{"id":108304,"date":"2023-07-21T09:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T13:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=108304"},"modified":"2023-07-21T14:01:09","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T18:01:09","slug":"unreasonable-hospitality-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/unreasonable-hospitality-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Guidara&#8217;s Unreasonable Hospitality: Book Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What&#8217;s <em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em> by Will Guidara about? How did he manage to create the World&#8217;s Best Restaurant for 2017?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em> traces Will Guidara&#8217;s career and the lessons he learned from each stage. His journey begins as the general manager of Eleven Madison Park and culminates in making it the world&#8217;s best restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read below for our <em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em> book overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-unreasonable-hospitality-by-will-guidara\"><strong><em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em> by Will Guidara<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/674289\/unreasonable-hospitality-by-will-guidara\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em><\/a> book, hospitality guru Will Guidara details how he transformed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elevenmadisonpark.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eleven Madison Park<\/a> from a so-so brasserie in the middle of Manhattan into the World\u2019s Best Restaurant in 2017. Guidara contends that the secret to the restaurant\u2019s success was his commitment to providing \u201cunreasonable hospitality\u201d\u2014a level of dedication to providing guests with a fantastic experience that stretched the limits of what seemed sensible. Guidara believes that anyone with a service-based business should <em>also <\/em>commit to providing unreasonable hospitality\u2014both to their employees and their customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara first joined Eleven Madison Park in 2006, when the restaurant\u2019s then-owner tapped Guidara and chef Daniel Humm to transform the restaurant into a fine-dining establishment. Guidara and Humm succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, garnering widespread acclaim and buying out the restaurant in 2011 to create their own company, Make It Nice. This company developed several other restaurants before Guidara left to pursue his own ventures in 2019\u2014including running <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thankyou.nyc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thank You<\/a>, a hospitality agency, and writing <em>Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em>, which was published in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-guidara-s-journey-to-eleven-madison-park\"><strong>Guidara\u2019s Journey to Eleven Madison Park<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara\u2019s interest in restaurants was influenced by his father, who worked in the industry. This interest was bolstered by a fantastic experience in a restaurant on Guidara\u2019s 12th birthday. He graduated from the restaurant management program at Cornell University&#8217;s School of Hotel Administration and spent years working at several restaurants before accepting the position at EMP. In this section, we\u2019ll discuss the lessons Guidara learned from these experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-1-hospitality-matters\"><strong>Lesson 1: Hospitality Matters<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to a class he was taking at Cornell, Guidara made a connection with famed chef Daniel Boulud and even spent an evening partying with him and his team. This connection proved to be a great relief just a few months later when, soon after Guidara\u2019s college graduation, his mother passed away. Shortly afterward, Guidara and his father happened to be in New York City\u2014so Guidara emailed Boulud to ask if they could eat dinner at Boulud\u2019s restaurant. Boulud gave them the most exclusive table available, served them a superb meal, and didn\u2019t charge them a cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Guidara knew from a young age that he wanted to work in restaurants, this meal at Boulud\u2019s restaurant taught him the true power of hospitality. His 12th birthday dinner taught him that hospitality can enthrall you on your best days. His meal with his father at Boulud\u2019s restaurant during their season of grief showed him that great hospitality can <em>also <\/em>enchant you and provide comfort when you most need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-2-find-the-balance-of-control\"><strong>Lesson 2: Find the Balance of Control<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduating from Cornell, Guidara began working as a manager at a restaurant owned by Danny Meyer\u2019s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG).&nbsp; Guidara quickly fell in love with the restaurant group\u2019s \u201crestaurant-smart\u201d culture, which prioritized teamwork and cultivating trust in both the kitchen and the floor staff to do their jobs well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Guidara\u2019s father warned him that he needed to work somewhere with a \u201ccorporate-smart\u201d culture\u2014a more business-like attitude to running restaurants that favored more controlled, corporate systems over on-the-ground staff autonomy. So Guidara joined RA, his father\u2019s old company, first as their assistant purchaser and controller and then as assistant general manager and controller of Nick + Stef\u2019s Steakhouse in Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara\u2019s time working at RA taught him that it\u2019s essential to have <em>some <\/em>but not <em>too much <\/em>control over your employees. Sometimes, control can help your employees. For example, when RA noticed that the increased price of lobster was negatively affecting a restaurant\u2019s profits, the controller