Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan and Feasibility Study

Average customer rating:

The perfect tool for reassurance

Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan & Feasibility Study by Sharon

Great book for starting restaurant business

Guide for Starting a Restaurant

Holding Success in Your Hand!

Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan and Feasibility Study
Sharon Fullen
Manufacturer: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Business Plans | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Hospitality Businesses | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Restaurant Business Start-up Guide (Real-World Business)

Running a Restaurant for Dummies

Restaurant Financial Basics

Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry

The Restaurant Managers Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation

ASIN: 0910627363

Book Description

Restaurants are one of the most frequently started small businesses, yet have one of the highest failure rates. Survivors need a powerful strategic advantage: a sound business plan and feasibility study prior to opening. A new study from The Ohio State University has found the restaurant industry failure rate between 1996 and 1999 to be between 57-61 percent over three years. Don't be a statistic on the wrong side, plan now for success with this new book & CDRom package.

A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm's resume. The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any loan application. Additionally, it informs personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals. Despite the critical importance of a business plan, many entrepreneurs drag their feet when it comes to preparing a written document. They argue that their marketplace changes too fast for a business plan to be useful or that they just don't have enough time. But just as a builder won't begin construction without a blueprint, eager business owners shouldn't rush into new ventures without a business plan.

The Cd Rom will cover the following subjects: Elements of a Business Plan, Cover sheet ,Statement of purpose, The Business, Description of The Restaurant, Marketing, Competition, Operating procedures, Personnel, Business insurance, Financial Data, Loan applications, Capital equipment and supply list, Balance sheet, Breakeven analysis, Pro-forma income projections (profit & loss statements), Three-year summary, Detail by month, first year, Detail by quarters, second and third years, Assumptions upon which projections were based, Pro-forma cash flow, Supporting Documents, For franchised businesses, a copy of franchise contract and all, supporting documents provided by the franchisor, Copy of proposed lease or purchase agreement for building space, Copy of licenses and other legal documents, Copy of resumes of all principals, Copies of letters of intent from suppliers, etc.

A new study from The Ohio State University has found the restaurant industry failure rate between 1996 and 1999 to be between 57-61 percent over three years. Don't be a statistic on the wrong side, plan now for success with this new book and CD-Rom package.

Customer Reviews:

The perfect tool for reassurance.......2007-05-13

Especially for people who have been in the business for awhile, but never did their own thing- the sample business plan/program outlines major items you may not have thought about.
Also has helpful contacts, web addresses, and other resources pertinent in educating someone on opening a restaurant.

Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan & Feasibility Study by Sharon.......2006-12-29

Sharon Fullen provides thought-provoking as well as practical steps to prepare for entrepreneurship by making the Readers aware that opening a restaurant is more than an idea but requires planning.

Not only are you moved to do more than come up with a wish list but one must take the time to write their vision, study the market, and come to terms if their business idea will be a profit maker or a profit shaker.

Such helpful information can propel the business in positive directions and bring about a boost in the economy by following the guidelines and suggestions within this book.

The added benefit of having a CD to provide hands-on experience of completing a business plan is another way the author shows her expertise in bringing the tools in the book to actual life for the Readers. The old saying that " experience is the best teacher" or "practice makes perfect" seems to have been a consideration of the author. This in my opinion sets this author apart from others.

Great book for starting restaurant business.......2006-12-23

Before reading this book I have never thought that opening a small restaurant might be so involved process. But I guess it is better to learn it before you invest your money. I am glad I read this book it opened my eyes and allowed to look behind my dream of being a restaurant owner. I would not say this book discouraged me - not at all. I will be able to make more educated decisions instead of emotional ones.

Recommend it to everyone who thinks of opening a restaurant business.

Guide for Starting a Restaurant.......2006-12-20

This Restaurant starter kit is a good reference as well as the companion CD that provides a sample business plan. From preliminary information gathering in preparation to writing the business plan such as market research, audience, expected clientele, scope of perceived services, menu planning this resource provides all the pieces necessary to guide you through the start-up process.
The section on software is expertly done in providing the layperson with a grasp of the software available and will save a fortune in missteps if read and followed. The choice in software can undoubtedly determine the quality and speed that you develop your plan.
Sharon Fullen does an exceptional job in guiding the layperson through the process of the feasibility analysis to include concept, location, execution and financing thus rounding out the completed business plan. The idea of a marketing plan is discussed showing the importance of a well-planned and executed marketing effort versus just tossing a few bucks to the wind and hoping for the best. The author has provided an invaluable tool for the upcoming restaurateur as he/she plans, develops and opens their life dream.

Holding Success in Your Hand!.......2006-05-24

While this resource guide by Sharon Fullen may not deal with the most glamorous aspect of opening a new restaurant or other food business, it certainly discusses the most import: the business plan. The entire book and accompanying CD-ROM handles basic business preparation with aplomb. Starting with What is a Business Plan? and ending with an entire chapter devoted to an example of a sample business plan, Fullen leaves no stone unturned. She highlights business plan writing strategies, pinpoints problem areas that are often stumbling blocks to success, intersperses invaluable information on writing a feasibility analysis and deftly assists the reader with ideas on how to implement and understand successful marketing strategies. One section that should not be skipped discusses Getting Your Plan Published, offering tips on standing above the competition when presenting your business plan. The CD-ROM is an extra bonus that affords you the luxury of having printable examples and a portable way to use and share your new-found information. Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Preparation Starter Kit is a must-have resource for any aspiring restaurant owner; a resourceful guide that offers sound advice, concrete examples and hidden nuggets of valuable information that only serve to solidify a sound start to the opening of your new restaurant.

