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Where else can you find my books? Main Street Bookends (Warner, NH),
Heather Turner
Heather Turner brings more than 40 years of combined experience in food service and hospitality consulting. She spent 20 years working as a line cook and later as a chef and executive chef, followed by 23+ years (and counting) as a consultant to the industry. Since 2018, she has also served as a certified SCORE small business mentor, advising startups and established companies across industries, including dozens of restaurants, food trucks, and other food operations.
Heather began her culinary career at 14, obtaining a work permit and completing high school early to work full time. She started as a prep and line cook at City Fare/Café Biondo in Kingston, NY, an upscale gourmet market, café, and catering company. She later worked at Rudi’s Big Indian in Big Indian, NY, and the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT, before being accepted to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
While at the CIA, Heather completed externships at Red Feather Lakes Country Club in Colorado and Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT, returning to Trapps after graduation. During her student years, she worked for multiple catering operations in Connecticut and New York, including Garrison Conference Center and Lime Rock Park, and continued assisting with City Fare’s catering events.
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After Trapp Family Lodge, Heather served as sous chef at Ten Acres Lodge in Stowe, then chef de cuisine at Le Cheval D’Or in Jeffersonville, VT, under Chef Yves Labbé, one of the Great Chefs of America. She later became chef at Harvest Market in Stowe, Executive Chef at The Cliff House at Stowe Mountain Resort, head chef at Bellini’s Restaurant in Montpelier, and chef at The Net Result in South Burlington.
In the early 2000s, Heather moved to Cape Cod and served as the executive chef at the Old Inn at West Dennis. After sustaining a 90-hour workweek for three months without a day off and developing high blood pressure and an ulcer, she transitioned out of restaurant operations and, with the support of a SCORE mentor, launched her own consulting business.
Since 2003, Heather has owned Forfeng Designs, a marketing and hospitality consulting firm. She speaks at conferences nationwide and teaches an average of two workshops per week through SCORE and private organizations, including chambers of commerce and business associations. She currently mentors with NH/VT SCORE and presents workshops for the North Atlantic SCORE Region.
Heather has earned three Distinguished Toastmaster awards and has been featured twice in Toastmasters Magazine. In 2022, the U.S. Small Business Administration named her the New Hampshire Small Business Champion.
She is a neurodivergent author (she prefers “neurospicy”). In her spare time, she mentors, volunteers with several nonprofits, kayaks, works in her art studio, spends time with her dogs, and enjoys science fiction.
Heather loves mentoring for SCORE, volunteering for several other non-profits, kayaking, messing around in her art studio/office, carousing with her dogs and anything Sci-fi. Visit her website at https://forfengdesigns.com/
Our Commitment to Giving Back
Ily the Drama Queen Goes to the Vet: 50% of all proceeds from sales of this book are donated to Service Dogs NH. During National Service Dog Month and other associated days, we will be donating 100% of all sales.
Outsmart, Outserve, and Order Up!: Guerrilla Marketing Tactics for Culinary Operators: 50% of all proceeds from sales of this book are donated to Area Food Pantries.
Books
Ily the Drama Queen Goes to the Vet
Meet ILY, the Drama Queen with the biggest heart and the loudest voice. In this heartwarming and humorous children’s book, ILY takes us on a journey to the vet where her emotions run wild. At home, she’s a calm and cuddly German Shepherd, but at the vet, she becomes a full-scale Drama Queen. From happy wiggles to operatic protests, ILY feels everything out loud and that’s okay. But with the help of patient veterinary staff and familiar routines, ILY learns that even scary moments can pass and calm can return. Told in playful rhyme and filled with expressive moments, this story gently shows young readers that it’s okay to have big feelings and that love and compassion can conquer any fear. Recommended for children ages 3-7, all dog lovers, and especially German Shepherd owners who can relate to their furkids being Drama Queens.
Outsmart, Outserve, and Order Up!: Guerrilla Marketing Tactics for Culinary Operators
What if your next big marketing breakthrough didn’t cost an arm and a leg? Outsmart, Outserve, and Order Up! is a practical guide for restaurant owners and hospitality operators who want to grab attention and fill seats without blowing the budget. In a world dominated by expensive ads and crowded social media feeds, this book offers creative, low-cost ideas to help you stand out and turn into revenue opportunities.
Guerrilla marketing works especially well for restaurants because it relies on local connection and engagement, plus a little creativity, instead of big budgets. With tactics like Brand Your Art: A Customer Creativity Contest, Menu Mapping: How Landmarks Create Loyalty and Local Buzz, and Partnership Perks: How to Turn Local Foot Traffic into Shared Customer Loyalty, you can build real engagement right in your neighborhood or locale. This approach encourages shareable moments and personal interactions that generate buzz naturally, creating a loyal customer base without breaking the bank.
We have also added a few chapters that may help your operations and overhead; Beyond the Menu: Revenue Strategies for Leveraging Your Kitchen When Not in Use, and Beyond the Shift: Incentive Systems That Build Ownership Mentality, and a few more that we hope you find useful.
Inside, you’ll find step-by-step strategies, and some ready-to-use scripts and checklists to make implementation easy, even if marketing isn’t your thing. Whether you’re running a gourmet deli, a hip coffee shop, or a fine dining restaurant, you’ll get practical ideas you can deploy today to outsmart, outserve, and outmaneuver your competition while keeping your brand authentic, engaging, and profitable.
Finding a Location for your Restaurant: How to Scout the Perfect Location for your Dream of Opening a Restaurant or other Hospitality Business
Ditch the guesswork and navigate the key factors every aspiring restaurateur needs to consider. Finding a Location for Your Restaurant is your roadmap to a thriving restaurant reality. Order your copy today and turn your culinary dreams into brick-and-mortar success!
Whether you’re dreaming of opening a quaint café, a bustling diner, or an elegant fine-dining establishment, Finding a Location for Your Restaurant offers the tools and knowledge to find a location that meets your needs and maximizes your restaurant’s potential for success. Discover the secrets to making informed decisions and turning your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.
This comprehensive book covers essential topics such as community assessments, competition research, parking and traffic flow, natural disaster considerations, vendor access, noise and safety concerns, zoning and planning, and much more. Whether you’re a seasoned restaurateur or a newcomer to the industry, this book provides valuable insights and a detailed location and assessment checklist to help you make informed decisions.
Written by 40 year veteran of the hospitality industry Heather Turner.
Location? Location! Finding a Location for Your Brick and Mortar Business: How to Scout the Perfect Location for Your Dream of Opening a Brick and Mortar Business
Ditch the guesswork and navigate the key factors every aspiring business needs to consider before they sign on the dotted line for a property.
Finding a Location for Your Brick and Mortar Business is your roadmap to a thriving business reality. Order your copy today and turn your entrepreneurial dreams into brick-and-mortar success!
Whether you’re dreaming of opening a hair salon, a fitness center or a garden supply center, Finding a Location for Your Business offers the tools and knowledge to find a location that meets your needs and maximizes your businesses potential for success. Discover the secrets to making informed decisions and turning your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.
This comprehensive book covers essential topics such as community assessments, competition research, zoning and planning considerations, traffic counts, crime and safety, parking and traffic flow, employees and housing and much more.
Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or a newcomer to business ownership, this book provides valuable insights, and a detailed location and assessment checklist to help you make informed decisions.