Note: This post has been contributed.  

So many of us were left reeling in the shock that, earlier this year, Anthony Bourdain had shuffled off this mortal coil. But, for all of his ventures in front of the camera, many of us still view him as one of the most authentic chefs to come out of New York City in the last 25 years. Let's not forget, he was one hell of an entrepreneur, and are there any lessons we can learn from this modern master, and apply it to our own restaurant businesses?

If there's anything we can learn from him at face value is that through his show No Reservations, he was incredibly respectful to other cultures. He tried any food that was offered to him, as he knew the families that presented these strange and exotic dishes were unable to afford to eat most of the time. We can apply this to our business acumen by doing very simple things, greet the customers and show them how grateful you are that they've chosen your restaurant. And even if an employee has made a grave error, do you need to fly off the handle about it? Think twice.

In life, we need to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, and he did this with enthusiasm, unlike anyone. He was always keen to try new things, and we should all take this on board when pushing our restaurants further. Taking risks needs to be the fundamental backbone of what we do. And if you don't have a curious mindset, and you've stuck to the same menu for as long as you can remember, practicing curiosity is something we can all do; it's a matter of habit. You can look on FastCompany.com to get a few ideas of the habits of curious people, and this is what will help you develop as an entrepreneur.

As he frequently admitted, he was no saint, and whatever the mistakes we all make in life, either on a personal or professional level, taking these opportunities to learn is essential to our growth and development. Whether you have made frequent administrative mistakes, or you've hired the wrong person, there are so many things we can do to build on these mistakes to improve ourselves and our business. Even from the administrative side, you can view RestaurantAccountingServices.com for various restaurant-oriented tools to improve your business. If we don't learn from our mistakes, then there is no point in us ever progressing beyond our remit.

Last, but certainly not least, he was someone who enjoyed life. If you find yourself bound by the pressures of running a business, you need to take a step back and look at if you are actually enjoying the ride. This is as important to your sense of self as it is to your culinary passions. You've got to make the most of what you've got, and if you're not happy running your business, you need to change it, so you don't have any regrets. His passing has left a mark on the restaurant world, but there are so many things that we can learn from how he lived his life to improve us and our business.