WELCOME TO THE CURIOUS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
casual • upscale • elevated
THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE STARTS HERE.
CASUAL UPSCALE ELEVATED
Joshua Farrell's newest book, Serving Up Excellence is a book for every style of restaurant. A book built to help restaurant professionals level up their service game at sit-down establishments, from casual eateries to three-starred Michelin restaurants.
Farrell expertly weaves together his personal essays on service, advice from top hospitality profressionals, and step-by-step guides. The resuIt is hundreds of actionable take-aways on how to maximize sales, deepen guest relationships, and effectively manage teams using the power of connection.
L.A. TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
Joshua signed both of his books on restaurant service and guest experiences at L.A. Times Food x Now Serving booth, at one of our country's most exciting book festivals.
As someone who has spent decades in wine and hospitality, I can say confidently that Serving Up Excellence is not just a restaurant book, it's a hospitality playbook. Joshua Farrell captures the mindset behind truly exceptional service through candid conversations with some of the most respected leaders in the restaurant industry. The lessons translate seamlessly from dining rooms to tasting rooms, from the floor to leadership. It's practical, thoughtful and immediately actionable. Any team serious about elevating the guest experience, whether in restaurants, wine, or beyond, will find real value here.
-Douglas Thompson, Obsidian Wine Company
As someone who has spent decades in wine and hospitality, I can say confidently that Serving Up Excellence is not just a restaurant book, it's a hospitality playbook. Joshua Farrell captures the mindset behind truly exceptional service through candid conversations with some of the most respected leaders in the restaurant industry. The lessons translate seamlessly from dining rooms to tasting rooms, from the floor to leadership. It's practical, thoughtful and immediately actionable. Any team serious about elevating the guest experience, whether in restaurants, wine, or beyond, will find real value here.
Douglas Thompson
Obsidian Wine Company
some of the industry leaders featured in serving up exceLlence
Larry nadeau
The French Laundry
alice waters
Chez Pannisee
michael voltaggio
Top Chef Winner
PAIGE REILLY
Goldenroad Brewing
domenique crenn
Gary Obligacion
Atelier Crenn
Eastern Standard
Garrett Harker
LEWIS ROSSMAN
Sam's Chowderhouse
The Alinea Group
Caroline styne
Luques Group
adam cole
The Greenbrier
SARAH CLARKE
dawn agnew
donato poto
Republique
JOSIAH CITRIN
davis campbell
Melisse
Gary Danko
Providence
Wines Together
...and many more
Two high-impact books for restaurant operations, hospitality schools, and libraries —empowering readers to learn the skills to break into hospitality, continue their career growth, and achieve the service excellence required of all successful restaurants. From McDonald's to Michelin, these are the ultimate roadmaps for restaurant professionals: beginners or seasoned veterans looking to expand their skillsets.
AVAILABLE IN THREE FORMATS
PAPERBACK AUDIOBOOK EBOOK
featured in
This unique book is a hospitality guide that spotlights the importance of connecting with people and thoughtful guest service, especially in restaurants, coffee houses, wine bars, and other small businesses. Quick-hit essays, professional advice, and mini oral histories with celebrated Angeleno chefs are sprinkled through the text. "This industry" the author writes, "is built on our ability to share our skills, teach each other, and learn from each other." Equally a how-to-guide and glossary of local culinary culture, there's a lot of wisdom here. -Mike Sonksen, L.A. TACO
some of the industry leaders featured in counter culture
jayme lau
erik oberholtzer
kim prince
Go Get 'Em Tiger
Tender Greens
Hotville Chicken
brad kent
melissa karaff
thom crosby
Blaze Pizza
Starbucks
Pal's Sudden Service
vivian ku
ken schiller
joe galvan
Pine and Crane
Rudy's Texas BBQ
McDonald's
...and more
SOME OF THE INDUSTRY LEADERS FEATURED IN
COUNTER CULTURE
JAYMIE LAU
A FEW WORDS FROM READERS
"This book is a must have for anyone who works in a restaurant. Josh doesn't talk down to you or throw corporate buzzwords around; he cuts straight to what separates a good restaurant from a great one: the people and how they treat each other and the guests. Every role in a restaurant will find something here that makes them better at their job- and more importantly, better at working alongside the people around them." -Leila B.
"I attended hospitality school and have worked in the hotels and restaurants for years. This book has it all! Inspiring, insightful, and realistic. Highly recommend for anyone in the industry or for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of hospitality." - Nolan O.
"If you want to have your customers as raving fans out there doing the marketing for you, this is your book." -Jerry A.
"Serving Up Excellence is a standout resource for anyone who believes great hospitality is built on relationships, not just systems. It's practical examples and clear frameworks make it a great choice for hospitality schools, where it could easily anchor coursework on service philosphy and real-world guest enagement." -Andrew B.
"It's essentially ubiquitous for food service people to say this particular industry taught them everything they needed to know about how to behave in the world, especially at work. I've been a teacher, government employee, and a nonprofit disaster leader. Working in the food service industry gave me best freinds and best practices. This book tells you how that statement is true for so many people. It's good advice for the industry and great advice for life. Solid. -Jennifer G.
"Loved the book and the concepts throughout. Just enough humor to keep me engaged while I learn more about customer service. Having industry leaders throughout to compliment the chapters helped reinforce the subjects." -Alex T.
"This book should be required for everybody who works in any kind of service job, from retail, to office staff, to food delivery. It is energetically written and full of great stories and practical suggestions, and it is truly an enjoyable read. I cannot recommed this book enough!- Carolyn G.
"Farrell has created a masterclass for anyone in the hospitality industry. His wrtiing style is effortlesss and conversational, his topics are backed up by charming anecdotes from his life." -Jason S.
joshua Farrell
Joshua Farrell has worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. He worked as a dishwasher and busser in highschool, at Sizzler in college, as a caterer and bartender throughout his 20's and started serving tables after that. He eventually landed at The Dining Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel, a Michelin-starred restaurant, where he and his team were national semi-finalists for a James Beard award for Outstanding Service. He is the author of two hospitality-focused books, “Counter Culture: An Essential Guide for Service” and “Serving Up Excellence: Creating Meaningful Dining Experiences through the Power of Connection.” He is currently the Director of Learning and Development for The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott, Los Angeles.
I interviewed this great guy, Thom Crosby, that runs a fast food chain in Tennessee called, Pal's Sudden Service. Thom has a training program for all of his employees that is so good, he won The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. I asked him, "What happens if you spend all this time training your staff and they leave?" And he replied, "What happens if I don't train them, and they stay?" I think about this moment a lot.
A Lasting Moment