I had the pleasure of working with Mike Walmsley for a few long days in 1989 when I was on a task force sent to his hotel to oversee the hotel’s purchase and sale agreement. If you have ever been on the receiving end of one of those transactions, you know how challenging the interpersonal relationships can be. I distinctively remember Mike’s storerooms and just how organized he had everything. After all, I was there to oversee the inventory counts so that my company didn’t overpay for the food and beverage in the hotel.
I was told to expect a little push-back from the vanquished, but I received nothing of the kind. In fact, I received a great lesson in food and beverage controls. All the while, I thought my tool bag was well-stocked with F&B control processes and tips and tricks. What I experienced was exposure to a master at work. The executive in my company had recently disbanded the entire food and beverage control enterprise across our brand. I remember thinking at the time what a poor decision it had been, and only if we had what Mike had going on in our hotels, we could have perhaps saved the discipline from extinction inside my company.
Mike and I lost touch over the years, and he recently found me through my weekly blog. I am thrilled to write this introduction for him for three reasons.
- What he writes about is almost a lost art and, having a background in controls and food and beverage processes, I believe this art needs preservation. Almost like a language, it needs to be fought for, so we don’t lose track of where we came from.
- He has laid out in this book as well as his first book some incredibly valuable information that anyone can use to improve their restaurant operation’s profitability. The information in this book is broad-based and it addresses many aspects of our business, not just the numbers.
- Mike is an expert at what he writes and is passionate about. In our business, the limelight rarely shines in the basement, but all that is nonsense and he deserves his light. This book will be an important tool for like-minded hospitality professionals.
I invite you to read and savor the breadth of ideas to make them your own. Take particular note of the clear and measurable actions he provides with each one of his 101 tips. There is something here for all constituents of our business.
Understanding all there is to know and bring to bear in your food and beverage operation is an endless and daunting task. Anyone who knows the business also knows that if we have five of us in one room and someone throws out an idea or concept, we will have at least seven best practices. Our business is not a science, and his take on what to do and who to be is clear and articulate.
Enjoy the book and above all else remember the following. You will never master the profitability of your business. Like good guest service and superior colleague engagement, it’s a labor of love. Come to your place of work every day and pour your heart into making it better on those three measurements every day. If you do this, you are one big step closer to continued success and prosperity.
David Lund
The Hotel Financial Coach
An industry veteran presents his second collection of tips for increasing profits in restaurants.
In this business book, Walmsley (69 Tips for Better Food and Beverage Profit, 2016) returns with a longer series of lessons for managers of food-related businesses. Each tip is presented in its own concise chapter that includes specific action items readers can apply to their own companies, organized by theme—inventory management, profitability, staffing, and menu selection are some of the major topics covered. Among other ideas, the book encourages readers to understand how inventory is counted and valued (“Inventory management is as much about careful procurement strategies as it is about taking care of it once it’s in your establishment”), learn how to measure the profitability of individual dishes and drinks as well as the menus as a whole, and establish a strong corporate culture that maximizes productivity through both high standards and an environment of respect.
Walmsley makes effective use of both tables and examples to explain fundamental concepts, so readers who are unfamiliar with metrics like cost of goods sold will have no problem understanding the formulas provided and replicating them employing their own data. Stories from Walmsley’s work with a variety of food service companies also provide examples and add color to the narrative (“I had been threatened several times by the bartenders for ‘interfering’ and my office was broken into once”).
The book is well organized, and the format makes it easy to read from start to finish or consult as a resource for specific topics. This is not a manual intended for casual reading or written for a general audience, but is targeted to a niche that it serves well, with advice that can be used and understood by food service professionals at all levels of experience. Readers looking to understand the fundamentals of running a restaurant or searching for inspiration for improving productivity will find the volume a valuable tool.
A comprehensive guide to restaurant management that serves as a helpful, informative resource for improvements.
KIRKUS BOOK REVIEW
Tame the chaos… increase the performance of your business. There are tips in this book the most successful, renowned restaurateurs I’ve worked with in New York City are applying every day to achieve their top-notch status.
Mr. Dana A. Koteen,
Managing Partner, Restaurant Reason,
New York, NY
With his management experience in the hospitality industry Mike Walmsley brings a solid background of knowledge to the industry together with practical insights. Mike is also one of our most respected instructors.
Alfredo Vazquez, PhD.,
Director, Arbutus College
Vancouver, Canada
This book is a MUST READ for any owner or manager in the food and beverage industry. The author’s extensive industry experience is very evident in the tips and taps of how to optimize a food and beverage operation. Attaining better and higher profits is all about paying attention to details in both the human factor and the numbers side of things. Using this easy to read and execute tip book can only improve the bottom line.
Ken Takeuchi,
Business Advisor
Peter Thomson Centre for Venture Development School of Business,
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Vancouver, Canada
Realistic tips to improving your bottom line…. This is genius…. I will make sure that my management team has a copy handy.
Jean-Marc Levrat,
From the book’s introduction
69 Tips & Taps should be on every food, beverage and accommodations manger’s desktop. It has invaluable information that we should all know but often forget or just don’t do for one reason or another. Although I have 30 plus years in the Food Service and Accommodations industry, I will have this book with me for daily reference.
Steve Jellie,
Operations Manager
Black Diamond Group, Logistics Division
Edmonton, Canada
This was an enjoyable read as it captures our industry as it is today, with staffing recruitment & retention as a key element to any business success… then the core fundamentals that any hospitality business needs to build a core culture that is back to basics that many have forgotten about. This book covers all the essentials that every staff, manager and owners should have available as a resource for their teams.
Brian Brown,
Food and Beverage
Clubhouse Operations Manager
Swaneset Bay Resort and Country Club (West Coast Golf Group)
Pitt Meadows, Canada