Grand Hotels of the Jazz Age: The Architecture of Schultze and Weaver

Average customer rating:

Jazzed

Grand Hotels of the Jazz Age: The Architecture of Schultze and Weaver

Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts 25: The American Hotel (Journal of Decorative & Propaganda Arts)
The Architecture of Warren & Wetmore
The Mythic City: Photographs of New York by Samuel H. Gottscho
Arthur Brown Jr.: Progressive Classicist (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture)
Wallace Neff and the Grand Houses of the Golden State

ASIN: 156898555X

Book Description

The Breakers, the Waldorf, the Biltmore, the Sherry, the Pierreâ€”these landmark hotels are synonymous with grand luxury and style. When they were built, in the 1920s, their refined elegance and grandeur set the bar for hotels and resorts the world over. Responsible for creating these and countless other hotels throughout the United States, were the partners of a single architectural firm: Schultze & Weaver. Together, this duoâ€”an architect and an engineerâ€”virtually invented the glamorous lifestyle made famous in films like Grand Hotel. Catering to the social elite of which they were themselves a part, Schultze & Weaver synthesized the Old World style of Renaissance Italy, Moorish Spain, and Georgian England with all of the modern amenities that made hotel living luxurious.

This book presents portfolios of fifteen of the firmâ€™s most spectacular hotels, culminating in the Art Moderne masterpiece of the Waldorf-Astoria. Over two hundred period photographs and hand-colored architectural renderings chart the ascent of the American hotel in all its glory and glamour, before the Great Depression forever changed the lifestyles of America's rich and famous. Essays address the cultural and technological developments that underpin the creation of resort and residential hotels, including the elemental role played by Schultze & Weaver.

This book is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami, held in celebration of their tenth anniversary.

Customer Reviews:

Jazzed.......2006-01-21

This book is a wonderful tribute to the gradeur of an amazing time in American History. These hotels are just spectacular, they really just don't have the masons or the desire quite frankly, to build buildings like this anymore. The black and white images in this book are simply breath taking, they are so crisp and elegant. The reader really gets a feel for what the hotels looked like at their inseption, at the time they where inspired. The Jazz Age was an era of unbelieveble wealth for a lucky few and they enjoyed spending it and expected only the best, there was a real sence of America starting her accendency to greatness and the affluent wanted to show that the best of America could rival anything in Europe, this was the catalist for these sumptuous hotels. The Jazz Age is of course long gone, but we have examples, like these grand hotels, to remind of an era of opulent wealth..and no income tax.

How to Open a Financially Successful Bed & Breakfast or Small Hotel

Average customer rating:

Great Book and I am an Owner
Helpful
A Truly Professional Approach
A Great Introduction
A Dream to Own

How to Open a Financially Successful Bed & Breakfast or Small Hotel
Lora Arduser , and Douglas R. Brown
Manufacturer: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Complete Idiot's Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast
So - You Want to Be an Innkeeper
How to Start and Operate Your Own Bed-and-Breakfast: Down-To-Earth Advice from an Award-Winning B&B Owner
How to Open and Operate a Bed & Breakfast, 7th (Home-Based Business Series)
Start and Run a Profitable Bed and Breakfast (Start & Run a)

ASIN: 0910627304

Book Description

This comprehensive handbook with companion CD ROM will clearly demonstrate how to set up, operate and manage a financially successful bed-and-breakfast or small hotel. Whatever your reason for wanting to open a bed and breakfast, keep in mind that at it takes more than dreams and rooms to achieve success, it is a business that must show a profit. This book will separate the romantic notions of owning a B&B from the business end.

While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through finding a location that will bring success, learn how to draw up a winning business plan (The Companion CD Rom has the actual business plan you can use in MS Word tm.), how to buy and (sell) a B&B, basic cost control systems, profitable menu planning, Reservation Systems, sample floor plans & diagrams, successful kitchen management, equipment layout and planning, food safety & HACCP, housekeeping, successful beverage management, reservation networks, legal concerns, sales and marketing techniques, room rate formulas, arrival, billing, departure, learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money, learn how to hire & keep a qualified professional staff, brand new IRS tip reporting requirements, managing and training employees, generate high profile public relations and publicity, learn low cost internal marketing ideas, low and no cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales, learn how to keep bringing customers back, accounting & bookkeeping procedures, auditing, successful budgeting and profit planning development, as well as thousands of great tips and useful guidelines.

There are literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to streamline your business. Learn new ways to make the kitchen, bars, dining room, and front office run smoother and increase performance. Shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. In addition operators will appreciate this valuable resource and reference in their daily activities and as a source of ready-to-use forms, web sites, operating and cost cutting ideas, and mathematical formulas that can be easily applied to their operations. The Companion Cd Rom contains all the forms in the book as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book and I am an Owner.......2007-08-07

As an owner of a Boutique Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia, Casa El Carretero www.CasaElCarretero.com I can say that this book was a great guide. However, the passion for the business is fundamental. Pay attention to the staff and level of service you plan to have in the hotel. That can make or break the business.

Helpful.......2006-08-08

I thought Lora did a great job with this book. It is well-thought-out and presented in a manner that the reader can easily grasp. I'd buy this book and "I'm Living Your Dream Life" by Michele Cozzens before going into the business.

A Truly Professional Approach.......2006-06-09

If you're planning to open a bed and breakfast as a hobby or with the notion that "you're not really running a business, you're just making profits in your free time," this is not the book for you. This book covers almost all potential areas that you'll need to know to run a professional B&B, and the level of detail will quickly dissuade anyone who isn't serious. That having been said, anyone who does want to run a professional bed and breakfast will find the information invaluable. The forms included on the enclosed CD pay for the book themselves--everything from employment applications to inventory forms, invoices, standard recipe cards, and kitchen safety inspection forms. The book covers all stages of the planning and setup process, including business plans, marketing and promotion, safety, and employees. Particularly useful is the section on marketing, something that most B&Bs that I've known tend to ignore. With a little creativity (and there are lots of suggestions contained in this chapter), your B&B can become part of the very identity of the neighborhood or city you live in, as in, "If you want to capture the flavor of X, go to this B&B!" The only change I would make to the book would be to make the section on writing business plans a more user friendly for those B&B owners who have never opened a business before. Nevertheless, the book contains lots of hardheaded business sense, presented plainly and clearly, with many good examples of existing B&Bs to illustrate the point. While you may not need all the information included when you first open your business, this book will provide you with lots of options for a time when you're able to expand. I recommend this book to anyone seriously considering going into the B&B business as a business, rather than just a way of pouring money down the drain!

