By Peter Farrell
25/01/2021
If you’re opening your own restaurant and searching for advice, turn to those who have done it many times before.
Opening a new restaurant is a challenging time for the biggest and most established of businesses, let alone anyone tackling a new restaurant venture on their own. Whether you’re in the process of writing your business plan and searching for investors, or opening day is just around the corner and you want to know more about kitchen insurance, there’s plenty of excellent advice out there for the budding restaurateur.
I’ve pulled together my top five books to read when opening, or thinking about opening, your own food business. These are books I turned to when starting my own restaurant – I hope they help you as much as they did me.
Restaurant Success by the Numbers, Roger Fields
The longer title to this book is ‘A Money-Guy’s Guide to Opening the Next Hot Spot’, which is almost the best summary of this book that I could give. The book features real-life stories from restaurant start-ups and touches on almost every aspect of developing a restaurant business, including concept, menu design, hiring the right people and more.
As the title suggests, Fields really comes into his own when writing about what it takes to finance a new restaurant – unsurprisingly, he was an accountant before he went on to open two restaurants in New York. If you’re a complete restaurant novice then this book does a good job of laying out basic costs and why restaurants are as expensive as they are; if you’re further down the road with your restaurant journey, this book can help you with budgeting and any other financial metrics you’re yet to work out.
Readers’ tip: Some of the references in this book are specific to opening a restaurant in the USA so I’d recommend scribbling down anything you don’t recognise or understand so you can look it up later on.
Setting the Table, Danny Meyer
If you think you’ve never heard of Danny Meyer, think again – he’s the now world-famous restaurateur behind Shake Shack. This book focuses on Meyer’s own philosophy that he calls ‘Enlightened Hospitality’, his holistic way of tackling every negative aspect of working in the restaurant industry, from poor service to low pay and unsociable hours.
If you love food and you’re passionate about restaurants then this is a brilliant book, regardless of whether you’re thinking about opening your own restaurant or not. If you are a budding restaurateur, Meyer is excellent at looking at the bigger picture and planning for long-term success, with tips on everything from the physical atmosphere to staff morale.
Readers’ tip: A large portion of this book is focused on delivering excellent customer service and hiring top-quality people, so will be a useful asset for any recruiters you plan to use, as well as your managers. Make sure they get a copy!
Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain
A true industry icon, Bourdain should need no introduction. However, while many know him from his many TV shows, fewer know about the details of his time as a cook in a busy New York restaurant and how he cut his teeth in the restaurant world. Unlike the other authors on this list, Bourdain never became an outright restaurateur – his wisdom instead comes in explaining what it’s like to live and breathe working in a restaurant every day.
Though an intense read the book is humorous and truthful, although I think we all hope that restaurant conditions have changed for the better since Bourdain’s time. If you are planning to start a restaurant, but have never worked in one before, then this memoir will give you a valuable insight into the weird and wonderful world of hospitality.
Readers’ tip: For business-focused minds only look past the details of Bourdain’s personal life and hone in instead on his in-depth understanding of a working kitchen, from which days certain deliveries should arrive to how to organise ten chefs in a small space.
Restaurant Man, Joe Bastianich
Bastianich started out working in his parents’ restaurant and this book charts the story of his rise through the industry. Packed full of heartfelt stories and some pretty vivid language, this book is a straight-up, gritty tale of struggle and success.
The style of writing may not be as polished or poetic as the other books on this list, but nonetheless this is a fantastic book for any budding restaurateur thanks to its honest and the way Bastianich lays everything out in the simplest of terms.
Readers’ tip: If you’re only searching for food stories then this may not be the read for you – remember, Bastianich was never a chef. Instead pick up this book for a genuine read about family and friendship, including excellent advice on connecting with your staff.
The Art of the Restaurateur, Nick Lander
The most refreshing thing about this book is Lander himself – he’s not a chef or from a hospitality dynasty; he’s simply a passionate foodie who has spent years writing about hospitality and dabbling in its operation. As a result he’s able to write on the subject with authority, but also with some distance and an objective view on the way the industry works.
Lander provides a wealth of information in this book based on his own experiences, as well as interviews with successful restaurateurs. As a long-term Financial Times journalist, the writing can be a little heavy going sometimes, but his stories are perceptive and illuminating nevertheless.
Readers’ tip: If you’re looking for step-by-step guides on how to open a restaurant then you may want to start with a more practical book, like the first one on this list. Keep Lander’s book as a way to immerse yourself in the mind of a restaurateur once the finer details are already ironed out.
Inspired to start your own restaurant business?
Here at Food Motion we help food entrepreneurs start and scale their business through consultations, coaching and investment. In an industry where often the only option for early-stage operators are extensive and expensive packages, Food Motion offers a friendly space to seek advice and connect with industry professionals.
If you want to book a free consultation, or simply ask us for another great book recommendation, please get in touch – we’d be happy to help.