Rare is the person who has not dreamed of starting a restaurant, especially when consuming a meal at an eatery that lacks quality. For those who do follow their restaurateur dreams, one of their first thoughts has to be, “What am I getting myself into?”
That rhetorical question is so suitably the subtitle for the introduction of a new book aimed at people who own, manage, or want to own and manage a restaurant.
Three faculty members from the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, Patti Shock, John Stefanelli, and John Bowen, have combined their considerable knowledge and wisdom for a guide to the restaurant business. (Bowen has since moved to the University of Houston.)
Would-be cuisine purveyors are guided in selecting a location, doing an environmental analysis (“What Am I Up Against?”), developing menus (“What Should My Sales Kit Look Like?”), and so on through to the concluding chapter, “Technology: How Do I Surf My Way to Success?”
Although all three bring a wealth of academic knowledge to the book, they also have real-world experience. Shock, for example, is from a restaurant family. “I literally grew up in an Italian restaurant in Oakland, Calif.,” she says.
The “Books” section is written by Barbara Cloud, a professor in the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies.
