Operations Consulting · Nationwide

Your operation deserves
someone who's done it.

Operations consulting for hospitality businesses and STR operators. STR systems, bar and restaurant operations, distillery consulting, and business acquisition advisory — from someone who built in all of it.

Book a Strategy Call → View Services
13Years Licensed
3Businesses Built
4Service Lines
IL · COLicensed Broker
Who We Work With

Right Fit. Wrong Fit. Know the Difference.

MorOps is built for active operators — businesses that are building, launching, or running with real problems to solve.

✓ Perfect For
✓ Airbnb hosts and STR operators
✓ Bars and cocktail bars
✓ Restaurants
✓ Craft distilleries
✓ Breweries and taprooms
✓ Boutique hotels and hospitality concepts
✓ Buyers evaluating hospitality acquisitions
✓ Operators scaling from 1 to multiple properties
✗ Not a Fit For
✗ Businesses looking for free consulting
✗ Operators unwilling to implement changes
✗ Pre-revenue concept-stage startups
✗ Clients who want validation, not honest assessment
✗ Businesses needing legal or accounting services
01 — The Problem We Solve

Most operators are building on guesswork.

Bar operations STR property Distillery Restaurant

The information is out there — YouTube channels, Reddit threads, courses, coaches. But none of it tells you what to do with your specific property, your specific concept, or your specific P&L. Generic advice produces generic results.

Your STR is live but underperforming

Occupancy under 60%, pricing set and forgotten, no automation, no cleaning system. You're leaving thousands on the table every month.

You're opening a bar or distillery and it's overwhelming

Licensing timelines, build-out sequencing, vendor negotiations, staffing before you have revenue. Most first-time operators don't know what they don't know — until it's expensive.

You're already open and something isn't working

The revenue looks okay but the margins don't. Labor is too high. A vendor relationship is costing more than it should. Something in the system is broken.

02 — Why MorOps

The advice you need from someone who's lived it.

01

Operator-to-Operator Advice

Not a consultant who studied your industry. Someone who built a bar, a distillery, and an STR operation from zero. The mistakes were made so you don't have to make them.

02

Everything in Writing

Every engagement closes with a written deliverable — an audit report, a fix list, a launch plan. Recorded Loom walkthrough included. You own it and can act on it immediately.

03

Scoped to Your Situation

No packages that don't fit. Every engagement is scoped individually based on what you're building and where you are. You get exactly what your situation requires.

04

Direct Access

You work with Colton directly — no associates, no junior consultants. The person you book the call with is the person delivering your engagement.

03 — The Numbers Behind Consulting

What operator guidance actually does to your bottom line.

These aren't MorOps numbers — they're industry-wide figures on what happens when operators stop guessing and start working with someone who's been there.

0% Revenue increase Average STR revenue improvement after professional pricing and systems setup — AirDNA, 2023
0x ROI on advisory Median ROI on business consulting engagements for SMB operators — Harvard Business Review
0% Labor cost reduction Average labor cost improvement after structured scheduling and staffing audit — National Restaurant Association
0% Avoid critical mistakes Of first-time hospitality operators who work with an experienced advisor avoid the most common pre-opening mistakes — SCORE

For STR operators specifically

The gap between a manually-priced listing and a properly configured PriceLabs setup in an active market is typically 30–50% in annual revenue. Most operators don't realize their pricing software needs configuration — not just installation.

For hospitality operators

The three most expensive mistakes in a bar or restaurant — over-hiring before revenue exists, incorrect COGS assumptions, and unsigned vendor agreements — are all preventable with a single pre-opening audit. The cost of the audit is typically recovered in the first month of operation.

04 — Background
Colton Mortag — Founder, MorOps

Built three businesses.
Consulting on all of them.

"The background behind MorOps isn't a résumé line — it's a sequence of decisions, mistakes, and systems built under real operational pressure."

A bar opened from zero. A distillery built from the ground up through licensing, production, compliance, and distribution. A short-term rental co-hosting operation running live today. 13 years as a licensed realtor in Illinois and Colorado runs alongside all of it — giving MorOps a real estate lens that most hospitality consultants don't have.

