Book excerpt: Maybe you love exotic and unusual flavors as well as high quality products, and you wish that there was a way for you to make a living selling not just food, but food that you love talking about, tasting, and sharing with others. You have the passion, but you need information to figure out the nitty-gritty details like regulations and financing. This book will give you industry-specific advice by discussing how to refine your vision, how to market your product as a specialty food, and more. This book will also cover the basics that any retail store owner needs to know. You want to make sure that you’re not missing anything as you carefully decide if owning a gourmet retail store is right for you — and this book will guarantee that you don’t. Gourmet food products (and corresponding gourmet retail stores) are here to stay as a part of the U.S. economy, despite economic uncertainty, since they are far more affordable luxuries than many other specialty items. They have also weathered the change to a more e-commerce–filled world, even though a big part of the appeal of specialty stores is the in-person experience. Websites can be thoughtfully designed to supplement a brick-and-mortar store, or a completely online enterprise can provide specialty goods to consumers via shipping. This new A-to-Z guide is updated and completely revised to reflect changes in the specialty food industry and the technology that governs retail stores. Enjoy stories from real-life entrepreneurs and practical insights needed to start, operate, and manage a highly profitable specialty store. It is the perfect book for entrepreneurs, schools, and technical training centers.