Customer Reviews

Upstart Guide Owning & Managing a Restaurant

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Roy Alonzo's book is the guiding light needed by those going into the restaurant business. It is a detailed and informative outline that allows the reader to formalize their thoughts into a sophisticated business plan that will make them shine in front of sellers, lenders and landlords.

I am a consultant and commercial real estate broker specializing in the sale of restaurant businesses. My twenty plus years of experience in the restaurant industry spans fast food, institutional feeding, upscale dining, teaching on the college level and consulting in the Home Meal Replacement market for supermarket chains.I have read and perused numerous industry publications and find this book to be my choice to recommend to buyers going into the restaurant business. Everyone I have recommended it to has thanked me numerous times. Good Luck. Chuck Southard, Vice President of The Boston Restaurant Group, Inc.

I found this book got right to the core of starting a Restaurant in a logical and easy to understand way. It contains a useful model for a restaurant business plan, and includes practical approaches to tasks that must be dealt with in a restaurant start-up. It also suggests ways to cope with if not avoid many typical problems, and presents numerous strategies for increasing chances of success. Very helpful.

I wish there was a book like this when I started out in the business. It would have made life a lot easier. It goes over the whole procedure of starting a restaurant in a logical, easy to understand way. Gives lots of examples of things that can save you time and money. Has a strong chapter on preplanning. That's the best time to avoid the mistakes that can bankrupt a restaurant later on. Takes you from the business plan right through the grand opening. A very wise investment, for the small cost.

After reading a friend's copy, and seeing how useful this book is, I had to buy my own copy. I read it again and still refer to it for ideas. It covers the entire process of a restaurant start-up in an easy to understand way, pointing out ways to increase your chances of success and showing how to avoid many common mistakes that can doom a start-up. While showing you how to go about it, and giving examples, the author leads you through a winning business plan, menu planning, service system development, equipment layout and planning, cost controls, ways to satisfy customers and build sales, personnel planning and management, as well as a lot of common sense tips and useful guidelines. I believe this is a valuable book for anyone, who is starting-up a restaurant, to read. Good Luck.

This book gets right to the point, and is written in an easy to read and understand style. It covers all aspects of the business and gives a lot of good examples and strategies for dealing with situations. From start-up to follow-up it explains things clearly, focusing on sound controls and operating profitably. The business plan section is particularly good, and the other parts, service systems, equipment layout, production management, etc. are all helpful. Both my partner and I have copies and like it.

I've been told that 80% of new businesses fail within their first five years. I can't afford to take that chance. That's why I'm getting all the help I can get to succeed in the restaurant business. And this book is helping me a lot. Every time I flip a page and see something I didn't even think of, or spot a costly mistake I would have made, I'm glad I bought it. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and covers every phase of the business from planning to the grand opening. Good examples and checklists. I give it five stars.

A MUST READ if you want to increase you chances of success in the restaurant business. Lots of useful information on every page, and easy to read. Covers all aspects: site selection, menu planning, equipment selection, layout, staffing, purchasing food and beverages, cost controls, management tips, quality control, service, sanitation, safety, plus business plan and legal considerations. It's all there. After you read it, you'll want to keep this book for future reference and ideas.

Although there was much information in the book, much of it was for a complete restaurant novice. I would hope that someone with that little experience would not go into the restaurant business. The book was good for a "once-over" look, but I don't know if I will be keeping it. A little disappointing.

I'm a cook, my wife has waitressed and my younger brother is a bartender. We want to go into the business for ourselves. Together we have a lot of skills and a great idea for a restaurant, but we needed a guide on how to pull it all together. This book is helping a lot with things on the business side that I wouldn't even have thought about. That's what I like most about it.

I'm satisfied with this book. Although I couldn't find an answer for many questions I had, it's a great book for getting the panorama of the business. It covers all of the aspects relevant to the business, but sometimes lacks going deeper to the matter. Sure, you can't expect to learn how to open a restaurant just by reading this book. Final word: recommended!