Company Profile
Specialty Group
Company Overview
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to help each and every client accomplish their goal, whether that may be to get out of or to get into the bar/restaurant industry, obtaining funding or addressing licensing issues with the PLCB.
What We Do:
We are a boutique company that provides one stop shop services to the Bar & Restaurant industry. We have assisted thousands of clients with buying and selling Bars & Restaurants, liquor licensing, and business financing.
Company History
Our President and CEO, Ned Sokoloff, was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ned was mentored by his step-dad 'Big Bill,' a proprietor of thirty bars in the Philadelphia area, gaining Ned first-hand experience in the Pennsylvania bar/restaurant industry during the mid-1960's. Operator frustrations were evident to Ned as he watched and helped 'Big Bill' and other operators work through all sorts of situations in the industry.
Those informative years enabled Ned to have the vision for an affordable, professional company to serve both experienced operators and first-timers under one roof. Ned's vision came to fruition in 1986 when he opened a boutique service business for the bar/restaurant industry and called it Specialty Group.
Today, Specialty Group welcomes all operators from neighborhood bars and pizza shops to five-star restaurants and catering operations as they all are connected with the common thread; they are all trying to make a living in the bar/restaurant industry.
Our operating team has over 80 years of cumulative experience in the bar and restaurant industry. We take pride in what we do and have gained a strong understanding of the common pitfalls and stumbling blocks in this industry through our years of experience.
Furthermore, our principals have impressive personal backgrounds in the industry ranging from being named in the "Pennsylvania's Top 50 Women In Business," to being on the "Pennsylvania Restaurant Association's Board of Directors," to winning the "PA Restaurants Association Member of the Year Award." They have given seminars, authored a book, industry columns, are featured in trade journals and are frequently interviewed by local newspapers. Specialty Group has come to be viewed as an industry resource to local and national media and is regularly contacted for comments and insights regarding industry trends, current local happenings and opinions on issues that affect restaurants and bars.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Ned Sokoloff:
LEADERSHIP:
Board of Directors -Pennsylvania Restaurant Association
Associate Member of the Year - Pennsylvania Restaurant Association 2008 Governmental Affairs Committee - Pennsylvania Restaurant Association 2007 Alcohol Service Committee - Pennsylvania Restaurant Association 2007-2010
Advisory Committee- Pennsylvania Culinary Foundation Hospitality Alliance of Western Pennsylvania
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PUBLISHED AUTHOR:
INTERVIEWED IN:
Instrumental in handling over 2,500 liquor license transfers and the opening of over 1300 liquor licensed restaurants since 1970.
Author: Restaurant Rants
Observer Magazine - Current Columnist
Independent Restaurateur Magazine - Current Columnist Server Magazine- Monthly Restaurant Trade Paper -10 Years Pennsylvania Beverage Journal
NJ PA Real Estate Journal
Pennsylvania Restaurant Matters Magazine
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Small Business News
Pittsburgh Courier
Enterprise Journal
Pittsburgh Business Times Pennsylvania Observer Magazine Server Magazine
Nations Restaurant News Night Club and Bar Magazine
Terri Sokoloff:
License & Degrees
2013 - Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) Designation
2003 - Graduate, CORO Center For Civic Leadership, Women’s Executive Series Program 2002 - Prestigious Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) Designation
1994 - Certified Real Estate Business (CRB) Designation
1992 - Pennsylvania Brokers License
1990 - Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI) Designation
1989 - Real Estate License
1986 - Bachelor’s Degree, University of Pittsburgh
Honors & Award
2014: Business Women's First Award
2010 - Crew Creative Deal of the Year Award
2006 - Named in 'Best 50 Women in Business in PA'
2006 - Crew Creative Deal of the Year Award
2005 - Finalist PA Restaurant Association affiliate Member of the Year
2005 - Fast Trackers Award, Pittsburgh Business Times
2004 - Featured in National Magazine, Real Estate Business, for developing niche market 2003 - Top 40 Under 40, Pittsburgh Magazine & Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (Pump) 2003 - Guest Lecturer for University of Pittsburgh Business Class
2000 - Award of Leadership, Oxford Publishing Inc.
2000 - Selected On-premise Innovator, National/Nightclub and Bar Magazine
1996 - Presidential Bridge Award, Realtors Association of Pittsburgh [honored for chairing fundraising golf outings in 1996 and 1995]
1994-1997 - Board member, Realtor Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh [youngest person elected to this position]
1992 - Recipient of the GIFT pin award by Realtor Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh in honor of her involvement and commitment to her community and profession
Benefits
Bonuses
Free & Safe parking
Shorter Friday hours
401K with 4% match
New technology
Window Offices
Convenient Location