Customer Reviews

Running a Restaurant For Dummies

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My Mom ordered this book for me, as I was thinking of owning my own place. I have been in the restaurant business for several years, as a worker, and as a cook, and as a store manager. I thought I knew pretty much all I needed to know, but after reading this book, I am amazed at just how much MORE I needed to learn! This book has given me much more insight to more ways of obtainning the funds for starting out, and all the differrent things needed to know for employee hiring, inventory, money managment, and even how to find the best location! The book is also very true and realistic as to the difficulties occurred along the way to owning, and running a sucessful business. Thanks a lot "Books for Dummies" people for getting this book on the market. I know it will help a lot of folks who are thinking about opening their own restaurant. I am ready and anxious to get going on the road to owning my own pizza restaurant! Look for my place, SOON!
L. Vanderhoek & Eric Vanderhoek

This is a good book!

I've always wanted to open a restaurant and within the last year my life has changed to the point where I could make that dream a reality. I refer to restaurant ownership as a "mid-term" goal, meaning it's probably at least 1-3 years in the future, but in the meantime I have been doing all the research I can, and almost as a joke I mentioned to a friend of mine that, "Wouldn't it be funny if a book was out there like 'Restaurants for Dummies'?" We looked on Amazon, and voila! There really IS one!

After reading this, I admit, I picked up more than a few helpful hints and insider suggestions I did not know. This book cannot turn you into an experienced restaurateur overnight, but, as I've been impressed to learn again and again when referring to the `Dummies' series, it's more than just lightweight fluff sandwiched between two covers. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the inner workings of the restaurant business, and especially for those (crazy types like me) thinking of getting into this (high-risk, often low-yield, hard-work required) profession.

When my wife and I decided three months ago to open our own restaurant, this book was our very first purchase. If you're thinking of opening one, it should be yours, too.

"Running A Restaurant For Dummies" is packed with useful tips on starting and running a restaurant: things like choosing your "concept", creating a menu, selecting the right staff and building a loyal clientelle. It's an easy read, with everything broken down into easily digested chunks and plenty of funny anecdotes along the way. The authors do a good job of getting across the glamour and the drudgery of the restaurant business, and most important, they get across the message that the restaurant business is just that, a business. Cashflow, inventory, marketing, hiring and firing -- take it from me, you'll spend at least as much time worrying about this stuff as you will about the food.

I must have bought a dozen books on the restaurant business before we opened. This was the only one I read cover to cover. Five weeks after opening, we're doing great business and getting great reviews. We regularly have to turn people away on Friday and Saturday nights. At least part of that success we owe to this book. Thinking of starting a restaurant? Buy this book. It's the best fifteen bucks you'll ever invest.

I have over 28 years in the restaurant business and I am finally preparing to open my own restaurant and this book has become my personal bible. The authors really know what they are talking about and they give you all the tools to help you open a successful business. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

It looks like it would really be fun to own a restaurant. You get to meet a lot of interesting people, the work can't be that hard, it looks pretty profitable.

Then I got this book. Reading the For Dummies Cheat Sheet at the beginning I see a few points required for the successful restaurateur:

Ability to hold (or hold off) liquor - Yup! One of my favorite restaurants was owned by a fellow that spent his time on the wrong side of the bar with a never empty drink in front of him. The restaurant failed.

Presence - Yup! Most of the restaurants I go to have the owner there whenever I come by (or else he's running an errand and will be right back); and this is in the morning or late at night.

Then there's location, competition, employees, taxes, health, fire and gosh knows what other inspections.

I read the book. Honestly, I read the whole thing. I made a clear decision, I'm NOT opening a restaurant. The real deciding factor was the last chapter - 'Ten (Or So) True Restaurante Stories That You Just Couldn't Make Up.' I'm going to stay on the customer side of the bar and just watch the antics of the owner.

Pleasant surprise! I was expecting a simplistic high level view of the restaurant business. Instead, this book proved to be incredibly thorough and detailed. It provides a step by step guideline necessary for planning before establishing your own restaurant. It covers everything from calculating costs, profit margins to necessary licenses. It forces you to think of so many details that you never realized you had to account for.

Very good book. Full of details. Could go a little further into the kitchen matter. You will need another book on food cost calculation, once this one does not cover it all the way.

Even though this book is aimed at the U.S. market ( I'm Canadian), the information is still more than excellent. Some of the laws and regulations obviously don't apply in Canada, so any Canadians who buy this, do your own homework as far as by-laws. The book is filled with information that I never considered before opening a restaurant, wether it be a brand new construction or just taking over an established location. This book has helped me get on the right path, from remembering to get the neccessary permits to your point-of-sale system. It is a very good buy, and excellent information for the price.

Wanna open a food service business? Read several books including this one, subscribe to the Restuarant owner email news letter and then search for any other material you can read about the subject. Lots of people try and many fail, or just give up. Be educated in your decisions. You will gain enough from the school of hard knocks, so you should have enough education to realize when a "lesson" comes your way.

Running a Restaurant for Dummies is a very informative read. I read it on my Kindle. I checked it out from the Wharton County Library through their E-book program. This is a great idea.

The book is very good, but some of the charts and tables suffer when transferred to the Kindle version. There are a few instances of formatting problems, but overall the Kindle version is great.

Running a Restaurant for Dummies gives the would-be restaurant owner sort of a crash course in running a restaurant. The book is an excellent resource for any restaurant start-up.

There is a good bit of information packed within the book. However, the book does not miss a chance to promote other books in the "For Dummies" series. In fact, one begins to expect it. A handy resource list would be helpful.

I believe anyone who plans to start a restaurant should read this book.