The multiple award-winning Restaurant Manager’s Handbook is the best-selling book on running a successful food service. Now in the fourth completely revised edition, nine new chapters detail restaurant layout, new equipment, principles for creating a safer work environment, and new effective techniques to interview, hire, train, and manage employees. We provide a new chapter on tips and IRS regulations as well as guidance for improved management, new methods to increase your bottom line by expanding the restaurant to include on- and off-premise catering operations. We’ve added new chapters offering food nutrition guidelines and proper employee training.

The Fourth Edition of the Restaurant Manager’s Handbook is an invaluable asset to any existing restaurant owner or manager as well as anyone considering a career in restaurant management or ownership. All existing chapters have new and updated information. This includes extensive material on how to prepare a restaurant for a potential sale. There is even an expanded section on franchising.

You will find many additional tips to help restaurant owners and managers learn to handle labor and operational expenses, rework menus, earn more from better bar management, and introduce up-scale wines and specialties for profit. You will discover an expanded section on restaurant marketing and promotion plus revised accounting and budgeting tips. This new edition includes photos and information from leading food service manufacturers to enhance the text.

This new, comprehensive 800-page book will show you step-by-step how to set up, operate, and manage a financially successful food service operation. The author has taken the risk out of running a restaurant business. Operators in the non-commercial segment as well as caterers—and really anyone in the food service industry—will rely on this book in everyday operations. Its 28 chapters cover the entire process of a restaurant start-up and ongoing management in an easy-to-understand way, pointing out methods to increase your chances of success and showing how to avoid the many mistakes arising from being uninformed and inexperienced that can doom a restaurateur’s start-up. The new companion CD-ROM contains all the forms demonstrated in the book for easy use in a PDF format.

While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through finding a location that will bring success, learning how to draw up a winning business plan, how to buy and sell a restaurant, how to franchise, and how to set up basic cost-control systems. You will have at your fingertips profitable menu planning, sample restaurant floor plans and diagrams, successful kitchen management, equipment layout and planning, food safety, Hazardous and Critical Control Point (HACCP) information, and successful beverage management.

Learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money and get brand new IRS tip-reporting requirements, accounting and bookkeeping procedures, auditing, successful budgeting and profit planning development. You will be able to generate high profile public relations and publicity, initiate low cost internal marketing ideas, and low- and no-cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales. You will learn how to keep bringing customers back, how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, manage and train employees as well as accessing thousands of great tips and useful guidelines.

This Restaurant Manager’s Handbook covers everything that many consultants charge thousands of dollars to provide. The extensive resource guide details more than 7,000 suppliers to the industry—virtually a separate book on its own.

This reference book is essential for professionals in the hospitality field as well as newcomers who may be looking for answers to cost-containment and training issues. Demonstrated are literally hundreds of innovative ways to streamline your restaurant business. Learn new ways to make the kitchen, bars, dining room, and front office run smoother and increase performance. You will be able to 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. ISBN-10:0-910627-97-5 • ISBN-13:978-0-910627-97-9 • Item #9780910627979 • $79.95

If you're in the process of starting a new restaurant or are managing an existing food service operation, this is the one book you need to do it right. Always wanted a personal assistant at your disposal? Now you will have one, in book form! Designed to save the food service manager both time and money, you won't know how you got along before with out it.

For the new and veteran food service operators alike, this book is essentially a unique "survival kit" packed with tested advice, practical guidelines and ready-to-use materials for all aspects of your job. The book and companion CD-Rom focuses on the issues, situations and tasks that you face daily in your management role as leader, manager, arbitrator, evaluator, chairperson, disciplinarian and more; from working with difficult customers and employees to ensuring the profitability of your operation.

