The restaurant industry is ever-evolving and staying on top of new trends and technology is essential for restaurant managers.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ve compiled a list of must-read restaurant management books that should be on your radar in 2023.
From Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Make Friends and Influence People to Roger Fields’ Restaurant Success and The Numbers, these books provide insights into building successful working relationships, providing customer satisfaction, creating staff schedules, managing teams, and more.
Whether you’re a new restaurateur or a seasoned veteran, there’s something for everyone in this list of must-read restaurant management books.
Start with Dale Carnegie’s How to Make Friends and Influence People. Originally published in 1936, this book is packed with insight into building successful working relationships and communicating effectively. It’s been a favorite of restaurant managers for decades, and rightfully so.
Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business is another great pick. It shares Meyer’s “Enlightened Hospitality” philosophy in a well-written and entertaining way.
For those looking to sharpen their focus on the logistics of business and increase their restaurant’s bottom line, Roger Fields’ Restaurant Success and The Numbers is a great place to start. S
imon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Some Teams Don’t dives into the importance of trust and cooperation to create a winning team, and Will Brawley’s Restaurant Owners Uncorked: Twenty Owners Share Their Recipes for Success is a great way to learn from other restaurant owners’ experiences and successes. If you’re fresh to the restaurant business, Tim Hoffman’s How to Start, Run & Grow a Successful Restaurant Business: A Lean Startup Guide provides a step-by-step guide to opening your own restaurant.
For those in the front-of-house industry, Jeff Benjamin’s Front of the House: Restaurant Manners, Misbehaviors & Secrets is a great read. It dives into the abilities required to successfully manage a front-of-house, from handling customers to knowing when it’s time to kick someone out.
Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential is a must-read for anyone who enjoys great meals or bold personalities. It provides an unparalleled insider’s perspective on some of the most renowned restaurants in the world as well as an understanding of the characteristics of outstanding chefs and restaurants.
Finally, Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn’s Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food provides a road map for flourishing in the digital economy. It dives into everything from sociology to industry data and brings the authors’ expertise at both established chains and startups to the table.
The restaurant industry is ever-changing and staying on top of current trends and technologies is essential for success. This list of must-read restaurant management books offers something for everyone and will help you stay ahead of the curve in 2023.
