A recent survey by the National Restaurant Association found restaurateurs to be hard-working, affluent and optimistic, but only 50% said they would do it all again. Hundreds of thousands of these business people work hard--more than half put in a minimum of 60 hours per week. But despite the hard work, the restaurant business can be one of the most fickle and difficult businesses to break into. Why? People get into it for all the wrong reasons. Voila! The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Starting a Restaurant is here to provide the recipe for success. How do you decide how much money it will take? When do you know you're failing--or succeeding? If you're failing, when do you pull the plug? If you're succeeding, how do you successfully expand? Focusing on these kinds of business questions, this book takes a practical approach. Once you've decided to take the plunge, chef Mark Miller tells you all the secrets--from inventory control to hiring kitchen help.