Michael Miltiades, Paperback, BAS publishing, available from Xenia, xenia.hospitality@tpg.com.au

Who hasn’t at some time or other sat back after a fine meal at a friend’s house and said something like ‘you really ought to run a restaurant!’?

Those who take such well-meaning, often simply meant as flattering comments, literally may come to be sorry they did. Running a restaurant, cafe or coffee shop is hard work and there are many pitfalls.

 The author of these two hugely helpful little books, Michael Miltiades, knows this better than most. He has spent his entire long career opening, building up, and rehabilitating food businesses and dining establishments. He has seen everything that can go wrong and knows how most problems can be avoided or turned around.

These are simple, helpful books that everyone who is considering owning or running a dining establishment should read from cover to cover. They could either save you a lot of money or a lot of grief.