The Restaurant Dream? was written to fill a void, and to answer questions that have gone unanswered for far too long. Many first-time restaurant developers, unfortunately, are not fully prepared for the journey on which they wish to embark … but is not really their fault. The information, until now, has not been readily accessible.

Sure, there are plenty of books about restaurant development, but most of them do not seem to offer the kind of information that aspiring restaurateurs are seeking. Some have a purely academic format and are filled with checklists intended to cover issues occurring for all types of restaurants, from quick service to fine dining. Others books recount the success of some of the world's leading restaurant companies or celebrity chefs. Few, however, seem to address the issues that first-time restaurateurs will face.

There have been numerous television shows on restaurant development as well, but they have not always been relevant to the average restaurateur. Some feature a celebrity chef building a new restaurant with a $5 million or $10 million budget. Others have focused more on the sensational, reality-based genre and seemed to offer very little in the way of valuable information. There is one exception, a show of which I am big fan. Opening Soon , featured on the Fine Living network offers both information and insight in an entertaining format, but there is only so much that can be covered in a 30 minute television format.

That is why I decided to write The Restaurant Dream? The book is based on an actual restaurant development process, and details all of the trials and tribulations that our development team experienced. It covers the entire restaurant development process, from the initial decision to open a restaurant all the way through the first few months of operation. But while based on our story, there is a great deal of information incorporated from the hospitality design class that I used to teach at the University of Central Florida 's hospitality school. Is there drama? You bet. Was that drama always planned? Absolutely not!

The Restaurant Dream? offers a rare, in-depth look at the restaurant development process, from concept to reality. It combines real-world experience with classroom theory – a powerful combination. It is edutainment.

If The Restaurant Dream? scares the living daylights out of you, and you decide that you never want to open a restaurant, great! If, despite reading about the types of twists and turns every restaurateur is bound to face, you decide that you still want to pursue your very own restaurant dream, perfect! Either way, you will be able to make a well informed, educated decision. And if you don't want to take my word for it, see what some industry veterans are saying about the book.

The book concludes with over 20 pages of lessons learned during the course of our restaurant development process. It is my hope that aspiring restaurant developers will learn from our successes and, more importantly, from our mistakes. The Restaurant Dream? will offer aspiring restaurateurs with many of the answers they have been seeking