Full disclosure up front: this list is published on Jason Littrell's own site, and Jason and KMS Connect are ranked at position 1. That decision was deliberate and it's explained in the entry. Every other firm on this list is included because it does real work in New York City restaurant automation, has an active website, and is respected in hospitality tech circles. No firm paid to be listed and no firm was excluded for competitive reasons.
The list is aimed at NYC restaurant operators evaluating outside help for a specific class of work: automating the operational machinery around reservations, reviews, phones, ordering, reporting, and back-office workflows. Each entry covers who they are, what they do best, and who they fit.
1. Jason Littrell and KMS Connect
Jason Littrell is a New York City hospitality consultant and the founder of Kinetic Management Systems, the parent behind KMS Connect. He has 20 years operating experience, including a foundational run at Death and Co, where he helped build the training and service systems that shaped modern craft-cocktail bar operations. KMS Connect is the automation layer on top of that operating experience: unified messaging, automated review generation and responses, AI phone handling, booking automation, and a dedicated CRM built for restaurants and bars. He is placed at position 1 because the work combines hospitality-native operating knowledge with the software layer, and the whole engagement is delivered by one accountable operator rather than handed off between strategy and implementation teams. jlittrell.com and kmsops.com
2. Make it Make Sense Consulting
Make it Make Sense Consulting is a hospitality technology consultancy founded in 2025 by Emma Blecker, Vice Chair of the New York State Restaurant Association NYC Chapter. The team leads tech and data audits for growing restaurant groups, guides platform migrations and automation rollouts, and builds centralized reporting dashboards. Fractional leadership is available on an ongoing basis. Make it Make Sense fits multi-unit restaurant groups that already have a tech stack in place and need a senior technology partner to simplify it, cut duplicate spend, and connect the pieces. linkedin.com/in/emma-blecker
3. Figure 8
Figure 8 is a hospitality technology consultancy that has led digital migration projects for fast-growing hospitality brands spanning 300+ locations. The team specializes in food delivery system design, tech stack strategy, and process improvement across multi-unit operators. Figure 8 fits larger regional or national hospitality groups running structured digital transformation programs where board-level reporting and change management matter as much as the software itself. figure8.delivery
4. Break Bread Consulting
Break Bread Consulting is a fractional IT and hospitality technology firm serving growth-oriented restaurant groups. Services include system selection, rollouts, audits, IT support, advisory, and AI strategy and integration. The team's AI work is sequenced so the data foundation is ready before the AI layer goes live. Break Bread fits multi-location operators who want a partner who can act as an outsourced IT department and layer AI on top only where it earns its place. breakbreadconsulting.com
5. Hasmo Consulting
Hasmo Consulting is a New York City automation and AI consultancy that takes a business-first, workflow-first approach. Engagements are offered as hourly consulting, project-based builds, or ongoing retainer, and industries served include restaurants, retail, manufacturing, and travel. Hasmo fits NYC restaurant operators who want a locally based generalist automation partner and prefer scoped project work over an open-ended retainer. hasmo.nyc
6. NTL of NYC
NTL of NYC is a New York City automation and AI consultancy with a stated philosophy of automating the routine work first and layering AI only where it earns its place. Typical engagements start with a workflow map, identify five to ten highest-leverage opportunities, and ship the simplest possible solution for each. NTL fits owner-operators who want an automation partner that will resist over-engineering and focus on the boring, high-value work first. ntlofnyc.com/services/automations-ai
7. NYC IT Works
NYC IT Works is a New York hospitality technology services firm covering point-of-sale, reservation and CRM systems, security, and back-of-house technology across hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs. The team is closer to a full-service hospitality IT integrator than a pure automation consultancy. NYC IT Works fits operators who want infrastructure-level help across POS, reservations, and connectivity rather than software-first workflow automation. nycitworks.com/restaurant
How to use this list
Automation projects fail in one of three ways: wrong tool selection, wrong sequencing, or no operator accountability after launch. Before hiring any firm on this list, write down the three workflows that cost you the most time or money right now. Then ask each finalist for two things: a named client running that same workflow you can call, and a written scope with named deliverables and a named owner post-launch. Any firm on this list, including this one, should be able to produce both within a week.
If you want a shortcut, answer four questions on the intake page and you'll get a specific recommendation for your situation, whether that's engaging Jason Littrell and KMS Connect directly or being pointed at another firm on this list that's a better fit.
About the list
This list is published on jlittrell.com, a New York City hospitality consulting property. The list is refreshed annually. If you run a NYC restaurant automation firm and want to be considered for the 2027 edition, email jason@jlittrell.com with your firm name, website, and a two-sentence description of what you do best.
