Reddit reviews Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

You know, I actually think I CAN do better than that. My god. They tried to blow the doors off with quality that no one would ever appreciate, but tried to match their competitors for price!

"Oh we hired an authentic frenchman to make our pastries, but then we priced them so low each one we sold cost us money!"

Shit. That's not how you're a success at anything, and though I fully admit I don't know a lot about coffee shops, I do know that unless you serve real food, you have to make a good margin on coffee, and a great margin on pastries (this is why everyone does them in house).

The belief that running any kind of a food place (which I do know a few things about) is easy, is a belief that drives hundreds of people to bankruptcy every year. Most restaurants fail. The vast majority fail.

Unless you have something amazing to bring to the table, (and NOT a vision of how you can bring people their coffee on a silver platter, because that's 100% cost, and little else) think hard before you cave to that siren song. And read Kitchen Confidential...Between his ego and his exaggerations, there is a hell of a lot of practical experience.

I also recommend Kitchen Confidential as well.
It's not by Ramsay but by Bourdain but it's an amazing book.

This, this - much like restaurants, good bar owners have a formula for success, which they duplicate over and over again. From staffing to bar layout to menu options, they have figured out what works, and will continue to replicate it.

I know a pair of brothers who are moderately successful bar owners here in NYC, which is about as competitive as you can get, and the reason they can do that is by basically cloning the same bar with neighborhood-appropriate changes, and having a strict set of rules.

This is more about restaurants, but it's an enjoyable read anyway - Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential - has a whole section on opening restaurants and a portrait of a guy he calls Bigfoot, who has cracked the code of being successful at it.

EDIT: Also, this - http://www.reddit.com/r/startups/search?q=bar+owner+ama&sort=relevance

Not trying to be a jerk, not a documentary but seriously, this movie gets right a lot about what I experienced in the restaurant industry.
Waiting
or read this

read his first book, then report back. i worked in a kitchen for about a year when i was 14 at a family owned italian joint. i didn't realize until AFTER reading his book that my experiences there were not unique to that restaurant.

Kitchen Confidential will give you some insights on food, food culture and ideas about food.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain has long sections about exactly this topic.

Restaurants are hard. Really hard. Basically, if you weren't born into it or didn't start when you were 18 and never let up, don't bother.

I don't want to shit on your dreams dude, but maybe you should check this book out before you make up your mind for sure.

Food service is some crazy shit, and education or not you don't get to the top without going through the bottom to get there.

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Adventures-Culinary-Underbelly/dp/0060934913

Yes. All these Food Network shows make being a chef seem glamorous, when it's everything but. Everyone should read Kitchen Confidential by Bourdain and then decide if culinary school is a good idea.

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential is a great read.