We don't just study hospitality. We live it.
The Tompkins Group was founded by restaurant operators who spent years managing teams at every level. We built this firm because the industry deserves recruiters who truly understand the work — from the dish pit to the boardroom.
40+
Years of combined
operator experience
Born in the back-of-house
Before The Tompkins Group existed, our founders were deep in the trenches of restaurant operations across Georgia. They opened new locations, turned around struggling units, and built teams from scratch — sometimes all in the same quarter.
Through all of it, one problem kept surfacing: finding the right people was the single hardest part of the job. Traditional staffing agencies sent warm bodies. Job boards attracted tire-kickers. And executive recruiters rarely understood the unique demands of hospitality leadership.
So the founding team did what operators do — they built a solution. The Tompkins Group combines real operator experience with modern recruiting methodology to deliver talent that does not just fill a role, but elevates the entire operation.
Our mission & values
We exist to solve the hospitality industry's most persistent challenge: connecting great operators with the people who make great restaurants possible.
Operator Integrity
We have run restaurants ourselves. That firsthand experience means we never oversell, never cut corners, and always give you an honest assessment of the talent landscape.
Culture-First Matching
Skills can be taught; cultural alignment cannot. We invest the time to understand your team dynamics so every placement strengthens the culture you have built.
Full-Spectrum Service
From Assistant Managers to C-suite executives, we cover every role under one roof. One partner, one relationship, consistent quality across the board.
Retention Commitment
A placement is not a finish line. Our structured 90-day onboarding support and check-in process ensures new hires stick around and thrive in their new roles.
A seat at the table for everyone
Hospitality is one of the most diverse industries in the world, and we believe leadership should reflect that. Our sourcing strategies are intentionally designed to surface talent from underrepresented backgrounds and eliminate bias at every stage of the hiring process.
We partner with industry organizations dedicated to advancing equity in food service, and every recruiter on our team receives ongoing training in inclusive hiring practices. When our clients build more representative leadership teams, their restaurants are stronger for it.
The Tompkins Group is committed to presenting diverse candidate slates, providing equitable compensation guidance, and holding ourselves accountable with transparent placement data.
Want to learn how we work?
Whether you are hiring or looking for your next role, we would love to hear from you. Let's start a conversation.