A Great Introduction.......2006-05-08

"HOW TO OPEN A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL BED & BREAKFAST: OR SMALL HOTEL" by Lora Arduser and Douglas R. Brown

This book was a fascinating exploration of the intricacies involved with opening a Bed and Breakfast. The authors were able to provide a step-by-step process for the beginning B&B entrepreneur. The book guides you in the decision to own a Bed and Breakfast, helps you decide on a location or to buy and existing B&B.

The authors make a fantastic effort to include real life business information such as how to make your own business plan and laws that will relate to your Bed and Breakfast business. They give you several checklists to help you format your mode of attack when starting your own business.

With a whole chapter devoted to computers this book is cutting edge in the Bed and Breakfast industry. Today everyone needs to have a web presence in order to market his or her company.

Guest are not going to be interested in a business plan. So the authors have developed several chapters on the operation of the Bed and Breakfast. They skillfully guide the reader from decorating, setting policies, what food you should serve, housekeeping, and your day-to-day staffing requirements.

A bonus CD is offered with the book and provides valuable samples of over 30 forms that are needed when starting and opening your own B&B. The CD is simple to use and will save any entrepreneur tons of time.

This book is a great introduction to the world of Bed and Breakfast owning and operation.

A Dream to Own.......2006-04-19

The book is packed with valuable information for anyone who has ever dreamed of opening a bed and breakfast. The layout of the book is easy to use and simple to understand. The authors go into great detail on many aspects of the business. It begins with giving the reader a realistic look at the time and effort, as well as, the financial aspect of what goes into starting such a business so that the reader can decide whether or not it will work for them. It has details on everything from how to select a location to writing a business plan. Also has everything you need to know about hiring, laws, and even how much to charge.

The book comes complete with an easy to use CD-ROM which has many samples of business plans and forms needed to run the business. Complete and comprehensive, this book is likely to be a asset to anyone who wants to open a bed and breakfast, whether or not they have experience in it or not. Even those who already own one may want to read this book for new ideas and refresh on some subjects. Chocked full of plenty of information that is likely to be overlooked when first starting a business; this book will help any entrepreneur get their business off on the right foot.

Having worked in a bed and breakfast for several years, this book is sure to clearly help those who are thinking about starting their own bed and breakfast.

Average customer rating:

History, Glamour and Great Eating
pretty pictures/fussy recipes
Stunning!

The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook
John Doherty , and John Harrisson
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Golden Pear Cafe Cookbook: Easy Luscious Recipes for Brunch and More from the Hamptons' Favorite Cafe
The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle
Michael Mina: The Cookbook
The Red Cat Cookbook: 125 Recipes from New York City's Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant
The PlumpJack Cookbook: Great Meals for Good Living

ASIN: 0821257722

Book Description

The WALDORF-ASTORIA COOKBOOK opens the doors to the hotel's kitchens, where a team of seven chefs de cuisine, 10 sous-chefs, and 110 cooks, all led by Executive Chef John Doherty, serve the finest meals to a demanding public 24 hours a day, seven days a week at three restaurants, four bars and a grand ballroom, and, of course around-the-clock room service for 1,250 rooms (an innovation in the hotel industry that began at the Waldorf over a hundred years ago). The book features more than 120 recipes by chef Doherty and his staff, from breakfast (Irish Oatmeal Brul#142;e with Strawberry Coulis) to lunch (Oscar's Spicy Asian Chicken Salad) to dinner (Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Crust, Port Wine Sauce, and B+arnaise). With beautiful food photography, atmospheric and archival images of the hotel, as well as new takes on historical recipes such as the Waldorf Salad and fascinating sidebars that tell the rich history of the hotel, this gorgeous volume is a must-have for cookbook collectors.

Customer Reviews:

History, Glamour and Great Eating.......2007-10-10

The Waldorf is one of the central landmarks of Manhattan, a jewel of a hotel that has hosted the great, the glorious and the infamous. I was lucky enough to spend part of my childhood in the NYC metro area. A trip to the Waldorf was a wonderful event and this book brings back those memories. I would value this book for its celebration of the hotel's interior and history.

On top of that, the recipes are wonderful and accessible to the home cook. They may require a little effort to obtain a few ingredients BUT creating something out of the ordinary always require a bit of effort. This is the Waldorf Astoria cookbook not the" Betty Crocker Cookbook for Easy meals for Weekday Dinners."

I particularly liked the Grilled Vegetable Timbale (elegant and delicious) and the Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing (just plain delicious). The Eggs Baked in Proscitto Cups are ridiculously easy, beautiful, original and tasty. They will impress your guests with very little effort.

These days you can get frozen edamame and good quality prosciutto at any suburban mega-mart. You might have to find an oriental grocery store for the miso sauce. Spices are easily obtained on line. This beautiful cookbook allows the home cook to create truly gourmet food for his/her guests. A good deal at any price, I look forward to cooking my way through this book.

pretty pictures/fussy recipes.......2006-12-31

This book would look nice on a coffee table but I think it would be of little use to the home cook. Some of the measurements are just plain silly. For example 1 cup plus 1/4 teaspoon cornmeal for cornbread; one recipie with no reason at all for three different kinds of oils, another time a recipe requests 3 teaspoons of an ingredient (1 tablespoon?) The recipes are full of such foolishness. Probably more important almost all of the recipes are too elaborate: consisting of far too many ingredients which result in over-the top baroque combinations. The attempt to be "original" clearly trumps the desire to be sensible. The text about the hotel is mainly self-laudatory..lists of names of famous guests. Clearly not worth the very high price.

Stunning!.......2006-09-23

The Waldorf=Astoria, with three restaurants, has held court to the rich, famous, powerful and tourists with an intense desire for the best prepared and presented food anywhere.

The Waldorf=Astoria Cookbook is a culinary delight and an artistic masterpiece. The cookbook invites everyone to take a tour of the kitchens that boast seven chefs, ten sous-chefs, and 110 cooks, led by Executive Chef John Doherty. We are privy to recipes for 120 dishes (complete with chef notes) from the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Also informational sidebars give the hotel's history, and the photography is stunning.

The Breakfast Lemon Cake might not be everyone's choice, until you gaze upon the scrumptious photograph. It changed my mind. It's one of the recipes immediately marked for future preparation.

