The book comes with a glossary, which is nice for someone not fluent in restaurant-speak. It also includes real-life experiences in every chapter, which allowed me to think of Wentz as an expert in the field.

The book is a little long for my liking; however, as I said, it can serve as a total guide for a restaurant owner. It goes from the menu on down to the nitty-gritty and then below. Wentz spells out every detail, cost and “ingredient” to be successful.

Again, after reading this book, everything sounds like basic common sense, basic business sense. This is the stuff taught in business school to aspiring entrepreneurs. But how many restaurant owners, whether in their 20s or boomers venturing into a new field, remember the basic principles of business school? Wentz says in one chapter that “ignorance is not bliss” (89). This resource guide will provide all the right information you think about and covers the parts forgotten so the restaurant on track and open for business.

“Time is wasted because some managers spend too much energy on trivial things and not enough on the things that are important in running a successful business.” This is one of the pieces of advice offered by Wentz in his book. He explains food service career options, predicting food cost (“difficult to do, but critical to food service success”), and details all the other costs involved with running a restaurant or food service operation, explains the profit and loss statement, tells why sanitation is often disregarded, but needs to be top priority in a restaurant (for obvious reasons).

The restaurant business is one of the most competitive and risky businesses in the world, according to Wentz, and it’s thus a very demanding career. The book is very detail-oriented, not a bad thing for a restaurant manager, and details such things as a cost analysis chart of various food items, to show the reader how it’s done, and includes “Ten ways to reduce costs.” The author acknowledges that in some areas of food service management, there is no single concept that will work at all times. He also emphasizes the importance of observation and analysis by the food service manager in recognizing and correcting problems of all types. Five stars.

One of the consistent themes in Wentz’s expansive advice is the emphasis he places on developing relationships and communication with all of the employees and developing a sense of mutual empathy in order to implement effective solutions. The author gives general rules of thumb that a manager must follow and then he provides the reader with a personal anecdote that illustrates the different vantage points of everyone involved. In one such example (from the aptly-titled chapter “Doing the Right Things”), Bill Wentz and a colleague went to visit one of their company’s cafeterias in Nashville during its lunch rush and came upon the food service manager elbow-deep in the dishwasher trying to keep up with the immediate demand for clean silverware. The manager explained that he was caught in between wanting to raise profits and being able to provide excellent service. While someone only looking at the temporary bottom line might find the manager’s versatility to be an acceptable answer to this, Wentz takes the time to show the manager (and the reader) that ultimately, “It may be admirable to save costs, but this is not a good management decision.”

I found reading this book to be a great way for a novice (like me) to become aware of all the elements one needs to really consider when setting up a business, but I imagine that even an experienced restauranteur would find it useful as a reference. Whether seeking advice on how to develop a P&L statement or how to bring some fun back into a routine, this little book is a comprehensive go-to guide for success.

This book exudes experience! Whether you’re thinking of entering the restaurant business or are looking for insights on how to move up the management ladder or even want start your own food service business William Wentz’ book has much to offer.

“Food Service Management: How to Succeed” is a great practical, clearly written outline on how to survive in the business world of the foodservice industry.

Written from the perspective of real-life experience and common-sense, down-to-earth principals, the author has done a fantastic job crystalizing into 19 Chapters the many different elements that go into succeeding in the competitive restaurant business.

From the perspective of an insider, the author summarizes all the options one faces in entering the field, but is also incredibly concise in enumerating and listing all the various elements that translate into food service success. His work covers the spectrum of the food industry, from healthcare, schools, business and industry, chains and independent restaurants, to food service management companies and even your own business.

Chapters run the spectrum of topics from calculating food, labor, sanitation, advertising, equipment and equipment costs to running a kitchen, creating successful recipes, organizing your own business, and successfully dealing with customers and employees, all the way to discussing what it takes to be a good manager, work with others and get others to work together for the good of the business.

One clear principal permeates Wentsz’s book, with sound management and consistent high quality and service to please the customer to keep them coming back you have the recipe for surviving and succeeding in today’s highly competitive world of Food Management. Thank you William!

This book by Bill Wentz offers a heavy dose of realism while never losing sight of the reasons that people want to get into the restaurant business in the first place — to own a successful business, to serve fantastic food, to entertain and bring pleasure to customers, and so on. In a series of highly sensible chapters, all of which are loaded with practical advice and personal anecdotes, Wentz explains the workings of a highly complex and competitive field. He describes the various options available to people who want to break into the industry; provides advice on developing business plans; explains some of the economic realities of the business; and asks his readers to consider everything from the cleanliness of their facilities to the kinds of workers s/he hopes to employ.

It’s a daunting book in many respects. Because restaurants often fail so quickly, a book like this needs to make the task seem possible. There’s a massive amount of information to convey, and the author has a lively and enthusiastic tone; by the end of it, I could imagine how some readers might come away with a more serious commitment to opening a restaurant of their own. But this is the sort of book that should be useful to people who maybe shouldn’t take such a step. This is intended to be a compliment, but I came away with a sense that I should never under any circumstance try to start a business like this. The author’s advice seems perfectly sound, and the book’s coverage is thorough, but after reading it I realized that the restaurant industry is suited for people who are much more organized than I am.

What follows this introduction is an eye-opening reality check for anyone thinking of going into food service only for the glamour, pace and drama depicted on popular TV food shows. The author explains why and how to analyze the cost of a recipe, for example, down to cost-per-portion of garlic. There is a section on bug control and a whole chapter on sanitation. He never lets the reader forget that this is a business, either, and requires attention to management and profit.

Food Service Management serves up everything you wanted to know and lots of things you never thought to ask. The best part? After explaining at great length and infinite detail all of the concerns and considerations, Bill Wentz still has a passion for the business and encourages others to join the industry wholeheartedly.

Bill Wentz lays out the factors to success in a no nonsense style using real life examples and an emphasis on focusing on what is important in effectively running a restaurant without getting bogged down with trivial details. Food Service Management includes information on every career aspect: how to begin, do the job, be a good leader, and even how to move from employee to owning a restaurant. The chapter on managing a kitchen when you are not a cook is an under thought concept that is extremely valuable information for any food service manager. This book is so comprehensive, it even contains nitty gritty advice on the issues of sanitation, bug control, and the importance of sparkling restrooms. Perhaps the most important part of the book is the advice on getting to know and nurture relationships with customers.

Deliciously recommended, Food Service Management and its extensive glossary should be a mandatory read for anyone involved in the food service industry.