13 Years Licensed Realtor — IL & CO
Bar Operator — full build-out, licensing, staffing, vendor, P&L
Distillery Founder — TTB compliance, production, distribution, retail
MorHaven Stays — live STR co-hosting operation, Chicago
MorCapital Advisors — business acquisition advisory
05 — Services

How We Help

Four service lines. One operator. Built on direct experience across STR, hospitality, and business acquisition.

🏠

STR Operations

For Airbnb hosts and STR operators who want more from their property.

  • Airbnb launch planning
  • Revenue optimization
  • Pricing systems
  • Automation & SOPs
🍸

Hospitality Operations

For bars, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries — pre-opening through turnaround.

  • Bar & restaurant systems
  • Distillery operations
  • Cost controls & COGS
  • Staff training & SOPs
📊

Business Acquisition Advisory

For buyers evaluating small business acquisitions under $3M.

  • Business evaluation
  • Cash flow analysis
  • SBA preparation
  • Due diligence
⚙️

Growth & Systems

For operators who need their business to run without their constant presence.

  • SOP creation
  • KPI dashboards
  • Team structure
  • Process optimization
STR apartment
STR Operations

Short-Term Rental Consulting

Your property has more earning potential than it's showing. Whether you're starting from zero or already live and stuck — get a system that works.

Strategy Call60 min · Recorded · Next steps in writing
From $350▾
  • Full 60-minute recorded Zoom session — no time wasted on context
  • Short intake form reviewed before the call so you start with answers
  • Written summary of recommendations sent within 24 hours
  • Clear next step identified — whether that's an audit, a setup, or nothing yet
Delivery: same day · Format: Zoom + written summary
Performance Audit5-day delivery · Fix list + Loom walkthrough
From $1,200▾
  • Full AirDNA comp set analysis — what comparable properties are actually earning
  • Mystery guest walkthrough of your full booking flow
  • Pricing review — base rate, minimum nights, seasonal settings, orphan day gaps
  • Listing copy and photo assessment
  • Loom video walkthrough of every finding
Delivery: 5 business days + 30-min debrief call
Full Setup & Launch2-week delivery · Hospitable, PriceLabs, Turno
Custom Quote▾
  • Airbnb listing built from scratch — title, description, house rules, pricing baseline
  • PriceLabs configured — base price, min/max, seasonal rules, orphan day settings
  • Hospitable automations — messaging sequences, review requests, check-in instructions
  • Turno onboarding — cleaner coordination, turnover checklists, auto-scheduling
  • 60-minute live handoff call walking through every system
Delivery: 2 weeks · Format: live handoff call + written SOP doc
Monthly Advisory Retainer2 calls + async · Ongoing support
Custom Quote▾
  • Two 45-minute advisory calls per month
  • Async Q&A via Loom between calls — answered within 48 hours
  • Monthly performance review — occupancy, revenue, pricing adjustments
  • Priority access for urgent issues
Commitment: month-to-month · No long-term contract required
Exact pricing discussed on your strategy call.Book STR Strategy Call →
Bar interior
Hospitality

Bar, Distillery & Restaurant Consulting

Whether you're pre-opening or already open and bleeding margin — get advice from someone who has navigated every stage of it.

