Restaurant Success by the Numbers, Second Edition: A Money-Guy's Guide to Opening the Next New Hot Spot

This is the first book I purchased when researching whether I wanted to open the restaurant I've conceived in my mind for a number of years. This guy really covers about as much as you can cover in three hundred pages. I've been a CPA, myself, for 25 years and I've owned more than a dozen businesses besides my CPA firm during those years. I learned several things that are specific to the restaurant business and I KNOW that if you have never owned your own business before this will be an invaluable tool.He gives you the good, bad and the ugly. He doesn't try to sway you toward opening a restaurant, nor does he advise against it. He just tells you many of the pitfalls of poor planning and poor management that could cost you tons of money in the short and long-term.I highly recommend this book if you are even thinking of opening a restaurant of any concept!

I bought this book a few years ago while at culinary school. Very simple concepts put in a simple way, lots of useful info.Years into the restaurant business and being General Manager of a group of 5 restaurants I still come back for reference.I'd say that "by the numbers" is a bit exaggerated, the financial info contemplated in the book is not that thorough, it is more an anecdotal take on the business.

As a data-driven kind of person, I found this book insightful. Why would you pay $8 for a burger? Depends on the ingredients, the area, the clientele... how the price of steak per ounce increases due to yield (64oz of usable steak from 80oz).Written by a CPA who also started a restaurant, Roger Fields gives tips on how to organize your business and how to avoid pitfalls that most startups fall into.

If you're thinking about opening a restaurant, this is a great resource to read to shape your thinking and planning. Roger goes into great detail about all the ins-and-outs of the restaurant business and provides some perspective about the many considerations someone must make before opening a restaurant. As Roger repeatedly addresses, opening a restaurant is too broad of a topic to give exact numbers for your situation, but he will give you a good sense of what you might (or might not) need and walk you through how to run the numbers for your idea. The tone throughout the book is zealous and continually references the author's two profitable restaurant ventures in NYC and other success stories in NYC and San Francisco. It would have been nice to hear stories of failure and why they happen or learn how restaurants outside of major urban centers thrive. Overall, it's a very informative, entertaining, and helpful book that you should read if you're an aspiring restaurant owner.

Pretty basic info. for someone who has been in the industry, but really good for someone who doesn't know the in's and out's of running a restaurant. Many just think it's all fun. But it is a science to running a successful restaurant. It has a lot of information that can be good reminders, or refreshers to someone who has been in the business.

I am a restaurant consultant who helps first-time restaurant owners to launch their new restaurant business. And I have to say that I use this book almost every day and recommend it to everyone who decided to grow a successful restaurant business. It contains literally all the aspects of the business and all the information is excellent systemised. If you don't know anything about restaurants but want to have one, you should have this book and probably hire a restaurant consultant who will give you some guidance and support, and you will succeed! Good luck!

This book contains anything and everything you will want to know about the restaurant industry from the basics all the way through the most advanced information on starting, owning, and operating a restaurant. Truly a "one-stop-shop" for all things food service!

I have the opportunity to open a restaurant & I need to know exactly what I'm getting myself into & this book answered every question. From concept, to pricing, to staffing, to design, this book touches o every topic. Now I cannot use the excuse that I have no idea, because now I know everything I need to know to make an informed decision about going into business. Thank you Roger Fields!

Good book

Good book, but for bigger restaurants. Mine is only 65 seats, much of the marketing and financial information is ridiculous for small restaurant budgets.

Great book. lots of useful tips.

Nobody has said this is for mainly USA , not much use in UK :(

Se aventurar em um negócio de restaurante não é brincadeira. Este livro te dá uma idéia muito boabdos diversos fatores que devem ser considerados. É muita coisa e muita coisa importante.Apesar de ter sido escrito para o mercado americano, 80% das informações aqui são válidas. Restaurante é um negócio que requer um planejamento intenso. A escolha do conceito, do local e do público são as três principais. Há pouca margem para erros, uma vez que a o local limita o público que limita o conceito. É uma restrição geográfica, o qie significa que se você começar errado, a margem para acertos futuros é pequena.Portanto o livro é, com razão, muito detalhista. Me arrependo de ter ignorado alguns de seus conselhos. É difícil no Brasil dar conta de tanta coisa, abrir um restaurante é um enorme desafio e só aconselho para quem estiver muito bem preparado.