In Cliff Bramble’s new book, readers can learn about the real-life facts of owning or operating a restaurant. Based on real-life stories and events, his book teaches essential lessons on the industry’s business side.
When Covid-19 forced the closing of Cliff Bramble’s restaurant, he strategized and thought about how he could use his decades of restaurant experience to help others. First, hoping he could maintain some normalcy within local residences, he handed out thousands of pounds of rosemary dough to his local customers. Then, he created online ordering and curbside pickup of essential items like eggs, milk, and cleaning products. Finally, for the eight weeks of being closed, he paid his employees their full pay.
Upon re-opening the restaurant, it was clear the large parties that took up 40% of his business had already moved out of the local business parks and started working from their homes. With no sales and no help from the landlord, he closed his multi-million-dollar restaurant. Adapting to the change, Cliff set out to help others in the restaurant business. This is what inspired The Business Side of Restaurants.
Cliff says, “If future generations of restaurant professionals can learn faster and less expensive, it is great for them, and the entire restaurant industry.”
The book begins with discussions on contracts like the lease, operating agreements, term sheets, and the general contractor. Next, it discusses operational costs like marketing, insurance, accounting, financial reporting, and restaurant design. The middle of the book discusses areas of analysis like sales percentages, financial analysis, human resources, sales mixes, costs, and inventory. The last part of the book is an analysis of areas that can suck a business dry. Topics like poor sales, labor, theft, cost of goods, and payroll.
Also, inside the book are real-life restaurant stories. Stories like a valet attendant jumping into a car’s passenger window or a Mercedes Benz being taken by the wrong guest. Within the pages, QR codes bring the book to life and make the reader active by linking them to websites, forms, examples, and chapter introductions by the author.
It is a reliable book of business facts that can help entrepreneurs, hospitality students, small businesses, restaurant owners, and anyone wanting to learn about the restaurant business. It is precisely what is needed in 2021, inspiration and knowledge for the entire industry.
