Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter

As a management consultant to top companies world wide (Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Abbott, PepsiCo...) I read a minimum of 120 business books every year, and have since 1989. My personal library is nearly 3,000 volumes and I would put "Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter" in my top 5 for books on understanding what it truly takes to build a superior business. I agree with another reviewer that you will likely not find any ideas that are shockingly innovative, but what you will find is a clear and detailed description of the business philosophy that has allowed Charlie Trotter to create one of the most respected restaurants in the world. You will also see that the fundamental strategies that Charlie Trotter focuses on are absolutely 100% transferable to any business that is serious about achieving excellence in their industry. I have recommended this book to my clients for years, I use Charlie Trotter as a case study in many of my workshops, I have applied the ideas in this book directly to one of my other companies (an advertising firm I own) with tremendous success, and I have dined at Charlie Trotter's restaurant to verify that they actually live the ideas in this book... and they do! If you are genuinely serious about building a business that is passionate and disciplined in striving for excellence - this is a must read. John Spence www.johnspence.com

This is both an interesting and boring work, due to the insights shared from Charlie Trotter's success. The boring stuff is the repitition of common-sense advice which everyone knows but few implement habitually. This is what separates the mediocre from the excellent.Trotter maintains an atomosphere of excellence, from his hiring practices to discipline to innovation to publicity, etc. One can certainly take much from this work to ponder about possible adaptation for one's own enterprise.

I happen to find this book very interesting. It gives you some insight as to how Charlie Trotter runs his restaurant in Chicago. For anyone who knows of this restaurant, you will know how successful it is and how much pull Charlie Trotter has in the restaurant business. This book won't teach you how to become a better person in life, but what it will do is teach all of us how to be more effective in the workplace. We all think we know the best way to run a business, but the truth is you can't do any of it without a great team of minds to assist you along the way. This book was very informative. I, for one, always wanted to know some of the secrets myself about this place. The restaurant hardly ever drops the ball when it comes to providing a great dining experience. This book would be great for managers, VP's, and directors of any company. Not just the restaurant business. It explains how to treat your workers with respect and how to also tighten the ropes when you need to get things accomplished sooner than you already are without killing the integrity of the worker.All in all, a really good book. Buy this if you are a fan of the restaurant or would like a good idea of how the place has run over the last 12 years.

What does a $100 per person, prix fixe', 7 course gourmet dinner have to do with your business? Everything, if you believe Paul Clarke. For those who might not know, Charlie Trotter's is an award-winning restaurant located in Chicago. I haven't yet been able to save up the $300 needed to eat there, but, from what I hear, it's an experience you'll not soon forget. Back to the book -- this is a tough call. I like it. I hate it. I can't make up my mind. And maybe that's because it's almost like reading three different books. First, it's a semi-bio of Charlie Trotter: his restaurant, how he runs it, his marketing strategies, his continual quest for excellence, his ongoing mission to make the dining experience in his restaurant extraordinary. Secondly, it's an examination of how you can apply the pursuit of excellence to your business. Both these aspects make it an interesting read. Then there's this underlying, ongoing discussion of having employees 'buy in' to your vision for your business. Though Clarke emphasizes rewarding this loyalty, and Trotter does so, I can say from my own experience, it just ain't so! I found myself talking back to Clarke as I read. My husband thought I was going gaga. But I was so angry! Much of what Clarke says feels manipulative to me. When I was an employee I was an excellent employee. I was the one who came in early, stayed late, did whatever it took, asked for more responsibility -- in other words I played the game. It seems as though all the suggestions favor the employer rather than the employee. And this is where I get bogged down. I'm torn. As an employee, I was used & abused too many times by the companies I worked for. And I know I'm not the only one. But, as a small business owner, I'd want my employees to act exactly as Clarke suggests. It feels wrong, although I can't put my finger on exactly why that is. I suppose any book that elicits this kind of response must be read. That's my recommendation to you. If you hate the management advice, you'll love the discussions about food, wine, & the restaurant experience.

A must read for anyone not just in the resaurant business but in any business. Learn what it takes to succeed in managing your company. Tips from a top CEO!