bulgaria, working remotely with clients in the US, UK and Bulgaria. Partnerships run month to month with 30 days notice. The Marketing Partnership from €1,500 a month, the F&B Partnership from €2,000 a month, websites from €500, branding €500 to €2,000. Clients own every asset created. All invoices are in euros. This page answers the most common questions, updated 2026.

Pricing and contracts

How does pricing work?

Every project is priced before it starts. The Marketing Partnership, everything we do in one monthly fee, from €1,500 a month. The F&B Partnership, marketing plus operations, from €2,000 a month. Websites from €500. Branding €500 to €2,000. There are no hidden fees and no surprises.

Is there a minimum commitment?

No. The partnership runs month to month with 30 days notice. If either side is not getting what they need, it should not continue.

What happens when we stop working together?

Everything we create is yours and lives on a shared drive you can access throughout. Any partnership ends as professionally as it started.

How many revisions are included?

Three. But the end result matters more than the count, and getting it right the first time is what we work toward.

Why are your prices lower than US and UK agencies?

We are based in Bulgaria and work remotely, so our overheads are low and we pass that on. The work is not cheaper to do; it is cheaper to run.

How do you invoice?

All invoices are in euros. Every price is agreed before work starts.

Working remotely

How does a Bulgaria-based agency work with US and UK clients?

Remotely, in English, with a shared working window every day. The UK is 2 hours behind Bulgaria; the US East Coast is 7, which still gives a shared afternoon. Scheduled calls, shared reporting, and response times you can hold us to.

How often will we talk?

As often as the work needs. Daily if that is what keeps things moving. There is no hard rule; the cadence follows the work, not a schedule.

Do you do on-site visits?

No, we work remotely, and that is part of why the price is what it is. Colin spent years running F&B operations remotely across global groups. The methods are built for distance.

Who actually does the work on my account?

Colin and Neli, the founders. Colin runs strategy, commercial and operations work; Neli leads design and creative. Nothing is handed to juniors, because there are none.

Is my data safe with an overseas partner?

Bulgaria is in the EU, so GDPR applies to everything we hold, which is stricter than US federal data law. Client information stays confidential and stays yours.

F&B and operations

What is a fractional COO for a restaurant?

A senior operations leader who works inside your business part time, on a monthly basis, instead of joining your payroll full time. They run the numbers, systems and standards an operations director would, at a fraction of the cost of the hire.

What is the difference between a consultant and a fractional COO?

A consultant recommends. A fractional COO embeds and executes: P&L reviews, cost tracking, SOPs, training, procurement. The F&B Partnership works the second way, plus a full marketing department on top.

How much does a restaurant consultant cost?

US restaurant consultants typically charge $150 to $500 an hour, or monthly retainers between $2,000 and $10,000. The F&B Partnership is from €2,000 a month and includes the full marketing department alongside the operations work.

Is a restaurant consultant worth the money?

It depends on what you get. A report you have to execute yourself often is not. The measurable version: cost control work at Mad Monkey took 10% off F&B costs across 25+ properties. A few points off food and labour cost covers the fee on most independents' numbers.

What are the signs my restaurant needs operational help?

Busy weeks that do not show up in the bank account. Food cost creeping up without menu changes. No stock counting routine. Staff leaving faster than you can train them. Delivery sales growing while margin shrinks. Any two of these and the numbers need attention.

Why is my restaurant busy but not making money?

Usually costs, not sales. The common leaks: food cost a few points above target, portions drifting, labour scheduled to habit rather than demand, delivery platform commissions, and prices that never moved with supplier increases. Each is measurable and fixable from the numbers.

What should my food cost percentage be?

Most full-service restaurants run 28% to 35%. The right target depends on your concept and pricing model. More useful than the benchmark: knowing yours weekly and noticing when it moves.

What is menu engineering and does it work?

Analysing every dish by popularity and profit margin, then repricing, repositioning or removing dishes based on the data. Industry studies consistently show mid single digit to 15% profit improvements. We do the analysis and the redesign, one team.

Are delivery apps worth it when they take 15 to 30%?

They can be, with the right structure. Delivery needs its own margins: adjusted prices, a tighter menu of dishes that travel, and packaging costed in. Run at dine-in prices, the commission usually eats the profit.

Which POS system should a small restaurant use?

The one whose reports you will actually use, that fits your service style and does not lock you into hardware you do not need. We have set up POS across six countries and take no commission from any provider, so the recommendation serves you, not a reseller deal.

How much should a restaurant spend on marketing?

The common benchmark is 3 to 6% of revenue. The F&B Partnership from €2,000 a month sits inside that range for most established independents, and it covers operations as well.

Marketing

Should I do social media myself or pay someone?

If you have the hours and enjoy it, do it yourself; consistency beats production value. Most owners have neither the hours nor the appetite. What you are buying is strategy plus consistency, not just posts.

Which platforms should my business be on?

Where your customers look, not everywhere. For most hospitality and local businesses that is Instagram and TikTok for discovery, Google for intent, and one more chosen deliberately. Fewer platforms done consistently beats presence everywhere.

Will my content sound like my brand or like an agency wrote it?

The voice work happens before the content work: how you talk, what you refuse to say, what your regulars would recognise. Founders review everything early on until the voice locks in. If it could be anyone's post, it does not go out.

Is a design retainer better than hiring per job?

Per job suits one-off needs. A retainer suits businesses that need something every week: menus, promos, social graphics, ads. Same designers every time, so consistency holds and briefing time shrinks.

How many meetings can I expect from outbound sales?

Anyone guaranteeing a number before seeing your market is guessing. What we commit to: list quality, message testing, follow-up discipline and honest reporting.

Will outreach hurt my email domain reputation?

Bulk sending can, which is why we never send bulk or templated email. Outreach is individual and personal, run compliantly through third-party platforms. Direct email from your own domain is fine done individually and lawfully, never in bulk.