Why every business needs to embrace ‘unreasonable hospitality’
Will Guidara helped make Eleven Madison Park the world’s best restaurant. In his new book, he explains why he wants to transform every business.
“I spent so many years running a restaurant trying to learn from other industries,” says Will Guidara, who as general manager and then co-owner of New York’s Eleven Madison Park transformed it from a good brasserie into the world’s No. 1 dining destination. “Especially in this moment, it feels especially relevant for other industries to start learning from restaurants.”
In his new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, Guidara embeds ideas and insights for how to do this in the compelling narrative of his pursuit of not just excellence but of a generational shift in what it means to be cared for during an evening out. For the diner, it was a magic trick when the same person who had called them two days earlier to confirm their reservation would be there to greet them at the door as they entered and recognized them on sight. It was the best kind of witchcraft when the server would drop off a complimentary bottle of cognac with the check, changing the most stressful moment of the evening into one of the most delightful. (To say nothing of the actual tableside magic trick Guidara wove into the meal at one point.)
