Trellis Hospitality offers full-spectrum restaurant consulting in the Twin Cities area. Trellis Hospitality creates successful new restaurant concepts, progresses existing operations and extends the life span of established restaurants.
Our cooperative approach was shaped over decades creating and operating highly successful restaurant concepts. Your bottom-line benefits from our decades of hands-on operating experience.
Our recommendations are practical, immediately actionable and measurably effective. From management/employee training to menu design and costing. There is nothing operationally we cannot help you adjust and improve.
Our experts’ partner with owners and developers to work through the economic fundamentals spanning financial modeling, operations, contract negotiations and marketing that ultimately determine success. Trellis Hospitality refines your investment narrative with P&L analysis and pro forma development.
Meet the Team
Bob Kinsella, Chief Financial Officer
Bob Kinsella boasts invaluable leadership experience in the areas of financial accounting and reporting with over 30 years of food and beverage experience and success. Mr. Kinsella works diligently to track statistical data, identifying both positive and negative trends that need immediate operator attention. One of his greatest strong suits involves putting that data into a format that is both understandable and efficient for restaurant operations teams. Ensuring asset security by setting up accounting and bookkeeping systems, Mr. Kinsella uniquely designs solutions to identify when a problem occurs in cash flow, inventories, fixed assets, or more, so that immediate corrective action may be taken to get the property back on track.
After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Mr. Kinsella began his career with International Multifoods in 1982 which lead him into his position at Tri-City in 1986. He was the company’s first controller, and 28 years later, he remains with Tri-City/Trellis Management as CFO and part owner, creating accounting management solutions to benefit the restaurant environment. Working through numerous sales tax audits with the State of Minnesota, an IRS audit, and other reporting reviews done with year-end taxes, Mr. Kinsella ensures that Tri-City/Trellis always performs well in all areas of financial security.
Ben Berry, Operations & Business Development Director
Ben Berry has a strong track record of conceptualizing and launching successful restaurants across the state. He is the director of new business and oversees operations for Trellis Hospitality restaurants and consulting.
Ben’s specialties include spearheading projects for the company related to new restaurant openings, cost containment, departmental efficiencies, training, human resources, and guest experience. He especially enjoys keeping the mission of giving back in mind and he created a staff volunteer program as well as a funding and awareness programs for multiple local non-profits and charities. He is also one of the only dually Certified Sommeliers and Certified Cicerones in Minnesota.
When he is not working, Ben trains for endurance events and spends quality time with his wife and two daughters.
Brenna Akkerman,
Director of Marketing
Brenna Akkerman has over 10 years of marketing and PR experience, and a successful track record in team leadership and building brands. After graduating with a degree in Journalism from the U of MN Twin Cities, she gained extensive experience in broadcast, event management, and marketing by holding positions in the nonprofit sectors. She was the Event & Volunteer Manager at The Sanneh Foundation coupled with The Haitian Initiative as its Youth Impact Trip Leader, and from there held a position as spokesperson and Marketing/Event Manager for Downtown Fargo’s Community Partnership.
Brenna has been with Trellis Hospitality for over 5 years - she incepted the digital marketing foundations for each restaurant under the Trellis umbrella and has built them to where they stand successfully today. She has a unique, artful eye for design and communicates through compelling copy.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, yoga & wellness, and spending time with her two lovely children.