I couldn't believe the Raspberry Irish Oatmeal Brulee with Strawberry Coulis. It is to 'die for.'

If you want to impress someone, try out the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Asparagus Morel Risotto and Tomato Confit. And while you're at it, make sure to read the Chef's Notes and take advantage of the good advice.

If you're a beef aficionado, the Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Crust, Bull and Bear Popover, Port Wine Sauce, and Bearnaise will fill the bill.

But my favorites are the desserts. The Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce almost made my heart stop. And the Red Velvet Cake will stun you when you check out the ingredients.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love to cook, really cook good food, The Waldorf=Astoria Cookbook is a must have for your cookbook library.

Average customer rating:

Hysterical Fiction
Excellent Teen Novel
Great read for adults too!
Great Story
A Pleasure to be savored...for Adults as well

A Northern Light
Jennifer Donnelly
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books

Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Tea Rose: A Novel
How I Live Now
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Readers Circle)
Speak
The First Part Last

ASIN: 0152053107

Amazon.com

It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's brokedown farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. She's saving as much of her salary as she can, but she's having trouble deciding how she's going to use the money at the end of the summer. Mattie's gift is for writing and she's been accepted to Barnard College in New York City, but she's held back by her sense of responsibility to her family--and by her budding romance with handsome-but-dull Royal Loomis. Royal awakens feelings in Mattie that she doesn't want to ignore, but she can't deny her passion for words and her desire to write.

At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young couple who had gone out together in a rowboat. Mattie spoke with the young woman, Grace Brown, just before the fateful boating trip, when Grace gave her a packet of love letters and asked her to burn them. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unraveling the girl's death and her beau's mysterious disappearance. Grace Brown's story is a true one (it's the same story told in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy and in the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun), and author Jennifer Donnelly masterfully interweaves the real-life story with Mattie's, making her seem even more real.

Mattie's frank voice reveals much about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century. She witnesses illness and death at a range far closer than most teens do today, and she's there when her best friend Minnie gives birth to twins. Mattie describes Minnie's harrowing labor with gut-wrenching clarity, and a visit with Minnie and the twins a few weeks later dispels any romance from the reality of young motherhood (and marriage). Overall, readers will get a taste of how bitter--and how sweet--ordinary life in the early 1900s could be. Despite the wide variety of troubles Mattie describes, the book never feels melodramatic, just heartbreakingly real. (14 and older) --Jennifer Lindsay

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing debut novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.

Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.

Customer Reviews:

Hysterical Fiction.......2007-08-09

The Amazon reviewer writes that "the book never feels melodramatic," and the SLJ writes that "Donnelly's characters ring true to life," and, "an outstanding choice for historical fiction fans." Perhaps the reviewers at Amazon and the SLJ are young teenagers?

A Northern Light is not a bad book, it's just not what I hoped or expected it would be, based on descriptions and reviews. First, it's a YA book through and through. Some might call it a coming of age story, but it is so chock-full of "lessons" for adolescents that it seems more like a classroom than a story. In almost every chapter, and every week, of young Mattie's life, there is an eye-opening and paradigm-expanding "experience," all of them methodically sequenced in order to help Mattie - and the young readers of this book - step into less-than-innocent adulthood. There are all the usual lessons of coming of age YA novels, such as boyfriends, girlfriends, kissing, desire, sex, and love. There are additional lessons in pregnancy, birth, postpartum depression, disease, lust, adultery, greed, and racism. And then there is a rather odd and protracted lesson in masturbation and exhibitionism.

As I said, the lessons get in the way of the story, or rather, the story is the vehicle for the lessons. I do not consider this historical fiction, as there are precious few lessons in history, and the characters do not "ring true." For example, there is one black character, Weaver. Weaver and his mother are the only two black people that Mattie has ever seen or known. Weaver's father was lynched. Weaver is Mattie's best friend and he is the smartest kid around, on track to go to a fine university on scholarship. Everyone likes Weaver, he is friends with all the white folks, he goes to the same schools, is welcomed in everyone's home, and works at the same jobs as the white kids. But Weaver brandishes physical rage against anyone who shows him any kind of disrespect. Weaver always manages to escape the consequences of his destructive behavior, because everybody, including the sheriffs and the judges, like him so much. This hardly rings true to life.

The real mystery of this story is the murder, the real-life murder of Grace Brown. At the end, I wondered why the author included it. The murder and its investigation do not play an important role in the story. For most of the story it's barely in the background. And yet, Mattie has letters from the victim showing that Grace was murdered, and even after Mattie realizes this, she goes on with her adolescent life as if she didn't know. She decides to give the letters to the sheriff only at the end, but there's no explanation as to why Mattie waited that long. I think perhaps the best parts of this book are the real-life letters that Grace Brown had written, which are included in the story as Mattie reads about one each day. Given that we know Grace's fate, the letters evoke even more empathy, and make this book worth reading, almost.

Excellent Teen Novel.......2007-08-06

This novel is probably one of the best coming-of-age novels I've ever read. It details accurately the life back in the twenteeith century, as well as giving two stories at the same time. This book is recommended to everyone out there; I know you're going to love it because I did. Excellent teen debut novel from an excellent author.

Great read for adults too!.......2007-07-27

I loved A Northern Light. Mattie is a fully drawn main character and the author paints a compelling picture of life in the Adirondacks in the early 1900s. The first chapter really draws you in.

My only (minor) complaint is that the jumping back and forth in time got a little confusing. The book starts out only about a day before the point where it ends. Almost everything in between is in the past, but it's hard at times to know for sure what is in the past, and what is real time in the chapters between the beginning and the end.

Other than that, it's a great read for older young adults and just plain adults as well!

