About
Most restaurants fail not due to bad ideas, but poor execution. We say, “clarity before commitment”
MARC RAVARIS
Spartan by Design Consulting
1201 Cornwall Avenue, #101, Bellingham, WA 98225, 360-720-4426
How Did I Get Here?
My name is Marc Ravaris, and I have spent over four decades in the ‘trenches’ of entrepreneurship. My goal is to help you get started on your journey by putting your best foot forward. One way I achieve that is by giving you the tools that help you learn how to make informed decisions – not just at the beginning, but for the life of your business.
Starting out with the correct foundation is important. But operating a business successfuly is also learning how to continually adapt and be nimble as the business landscape changes.
My background isn’t just in business; it’s in proven survival and scaling. For 20 years as the owner of Mountain Sound Inc., I managed the high-pressure world of live event production and audio-visual logistics. In that industry, there is no room for error. I learned how to build resilient systems that perform under the brightest spotlights.
As the founder of El Capitan’s, I took a simple concept and turned it into a Bellingham institution. I didn’t just sell food; I designed a brand, culture, and operational workflows that allowed a small business to achieve outsized success and local legendary status. Why does this matters to your startup? I’ve navigated the challenges of staffing, scaling, and system failures so you don’t have to.
But “Street Smarts” are only half the equation. My M.Ed. in Adult Education and Instructional Design allows me to take my 40 years of experience and translate it into a clear, structured curriculum for your success.
There are many challenges throuhout the startup process and no business is guaranteed success. Starting correctly sets the foundation and is crucial in ensuring the best chance for future success.
At Spartan by Design, I don’t just offer advice—I help you create a toolbox with tools that enable you to build your business with a solid foundation. Our “Startup Reality Consultation” examines some basic foundational aspects of your ideas and outlines the important next steps and challenges. The takeaways from this session can continue to serve you as you work through your decision-making process.
There are many challenges throuhout the startup process and no business is guaranteed success. Starting correctly sets the foundation and is crucial in ensuring the best chance for the future.
Since we work together to create a model specific to your business, you not only leave with a clearer idea of how to proceed, you learn about the decision making process, and how to understand the balance between passion and practicality.
The process generally begins with the “Startup Reality Consultation” The takeaways from this session can continue to serve you as you work through your decision-making process. This is designed as a standalone session, but also serves as the introduction to our ongoing service options.
Starting correctly is only part of the equation. If you would prefer, I can provide differing levels of support. I offer a variety of longer-term options to assist you. Please check out our “SERVICES” page for more information and pricing structure.
I look forward to our partnership and helping you achieve your goals.
Why Work With Me?
I bring decades of real-world operating experience, including long-term restaurant ownership, to founders who want practical guidance before making major commitments. I’ve seen firsthand how easily enthusiasm can outpace preparation — and how costly that gap can become. In addition to hands-on business experience, I hold a Master’s degree in Education. That background shapes how I work. I don’t overwhelm clients with theory or generic advice. I help them think clearly, break complex processes into manageable steps, and understand not just what to do — but why it matters. Opening a restaurant or launching a small business involves real capital, regulatory agencies, inspections, timelines, and risk. Leases get signed. Build-outs run long. Cash flow tightens. What looks simple on paper becomes complex in execution. I work with founders to help them pressure-test their ideas. Sometimes that means strengthening and refining a concept so it has a real chance of success.
Other times it means slowing down, adjusting scope, or reconsidering the timing altogether. Both outcomes are valuable. Spartan by Design exists for serious founders — people willing to examine assumptions, understand procedural realities, and make disciplined decisions before irreversible commitments are made. My goal is to help provide clarity before important decisions are made.
What Do You Get?
Practical guidance from someone who has actually operated a food business and understands the real-world problems that show up after the excitement wears off. We develop and deliver real-world tools to assist and guide you. You’ll leave with a tangible road-map that helps outline your next steps.
