“This experience reinforced a business lesson my late father had drummed into me at an early age, one that has become increasingly important, I belive, for restaurateurs and chefs. `Any fool can sell,´ he used to say, `but there is far more skill required in buying.´ Looking after your suppliers, above all paying them on time, is an increasingly important aspect of the restaurateur’s role, and one that pays significant dividends. Not only do the suppliers give you the best and most timely advice (crucial when planning menu changes), but they also become customers, using your restaurant as the location for a business lunch or a place to celebrate. It is an approach that makes for very good business and long-lasting friendships.”

— Nicholas Lander, The Art of the Restaurateur