American restaurateur Will Guidara imparts wisdom he has learned from years of business in his new book Unreasonable Hospitality.
Key Details
- Guidara managed to take Eleven Madison Park from a struggling New York City brasserie to the best restaurant in the world in 11 years. In his book, he reveals the secret to his success.
- Owning a successful business isn’t just about knowing a market or how to crunch numbers. Building solid relationships with employees and customers is paramount.
- Guidara explains how going above and beyond for the customer is the key to success for every business.
Why it’s news
Guidara’s restaurant was one of a kind, the best in the world, and not just because of the food.
The service Guirdara provided at his restaurant made it stand out from the rest. In Unreasonable Hospitality, Guidara recounts stories like the time the restaurant recreated a vacation for a couple who had to cancel their beach trip, filling a private dining room with sand.
Another time the staff surprised a family with a sledding trip in Central Park so they could see snow for the first time.
But Guidara didn’t just practice hospitality for his customers. The kindness and camaraderie extended to the kitchen and dining room staff.
Guidara explains how any business can have great success when the lowest employee is motivated to think about the business like the owner does.
Every business is a hospitality business, Guidara argues. And every business can use his techniques to become successful by taking the customer above and beyond their expectations.
Guidara imparts tips and tricks for people management not just from his own experience but from the experience of experts like fellow restaurateurs Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer.
Guidara has co-authored four cookbooks and received the WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Award.
Unreasonable Hospitality was published by Optimism Press and is available October 25, 2022.