Discovery Call90 min · Recorded · Gap assessment + roadmap
Custom Quote▾
  • 90-minute recorded deep dive into your concept, timeline, and current situation
  • Identification of your three biggest gaps — licensing, financial, operational, or build-out
  • Clear recommended path forward — which service you need next, and why
  • Written summary with specific action items sent within 24 hours
Delivery: same day · Format: Zoom + written gap assessment
Pre-Opening Ops Audit5-day delivery · Full written report + debrief
Custom Quote▾
  • Full review of your business plan, pro forma, and licensing timeline
  • Vendor and supply chain assessment — are your COGS projections realistic
  • Staffing structure and labor cost modeling
  • Build-out sequencing and timeline risk map
  • Written report with risk ratings + Loom walkthrough + 60-minute debrief
Delivery: 5 business days · Format: written report + Loom + debrief
Full Launch Advisory90-day retainer · Weekly calls + async support
Custom Quote▾
  • Weekly 45-minute advisory calls through your entire pre-opening phase
  • Async support between calls — questions answered within 48 hours
  • Vendor introductions and negotiation guidance
  • Licensing timeline management — what to file, when, and in what order
  • Full opening checklist — operational, marketing, and guest experience
Commitment: 90 days · Format: weekly calls + async + written deliverables
P&L & Ops TurnaroundFor open operators · Minimum engagement applies
Custom Quote▾
  • Pre-session review of 12 months P&L, labor reports, and top vendor invoices
  • Identification of your three biggest margin leaks
  • Specific fix list — who to renegotiate with, what to cut, what to invest in
  • Written priority action list executable without needing another call
  • 30-day check-in included
Delivery: 2 sessions + written action list · 30-day follow-up included
Every hospitality engagement is scoped individually.Book Hospitality Discovery Call →
Real Business Results

What Gets Fixed

Three examples of the kind of operational problems MorOps is built for — and what happened after.

Craft Distillery · Pre-Opening

Distillery Founder — Licensing & Launch

Challenge
First-time founder with TTB application incomplete, build-out timeline unrealistic by 4 months, no vendor relationships, and no staffing plan before opening day.
What We Did
Rebuilt the licensing timeline. Corrected build-out sequencing. Built a pre-opening vendor list with intro connections. Designed staffing structure for opening week.
Result
Opened on a revised timeline without the catastrophic 4-month delay. License cleared. Vendor relationships established before opening day.
STR Operator · Performance Audit

West Loop Airbnb — Occupancy & Revenue

Challenge
Urban condo at 52% occupancy after 8 months. Pricing set manually, no automation, cleaning on text messages, three bad reviews from cleaner no-shows.
What We Did
PriceLabs configured with correct base rate and orphan day rules. Hospitable messaging automation built. Turno onboarding completed. Listing copy and photo sequence rewritten.
Result
Occupancy moved from 52% to 74% within 60 days. Revenue up 31% month over month. Review score improved from 4.6 to 4.9 over the following quarter.
Bar Operator · P&L Turnaround

Cocktail Bar — Margin Recovery

Challenge
Revenue growing but margins declining. Pour cost unknown, labor tracked loosely, two distributor relationships never negotiated. Owner working 70-hour weeks.
What We Did
P&L identified labor at 38% — 6 points above target. Pour cost gap found at 31% vs 24% theoretical. Renegotiated primary distributor. Built scheduling system targeting overtime reduction.
Result
Labor to 32% within 8 weeks — no staff cuts. Pour cost to 26% after recipe standardization. Distributor renegotiation produced 7% cost reduction on primary spirits volume.
06 — Operator Insights

From the Field

Real operational knowledge from someone running these businesses — not content marketing. Updated when there's something worth saying.

STR Operations
June 2026

The PriceLabs Setting Most Hosts Never Touch — And What It's Costing Them

Orphan day gaps are the single most common revenue leak in STR pricing. Most hosts have PriceLabs set up but have never configured the orphan day minimum or the gap fill settings. Here's what that gap actually costs over a year and how to close it in 15 minutes.

Read the Full Guide →
Hospitality
June 2026

Why Your Labor Percentage Is Lying to You — And the Right Way to Track It

Most bar and restaurant operators track labor as a percentage of total revenue. That's the wrong denominator. Here's the metric that actually tells you whether your staffing is right — and what to do when it isn't.

Read the Full Guide →
Distillery Operations
May 2026

TTB Licensing Timeline: What Nobody Tells First-Time Distillery Founders

The Federal Basic Permit and DSP approval process takes longer than almost every first-time founder plans for — and the common mistakes in the application add months to the wait. What to file, in what order, and what kills applications before they're reviewed.

Read the Full Guide →

More articles in progress. Every post is written from direct experience — not repurposed industry content.