banned their chefs from using the ingredient. The controller\u2019s focus on the restaurant\u2019s bottom line freed the chef to focus on serving great food without having to worry about serving a financially viable lobster dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, too <em>much <\/em>control can harm your employees. While working at Nick + Stef\u2019s, Guidara fired a server who regularly disrupted the dinner service due to his unprofessional behavior. While USHG would have trusted Guidara\u2019s decision, RA\u2019s head office rehired the server, explaining to Guidara that this server made the company a lot of money because his customers loved him. Guidara was furious; he believed that the server\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/profitability-potential\/\">profit potential<\/a> didn\u2019t outweigh the damage that he did to the rest of the dining team\u2014damage that the head office couldn\u2019t see because they weren\u2019t in the dining room every evening.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-3-spend-wisely\"><strong>Lesson 3: Spend Wisely<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara eventually left RA when a chance encounter with Meyer led to a job as general manager for Meyer\u2019s new casual-dining spaces at the MoMA. This gave him the opportunity to combine the lessons he\u2019d learned at RA with Meyer\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way Guidara did so was by developing \u201cThe Rule of 95\/5:\u201d Cut costs as much as possible on 95% of your budget, but spend the last 5% extravagantly\u2014as these extravagant touches will be the most memorable and will keep your guests coming back for more. Guidara created this rule when he added an ice cream cart to the museum\u2019s sculpture garden and invested in expensive but artistic spoons. The memorable spoons drew praise from the guests, and the cart remained profitable despite the expense because Guidara had cut costs elsewhere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-4-be-flexible\"><strong>Lesson 4: Be Flexible<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara loved working at the MoMA. His passion attracted the attention of Daniel Humm, who Meyer had recently hired as EMP\u2019s executive chef after the restaurant received a disappointing two-star review from <em>The New York Times<\/em>. Humm suggested to Meyer that Guidara could help Meyer achieve his vision of turning EMP into the fine-dining jewel that Meyer envisioned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara initially hesitated to become EMP\u2019s general manager. He\u2019d never wanted to work in a fine-dining restaurant because he didn\u2019t want to work in an establishment that prioritized the chef\u2019s vision above all else. However, he agreed to speak with Humm\u2014and after discovering that Humm <em>also<\/em> wanted to run a restaurant that equalized both the kitchen and the floor staff, Guidara agreed to try the job out for a year. This decision sparked a partnership that would lead to great success for both men\u2014a partnership that would never have happened without Guidara\u2019s willingness to be flexible and join EMP despite his earlier hesitation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-guidara-turned-emp-into-a-three-star-restaurant\"><strong>How Guidara Turned EMP Into a Three-Star Restaurant<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara joined EMP in 2006 to help Meyer transform the casual brasserie into a three-star fine-dining restaurant worthy of its spectacular location\u2014and by 2007, Guidara achieved that goal. In this section, we\u2019ll detail what Guidara did to transform EMP into a well-regarded three-star restaurant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-1-clarify-and-communicate-your-priorities\"><strong>Lesson 1: Clarify and Communicate Your Priorities<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When Guidara joined EMP, the restaurant was suffering from poor relationships and erratic levels of service. In an effort to transform the brasserie into a three-star restaurant, Meyer had brought on several service professionals who\u2019d trained in fine-dining restaurants and so brought with them a set of expectations regarding how a fine-dining restaurant is run. The original EMP staff bristled at these expectations, which were both new and confusing given that different managers had different standards for the same thing. For example, one server was made to hold a tray in two different ways by two different managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After spending some time learning how EMP ran things and why it wasn\u2019t working, Guidara\u2019s focus turned to <strong>clarifying and communicating the restaurant\u2019s priorities.<\/strong> Guidara started by having a daily 30-minute meeting shortly before the restaurant opened. This meeting served two important purposes: First, it made clear to the staff what they needed to know\u2014since Guidara required the managers to share typewritten handouts that he\u2019d pre-approved. Second, it gave Guidara a regular opportunity to reinforce the culture he was trying to build; Guidara regularly praised employees\u2019 successes and shared stories to inspire a good night\u2019s work.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, several months into his tenure, Guidara invited all the staff to a \u201cstrategic planning meeting.