Included in this book are hundreds of easy-to-implement tools, forms, checklists, posters, templates and training aids to help you get your operation organized, and easier to manage while building your bottom line! The material may be used as is or readily adapted for any food service application. For example, you'll find a practical form to use when interviewing employees, a template for developing an employee schedule and checklists for examining the food service operation and preparing a budget.
Expertly organized, this unique book takes you step by step through each department of a restaurant, caterer, hotel and non-commercial operations. Among the topics covered are management principles of planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing, directing, controlling and evaluation; product purchasing, receiving, storing and issuing, preparation and service; employment and personnel practices; and management of equipment and money.

This manual will arm you with the right information to help you do your job. Keep it on your desk for continual reference. The many valuable forms contained in this work may be easily printed out and customized from the companion CD-Rom. There are over 488 ready-to-use business forms, checklists, training aids, contracts and agreements!  Item #9780910627290 $79.95

Training is an investment for the future, the only foundation on which success can be built. Training delivers excellence in product and performance, elevating a good restaurant into a great one.

Training will keep the skills of its employees and management sharp. But in no other industry is its absence or presence as obvious as it is in the food service industry. It is hard to find good, qualified employees, and even harder to keep them. In addition, unemployment levels are low, and competition for qualified workers is tough. What's the answer? Training! Constant training and re-enforcement keeps employees and management sharp and focused, and demonstrates the company cares enough to spend time and subsequently money on them. And that's precisely what this new encyclopedic book will do for you - be your new training manager.

The first part of the book will teach you how to develop training programs for food service employees, and how to train the trainer. The book is full of training tips, tactics and how-tos that will show you proper presentation, and how to keep learners motivated both during and after the training. The second part of the book details specific job descriptions and detailed job performance skills for every position in a food service operation, from the general manager to dishwasher. There are study guides and tests for all positions. Some of the positions include General Manager, Kitchen Manager, Server, Dishwasher, Line Cook, Prep Cook, Bus Person, Host/Hostess, Bartender, Wine & Alcohol Service, Kitchen Steward, Food Safety, Employee Safety, Hotel Positions, etc. Specific instructions are provided for using equipment as well.  Item #9780910627344 $79.95

THE PROFESSIONAL BAR & BEVERAGE MANAGER’S HANDBOOK: HOW TO OPEN AND OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL BAR, TAVERN AND NIGHT CLUB—WITH CD-ROM

A successful beverage operation is much more than top-shelf cocktails. In today’s market, whether running a stand-alone business or one incorporated into a restaurant, hotel or food service operation, the successful bar operator needs product and equipment knowledge, management savvy, marketing skills, insight into the latest trends, and, of course, a strong grasp of mixology. All this and more is
detailed in this new inclusive guide. More than just recipes, it will show you step by step how to set up, operate and manage a financially successful beverage operation. This book is ideal for professionals in the hospitality field as well as newcomers who may be looking for answers to cost containment and training issues. There are literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to streamline your bar or
beverage operation. Existing operators will appreciate this valuable resource and reference in their daily activities and as a source of ready-to-use forms, Web sites and operating and cost cutting ideas.

The companion CD-ROM contains all the forms from the book for easy use in a PDF format, and a 100+ page business plan in Microsoft Word.  Item # 9780910627597 $79.95

Review from Midwest Book Review:

"This is no casual companion, but a professional bar manager's handbook which was over two years in the making: as such, it goes far beyond the usual focus on recipes to cover all the basics on how to set up, operate and manage a successful beverage operation. All kinds of bar operators receive tips on trends, marketing, equipment and products, and more. Professionals seeking a comprehensive manual to the business can't go wrong here. And yes, it does include recipes – lots of 'em. And a companion cd-rom packed with information"

The Non-Commercial Food Service Manager’s Handbook: A Complete Guide for Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Military, Prisons, Schools, and Churches: With
Companion CD-ROM

Finally, the non-commercial food service director has a comprehensive manual to aid them in their day-to-day operations. This massive 600-page new book will show you step by step how to set up, operate, and manage a financially successful food service operation. The author has left no stone unturned.

The book’s 19 chapters cover the entire process from startup to ongoing management in an easy-to-understand way, pointing out methods to increase your chances of success, and showing how to avoid many common mistakes. The new companion CD-ROM contains all the forms in the book in PDF format.