Ways to Work Together

Engagement Options

Three ways to engage. Exact pricing always discussed on your first call.

One-Time

Strategy Session

Ideal for: Operators who need clarity on one specific problem.

  • 60-90 minute recorded Zoom
  • Pre-call intake reviewed in advance
  • Written summary within 24 hours
  • Clear recommended next step
From $350
STR calls. Hospitality custom quoted.
Book a Strategy Session →
Project

Operations Audit

Ideal for: Operators who need a full diagnostic.

  • Full operational or financial audit
  • Written findings report
  • Loom video walkthrough
  • Specific action plan with priorities
  • 60-minute debrief call
  • 30-day follow-up check-in
From $1,200
STR audits. Hospitality custom quoted.
Request an Audit →
Ongoing

Advisory Retainer

Ideal for: Operators implementing long-term improvements.

  • 2 advisory calls per month
  • Async Q&A via Loom
  • Monthly performance review
  • Priority access for urgent issues
  • Month-to-month — no long-term contract
Custom Quote
Scoped on your discovery call.
Discuss a Retainer →
07 — How It Works

Four steps from call to result.

01

Book Your Call

Select your service line and book via the contact form. You'll get a confirmation and a short intake form within 24 hours.

02

Intake & Prep

Complete the intake form before the call. Your answers are reviewed in advance so the first minute is already useful — not introductory.

03

Written Delivery

Every engagement closes with a written deliverable — fix list, audit report, or launch plan. Loom walkthrough included. You own it.

04

30-Day Follow-Up

A check-in 30 days after close. Did it work? What changed? This is where most clients identify the next engagement or make the referral.

Common Questions

What People Ask Before Booking

What industries do you work with?

STR operators, Airbnb hosts, bars, cocktail bars, restaurants, craft distilleries, breweries, taprooms, boutique hotels, and buyers evaluating hospitality business acquisitions.

Do you work with startups?

Pre-revenue concept-stage startups are not a good fit. MorOps engagements are designed for operators actively building, launching, or running a business with real operational problems.

Do you work outside Chicago?

Yes — all MorOps consulting is conducted remotely and serves operators nationwide. STR, hospitality, and acquisition advisory are all available regardless of location.

Can you help launch a new Airbnb?

Yes — full STR launch setup is a specific engagement covering listing build, pricing configuration, automation tools, and cleaning coordination.

Can you help evaluate a business acquisition?

Yes — business acquisition advisory is a full MorOps service line covering deal evaluation, cash flow analysis, SBA preparation, and operational due diligence for buyers targeting SMBs under $3M.

Do you offer ongoing consulting?

Yes — monthly advisory retainers are available for both STR operators and hospitality businesses. Month-to-month commitment, no long-term contract required.

How does pricing work?

STR strategy calls start at $350. STR performance audits start at $1,200. All hospitality and acquisition engagements are custom-quoted on your discovery call. No surprises.

What happens during a strategy call?

You complete a short intake form before the call. The session is recorded. You leave with a written summary and a clear next step within 24 hours.

Do you work with restaurants?

Yes — restaurant operations consulting focused on labor systems, COGS control, vendor management, SOP creation, and P&L improvement for both pre-opening and open operators.

What makes MorOps different?

Every engagement is built on direct operator experience — a bar built from zero, a distillery taken from concept through compliance and distribution, and a live STR co-hosting operation running today. Operator-to-operator, specific, always in writing.

Start the Conversation

Pick your area and book a call.

Pricing discussed on the call. Every session is recorded and followed up in writing.

Responded within 24 hours.

Stop leaving money on the table.

The first call is the right move whether you're just starting to think about it or you've been stuck for months. Bring your real situation. You'll leave with a clear path forward — not a brochure.

📞 312.521.0421
🌐 Remote · Nationwide
⏱ Response within 24 hours
📝 Every session recorded + written follow-up

Ready to fix what's broken?

Book a call. Bring your real numbers. Walk away with a clear path forward.

Start the Conversation → 312.521.0421