"What Do You Really Know About Restaurants?" Asks Howard Cannon, CEO of Restaurant Consultants of America

CHELSEA, AL, May 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) It all started, as one might expect, in Paris. A chef named Boulanger opened Champ d'Oiseau in Paris, France, in 1765. This was the first restaurant on record, and it came about because, says Howard Cannon, Restaurant Consultant, Restaurant Expert Witness, and CEO, "Boulanger had the audacity to try something new in the business world - serving food for profit at an outside establishment. Until then, chefs had worked for the wealthy, and everyone else cooked their own meals. But the concept of restaurants started to spread around 1789 when more chefs who were once employed by the wealthy found themselves out of work and took to the idea of feeding the public for a price per meal. The French Revolution, it seems, spurred a revolution in how people ate."

By 1826, Union Oyster House was founded in Boston, and Delmonico's was founded in New York City in 1827. After World War I, the changing lifestyles of the American people (spurred especially by the invention of the automobile) prompted sweeping growth changes to the restaurant industry. In recent decades, many concept and industry changes have occurred as a result of the increasing importance of convenience in the mobile society. By the mid-1980s, there was a variety of restaurants to cover every taste imaginable and a concept to fit within every budget. Cannon says, "Every corner had a restaurant, or so it seemed. That growth trend continues today. Thousands of new restaurants open in this country every year, and the concept designs and table fare continue to blossom. People no longer go to restaurants simply to eat. They go to be entertained, to meet with clients, to build social relationships, to relax and unwind, and yes, to save time."

The restaurant consumer has come to have very high standards. Because of the large influx of unique and varied cuisine, the American palate has become both educated and critical. "Our desire for great products and services at a fair price has become intense, and customer loyalty to any one restaurant is liable to change," warns Cannon. "Restaurant owners and chefs have come to realize that they are no better than the last meal they served. There are too many dining choices for them to be complacent. The restaurant business changes at the speed of light. Just when you think you know everything, something new comes into the picture. To be successful in this business, you must always continue to learn about it."

Howard Cannon is a highly-recognized restaurant expert witness, consultant, analyst, and speaker. He is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Restaurant - found in 76 countries around the globe. Mr. Cannon is the CEO of Restaurant Consultants of America and Restaurant Expert Witness, and can be reached at 800-300-5764 or via the web at RestaurantConsultantsOfAmerica.com or RestaurantExpertWitness.com.

Howard Cannon is a highly-recognized restaurant expert witness, consultant, analyst, and speaker. He is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Restaurant - found in 76 countries around the globe. Mr. Cannon is the CEO of Restaurant Consultants of America and Restaurant Expert Witness, and can be reached at 800-300-5764 or via the web at RestaurantConsultantsOfAmerica.com or RestaurantExpertWitness.com.