Amanda McAllister
Amanda McAllister is a strategic project management professional and the Principal of McAllister Consulting, where she provides project management and consulting services to organizations across the foodservice industry. With more than 20 years of experience, Amanda specializes in managing complex capital projects, including foodservice rollouts, brand upgrades, and operational improvements. Her work focuses on ensuring projects are completed efficiently while maintaining clear scope, timelines, and budgets, allowing businesses to achieve their goals without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Amanda’s career in the foodservice industry began unexpectedly when she connected with professionals at Quiznos while working for a related company early in her career. That introduction led her into the industry, where she quickly developed expertise in capital purchasing and project execution. Over time, her work expanded from managing capital improvement initiatives to overseeing broader project management efforts for organizations of all sizes. In previous leadership roles, including directing capital purchasing for Red Robin, she managed large-scale budgets, led restaurant development initiatives, and helped open hundreds of new locations on time and within budget.
Today, Amanda runs her own consulting firm, where she partners with clients to execute projects that have clear scope, budget, and timeline requirements. She is known for her conscientious approach and her ability to uncover cost-saving opportunities that help organizations operate more efficiently. Through strong industry relationships and ongoing networking, Amanda continues to support businesses across the foodservice sector while helping leaders successfully complete projects that move their organizations forward.
• Clinical Nutritionist
• University of Colorado Boulder- Bachelor's
• S.B. School of Nutrition, Nourishment, & Healing- M.S.
What do you attribute your success to?
I think what makes me successful is that I am conscientious. I want to do a good job for people. I don't want to disappoint anybody ever. I want to check things off the list for them and alleviate some stress. I'm happy to take on a project or anything that has been kind of lingering in their world that they just haven't been able to get the bandwidth to tackle, or to achieve, or finish, or cross off the list. I like to do that because it makes people feel like their life is easier, and they can focus on the things they do best. But really, I'm very conscientious, and I don't want to ever disappoint anybody, and so that is kind of what drives me. I also do a lot of networking, constantly talking to people and seeing people, which has been essential to building my consulting business and getting new projects through friends in the industry.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice Amanda ever received came from her mentor Les, who encouraged her to embrace challenges, build confidence, and grow as a leader in her career.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering the foodservice project management industry to focus on building strong networks and relationships, and to consistently deliver results so they can establish credibility and open doors to new opportunities.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Probably establishing credibility on my own. I've been with larger organizations which come with credibility, and so when you go out on your own, if you want to do work with a big organization, you have to just kind of build some trust and some rapport. I could be any schmo off the street if I don't already know you, but if you have a reputation, that's very helpful. Building that pipeline of leads so that I can have one project lead into another project consecutively without any time gaps is taking some effort, but it's happening.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my work, I value being conscientious and never wanting to disappoint anybody. I want to do a good job for people, check things off their list, and alleviate stress for them. I find it super rewarding to lift people up and give them an opportunity to shine within their own organization. When I discover cost-saving opportunities, I love that I can help people appear as a hero to their organization. In my personal life, my family is a huge part of my life. I don't have a very large family, but spending time with them, watching my nieces and nephews turn into adults, establish their career paths, get into relationships, buy houses, and do really cool stuff is so important to me. I also love exploring the outdoors. I live in the mountains, so walking outside with the dog and going into Mother Nature is my happy place. We live in a ski town, so getting on the mountain and being outside in nature is essential to my well-being.