Tucker W. “Bill” Main is a nationally-recognized foodservice management consultant, with clients throughout the United States and Canada. He earned a BS degree in Economics from Oregon State University, where he was a 3-year All Pac-8 Conference halfback. In 1970 he was drafted by the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bill’s 30+ years of foodservice experience began at Henry Africa’s, the original “fern bar” in San Francisco, CA. He developed and owned three restaurants during his career as an operator. Most notable was The Shore Bird, a Cape Cod-style seafood restaurant located on the Pacific coast, just south of San Francisco. For 22 years, The Shore Bird was recognized as one of the most successful and profitable restaurants in the United States.

His “best practices” approach to successful foodservice operations has been widely acclaimed as the definitive methodology to both survive and prosper in the ever-competitive foodservice world.

An active board member of the California Restaurant Association for 10 years, Bill was elected Chairman in 1996. He’s currently a trustee of CRA’s Educational Foundation. He’s a member and past director of the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI), holding an honorary Ph.D. in Foodservice—with an emphasis in common sense. His observation that the success of every foodservice operation depended on a myriad of trade secrets—insider knowledge, proprietary rules-of-thumb, and bits of wisdom was the genesis of his best practices approach. True to his competitive nature, Bill helps his clients face the competition head-on by focusing on brand development and the art of aligning brand promise with brand delivery.

Main has been a regular columnist or contributing editor to the major trade publications, publishing dozens of articles in the last 20 years. He’s authored three books, 15 white papers and developed a comprehensive line of tools and resources for foodservice operators.

A compelling lecturer and speaker, Bill earned the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association, a certification held the top 3% of speakers in America. Bill has developed seminars for restaurant associations in the United States and Canada, the Club Managers Association of America, foodservice distributors and manufacturers, and corporate hotels and multi-unit restaurant clients. As a keynote speaker, his unique perspective and common sense approach has garnered him top reviews internationally.

Main’s expertise extends beyond the foodservice and hospitality industries. His company, Bill Main & Associates was recently purchased by AIMS Worldwide. Head of the Strategy and Planning division, he has developed a methodology to streamline the strategic planning process. Just as his real-world approach to consulting connects “knowing” with “doing”, Bill’s Growth Plan Strategy (GPS) connects the theoretical and actual by identifying the end goal and mapping out a clear set of prioritized steps.

When he isn’t on the road, Bill lives in Chico, CA with his wife Nancy and their teenage triplets. A life-long student, he’s quickly becoming an expert on behavior modification.