While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through  basic cost-control systems, menu planning, sample  floor plans and diagrams, successful kitchen management, equipment layout and planning, food safety and HACCP, dietary considerations, special patient/client needs, learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money, learn how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, manage and train employees, accounting and bookkeeping procedures, auditing, successful budgeting and profit planning development, as well as thousands of great tips and useful guidelines.

The extensive resource guide details over 7,000 suppliers to the industry; this directory could be a separate book on its own. This covers everything for which many companies pay consultants thousands of dollars.  ISBN-10: 0-910627-81-9 • ISBN-13: 978-0-910627-81-8  600 Pages Hardbound • Item # 9780910627818 $79.95 with Companion CD-ROM 

USA Best Books Awards 2007 Business: Reference Winner:  The Non-Commercial Food Service Manager's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Military, Prisons, Schools, and Churches with Companion CD-ROM by Douglas R. Brown & Shri L. Henkel

THE FOOD SERVICE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO CREATIVE COST-CUTTING AND COST CONTROL: OVER 2,001 INNOVATIVE AND SIMPLE WAYS TO SAVE YOUR FOOD SERVICE OPERATION THOUSANDS BY REDUCING EXPENSES

This is one of the very few books written for existing operators in both the commercial and non-commercial sectors. You will find over 2,001 practical, insider techniques and tips that have been gleaned from successful operators from around the world and tested in real-life food service businesses. You can put this information in place today to reduce expenses and expand profits. Easy to read and understand, this step-by-step guide and will take the mystery out of how to reduce costs in four critical areas: food, beverage, operations and labor. Item # 9780910627610 $79.95

Purchase the E-Book for this title and Download Immediately!.  Upon checkout you will be provided with a hyperlink to the E-Book file and Contents of the CD-ROM.  This link is valid for 48 hours and allows you to download the E-Book twice (in case you have any interruption downloading). Download the E-Book Version CCC-EB $79.95

"This practical guide for owners and managers of food service operations describes a wide variety of simple cost-cutting methods. The Author helps readers to investigate every aspect of their businesses to find out exactly where the money goes. A sampling of topics includes pricing menu items, trimming operational costs, scheduling staff, storing inventory, and preventing beverage theft. The CD-ROM contains all forms from the book in both PDF and MS Word format"

Shannon Hendrickson
Associate Editor, Book News Inc.

The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning

Gathering people together for a special event is always a challenge even for the experienced planner – for each event is unique. This book is designed to empower any planner to meet all challenges that surround a production. Whether you find yourself in charge of one important event or you have chosen event planning as a career, you want your events to be incredibly successful and remembered for years to come. A memorable event is one that flows smoothly with every detail carefully orchestrated and produced meticulously with the participant in mind. Successful events do not just happen; they are the result of hard work, creativity, awareness, and careful attention to detail. Every detail!

Successful Event Planning is the most thorough, concise, and easy to follow event planning book available. From the initial concept to ongoing management, this book has techniques to increase your chances of success and systems to avoid many common mistakes. It shows you dozens of ways to save time and money and introduces you to every facet of the planning process. This ultimate guidebook equips the reader with new ideas, support, and creative problem-solving skills.

The chapters follow the dynamics of the actual event planning process and are supported by extensive checklists and timelines. As the reader undertakes the complexities of daily responsibilities and tasks, Successful Event Planning inspires efficiency and confidence and makes it possible to stay on track. Whether you are a professional or a novice, you will find this guidebook a must-have if you are planning the Academy Awards or your daughter's wedding. The information found in this book is suitable for creating any event for any theme, size, location, or budget.

Two significant, timely, and relevant advantages this book offers that you will not find elsewhere are Environmental Friendly practices and the latest up-to-date technology applications and gadgets.

Making your event “environmentally friendly” is straightforward and simple with the suggestions in this book. With the detailed ideas, choices, and examples embraced, the author puts you at the forefront of an emerging "green" movement this country and the event industry is taking.