\u201d He wanted the entire team to have a voice in deciding what type of restaurant they wanted to build. After some discussion, the team landed on the pillars that would define their culture\u2014notably, excellence and hospitality. Guidara contends that these two concepts are somewhat contradictory, given that excellence involves meeting an exacting standard while hospitality involves connecting with the guest\u2014sometimes to the detriment of that exacting standard. But acknowledging that <em>both <\/em>were important gave them the tools to provide the best experience possible for their guests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-2-help-your-employees-succeed\"><strong>Lesson 2: Help Your Employees Succeed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara knew that EMP would succeed only if they invested in the team. He assumed that most employees had <em>something<\/em> valuable to offer the restaurant, so he focused on <strong>ensuring that each employee\u2019s position made the best use of their particular skills<\/strong>. For example, Guidara noticed that one poorly performing employee had excellent organizational skills, so rather than fire the employee, he reassigned him to a position that made use of those skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara saw and took advantage of an opportunity that would both set EMP apart <em>and <\/em>support his employees. He <strong>set up \u201cownership programs,\u201d <\/strong>which involved giving employees full control over specific aspects of the restaurant. For example, he put the server who loved beer in charge of developing EMP\u2019s beer program. The programs benefited everybody involved. The staff liked taking on more responsibility, Guidara\u2019s workload was reduced, the customers enjoyed the results (like the better beer that EMP served), and the customers\u2019 happiness reflected well on the restaurant.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-3-pay-attention-to-the-details\"><strong>Lesson 3: Pay Attention to the Details<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2006, the food critic for <em>The New York Times<\/em> appeared at the restaurant for lunch. His presence signified that <em>Times<\/em> might soon review EMP. The restaurant\u2019s three-star review appeared in the <em>Times <\/em>nearly a year later.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara attributes the three stars to EMP\u2019s continued commitment to the details, which EMP staff demonstrated in two ways.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, EMP staff <strong>focused on consistently mastering the smallest details. <\/strong>These details didn\u2019t seem individually important, but altogether they contributed to providing an <em>overall <\/em>atmosphere of exceptional service. Guidara contends that this atmosphere was palpable not just to the guests but also to the staff and improved everybody\u2019s experience. For example, the staff carefully curated how loudly they played the music depending on how many people were in the restaurant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara argues that seeing this consistency helped servers when they were having a difficult time due to uncontrollable circumstances\u2014such as guests in a bad mood\u2014as it reminded them that there were some things they still could control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, EMP staff <strong>followed the \u201cone-inch rule\u201d <\/strong>that Guidara developed. Guidara points out that no matter how well you prepare something, you can mess it up at the last minute. At EMP, the staff learned to remain focused during that last \u201cone inch\u201d so they could execute everything<em> <\/em>perfectly instead of ruining something due to inattention in the final moments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-guidara-turned-emp-into-a-four-star-restaurant\"><strong>How Guidara Turned EMP Into a Four-Star Restaurant<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara wasn\u2019t content with turning EMP into a three-star restaurant. He, along with Humm, had a larger mission: They wanted to transform the fine-dining landscape into something more modern and inclusive. To do that, they <em>needed<\/em> to become a four-star restaurant, as this was the barrier to entry: Four-star restaurants are fine-dining restaurants, but three-star restaurants are not. Humm and Guidara achieved that dream in 2009, but they faced several challenges along the way. In this section, we\u2019ll describe the lessons Guidara extracts from overcoming those challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-1-re-evaluate-your-policies\"><strong>Lesson 1: Re-evaluate Your Policies&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of Guidara\u2019s successes at EMP stemmed from his willingness to push back against long-standing policies. For example, all of Meyer\u2019s restaurants closed on Thanksgiving to allow employees to spend time with their families. But in 2007, Guidara proposed that they open on the holiday, pointing out that most of EMP\u2019s employees\u2019 families lived far away, so they couldn\u2019t spend the holiday with them anyway. Meyer agreed\u2014and so EMP opened on Thanksgiving Day. Not only did Thanksgiving become a popular day at EMP, but the profits also allowed the restaurant to close for a few days in January so employees could go home to visit their families.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-2-take-care-of-your-people\"><strong>Lesson 2: Take Care of Your People&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping EMP open on Thanksgiving Day didn\u2019t just make the restaurant more money; Guidara used it as an opportunity to <strong>create a new tradition that brought the team together <\/strong>by serving the staff a traditional Thanksgiving meal after the restaurant closed. By doing so, Guidara created a space where the staff could connect on a deeper level with each other\u2014and so become a stronger team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to creating traditions, Guidara took care of and brought together his team in two more notable ways. First, he <strong>systematized asking for help<\/strong>. At EMP, a server who was struggling could touch her lapel and immediately receive assistance from somebody who noticed this distress call. Guidara contends that introducing this code made it easier to ask for help\u2014and so made it more likely that the employees who needed help would <em>actually<\/em> ask for it, which reduced overwhelm and potential burnout.