A Houston hospitality veteran wants to lend his two decades of experience to the city’s restaurant community. Scott Sulma has launched May I Speak Hospitality Consulting, a new venture that aims to guide restaurateurs through periods of change.

Sulma brings extensive experience to his business. He spent more than 10 years working alongside legendary Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone in the Vallone Restaurant Group. Sulma served as general manage of Tony’s, Vallone’s fine dining institution; oversaw operations at Ciao Bello, a casual Italian restaurant; and opened Vallone’s, a fine dining steakhouse that operated in the Gateway Memorial City complex from 2013-18.

After leaving Vallone’s, Sulma became an area director for Atlas Restaurant Group, the Baltimore-based company behind Ouzo Bay (soon to become Azumi), Loch Bar, and Marmo. More specifically, he oversaw Marmo’s buildout and opening in the bustling Montrose Collective mixed-use development. He left Atlas at the end of the March to launch May I Speak.

Let’s start with the company's name, which takes its inspiration from the deference shown to chefs as they run their kitchens.

“It’s a nod to restaurant vernacular. ‘May I speak, chef’ when entering a kitchen was once very common,” Sulma tells CultureMap. “It’s also the deference I’m looking to take with my clients. . . I’m here to guide, but ultimately it’s your business. I’m not here to tell you what to do but to advise. Communication is really one of the values this company is founded upon.”

Specifically, Sulma aims to provide that guidance to restaurateurs who are looking to grow their business from a successful first location to multiple outposts. They could bring him in early in the process to help select the right location or later to help manage the inevitable delays associated with construction and permitting. A potential client could also retain Sulma to look at their existing operations and suggest the tweaks necessary for growth.

“I’m really interested in speaking with people who understand and value communication and guidance in this process. Whether you have one or three, the ideal client is someone who knows where they’re headed but may not know how to get there,” he says.

One area where Sulma thinks he offers particular insight is to restaurateurs considering opening in a mixed-use development. After all, he operated restaurants in three of Houston’s most prominent locales between Gateway Memorial City, River Oaks District, and the Montrose Collective. Sulma sees himself as the person who can speak to developers and restaurateurs in a language both sides will understand.

“It’s in the best interest of the developer to make sure the long term success of that development is healthy,” he says. “As an operator, we’re locked into a 10-year term. We want to make sure there’s a commitment to the long term success of all parties.”

Although May I Speak is new, Sulma has already retained an unnamed client who’s building two, 4,000-square-foot restaurants. He’s eager to engage in other opportunities but wants to grow slowly.

Sulma has a straightforward answer for why he chose consulting over opening his own restaurant — by say, following his mentor’s path with a place called “Scott’s.”

“I’ve opened many restaurants. This is something that is different than that process. It allows me to have more opportunity on many different approaches and fields,” he says.

“I love growing and building teams and actual buildings and ideas. Not necessarily doing one that is ‘Scott’s’ but having the opportunity to provide this guidance to dozens and then more than that over time is something I’m really excited about.”