Great Story.......2007-07-16

When I picked up this book at the half price bookstore, I did not realize it was a young adult book. The book summary on the back of the book got my attention. I read the book, and what a surprise! A very good story. I like that it tied into a true story. Makes me want to read more about the real story, An American Tragedy (Signet Classics) I loved the character development. Jennifer Donnelly is a great storyteller. There were sad moments, happy moments, laugh out loud moments and just good thinking about "life in general" moments. I really enjoyed her style of writing so much, I went and bought The Tea Rose. Once again, the prologue already got me wanting more!. I have read 80 pages of this book and I am throughly enjoying every page. I was lucky enough to find a copy of the next book, The Winter Rose which is difficult to get at the moment. Cannot wait to read it, and I understand that there will be a third book, The Wild Rose. (Triology). I highly recommend this author. Great summer reading.

A Pleasure to be savored...for Adults as well.......2007-07-03

This was a wonderful story. I loved the characters and the time period and the setting.

I loved the Mattie Gokey, our 16 year old narrator, who struggles to make choices that will shape the rest of her life. She is a bright and gifted young woman who is the eldest sister in a farming family.

The story takes place in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. Where Mattie eventually goes to work at the Glenmore Hotel on Big Moose Lake serving the rich tourists in the dinning room.

She waits on a young couple there and sadly before the end of the day the woman, Grace Brown, is pulled from the lake, dead. Earlier in the day she had given Mattie a bundle of secret letters. Mattie realizes that they hold the answers to what really happened to Grace and her missing companion.

Why this was marketed as a young adult novel I don't know...I thought it was well written, rich with detailed narrative and dealt with serious issues; adultery, marriage, feminism, parenthood, racism, death and murder. There are several different story lines with conflict and tension, all realistic and realistically resolved.

I also liked the fact that the story line revolving around Grace Brown was inspired by historical facts.

I thought this was a really enjoyable read. The only criticism I can make is that I thought Jennifer Donnelly could have added more physical descriptions of the many different characters in this story. Otherwise is was just perfect.

Average customer rating:

This is the kind of writing that will outlast us all
Some of the greatest journalistic writing ever written
Truly a great book.
Nothing Fishy Here....
Best Book I Ever Read

Up in the Old Hotel
Joseph Mitchell
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

McSorley's Wonderful Saloon
Joe Gould's Secret
My Ears Are Bent
Here is New York
Inventing Human Rights: A History

ASIN: 0679412638
Release Date: 1992-08-04

Amazon.com

Journalist Joseph Mitchell, whose death in in May 1996 at the age of 87 merited a half-page obituary in the New York Times, pioneered a style of journalism while crafting brilliant magazine pieces for the New Yorker from the 1930s to the early 1960s. Up in the Old Hotel, a collection of his best reporting, is a 700-page joy to read.

Mitchell lovingly chronicled the lives of odd New York characters. In the pages of Up In the Old Hotel, the reader passes through places such as McSorley's Old Ale House or the Fulton Fish Market that many observers might have found ordinary. But when experienced through Mitchell's gifted eye, the reader will see that these haunts of old New York possess poetry, beauty, and meaning.

Book Description

Mitchell explored a New York City that has now vanished in his four books and his classic reportage for The New Yorker. Mitchell's eccentrics live again in this omnibus volume that contains all of his books and several previously uncollected stories.

Customer Reviews:

This is the kind of writing that will outlast us all.......2007-08-15

Up in the Old Hotel is a masterpiece. I've read it so many times (it is my ultimate desert island book) and have yet to tire of it. The essays (and the few short stories that are included) are timeless, generous works of genius. Joseph Mitchell captures his odd and wonderful subjects as richly realized individuals, and appreciates the smallest of beautiful, dark and humorous nuances. His vision is presented so humbly and offhandedly, yet with absolute precision and so much respect. You truly feel a part of the experience. I'm not sure there is anyone who could write better. All of the essays are amazing, but my favorites are Mr. Hunter's Grave, The Old House at Home, Mazie, and Up in the Old Hotel. The short stories in Section II of the first book are heart wrenching. This book also makes a really great gift.

Some of the greatest journalistic writing ever written.......2007-02-21

This writing puts you right into a time and a place and makes it real.. This is one of the most charming collection of writings I have read so far.. Joseph mitchell's characters of New york are so endearing.. From irish saloon keepers to gypsys to stubborn old men who swear by their diet.. this is great story-telling.. this is the legend of new york..the legends of the real people and eccentrics who inhabit its streets..

Truly a great book........2006-06-09

Whenever I can't think of something to read, I pick up Up in the Old Hotel and read a story or two out of it. I've probably read it 4-5 times and never get tired of it. It captures a lost era of American life that is what I think of when I imagine America in its finest light. Reminiscent of Tortilla Flats and other Steinbeck and even On the Road in a way - a gentler time in our history.

Nothing Fishy Here...........2006-02-24

Well, there is, in the form of several stories of fact and fiction that center around the Fulton Fish Market, and just about all of them are enjoyable. I'll say one thing. If, after reading Up In The Old Hotel, you don't know how to trawl for fish then you didn't really read this book. All in all, over 700 pages of unique character studies. Mitchell seemed to find someone interesting where no one else cared to look. I fully intend to buy more Mitchell.

Best Book I Ever Read.......2005-10-06

I just got done reading this book and I'm sad that it's over. I figure I'll wait a couple of months and then read it right the way through again. I won't go into a lot of boring detail outlining Mitchells fantastically readable writing style and the ease with which he relates incredibly detailed stories and histories he's heard from other people, suffice to say this book will take hold of you and it won't let go. I just feel like this is the book I've been waiting for all my life. Never before has a book fascinated me so much. What struck me most was that I never once became tired of reading it, even right up to the end...usually with a 700 page book I'll be pining for the end by page 500, or I'm bored of the style or the subject matter - not so with "Up in the Old Hotel". It'll have you both regretful that you weren't around 60 years ago, or else wondering if such interesting characters still exist in New York today. Of note are the two incredibly detailed and accurate chapters about gypsies, and the fictional Mr Flood stories. Oh what the hell, it's ALL amazing stuff. I think I decided that Mr Mitchell is the best writer who ever lived by page 100. How come I never knew about this book until I saw it piled high in a second hand book store - and how come they aren't forcing kids to read this alongside such classics as "Huckleberry Finn" and "Life on the Mississippi"? I intend to make it my lifes work to turn as many people as possible on to this incredible book. Don't hesitate, buy it!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Coffee Bar (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Average customer rating:

More Like "Incomplete"
Well-balanced, lively, informative, and entertaining
Deserves 10 stars
From what it's really like to run a coffee bar to legal issues, sales, shop equipment choices, kitchen layout and more

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Coffee Bar (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Linda Formichelli , W. Eric Martin , and Susan Gilbert
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Start and Run a Coffee Bar (Start & Run a)
How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso & Tea Shop
ESPRESSO! Starting and Running Your Own Specialty Coffee Business
FabJob Guide to Become a Coffee House Owner (FabJob Guides)
Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide

ASIN: 1592574068

Book Description

Brew up your own business.

