Unreasonable Hospitality

1. Unreasonable Hospitality: Going Above and Beyond to Create Memorable Experiences

"Hospitality is a dialogue, not a monologue."

Redefining hospitality: Unreasonable Hospitality is about creating genuinely memorable experiences by going above and beyond what guests expect. It's not just about providing excellent service, but about connecting with people on a personal level and making them feel truly valued.

Key elements:

• Personalization: Tailoring experiences to individual guests
• Anticipation: Predicting and fulfilling needs before they arise
• Surprise and delight: Creating unexpected moments of joy
• Attention to detail: Focusing on even the smallest aspects of the guest experience

Examples include greeting guests by name without a podium, creating bespoke experiences based on overheard conversations, and implementing a ticketless coat check system. These gestures, while often small, create lasting impressions and turn ordinary interactions into extraordinary memories.

2. The Power of Intentionality in Leadership and Service

"Intention means every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters."

Deliberate decision-making: Intentionality in leadership and service involves making thoughtful, purposeful choices in every aspect of the business. This approach ensures that every action aligns with the overall vision and values of the organization.

Key aspects of intentionality:

• Clear vision: Defining and communicating goals and values
• Consistency: Applying principles across all areas of the business
• Attention to detail: Considering the impact of even small decisions
• Reflection: Regularly evaluating and adjusting practices

By being intentional, leaders can create a cohesive experience for both guests and staff. This might involve carefully crafting mission statements, meticulously designing physical spaces, or thoughtfully structuring training programs. The goal is to ensure that every element of the business contributes to the desired outcome and guest experience.

3. Balancing Excellence and Hospitality in Fine Dining

"Excellence Is the Culmination of Thousands of Details Executed Perfectly"

Striking the right balance: In fine dining, there's often tension between delivering technical excellence and creating a warm, hospitable atmosphere. The key is to find a way to achieve both without compromising either.

Strategies for balance:

• Training staff to be both technically proficient and personable
• Creating systems that ensure consistency while allowing for flexibility
• Focusing on the guest experience as the ultimate goal
• Regularly reassessing and adjusting the balance as needed

This balance might involve simplifying complex dishes to allow for more interaction with guests, or training staff to read tables and adjust their level of formality accordingly. The goal is to create an environment where excellence feels effortless and hospitality feels genuine, rather than forced or scripted.

4. Fostering a Culture of Collaboration and Ownership

"Great leaders create leaders."

Empowering the team: Creating a culture of collaboration and ownership involves giving team members the opportunity to contribute their ideas and take responsibility for specific areas of the business.

Key strategies:

• Implementing ownership programs for different aspects of the restaurant
• Encouraging staff to lead training sessions and pre-meal meetings
• Providing opportunities for growth and promotion within the organization
• Celebrating and implementing team members' ideas

By fostering this culture, restaurants can tap into the collective creativity and passion of their entire team. This not only leads to innovative ideas and improved operations but also increases employee engagement and retention. Examples include allowing staff to develop and manage specialty programs (like coffee or beer), or involving the entire team in strategic planning sessions.

5. Leveraging Creativity and Improvisation in Guest Experiences

"It isn't the lavishness of the gift that counts, but its pricelessness."

Creating magical moments: Leveraging creativity and improvisation allows restaurants to create unique, personalized experiences that guests will remember long after their meal.

Techniques for creative hospitality:

• Establishing a "Dreamweaver" role dedicated to creating special moments
• Encouraging staff to listen for opportunities to surprise and delight guests
• Creating a "toolkit" of ready-to-use special touches
• Celebrating and sharing successful "Legends" (special experiences) with the team

This approach turns hospitality into an art form, where each interaction becomes an opportunity to create something magical. It might involve crafting a custom gift based on an overheard conversation, or transforming a dining space to match a guest's fantasy. The key is to remain flexible and alert to opportunities to create these priceless moments.

6. The Importance of Continuous Reinvention and Adaptation

"Endless Reinvention"

Embracing change: In the competitive world of fine dining, continuous reinvention and adaptation are crucial for staying relevant and pushing boundaries.

Strategies for reinvention:

• Regularly reassessing and updating menus, service styles, and decor
• Staying attuned to industry trends and guest preferences
• Encouraging innovation and experimentation within the team
• Being willing to let go of concepts that no longer serve the vision

This might involve completely overhauling a menu, reimagining the physical space of the restaurant, or fundamentally changing the service style. The key is to remain open to change and to view it as an opportunity for growth and improvement, rather than a threat to established practices.

7. Building Trust and Empowering Your Team

"The way you do one thing is the way you do everything."

Cultivating trust: Building trust within a team involves consistently demonstrating faith in your employees' abilities and giving them the autonomy to make decisions.

Key elements of trust-building:

• Delegating important tasks and responsibilities
• Providing support and resources for success
• Acknowledging and learning from mistakes
• Celebrating team members' successes and growth

By empowering team members, leaders can create a more engaged and motivated workforce. This might involve promoting from within, even when individuals aren't fully ready for a role, or allowing staff to make important decisions about guest experiences. The result is a team that feels valued and invested in the success of the restaurant.

8. The Art of Graceful Recovery from Mistakes

"Leaders Say Sorry"

Turning setbacks into opportunities: The ability to recover gracefully from mistakes is crucial in the hospitality industry. It's not about avoiding errors entirely, but about how you respond when they occur.

Strategies for graceful recovery:

• Acknowledging mistakes quickly and openly
• Taking responsibility and avoiding blame
• Learning from errors and implementing changes
• Using mistakes as opportunities to demonstrate exceptional service

This might involve publicly apologizing for a poor decision, or going above and beyond to make things right for a guest after a service error. The key is to view mistakes not as failures, but as opportunities to showcase your commitment to hospitality and continuous improvement.

9. Scaling a Culture While Maintaining Core Values

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

Growing without losing identity: As a successful restaurant expands, maintaining the core culture and values that made it successful in the first place is crucial.

Techniques for scaling culture:

• Clearly defining and communicating core values
• Developing systems to reinforce culture across multiple locations
• Investing heavily in training and development
• Promoting from within to preserve institutional knowledge

This might involve creating detailed onboarding programs, regularly bringing teams together for culture-building exercises, or developing a "culture playbook" that codifies the organization's values and practices. The goal is to ensure that the essence of what makes the original restaurant special is preserved and replicated as the business grows.

10. Serving What You Want to Receive: Authenticity in Hospitality

"Serve what you genuinely want to receive, and there will be authenticity to the experience."

Authentic hospitality: The most genuine and effective form of hospitality comes from offering experiences that you yourself would want to receive. This ensures authenticity and passion in your service.

Implementing authentic hospitality:

• Regularly experiencing your own restaurant as a guest
• Encouraging staff to dine at the restaurant on their days off
• Continuously refining the experience based on personal preferences and feedback
• Staying true to your vision, even if it goes against industry norms

This approach might lead to simplifying overly complex menus, reducing interruptions during meals, or reimagining traditional fine dining conventions. The key is to create an experience that feels genuine and desirable to you, trusting that this authenticity will resonate with your guests.

Last updated: January 22, 2025