The Surprise Restaurant Manager

Let me start with the fact that I do not work in the hospitality/restaurant industry BUT I am a manager in healthcare (and I enjoy eating out, naturally). "The Surprise Restaurant Manager" surprised me (pun intended) in how relatable it is across all management, hospitality or otherwise. I often look for management type books to inspire me to lead my team at work and this one definitely inspired me and gave me ideas on how to improve my own work so the team will excel.We ALL have customers and we ALL have teams to lead, as a manager that is true no matter the industry. I LOVED that this book touched on the many aspects of management: people engagement (staff and customers), competition, opportunities for growth, success or sales, and how to balance it all with your own personal life too. The examples in the chapters were great and relatable...and I really liked how each chapter concluded with a Chapter Review and bulleted Bottom Line items! It makes it easy to go back and reference when I need inspiration and direction. I hope that I get to visit the venues that Ken McGarrie has helped open because I'm sure the experience will be top notch! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all managers!

Very helpful in my fareer

Picked this one up somewhat reluctantly as I’ve been in the bar/restaurant business for over 30 years. I tend to stay away from these as they’re typically geared toward “hospitality management students” written by people with little to no real world experience. Within the couple of chapters, however, the fact that there’s “always more to learn” was abundantly clear. Well written, fun read and full of fantastic insight even for seasoned vets of our industry. Likely going to be required reading for any of my managers from here on out.

Nothing crazy original here just a nice handbook of sorts that really keep the focus on best practices for managers in many situations running a restaurant

Too often these books are written by people with limited hands on knowledge of the industry. They haven't spoken to a guest this century and while their suggestions are great in theory they are yet to be applied in the field. Ken isn't that guy - he has been and continues to put himself in the trenches - and this is why this book resonates so deeply with me. The advice contained within the book is invaluable and will help anyone in the industry to do a better job. Before I had even finished my first reading, I had already ordered more copies to give out to friends in the industry.

What a awesome read I learned so much from the book I did buy the audio book as well as the paperback but listening to audiobook with my kids we learned a great amount too, one works in fast food and was comparing how her manager acts and was figuring out what type of manager she from sleeves up or sleeves down book and it just opened my kids eyes up so much more and it has given me skills for success for my new position I really appreciate this book thank you Ken for writing it

I own a bar and a restaurant in New York City and The Surprise Restaurant Manager has been an incredible resource for me. It was recommened to me by the chef at my restaurant who recently heard McGarrie guest speak at the International Culinary Institute. To be honest, I've gotten more out of this book and any other hospitality or management book i've read in the past.I became a surprise manager about 12 years ago and I had to learn by trial and error at a young age. Our industry is full of hospitable individuals but it can be very closed off when it comes to sharing operational advice or providing mentorship. Without much direction I made a lot of mistakes along the way and I found myself panicking when staff would leave or sales would drop. After reading (and re-reading) chapter 9 "How to Lose Good People" I finally noticed a lot of the mistakes I was making with my teams and I have since adjusted my style.There are so many similar management lessons in this book that you can apply in your work. I've been doing it and I'm noticing the results. McGarrie says, “I define my failures by those people I didn’t help and whose lives were not improved by my involvement" p76. This couldn't be more spot on.

I purchased this book as a gift for my husband who’s been in the industry for a while now and of course he loved it! He now has finished the book and explained to me how much it has expanded his knowledge and helping with his future goals! Thank you to the author for writing such a great book for anyone in the industry and anyone who wants to get into it.

Focuses on soft side (people management) side of the restaurant / bar business with a ton of practical points, topics, aspects, points of attention & solutions for those situations. Now I wonder if there is something similar from him on starting a restaurant & things like stock management.No excuse for not reading this one! All packed in short sections & easy find guide!

Great advice throughout, this book should be a requirement in your companies management development plan.