This is a step-by-step guide to realizing what for many people is a cherished dream: opening a successful coffee bar. The Complete IdiotÂ's Guide to Starting and Running a Coffee Bar includes the dirt on what itÂ's really like to work behind the counter and information on everything from how to build a business plan, to how to make the drinks and how to price them.
-Only series book of its kind
-The specialty coffee business is still growing
-Small businesses create 7 out of 10 new jobs in America
-Susan Gilbert has started and run five successful coffee bars

Customer Reviews:

More Like "Incomplete".......2007-02-07

This book was a starting point, but was not "Complete" by any means. I was hoping this book would delve into specifics, such as how to go about obtaining contractors to have a coffee bar built, or give real life statistical examples of day-to-day coffee bar operations. Understanding the author(s) cannot possibly account for everything one would experience as a coffee bar owner, it would have been nice to get a picture. The good thing about the book, as stated earlier, is it gives ideas of things one should think about- such as payroll, hiring tips, color schemes, etc. but again, they're just starting points. It will be necessary for me to purchase another book to build on this one......bummer

Well-balanced, lively, informative, and entertaining.......2006-03-17

One of the things that struck me most about this book is that it seems perfectly balanced. By this I mean that it covers all the general business angles of running a coffee bar, but it never loses sight of its coffee-oriented focus. While there's certainly plenty of information that people running other businesses would find useful in here, you'll never find yourself thinking that you could have gotten the same information out of a more generic business or restaurant business guide. Everything focuses on the particular application of principles to the unique issues and problems that face the owner and operator of a coffee bar. Even when discussing cross-promotion and various forms of publicity the book discusses things that are likely to work best with your products and services.

You won't just find information in here on business plans, licensing issues, equipment, suppliers, staffing, and publicity however. There are guides to roasting beans (in case you want to create your own blends, or just want to understand what you're buying), creating a wide variety of coffee drinks and related treats, and cultivating repeat customers.

In addition to the vast wealth of information, the attitude with which this book was written is fantastic. It's practical yet positive, realistic yet optimistic. It livens things up with a dry wit yet never allows the humor to get in the way of the information it's trying to convey. It will make you excited about even topics like marketing your business without ever coming across as empty cheerleading.

I quite enjoyed reading this book, and have to firmly remind myself after reading it that no, I really am not the kind of person who can go out and start such a business. Because after reading all of this handy and fascinating information, the prospect is delightfully tempting!

Deserves 10 stars.......2006-03-10

This is a must for anyone who plans to open a coffee bar or shop. It not only provides all the necessary information for menu, location, prepration of specialty coffee drinks, everything you need to know about running a business is included. The descriptions of employee training manual and employee handbook, how to hire and fire, as well as too many vital things to mention, have me reading it again and again. This book will be a useful tool for months (years) in the future.

From what it's really like to run a coffee bar to legal issues, sales, shop equipment choices, kitchen layout and more.......2006-03-03

There's plenty of money to be made in the coffee business and if your dream is to get out there and run a coffee bar, you're in luck: Complete Idiot's Guide To Starting & Running A Coffee Bar provides all the basics on how to do so. From what it's really like to run a coffee bar to legal issues, sales, shop equipment choices, kitchen layout and more, much of the book is very specific to the coffee industry and provides a wealth of specific business advice.

When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age

Average customer rating:

Excellent introduction to "the 400", the Astors, and the rise of the grand hotels
Hotel Mania
Slim volume promises much delivers little
Mostly history
Lacks Focus

When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

United States | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

General | Business & Investing | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Economics | Business & Investing | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age
Archie and Amelie: Love and Madness in the Gilded Age
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story
Mrs. Astor's New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded Age

ASIN: B000MR8TFY

Book Description

In this marvelous anecdotal history, Justin Kaplan—Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Mark Twain—vividly brings to life a glittering, bygone age.

Endowed with the largest private fortunes of their day, cousins John Jacob Astor IV and William Waldorf Astor vied for primacy in New York society, producing the grandest hotels ever seen in a marriage of ostentation and efficiency that transformed American social behavior.

Kaplan exposes it all in exquisite detail, taking readers from the 1890s to the Roaring Twenties in a combination of biography, history, architectural appreciation, and pure reading pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to "the 400", the Astors, and the rise of the grand hotels.......2006-11-30

This book is an excellent introduction to the history of "the 400" (or "the Four Hundred") and the Astor family for the many people who seek such information. Many people ask me for more information about "the 400" because my novel, "Chasing the 400", deals with the African American community's social interpretation of "the 400" during the 1950's. At that time, "the 400" was a term that was used to characterize the Black Bourgeoisie, the same as the term was used to characterize the New York Gilded Age social elite.

I disagree with Kaplan that people largely seemed to not care about "the 400" after Carolyn Astor's death or disappearance from prominence in New York society. "The 400" as the social elite lived on long after Carolyn Astor's grand entertaining, and many groups of people patterned their social groups after Mrs. Astor's exclusivity. In my novel, I explain "the 400" in New York society and in 1950s Philadelphia's Black Bourgeoisie this way: "The women displayed as colored society were the ladies of 'the 400', an exclusive, informal collection of Philadelphia's black bourgeoise, the talented tenth, the doctors, lawyers and other successful colored businessmen and their wives. This exclusive group patterned themselves after "the Four Hundred", the phrase coined in the late 1800's by New York socialite Mrs. William Astor and her friends to symbolize upper crust society--the truly worthy 400 people who could fit into the ballroom of Mrs. Astor's New York home. Like Mrs. Astor's Four Hundred, Philadelphia's colored 400 attended a seemingly endless round of balls, lunches, fashion shows and cocktail soirees. Mrs. Donald Butcher, given name Harriet, ruled the colored 400 which, in reality, had only about 50 people who were truly worthy. Donald Butcher made a fortune operating the largest colored funeral home in Philadelphia, and Harriet made a life running colored society."

