Will Guidara

Unreasonable Hospitality

• “Fads fade and cycle, but the human desire to be taken care of never goes away.”

  • It may be impossible to quantify the impact of making someone feel good—but it matters

• “No one who ever changed the game did so by being reasonable”

  • Be unreasonable about pursuing hospitality, as you are about every other aspect of your business.
    • Hospitality doesn’t care which industry you are in—the remarkable power of giving the people on your teams and your customers more than they expect transcends such categories.
  • “Sometimes magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect” – Teller (of the magic duo Penn and Teller)

• “Hospitality is a selfish pleasure. It feels great to make other people feel good.”

• Hospitality >>> Service:

  “I was first interested in a group of servers who saw everything and were always one step ahead. Those servers always knew exactly who was ready for another bottle of wine and who was about to ask for the check; as a result, they turned tables with ruthless efficiency.”

  “But I noticed that another group of servers, who turned far fewer tables, had higher check averages and earned more in tips.”

  “These servers were less excellent than their more proficient colleagues—their tables waited longer to order, and for dessert menus, and for their checks. But when these less efficient servers were at the tables, connecting with their guests, they were so focused on the interaction that the bonds they created were much stronger. Even if the service was slightly less perfect, the guests liked the experience more.”

  “The first group was attentive; the second paid attention. I often describe “being present” as caring so much about what you’re doing that you stop caring about everything you need to do next. That second group of servers embodied that beautifully. When they were talking to guests, they were fully present with them. They were being rewarded for their hospitality, not their excellence.”

  “Getting the right plate to the right person at the right table is service. But genuinely engaging with the person you’re serving, so you can make an authentic connection—that’s hospitality.”

• Nobody knows what they’re doing before they do it

  • Growth happens outside of your comfort zone
    • “Sometimes the best time to promote people is before they are ready”

• “We didn’t use the common terms “back of house” and “front of house.” Instead, we always referred to them as “the kitchen” and “the dining room.”

• “The more space we gave ourselves to dream, and the more trust we gave one another, the better we got.”

  “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

• Don’t be “penny-wise, pound-foolish”

  • People spend a fortune on a new project, then skimp on training the people charged with bringing that project to life

• “If you’re willing to stand up and criticize yourself, people will always be more willing to receive criticism from you.”

• “Start with what you want to achieve, instead of limiting yourself to what’s realistic or sustainable.”

  • “Too many people approach creative brainstorming by taking what’s practical into consideration way too early in the process.”

• “Serve only what you want to serve, and you’re showing off. Serve only what you think other people want, and you’re pandering. Serve what you genuinely want to receive, and there will be authenticity to the experience.”