A lot of people make cookbooks for sale. Many use it for non-profits or as fundraisers for a variety of things. You can create a cookbook for a number of reasons. If you want to write a book, a cookbook is one of the easiest books to write and it is surely something that a restaurant owner might consider writing.
Did you know that cookbooks are among the highest selling books of all types? Did you also know that writing a cookbook is really easy way to have a book under your own name so that you can promote your business?
Your clientele will really love a cookbook written by you, especially if they are regulars at your restaurant and they like the food you prepare. I'm not talking about writing a 500 page book that outlines the history of French cuisine with the beautiful color photographs found in a coffee table book.
This can be a cookbook of maybe some of the most favorite dishes that you serve in your restaurant. No, I am not telling you to give away your secrets, nor am I saying you should feel as though you're giving away intellectual property. Anything that is really a secret, keep it a secret. That's not the kind of dish I'm talking about.
The reason you might want to have a cookbook is that it helps people to remember you. It creates a sense of camaraderie, helping them to feel as though they are part of the "in-crowd".
The truth of the matter is, yes, a lot of people use cookbooks and they will use the recipes and they'll make some of the same things that they can actually buy at your restaurant. Initially this might seem as though you are shooting yourself in the foot. The real truth is the average person is pretty lazy and when it comes to going out to eat, despite the current economic situation, people are still finding money to go out to eat.
Why?
Because they like to be rented to a night out. They do not want to have to plan it. They do not want to have to shop for it. They do not want to have to prepare it. They do not want to have to cook it. They definitely do not want to serve it. And they most certainly will not want to clean it up.
The idea is by giving them the recipes, you expand on them. Give a little bit of history. Tell a little bit of a story. How did that recipe come about? What famous person came in and raved about this particular recipe? What two cooks cooked in the kitchen over who recipe was the best until they finally collaborated and realized that by taking a bit of each recipe they came up with one that was far better than either one was alone.
These are the kinds of things to put in a cookbook. People like stories. The entire world revolves around stories. We've had a tradition of oral storytelling for many years, since since the beginning of time. The average person relates very well to stories. So, by providing a story behind some of the recipes, you're going to give that sense of companionship, unification, camaraderie to your customers.
Source by Kathleen Birmingham
