I have known Marvin Alballi professionally for several years, and I am
thrilled to see his excellent new book, Restaurant Excellence, see the light of
day. It is truly a unique how-to guide for all aspects of the restaurant industry,
clearly written and easy to understand. If I could suggest one book to current
and future restaurant professionals, it would be Restaurant Excellence.
Michael Ellis
co-founder and CEO of Passionomy.tv, former chief culinary officer at Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, and former global director of the world renowned Michelin Guides
Knowing that Marvin is a passionate hospitality professional with integrity,
experience, and a deep understanding of the industry, I couldn’t wait to read
his first book on hospitality management. And it didn’t disappoint! It’s a
must-read for anyone who’s serious about making a difference in restaurant
hospitality. Written in a logical, thoughtful way, you won’t want to put it
down. It should be required reading for all foodservice professionals.
Warren Erhart
president at White Spot Restaurants
Restaurant Excellence is useful, practical, and full of tactics and tools to
succeed in the restaurant business. Chefs can learn a lot from Restaurant
Excellence! A great resource.
Andres Marcelo Urresti Ferrel
executive chef, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, UAE
The market is full of hospitality management books, but not many match the caliber of this comprehensive book. Culled from Marvin Alballi’s personal experiences over time, it is a logical, practical guide to achieving success in restaurant management. He is a hospitality educator passionate and focused on instilling ought-to-know knowledge, and this book, rich with fail-safe tools, reliable tactics, and excellent tips, is a must-read for all contemplating entering the restaurant business or sustaining themselves successfully in this highly competitive space.
Sunjeh Raja
CEO and director, The International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA Dubai)
Marvin is a food and beverage specialist, and having written the Restaurant Excellence book, he will help F&B professionals to build and manage better restaurants. It’s important to get the fundamentals right for success, and Marvin’s book is rich with tactics and strategies to win in F&B. Excellent content!
Andreas Pfister
director of operations (Eighteen Hotels), Northern Gulf at InterContinental Hotels Group
With a lifetime of experience in restaurants and bars, Alballi invites us to more deeply understand the foodservice industry and offers a framework and practical advice on how to elevate and improve food and beverage experiences, operations, and teams. This is a must-read for anyone in the business.
Eric Lent
former senior vice president Upscale Brands, Restaurants & Bars, IHG Hotels and Resorts Worldwide
Marvin Alballi brings his broad experience to bear on the complex management of today’s foodservice and hospitality endeavors. After several years of unprecedented challenges and overwhelming labor and supply issues, this book brings clarity and focus back to the dining experience. Clear, concise, and practical, this book is a necessary resource and an inspirational roadmap to rediscovering joy and success in your operation.
Mark T. Schuur
CEO and director, The International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA Dubai)
Restaurant Excellence: The Ultimate Guide to Success in the Food and Beverage Industry is a very useful tool for marketers, finance leaders, designers, foodservice professionals, business owners, chain leaders, hospitality trainers, chefs, and many more. A real professional gem for the hospitality and service industry.
Panayiotis Hadjiloizou
business consultant and certified master trainer, former lecturer at the Higher Hotel Institute Cyprus
Restaurant Excellence is an encyclopedia and resource that provides pragmatic, common sense, extremely valuable information, and practical advice on how to be successful in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. I recommend using it as your dictionary and a guide to achieve excellence in your operation. It is based on years of incredible food service experience by Marvin. Eat it up!!!!
George Michel
former CEO of Boston Markets, former COO of Global Markets at Binker and former CEO of A&W Restaurants USA and former CEO of Johny Rockets
Mr. Alballi takes a macro look at the operations, marketing, and financial aspect of the foodservice industry. His many years of being a hands-on operator as well as an international operator makes his book, Restaurant Excellence, an excellent asset for a new restaurateur or someone who is looking to improve their bottom line. Wealth of knowledge. Highly recommend it.
Edgar Rahal
chairman of the board of the British Columbia Chefs’ Association and past president
After reading the book, I feel there are a lot of small details I need to learn or review. This book really helps me to step back and relook at how I manage my operation. It will remind you that our environment is always improving and our skills and focus also need to be updated. Restaurant Excellence will support you in the right direction and will give you all the knowledge to perform well from the beginning—giving the best food and service is the key, but another key is to know your operation and targets.
Remi van Peteghem
culinary director, chez Resorts World Sentosa
Restaurant Excellence covers everything you need to know about running a successful restaurant from someone inside of the industry. Whether you already own or are just starting off, this book will help you become a better manager and a better leader and give you a better understanding of your guests.
Lucy Todish
senior director of marketing & product innovation, MTY Food Group
Restaurant Excellence is extremely useful for both experienced and young chefs. It covers all the essential food and beverage business components and topics. It helps chefs become and act like true entrepreneurs and business owners. Restaurant Excellence is a must-have for every restaurant chef, manager, or owner.
Simon David Wipf
executive chef at Four Seasons Resort and Residences at the Pearl Qatar
For as long as I have known Marvin, he has always displayed great passion for the hospitality industry. His experience and love for the industry shine through as a lifelong advocate for our profession. Restaurant Excellence is a must-read for both experienced professionals and those who are entering the industry. His book is rich with ‘insider information’ and anecdotes for a long and successful career in hospitality.
Marcus Routbard
cluster executive chef, The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Doubletree by Hilton Abu Dhabi
Marvin put his decades of experience into writing Restaurant Excellence to help anyone at every level of hospitality. There is a huge population of people who love the idea of owning a restaurant, running a restaurant, but sadly only see it for face value. It takes a vast amount of hard work to understand the financials, overhead needs, and how much money you will need to float yourself in order to be successful. Marvin will help with the menu that you present and understanding craveability to resonate with guests. I so appreciated the opportunity to read his book to get his unique point of view. This book should absolutely be in culinary education curriculum. The knowledge that his pyramid blocks in every section present for every aspect of restaurant operations is amazing. A great read for anyone in hospitality.
Howard Lee Ko
executive chef of Ce La Vi Restaurant Dubai
In Restaurant Excellence, Marvin, with his many practical years of experience, delves into the key tactics and practical steps to operational success. In Marvin’s easy-to-read-and[1]understand format, this is a must-read for those considering entering this exciting profession/lifestyle right through to those seasoned (excuse the pun) operators who need guidance, tips, and reassurance along the journey. Well done, Marvin.” Ivor Prestwood, former hotel general manager at InterContinental Hotel Abu Dhabi “I had the opportunity to work with Marvin when I was the CEO of Caribou Coffee. His passion for his work was contagious, and I developed a formula for success in Customer Experience: P+E+S=Ef (Product + Environment + Service + The Experience Factor). This simple algebraic formula is like any formula—if you take away one part, you don’t get the same answer. Restaurant Excellence teaches the lesson that you must do it all, all the time, to be successful. There are no shortcuts, and Marvin’s book breaks it down writing about every detail to create a successful business by understanding success is in the small details.
Michael Coles
author of Time To Get Tough: How Cookies, Coffee, and a Crash Led to Success in Business and Life, former CEO of Caribou Coffee, co-founder of Great American Cookies