Starting and Running a Restaurant

Around 90% of all new restaurants fail in the first year of operation. Many restaurateurs think they have the perfect idea, but they have terrible business plans. Some have great food, but don't do their research when it comes to location and bad traffic patterns. Others might have the perfect business plan, but their management can't spot terrible wait staff, unsafe or unclean conditions, or theft. Some may simply not understand that you need to take full advantage of marketing to bring the customers in. Idiot's Guides: Starting and Running a Restaurant shows readers the basics of honing in on a concept to gathering start-up capital to building a solid business plan. Readers will also learn how to choose a great location, choose an appealing design, compose a fantastic menu, and hire reliable managers and staff. In this book, readers get:

• Introduction to basic requirements of starting a restaurant such as time management, recognizing your competition, choosing your restaurant concept, and making it legal.
• Information on building a solid business foundation such as a solid business plan, a perfect location, where to find investors, and securing loans.
• Suggestions on how to compose the perfect menu, laying out the front and back of house and bar, and choosing the must-have necessities such as security alarms and fire prevention.
• Techniques on how to hire and train your staff, purchasing or renting supplies, understanding costs and setting up your financial office, and using social media as a marketing tool.
• Secrets for keeping your customers returning, running a safe restaurant, managing employees, and building your PR sales plan.
• Preopening checklists to ensure everything is ready by opening day. Operational checklists and forms a successful restaurateur will need to manage their restaurant.

• Resources for further information.

Auteur

Jody Pennette: 250 individual restaurants from scratch. His restaurant consulting business cb5 has invented and implemented successful restaurant concepts for hotels, casinos, cruise ships, rock stars, and even a few kings. His own restaurants have included Bleu in Greenwich, Lolita in Boston, and China White in Westchester. Jody has created a blueprint for the three phases of starting successful restaurants, creating, executing, and implementing. He knows all the details-from assessing property, conducting a competitive market analysis to choosing glassware and menu fonts, training staff and getting a buzz going through pre-opening marketing-to create an experience that goes far beyond good food and good service. Author home: Greenwich, Connecticut.

Elizabeth Keyser's articles have appeared in The New York Times, GQ, American Photo, the New York Post, Connecticut Magazine, and Hearst and Tribune newspapers. She is the Connecticut editor for the Zagat Restaurant Survey. Specializing in food and restaurants, she writes for the blogs dLife, CTBites, and Belowthefold.com. She has won many awards from the New England Newspaper Association, Society of Professional Journalists, CT Chapter, The Connecticut Press Club, and the State of Connecticut. Jody Pennette and Elizabeth Keyser have previously worked together on a 4,000-word article for Connecticut Magazine. Author home: Fairfield, Connecticut.