The Chef's Commandments: Maximize Your Kitchen's Profitability, Building and Maintaining a Successful, Profit-Driven Restaurant [Perfect Paperback]

J. A. Mendez (Author), C. Pinheiro (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2009

This book is designed to be a guide for current chefs, kitchen managers, restaurant owners and culinary beginners that are looking for direction on how to cut costs, manage waste, and still produce a quality product for their customers.

A restaurant's success is not measured only in customer satisfaction-the harsh reality is that a restaurant can have a very satisfied customer base and still be drowning financially.

The author reviews how to:

1. Manage food inventories, cut food costs, and reduce food waste

2. Stretch your marketing dollar!

3. Create a More Profitable Menu

4. Eliminate employee accidents

5. Increase sanitation and cleanliness, and avoid costly problems with the Health Department

6. Stop employee theft!

7. Cut labor costs and reduce employee turnover

8. Introduce a Special Menu

9. Increase perceived value

10. Increase revenue by hosting Special Events, Parties, and Catering

Learn how to maximize your kitchen's profitability today!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With over twenty years in the restaurant industry, and over a decade as an Executive Trainer and Executive Chef, J.A. Mendez has traveled all over the United States, training new chefs, opening new restaurants, and helping to revive struggling restaurants from the brink of disaster. He is a professional member of the American Culinary Federation.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Publications (July 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982266022
• ISBN-13: 978-0982266021
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Every new restaurant owner should read these commandments., July 15, 2009

By 

amygeek (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chef's Commandments: Maximize Your Kitchen's Profitability, Building and Maintaining a Successful, Profit-Driven Restaurant (Perfect Paperback)

Author and chef J.A. Mendez is the best friend a new restaurant owner never knew he or she had. In this book, Mendez shares professional and personal insights only someone who's truly been in the kitchen trenches would have, and does it without resorting to empty business school platitudes or corporate-speak. If a new restaurant owner or manager really wants to know how to overcome a stumbling block or improve overall profitability, these ten "Chef's Commandments" should provide real-life answers and time-proven advice from someone who knows how the food industry really works.

The individual chapters cover issues ranging from menus to marketing, staffing to sanitation, and everything in between. I myself used to work in the food industry, and I could not find a single piece of advice or insight which did not ring true. Some of Mendez's advice may come across as shocking or brutally honest, however, which could have the benefit of shaking up complacent restaurant owners and their staff. This book also contains real stories submitted by real restaurant owners, and their experiences can be very eye-opening indeed.

This book is not perfect by any means, but I believe the fact it was written by a real chef who has spent over 20 years in the food industry gives it some definite street credibility. If a new restaurant owner really wants to benefit from the wisdom of a food industry survivor, he or she should consider reading this straight-shooting book first.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative and Interesting, December 13, 2009

By 

Sunni Morris "FaerieMound Books" (in the SW desert) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Chef's Commandments: Maximize Your Kitchen's Profitability, Building and Maintaining a Successful, Profit-Driven Restaurant (Perfect Paperback)

This book is written by a chef in an easy to read style and covers everything a new restaurant owner needs to know about running a successful restaurant. Not only is food costs, sanitation and menus and catering covered but there are also sections on employees. This book contains many helpful hints for anyone working in a kitchen or thinking about opening up a place - big or small - that will be serving food. A must read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart and Well Written, December 12, 2009

By 

Edward Creager "Author of 'The Money-Saving I... (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chef's Commandments: Maximize Your Kitchen's Profitability, Building and Maintaining a Successful, Profit-Driven Restaurant (Perfect Paperback)

I found this book to be "smart" in that it looks at the restaurant world from the perspective of maintaining profitability by giving customers what they want and by maintaining quality levels, etc. (There is much more to the book too, of course.)

It's readable too, with a nice, down-to-earth writing style. It's refreshing to read a book on a business/financial subject that isn't presented in a dry, boring style. There's a lot of great information here, and enough flair to keep the reader engaged.