More information about groups that might be considered to be the modern day "Four Hundred" in the African American community, such as The Links, Jack & Jill and Sigma Pi Phi--the Boule, and "Chasing the 400" can be found on my Amazon page. Malcom X, in "The Autobiography of Malcom X", also talks about "the 400" in Boston's African American community.

Kaplan's discussion of how and why the Astor's concieved and built New York's grandest hotels is also fascinating. We take the grand hotel for granted today, but Kaplan explains how such hotels were truly revolutionary and transformed society at that time. Modern day real estate investors might find inspiration in Kaplan's detailed discussions of how the Astors used real estate to build their great wealth, working on one deal after another, not satisfied with more wealth than most of us could even imagine.

Hotel Mania.......2006-11-27

This book, while initially giving the impression of being a recounting of the Astor family, actually turns into a history of hotels in New York City built by wealthy people. As a biography it was well done, but as a history of the hotels it is extremely interesting. There are some asides about the inter-family feuds of the Astors, and it mentions, in passing, the death of John Jacob IV on the Titanic (perhaps more should have been said about this). To those interested in the early history of New York, and its famous hotels, this is required reading!

Slim volume promises much delivers little .......2006-09-05

When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age by Justin Kaplan is a bit of a disappointment. From the title and description, I was looking for a biography of the Astor family along with a taste of history about the times they lived in. While there is some brief biographical information in the book, much of it is focused on the hotels they (and others) built. Pages are allotted to the Palmer House in Chicago (which they didn't build), but far less to John Jacob Astor's death on the Titanic. His scandalous divorce and marriage to a much younger woman are also glossed over. His uncle William Waldorf Astor's life is covered in far greater detail, but even he doesn't get full coverage. Gossipy bits and pieces of the times are dropped here and there. Kaplan goes overboard in quoting Henry James in his eloquence about the beauty of hotels. There are pages of quotes from James, often repeated. The book meanders and repeats itself as well. I suppose not much should be expected from such a slim volume, but I was hoping for more.

Mostly history.......2006-08-09

Book was not what I expected. Does not delve into characters,but more or less who begot who and rivalries, hotel building, and so on. If you're looking for character development or revelation, this is not what you want.

Lacks Focus.......2006-08-03

The Astors are an iconic American family, rising from immigrant roots to great wealth and aristocratic pretensions, undermined by their own social ambition and self-imposed isolation and finally, in later generations, fading from economic and social prominence. (104 year-old Brooke Astor, the widow of Vincent, is the last multi-millionaire Astor, and will leave no Astor heirs.) Yet this book purports to be, not about the Astors, but about the great hotels that they conceived and built, including such landmarks as the old Waldorf-Astoria, The Astor and the St. Regis. As such, the book lacks focus and is poorly integrated; it's not quite a bio of the Astors, since it's character portraits are superficial, but it's not really about the great hotels either, because it limits that story to the role played by the Astors. The result is disjointed and, occasionally, boring. This author knows alot about the Astors and would have done better to write a straightforward biography or family history.

Average customer rating:

Beyond The Gilded Age Of The Adirondacks!
The seminal work on rustic architecture
What's that --- MY HOUSE MENTIONED IN A BOOK!

Great Camps of the Adirondacks
Harvey H. Kaiser
Manufacturer: David R Godine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Adirondack Home
Adirondack Cabin, The
Adirondack Style
Cabins and Camps
Rustic Cabin, The

ASIN: 156792073X

Product Description

Adolph Lewisohn, requiring a staff of forty to minister to his guests' comfort in the wilds of the Adirondacks, imported to his camp a major-domo, barber, caddy, chess-player, singing teacher, and two chauffeurs, Majorie Merriweather Post made do with eighty-five servants for the sixty-five building of Topridge, which was approached by a private funicular railway and graced by a Russian dacha a token of affection for her third husband, a former ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Equally magnificent was J.P. Morgan's Camp Uncas, Julius Bache's Wenonah Lodge, and William Seward Webb's Nehasane. These 'Great Camps' were to the beautiful and secluded Adirondack region what the 'Cottages' were to Newport: contradictions in terminology, but marvels of construction and architectural imagination. Truly fabulous structures, built primarily of wood and stone and set deep among the great forests, they are at once relics of a bygone age and prototypes for the contemporary architect, amateur builder, and historian.

Harvey Kaiser traces the history of the Adirondacks from their first sighting by a European in 1535, through the eras of trapping, iron mining, and lumbering, to the development of railroad and steamboat lines that led to the influx of tourists and the building of the 'Great Camps.' The sixty years from 1870 to 1930 were the heyday of these camps, the 'Gilded Age' of the Adirondacks, and Kaiser give a fascinating account both of the personalities who engineered and financed these fabulous structures and of the buildings themselves...

More than forty years after the Depression put an end to this princely life-style, the camps themselves are threatened by the forces of politics and nature. In Great Camps of the Adirondacks, Harvey Kaiser make a strong case for preservation: the obliteration of these remarkable structures would be an irreparable loss not only to our architectural heritage but to every individual to whom they are a resource and an inspiration.

Customer Reviews:

Beyond The Gilded Age Of The Adirondacks!.......2001-06-05

From the 'opening' of the Adirondacks in the 18th Century to the present, Harvey Kaiser delivers a premier photographic history of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks. Exploring the architectural history from an owner's whinsey to the details of a porch railing, Kaiser guides the reader through a history of gorgeous excess and an age of bountiful richness that few knew. Camp Uncas (owner J.P. Morgan), Topridge (Marjorie Merriweather Post) and Nehasane (Dr. William Seward Webb) are just a few of the detailed highlights showcased in this volume. Many of the larger hotels and lesser known camps (and castles) are photographed and discussed here at length. This book is not just for the architect, builder or historian. It is a display of architectural beauty build into a unique and mysterious landscape. It is a history never to be repeated and never to be forgotten.

