Do you want to learn from successful restaurant owners how to manage a restaurant? If YES, here are 10 best restaurant management books for entrepreneurs.
If you own a restaurant business as an entrepreneur or you manage a restaurant business for investors, one of the attributes that will put you at a cutting edge position at all times is to ensure that you are always reading the right books. The truth is that, those who read will always lead others hence the quote “Readers are Leaders”.
No doubt, to read is one thing, but to know the types of books to read is entirely a different kettle of fish. In this article, we will highlight some books that will help you become nothing less than the very best as a restaurant entrepreneur or the owner of a restaurant business. In no particular order, here are 10 best books we will recommend for restaurant entrepreneurs and owners;
Best Book for Restaurant Owner
1. Front of the House: Restaurant Manners, Misbehaviors & Secrets by Jeff Benjamin
Those in the restaurants industry know that, despite how interwoven they are, the worlds of the front-of-house and the back-of-house are very different. No matter how busy or stressful the kitchen gets, it is tucked away and hidden from guests. Meanwhile, the front – of – house team is on the front lines, interacting with guests and ensuring their satisfaction.
There is a science to both, but in this book, Jeff Benjamin lays down what it is like to work the front – of – house and interact with the “always – right” customer with open and humorous insight. The skills he highlights in his writing are essential for running a successful front-of-house.
Notable Quote From The Book
“The dynamic nature of the menu keeps it interesting not just for guests who visit frequently, but also for everyone in the kitchen. We all love food, but chefs and cooks have a more complex relationship with it. The more they get to experiment and create new dishes, the better.”
2. Restaurant Owners Uncorked by Will Brawley
Restaurant Owners Uncorked is a compilation of interviews with experienced chefs such as Phil Roberts of Buca di Beppo, Chris Sommers of Pi Pizzeria, and more. They share how they got started, including what’s worked for them, what hasn’t, and the pros and cons of working in the restaurant industry.
Notable Quote From The Book
“It doesn’t matter if you have a trendy – looking place, or a cool – looking bar, or the greatest chef in the world. You have to engage the people that come into your place, day after night after day after night, and remember who they are, and why you’re here.”
3. Restaurant Success By the Numbers by Roger Fields
It is a fact that for restaurant entrepreneurs and owners, the road to success is defined by numbers: sales graphs, employee labor reports, inventory costing, and so on. To get a firmer grasp on the numbers side of the restaurant business, pick up Restaurant Success by the Numbers.
Accountant – turned – restaurateur Roger Fields focuses on things like funding, location, hiring, menu – making, number – crunching, and turning a profit; he even includes sample sales forecasts and operating budgets. Beyond craft and passion, opening and sustaining a new restaurant is a numbers game, and this book can arm you with the statistics, reports, and numbers you’ll need to keep a close eye on.
Notable Quote From The Book
“Setting practical goals will help you focus on the appropriate type and size of restaurant for you. With reasonable goals, you can prepare an objective financial feasibility study and a pro forma profit – and – loss statement; these documents will help you to gauge whether your restaurant will be lucrative enough to realize your dreams and your financial goals.””
4. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Prior to his tragic death, Anthony Bourdain was and still is known to “tell it like it is.” And his shocking and hilarious confessional about what happens behind kitchen closed doors is no different. In Bourdain’s memoir, he covers his more than twenty years of experience as a chef, from his experience as a student in culinary school to being a restaurant owner in Tokyo and beyond.
With blunt and brazen prose and stories that aren’t sugar – coated in the slightest, Kitchen Confidential shows a behind – the – scenes look at the myriad of challenges and joys restaurant owners face every day.
Notable Quote From The Book
“For a moment, or a second, the pinched expressions of the cynical, world – weary, throat – cutting, miserable bastards we’ve all had to become disappears, when we’re confronted with something as simple as a plate of food.”
5. Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
American chef and author Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir is sharply crafted and unflinchingly honest, following her journey from the rural kitchen of her childhood to international kitchens in Greece and Turkey and back to her own kitchen at New York restaurant, Prune. Anthony Bourdain called Hamilton’s memoir, “Magnificent. Simply the best memoir by a chef ever. Ever.”
