Steady guidance. Lasting results.
Transform your bar or restaurant with our expert consulting solutions.
Discover Highwater Hospitality
Our Mission
At Highwater, our mission is to empower hospitality leaders to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable businesses. We partner with bar and restaurant owners and operators to clarify their vision, strengthen their systems, and develop the kind of leadership that endures. Through steady guidance and practical expertise, we help our clients navigate challenges with confidence and create lasting success for their teams, their guests, and their communities.
About Sean Lyttle
Founder, Highwater Hospitality Consulting
At his core, Sean is a coach, a collaborator, and a problem-solver who believes that leadership is a practice, not a title. Through Highwater Hospitality Consulting, he partners with restaurant owners and operators to identify strengths, overcome obstacles, and build thriving businesses rooted in clarity, accountability, and purpose.
Sean’s perspective is shaped by more than two decades in hospitality, from front-line management to ownership and consulting. He also spent thirteen years practicing law, an experience that sharpened his skills in risk management, systems thinking, and strategic communication. Returning to his first professional love, Sean now channels that blend of precision and passion into helping others achieve lasting success.
Known for his calm coaching approach, Sean works collaboratively with clients, motivating them to perform at their best while learning and adapting alongside them. Grounded in humility, integrity, and follow-through, he believes leadership is learned, practiced, and cultivated through consistency and care.
The Compass
The Compass
The Compass
Chart your course with clarity and confidence.
Designed for: Entrepreneurs launching their first concept or expanding into new ownership.
For the true entrepreneur ready to turn vision into reality, The Compass provides the focused direction needed to start strong. This intensive 90-day program brings your concept to vibrant life before the doors even open, with expert guidance in concept development, market positioning, menu engineering, staffing and training, brand strategy, and implementation of efficient cost-control and loss-prevention systems.
Each engagement includes The Helm, twelve one-on-one leadership coaching sessions, to develop the clarity, confidence, and decision-making skills you’ll need to lead your team effectively from day one. Every detail is calibrated to align your dream with operational excellence and financial sustainability.
The Rudder
The Compass
The Compass
Regain control. Realign your course. Restore momentum.
Designed for: Established operators seeking to correct performance issues or reposition a struggling concept.
When a concept begins to drift off course, The Rudder provides the steady hand needed to turn things around. This 90-day interventional program begins with a deep operational and profitability analysis, identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for renewal. From there, we deliver focused, actionable guidance across cost management, menu optimization, staff engagement and morale, leadership training, rebranding, and systems improvement.
At the heart of every turnaround is leadership, which is why The Rudder also includes The Helm, twelve one-on-one coaching sessions dedicated to rebuilding confidence, refining leadership approach, and restoring a culture of purpose and accountability. You’ll finish the journey with renewed direction, stronger foundations, and the skills to sustain long-term success.
The Horizon
The Helm (Add-On Option)
The Helm (Add-On Option)
Expand your reach without losing your way.
Designed for: Successful operators preparing to scale, franchise, or exit strategically.
For the seasoned owner-operator ready to elevate a thriving concept, The Horizon delivers the expertise and structure to grow with integrity. This 90-day scaling program begins with a comprehensive analysis of brand strengths and opportunities, then guides you through leadership development, scalable systems design, operational documentation, and values-driven brand alignment.
Growth demands both structure and stewardship. With The Helm, twelve dedicated leadership coaching sessions, you’ll refine your executive mindset, strengthen delegation skills, and ensure your expanding enterprise continues to reflect your core values. Whether your next move is multi-unit expansion, franchise development, or preparing for sale, this process ensures your growth is sustainable, strategic, and true to your vision.
The Helm (Add-On Option)
The Helm (Add-On Option)
The Helm (Add-On Option)
Lead with clarity. Steer with confidence.
The Helm is also available as an extended engagement for owners and managers seeking focused personal development beyond the Navigator Series plans. Through individualized, one-hour weekly sessions, in person or via videoconference, clients receive practical tools and tailored guidance to enhance communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, and strategic leadership.