You will be brought up-to-date with the latest trends in technology and understand what is appropriate for your particular event. Today more than ever, participants want to “stay in touch” while at an event. Also included are the latest audio-visual equipment ideas that will dazzle your participants and provide the best environment possible for getting your message out.

The opportunities to use Successful Event Planning are plentiful. You have all the tools at hand to create any memorable or extraordinary event such as grand openings, seminars, receptions, weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, musicals and plays, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, dances, retirement parties, conferences and conventions, reunions of all kinds, retreats, premieres, festivals, carnival, and sporting events. Reasons people get together are endless. Opportunities await you!

Look for the extensive list of references in the Appendix section that include web addresses covering and assisting you in every area and aspect and at every stage of the planning process. We have you covered! Proceed with Confidence! ISBN-10: 0-910627-92-4 • ISBN-13: 978-0-910627-92-4  288 Pages • Item # 9780910627924 • $39.95

Eric Hoffer Awards 2007 - Winner:  The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning, Shannon Kilkenny

From Foreword Magazine:  Restaurants. THE RESPONSIBLE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: A COMPLETE STAFF TRAINING COURSE FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND CATERERS by Beth Dugan, MS (Atlantic Publishing Company, b/w photographs and illustrations, with CD-ROM, 373 pages, softcover, $49.95, 0-910627-63-0): covers legal issues, handling difficult customers, how alcohol affects the body, and other topics related to serving alcohol; designed in part to help establishments reduce lawsuits and liability insurance premiums.

This New Book & CD Rom incorporates the legalities and responsibilities of serving alcohol either behind a bar, at a table, or at an off-premise function. Alcohol sales are an important source of revenue for many establishments. However establishments may face the potential for civil and criminal liability should one of your customers become intoxicated and cause damage to themselves, others or property. Good management and employee training is the key to preventing these problems before they become an issue. The Responsible Serving of Alcoholic beverages training course provides management and liquor service staff with the knowledge and awareness necessary to responsibly serve alcohol in licensed premises. Covers: Alcohol and Legal Issues, Understanding BAC Levels, responsible serving, ID Checking, Handling difficult customers, Designated Drivers,How alcohol effects the body, identifying and handling problem situations, Minors & Fake Id's,Learn how to reduce liability lawsuits, Local Law Enforcement issues, reduce liability insurance coverage premiums, a complete and comprehensive yet inexpensive in-house training program.  Item #9780910627634 $49.95 With Companion CD Rom

Review of "The Responsible Serving Of Alcoholic Beverages"
Beth Dugan, M.S.

College-level collections with schools strong in culinary and food management courses will want to keep THE RESPONSIBLE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: A COMPLETE STAFF TRAINING COURSE FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND CATERERS in the collection both as a reference and as a circulating item. Two years have gone into the making of this comprehensive manual which blends the legal issues with the ethical issues involved in serving alcohol professionally: management and liquor service staff receive all the knowledge allowing them to responsibly serve alcohol in licensed premises, from understanding BAC levels and the law to checking ID, handling difficult customers, and more. While the price tag may be hefty for a standard-sized paperback, its specific, well-detailed information is priceless for any serious food industry holding.

This new training handbook was designed for use by all food service serving staff members. The guide covers every aspect of restaurant customer service for the positions of host, waiter or waitress, head waiter, captain, and bus person. The detailed performance of each position is described for different types of establishments, and all types of service including French, American, English, Russian, Family-Style and Banquet. It provides step-by-step instructions on:

• hosting o seating guests o taking/filling orders
• loading/unloading trays o table side service o setting an elegant table o folding napkins o centerpieces o promoting specials
• promoting side orders o handling problems o difficult customers
• managing tips and taxes o getting customers to order quickly handling questions o handling the check and money
   
• Plus, learn advanced serving techniques such as flambé and carving meats, fish, and fruits. Also, a chapter is devoted exclusively to food safety and sanitation. An excellent foundation for your organization's training program! 144 pgs.