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, he <strong>learned how to convey criticism. <\/strong>Guidara argues that criticism is a necessary part of managing people, as it demonstrates that you care about how well they do. But not all criticism is created equal. People receive criticism in different ways; some people need to be yelled at, some need a rational explanation, and some need a gentle rebuke. As a manager, it\u2019s up to you to personalize how you deliver criticism in the way that your team member is most amenable to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-3-highlight-your-people\"><strong>Lesson 3: Highlight Your People&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2008, EMP decided to apply to join Relais &amp; Ch\u00e2teaux, a prestigious restaurant organization, but the restaurant missed the application deadline. Boulud offered to ask the group to consider EMP anyway, and he brought in two rock star chefs\u2014Thomas Keller and Patrick O\u2019Connell\u2014so that all three could ask together. Guidara noticed how awestruck his team was at these chefs\u2019 presence and realized how much this validation boosted their morale. (The chefs loved the restaurant, and EMP was accepted into Relais &amp; Ch\u00e2teaux).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, Guidara started to <strong>share external praise<\/strong> of his team members with the team member in question. This included having media personalities speak with the most relevant team members\u2014even if that wasn\u2019t Guidara. These actions helped his team members gain recognition and further supported their growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-4-find-the-silver-lining\"><strong>Lesson 4: Find the Silver Lining<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In November 2008, the world plunged into a financial crisis\u2014and took EMP along with it. Due to the shaky economy, EMP\u2019s usual customers cut back on expensive meals. The restaurant survived only because EMP owned Shake Shack, a casual fast-food USHG restaurant that exploded in popularity because it was now a cheaper option in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Guidara learned to <strong>find the silver lining <\/strong>in these financially challenging times. For example, EMP started a $29 lunch special. This allowed young people who couldn\u2019t previously afford EMP to eat at the restaurant\u2014and in later years, many of these people became more financially successful and continued patronizing the restaurant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-guidara-turned-emp-into-the-world-s-best-restaurant\"><strong>How Guidara Turned EMP Into the World\u2019s Best Restaurant<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2010\u2014one year after EMP earned its fourth star\u2014the restaurant was nominated for the World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants list. Guidara and Humm were initially thrilled\u2026but then mortified at the awards ceremony when they discovered that they had only received 50th place. This embarrassment prompted Guidara to commit to making EMP the world\u2019s best restaurant by cultivating a culture of \u201cunreasonable hospitality\u201d\u2014a commitment that ultimately led to EMP winning World\u2019s Best Restaurant in 2017.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll share how Guidara and Humm successfully transformed EMP into the world\u2019s best restaurant and the lessons they learned along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-1-get-creative\"><strong>Lesson 1: Get Creative<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As we learned previously, Guidara defines \u201cunreasonable hospitality\u201d as a level of dedication to providing guests with a fantastic experience that stretches the limits of what seems sensible. However, Guidara saw an inherent tension between this concept and running a food business. After all, as a customer, you purchase the experience at restaurants\u2014but the act of purchasing detracts from the hospitality of this experience by highlighting that you\u2019re exchanging money for a service rather than making a connection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, Guidara decided to hide everything that felt too businesslike and detracted from the experience of hospitality. This required him to<strong> get creative in unexpected areas<\/strong>. For example, the most businesslike element of a meal at the restaurant is when you pay for it. To make that a hospitable experience, Guidara decided that when each table received a check, they\u2019d also receive a full bottle of nice cognac and instructions to have as much as they liked. As a result, even receiving the check felt like a nice gesture because it was combined with a gift.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-2-systematize-gifts\"><strong>Lesson 2: Systematize Gifts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As Guidara was looking for ways to provide unreasonable hospitality, he overheard a table of tourists who\u2019d chosen EMP for their last meal in New York. The group mentioned that they\u2019d eaten everything they\u2019d wanted to eat\u2014except for a classic New York hot dog. So Guidara ran out to purchase some, had Humm plate them, and served these hot dogs to the guests as one of their courses, explaining to them that he\u2019d overheard their conversation and wanted to provide them with the best possible experience. The delight of the guests convinced Gudiara that this was something he should be doing regularly\u2014and so Guidara systematized such gifts in two ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, he <strong>created a position dedicated to providing unexpected gifts<\/strong>. Guidara understood that, while a meal at a restaurant is by definition consumed, the guests could relive their restaurant experience as long as they had a great story to tell. As a result, he started hiring \u201cDreamweavers\u201d\u2014people whose job it was to research the guests beforehand or listen during their meals and provide personalized touches to awe the guests and give them a great story. For example, the Dreamweavers turned the private dining room into a makeshift beach for a couple who unexpectedly couldn\u2019t make their planned beach vacation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, Guidara <strong>created standard gifts for repeatable moments.