The seminal work on rustic architecture.......1999-09-30

The discovery of this book made me set aside all the others on rustic architecture. The author does a marvelous job in explaining the beginnings of rustic architecture and why it has a permanent place in our culture. The mix of social background and the history of the early Adirondack camps with superb photographs provides a designers guidebook. The arguments for historic preservation are skillfully written and should be read by anyone in the field.

What's that --- MY HOUSE MENTIONED IN A BOOK!.......1997-07-31

I'm giving this the best review - but, I admit, I am the son of one of the owners of a house mentioned in the book! The house is Kildare Club. However, I'm unbiast! (SORT OF)
Anyway, I think it is an interesting book that is certainly worth reading and it revealed alot to me that I hadn't discovered about the Great Camps of the Adirondacks. (NOTE HOW I CLEVERLY INSERTED THE TITLE IN ORDER TO DELIVER A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE. HEHE!

How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant

Average customer rating:

Worth the time to read
Great book for opening your own pizzeria
How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant by Shri L. Henkel & Douglas R. Brown
Great for Budding Restaurateurs!
A 'must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee.

How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant
Shri L. Henkel , and Douglas R. Brown
Manufacturer: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality Businesses | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes
Getting Your Slice of the Pie: A Definitive Source for Prospering in Pizza
American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza
Pizza
Pizza: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza

ASIN: 0910627800

Product Description

The explosive growth of the pizza and sub shops across the country has been phenomenal. Take a look at these stats: Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350 slices per second. Pizza is a $32+ billion per year industry. Pizza restaurant growth continues to outpace overall restaurant growth. Pizzerias represent 17 percent of all restaurants. Pizza accounts for more that 10 percent of all food service sales. Here is the manual you need to cash in on this highly profitable segment of the food service industry. This new book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of the restaurant. This superb manual should be studied by anyone investigating the opportunities of opening a pizza or sub restaurant. It will arm you with everything you need including sample business forms, leases, and contracts; worksheets and checklists for planning, opening, and running day-to-day operations; sample menus; inventory lists; plans and layouts; and dozens of other valuable, time-saving tools of the trade that no restaurant entrepreneur should be without. While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through finding a location that will bring success, learn how to draw up a winning business plan (the companion CD-ROM has the actual pizza restaurant business plan that you can use in MS Word), basic cost-control systems, profitable menu planning, successful kitchen management, equipment layout and planning, food safety and HACCP, successful beverage management, legal concerns, sales and marketing techniques, pricing formulas, learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money, learn how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, new IRS tip-reporting requirements, managing and training employees, generate high-profile public relations and publicity, learn low-cost internal marketing ideas, low- and no-cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales, learn how to keep bringing customers back, accounting a

Customer Reviews:

Worth the time to read.......2007-10-09

This was worth the time to read if you are or ever will be interested in how to open a pizzeria. It has every detail on how to run your business to include a checklist on whether you are the right person for the business. The included CD ROM with all the lists and pertinent information in the book was an awesome addition. The business plan was also very helpful.
All in all a good book if you are new to the pizza business and looking for a map to opening your own.

Great book for opening your own pizzeria.......2007-01-04

This is a great book whether you really want to open a pizzeria or just want to know what goes on behind the counter. I fall into the second category - I'm always interested in how other businesses are run.

The first few chapters will help you understand if owning a pizza restaurant, or indeed any kind of business, makes sense for you. It clearly lays out the skills and talents you need and the first steps to make your business successful.

Read it from cover to cover. Every little detail is in here. What kind of oven should you buy? How should your menu look? Will you offer delivery? How will you evaluate employees? There are even about 70 recipes to get you started.

Most people who go into the pizza business probably won't read this book. Reading it will give you a leg up on the competition. They may have good recipes and a strong work ethic, but they'll struggle with bookkeeping, marketing, and so on. Meanwhile you have the answers from this book, or you know where you get them (from resources listed in the book). It includes a companion CD-ROM that includes all the forms, worksheets, and recipes.

I highly recommend it.

How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant by Shri L. Henkel & Douglas R. Brown.......2006-12-29

Shri L Henkel and Douglas R. Brown have produced a phenomenal book on how to not only open a Pizza and Sub Restaurant but on how to be successful financially in starting this type of business.

Great details have been provided in every phase of the business process from research gathering to the actual operations of the business including how to budget and control your costs, techniques on marketing the business as well as being aware of governmental requirements whether federal , state or local.

This book of instructions and guidelines will assist anyone in becoming successful in the Pizza & Sub Restaurant business if they are willing to follow the suggestions and advice the authors provide in this book. The CD included with the book is an added plus in that it provides all the necessary forms that are mentioned in the book. What better way to provide Readers with something they can use in the start-up and progress of their business.

Great for Budding Restaurateurs!.......2006-12-12

As a business owner who has looked closely at opening a restaurant, I find Henkel and Brown's book to be the best single-volume insight into that process. The authors take the reader from the typical but business-flawed dreams of restaurant ownership through each step of the process. Those painstaking details, which are so accurately and thoroughly presented in the book, are truly invaluable for anyone considering a career as a restaurateur.

Most importantly, the authors have already conducted their readers' market analysis: by limiting their analysis to a specific type of restaurant, they provide readers with information that is specific to their concerns. The book's twenty-three chapters cover every important aspect of the process, from buying a shop, to bookkeeping, to marketing, and to dealing with the local food and health safety officials. The CD-ROM that is included with the book features an editable business plan.

In short, this is a must-have for anyone even remotely considering opening a restaurant. Buy it, learn, and be successful!

A 'must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee........2006-12-11

There are plenty of books on the market which cover how to open a general restaurant and a few which even address high-class establishments; but pizza and sub venues are different and need the close inspection of a subject-specific treatment. That's why How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant stands out from the crowd: with its companion cd-rom of all forms in the book plus an editable business plan in Word, it offers the specifics neeeded to tailor a plan to such a venue, from incorporating a wood fire stove into a structure to sales analysis and successful employee relations. A 'must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books