Notable Quote From The Book
“…as soon as I saw the three – bin stainless steel pot sink, exactly like ours, I felt instantly at home and fell into peeling potatoes and scraping plates for the dishwasher like it was my own skin. And that, just like that, is how a whole life can start.”
6. Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire by Barbara Lynch
James Beard Award – winner Barbara Lynch is regarded as one of the world’s leading chefs and restaurateurs. In her memoir, she takes readers on a journey, recounting her rise from a hard – knocks South Boston childhood to culinary stardom.
Throughout, she delves into her culinary process, encounters she’s had with colorful characters of the food world, and the importance of holding onto your roots and where you come from.
Notable Quote From The Book
“I’ve never left Southie, and I can’t: Southie is in me, in my fuck – you, make – me, prove – it attitude; in my wicked foul mouth, accent busting out if I don’t control it. Its rhythms stroke my fierce stamina and drive, my sense of honor, the ironclad allegiance of my lifelong friendships. It throbs in my veins in brash, daredevil impulses that I can’t shake—for better or worse—in life and love.”
7. Setting The Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer
Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group – which includes over twenty concepts in New York – shares his recipe for success in Setting the Table. He describes adopting his philosophy of “enlightened hospitality” at these restaurants, which emphasizes the importance of showing hospitality towards employees first.
Only from there can hospitality be extended to your restaurant’s guests, community, suppliers, and investors. This philosophy might turn the traditional business model on its head, but Meyer’s anecdotes, advice, and lessons show how it can lay the foundation for a successful restaurant business.
Notable Quote From The Book
“In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It is that simple, and it is that hard.”
8. The Chipotle Effect by Paul Barron
Paul Barron, renowned restaurant entrepreneur, publisher, and founder of Fast Casual, wrote this book not only about Chipotle, but about the fast casual revolution as a whole. In an industry that’s growing at a dizzying pace, new restaurants are tapping into consumer psychology to capture customers’ attention and keep them coming back for more.
With insights into growing restaurant trends, Paul discusses design, technology, and the future of the food service industry.
Notable Quote From The Book
“You can have the right place, time, and product going for you, but you have to know how to leverage them… [Chipotle] knew how to grab the gold when the opportunity came.
Having watched the mistakes of their predecessors, they were able to develop an in – store and external brand that tapped into what their customers cared about: freshness, quality, sustainability, a sense of humor, and above all, a sense that they were breaking out of the ‘slightly more upscale fast food’ mold.”
9. Straight Up: Real World Secrets to Running a Killer Bar by Romana Pettygrave Shah
Ramona Pettygrave Shah spent close to a decade in the restaurant industry before becoming a beverage consultant and author. In her book, Straight Up: Real World Secrets to Running a Killer Bar, she shares the wisdom she gained from her years of experience to help answer the question: “How can I run a successful bar?”
With wit, honesty, and insight, the book delves into topics from time management to team cultivation to finances, tackling the issues real – world bar managers and other employees face behind the bar.
Notable Quote From The Book
“So if I’m not all up in hospitality’s grill, why and how the hell have I been in this industry so long? Well, I’m fascinated by the creative process, what makes a good drink, and how a well – curated team can succeed against all the odds on a busy night. I love the tight bonds that form under pressure behind a bar when chaos ensues, and the blend of creativity and efficiency you can put to use to make a bar stand out.”
10. Making the Cut: What Separates the Best From the Rest by Chris Hill
Chris Hill is a chef, restaurant owner, author, and speaker, known for his skill in management and entrepreneurship. His collection of stories from the restaurant people he’s encountered in the kitchen serve as inspiration, direction, and advice for anyone who’s serious about advancing their own career in the restaurant industry. Hill shares secrets from some of the most famous chefs alive on how they found success – and how you can, too.
Notable Quote from the Book
“It is not easy, and every day is a challenge, especially if you’re committed to doing your best work and being better than you were the day before. While my story is riddled with failures, disappointments, and not quite having my chef story pan out as I’d hoped thus far, the book isn’t about me – it is about them and the lessons we can apply to our lives – every single day.””