Running a Restaurant For Dummies (eBook)

Michael Garvey was, at one time, an unassuming if notinnocent soul from Brooklyn before he was grabbed by the clutchesof the evil shadow known simply as the restaurant business.Starting as a resort waiter in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, hequickly became smitten by his new work and found himself a genuinemasochist at heart. Garvey delved into other facets of theindustry, from bartending in saloons to waiting in fine diningatmospheres. He also found time to volunteer in the kitchen of theMarist Brothers in Esopus, NY, manufacturing meals for handicappedand underprivileged children and adults. In 1994, he returned toNew York City for some real brutality. He latched on to a smallthree-unit outfit by the name of Mumbles as a manager. After seeingaction in their other locations, Michael landed a job as floormanager at The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station owned by famedrestaurateur Jerry Brody. The Oyster Bar was a wonderland for the then medium-rare manager.Garvey took advantage of many opportunities including wine cellarstewarding which led to sommelier certification. He was part of themanagement team that rebuilt the institution in 1997 after adevastating fire. In 1998, he was offered the General Managerposition and added President to his titles in 2000. Today, inaddition to running the day-to-day operations in Grand Central,Michael has led efforts to franchise The Oyster Bar concept. Whilewriting this book, he organized the first franchise in Tokyo, halfa world and a culture away. At the time of printing, it issurpassing the franchisee's sales projections by over 100%.Garvey currently resides in Long Beach, NY, with his beautiful (andunderstanding) wife Vicki and their ridiculously cute daughterTorrance. Heather Heath Dismore is a veteran of both the restaurantand publishing industries. She has published works including suchtitles as "Indian Cooking For Dummies," part of thecompilation Cooking Around the World All-In-One For Dummies, TheParents' Success Guide to Organizing, The Parents'Success Guide to Managing a Household, and Low-Carb DietingFor Dummies, all published by John Wiley and Sons. This is herfifth published work. A graduate of DePauw University, she succumbed to the restaurantbusiness in Denver, Colorado while applying to law school. Sherapidly rose to management at such regional and national chains asThe Italian Fisherman, Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen, andRomano's Macaroni Grill. She orchestrated the openings of 15new restaurants and developed the training, procedural, andpurchasing systems t hat were used as the gold standard in numerousconcepts throughout her tenure. She currently lives in Missouriwith her husband, co-author Andrew Dismore, and their daughters whoare her first loves, inspiration, and never-ending source of newmaterial. Andrew Dismore, one of the catering industry'spremier chefs, joined the foodservice marketing agency Noble &Associates in 2003 after amassing critical success and nationalrecognition as Corporate Executive Chef/General Manager ofChicago's uber-posh Calihan Catering, Inc. In a careerspanning some 15 years, Dismore has amassed an expertise in thecatering field few can rival. His experiences are a study indramatic contrast. He has prepared seated dinners for over 10,000guests, designed highly profitable operations that have fed over200,000 diners in three weeks, overseen the execution of over 2,500events annually, and directed the culinary operations for suchmega-volume events as the Indianapolis 500, The Brickyard 400, TheNCAA Final Four, The RCA Tennis Championships, and FormulaOne. He has participated in over 20 openings and has independentlydesigned 12 new food service concepts. Yet he has catered intimateevents for many of the world's social, political, andculinary elite.

Introduction.

Part I: Getting Started.

Chapter 1: Grasping the Basics of the Restaurant Business.

Chapter 2: Getting Everything Done before Your Grand
Opening.

Chapter 3: Deciding What Kind of Restaurant to Run.

Chapter 4: Researching the Marketplace.

Part II: Putting Your Plan in Motion.

Chapter 5: Writing a Business Plan.

Chapter 6: Show Me the Money! Finding Financing.

Chapter 7: Choosing a Location.

Chapter 8: Paying Attention to the Legalities.

Part III: Preparing to Open the Doors.

Chapter 9: Composing a Menu.

Chapter 10: Setting Up the Front of the House.

Chapter 11: Setting Up the Back of the House.

Chapter 12: Setting Up a Bar and Beverage Program.

Chapter 13: Hiring and Training Your Staff.

Chapter 14: Purchasing and Managing Supplies.

Chapter 15: Running Your Office.

Chapter 16: Getting the Word Out.

Part IV: Keeping Your Restaurant Running Smoothly.

Chapter 17: Managing Your Employees.

Chapter 18: Running a Safe Restaurant.

Chapter 19: Building a Clientele.

Chapter 20: Maintaining What You've Created.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 21: Ten Myths about Running a Restaurant.

Chapter 22: More Than Ten Resources for Restaurateurs.

Chapter 23: Ten (Or So) True Restaurant Stories That You Just
Couldn't Make Up.

Index.