<\/strong> The personal nature of the Dreamweavers\u2019 gifts sometimes meant that they were expensive, but Guidara found a more budget-minded way to systematize gifts. He looked for repeatable moments\u2014the memorable things that happened regularly at the restaurant\u2014and created standard gifts for those moments. For example, many couples got engaged at EMP. So Guidara partnered with Tiffany to create custom champagne flutes; he\u2019d pour them a champagne toast in the flutes at EMP and gift them the flutes in Tiffany boxes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-3-educate-your-employees\"><strong>Lesson 3: Educate Your Employees<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2010, Guidara and Humm received an offer to run The NoMad, a restaurant in a new luxury hotel opening a few streets away from EMP. Guidara and Humm were thrilled at the opportunity to bring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/fine-dining-experience\/\">fine dining<\/a> back to hotels, whose restaurants had depreciated in quality over the years. However, Meyer couldn\u2019t justify allowing the pair to run EMP while also owning a competing restaurant nearby\u2014and offered to sell EMP to them instead. Guidara and Humm agreed to the sale and by 2012, they were running both The NoMad and EMP under the umbrella of their new company, Make It Nice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NoMad received three stars in its first <em>New York Times <\/em>review\u2014a feat Guidara attributes largely to how successfully the employees quickly embodied the team\u2019s culture of unreasonable hospitality. To achieve this, Guidara prioritized <strong>educating the new employees.<\/strong>&nbsp; He spent a lot of time training the staff\u2014both by providing booklets on the culture and bringing in mostly long-time EMP employees to manage The NoMad\u2014so that they could embody Make It Nice\u2019s culture effectively from the first day the restaurant was open.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-4-acknowledge-your-failings\"><strong>Lesson 4: Acknowledge Your Failings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite The NoMad\u2019s success, it wasn\u2019t all smooth sailing back at EMP. While opening The NoMad, Guidara remained general manager of EMP because he didn\u2019t think anybody else was prepared for the job. But the EMP team struggled to move forward without a clear supervisor to make the final call on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/important-decisions-in-life\/\">important decisions<\/a>. Guidara finally agreed to promote a longtime employee to GM after a tough conversation with a friend and colleague led him to realize that his decision not to promote anyone was doing the EMP team a disservice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>EMP also faced a blow after receiving terrible press in September 2012. The <em>Times<\/em> published an unflattering column after the restaurant introduced a new tasting menu, which the servers delivered with a memorized speech about each dish. (Fortunately, the column wasn\u2019t an official review that would have done far more damage to the business.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guidara learned from both these incidents to <strong>acknowledge his failings <\/strong>so that he could work around them. Both his refusal to promote anyone to GM of EMP and his demand that the servers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/tips-for-memorizing-a-speech\/\">memorize a speech<\/a> to share with guests demonstrated a lack of trust in his employees: He didn\u2019t trust anybody to run EMP, and he didn\u2019t trust his servers to judge how much information individual customers wanted to learn about each dish. So Guidara learned that he was too much of a perfectionist and needed to let go and give his team the control they needed to do their jobs well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lesson-5-keep-evolving\"><strong>Lesson 5: Keep Evolving<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2015, EMP was thriving. After taking the criticism they\u2019d received in 2012 to heart, the restaurant\u2019s popularity had exploded and it rose in the World\u2019s Best Restaurant ranking every year. So Guidara was disappointed when their ranking slid for the first time\u2014going from fourth to fifth place. This disappointment prompted Guidara to re-evaluate the restaurant. After he and Humm shared a meal at EMP, they realized the problem. In their chase to become the world\u2019s best restaurant, they\u2019d added on so many elements that they were disrupting the diners\u2019 ability to enjoy their meal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So EMP evolved again. But this time, instead of <em>adding <\/em>elements, Guidara removed them, keeping only those that embodied the culture of unreasonable hospitality to its fullest. For example, they realized that serving a pre-set menu and not allowing the guest to decide what they wanted to eat wasn\u2019t a hospitable practice. So instead, they served a meal based on a pre-meal conversation with the guest where she explained what she was and wasn\u2019t in the mood for. These changes allowed Guidara to finally provide the fantastic experience he\u2019d been aiming for\u2014and in 2017, his efforts were rewarded when EMP was voted the World\u2019s\u2019 Best Restaurant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara about? How did he manage to create the World&#8217;s Best Restaurant for 2017? Unreasonable Hospitality traces Will Guidara&#8217;s career and the lessons he learned from each stage. His journey begins as the general manager of Eleven Madison Park and culminates in making it the world&#8217;s best restaurant. Read below for our Unreasonable Hospitality book overview.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":74666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,45,33],"tags":[1099],"class_list":["post-108304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-business","category-people","tag-unreasonable-hospitality","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Will Guidara&#039;s Unreasonable Hospitality: Book Overview - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The restaurant business is no joke, and Will Guidara can prove it. 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