English Item #9780910627474 $29.95

Spanish Item #9780910627481$29.95

THE PROFESSIONAL CATERERS HANDBOOK: HOW TO OPEN AND OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL CATERING BUSINESS—WITH CD-ROM

Do you need a comprehensive book on how to plan, start and operate a successful catering operation? This is it--an extensive, detailed manual that shows you step by step how to set up, operate and manage a financially successful catering business. No component is left out of this encyclopedic new book explaining the risky but potentially highly rewarding business of catering. Whether your catering operation is on-premise, off-premise, mobile, inside a hotel, part of a restaurant, or from your own home kitchen—you will find this book very useful.

You will learn the fundamentals: profitable menu planning, successful kitchen management, equipment layout and planning, and food safety and HACCP. The employee and management chapters deal with how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, manage and train employees, and report tips properly in accordance with the latest IRS requirements. The financial chapters focus on basic cost-control systems, accounting and bookkeeping procedures, auditing, successful budgeting and profit planning. You’ll also master public relations and publicity, learn low-cost internal marketing ideas, and discover low-and no-cost ways to satisfy customers.

One section of the book is devoted to home-based catering entrepreneurs. With low startup costs and overhead, a home-based catering business can be an ideal do-it-yourself part-or full-time business. Another section is for restaurateurs that wish to add catering to their restaurant operation. A successful restaurant’s bottom line could be greatly enhanced by instituting catering functions in slow hours or “down time.” For example, many restaurants are closed on Saturday afternoons, so this would be an ideal time to create a profit by catering a wedding

This book is also ideal for professionals in the catering industries, as well as newcomers who may be looking for answers to cost containment and training issues. There are literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to streamline your catering operation. Existing operators will appreciate the 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 new companion CD-ROM contains all the forms from the book in a PDF format for easy use, plus a 100+ page business plan in Microsoft Word.  Item # PCH-01 $79.95

Eric Hoffer Awards 2007 - Business Winner:   The Professional Caterer’s Handbook: How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful Catering Business, Lora Arduser and Douglas Robert Brown

ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards Reference Gold: The Professional Caterer's Handbook by Laura Arduser and Doug Brown

Food Service Management: How to Succeed in the High-Risk Restaurant Business-By Someone Who Did

Many of us have endured a stint in food service, whether it was our first venture into the working world or served as a part-time job strictly for extra income. For the majority of us, there was never any intention of pursuing it as a career. However, the fast pace and interaction with a variety of people delights some, and they develop an enthusiastic attitude toward the business. These people often understand the sound fundamentals of food preparation, appreciate the value of personal service, and possess excellent people skills. But there is much more to the world of food service and food service management. Food Service Management: How to Succeed in the High-Risk Restaurant Business—By Someone Who Did will reveal all the hidden facets of this fast-paced business and show you how to succeed as a food service manager.

The author, Bill Wentz, speaks from experience, making his advice that much more valuable. Wentz truly understands the industry and shares the priceless experiences he had and lessons he learned throughout his career. In this book, you will learn if a food service career is right for you, the many opportunities available in the industry, and where to go for the best training. Food service managers will learn how to predict food costs, how to achieve profit goals, how to conduct recipe cost analysis, and how to realistically price a menu. In addition, this book discusses labor costs and controls, profit and loss statements, accounting systems, inventory, sanitation, and effective communication.

Furthermore, Wentz shares his philosophies regarding ethics, hospitality, and performance. This book will show you how to develop and nurture your relationships with customers and how to keep them coming back to your establishment time after time, as well as how to be an effective manager, how to hire and train employees, how to get results, and how to further your success. The topics of proper kitchen design and layout, time management, and food quality are also covered in this unique book.

Whether you are considering a career in food services or you are already the manager of an establishment, you will certainly find some wisdom in Wentz’s words. Wentz passes on his knowledge in this easy-to-read and entertaining book that not only tells you how to survive in the food service business but also tells you how to be successful.  ISBN-10:1-60138-024-0  • ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-024-1 • Item # 9781601380241 $24.95