In 2006, this guy took over a struggling restaurant.
By 2017, he had turned it into the world's best restaurant.
He shared everything in his book Unreasonable Hospitality.
Here are 9 lessons to steal for your business:
1. Systematic Surprises
They looked to surprise customers with unforgettable Magical Moments.
When a customer regretted not trying a New York hotdog, they ran out and bought one and presented it beautifully.
Identify recurring moments in your business, and build a tool kit your team can deploy without too much effort.
Luxury means just giving more.
Hospitality means being more thoughtful.
2. 95/5 Rule
Manage 95% of your business down to the penny.
Spend the last 5% "foolishly."
That last 5% has an outsize impact on the customer's experience.
It sounds irresponsible, but it's the smartest money you'll ever spend.
3. Hospitality is Color
"Black and white" means you do your job competently and efficiently.
"Color" means you make people feel great about the job you're doing for them.
Getting the right plate to the right person at the right table is service.
Genuinely engaging with the person you're serving so you can make an authentic connection is hospitality.
4. Get Uncomfortable
When you're trying to level up, it's easy to psych yourself out by focusing on everything you don't know.
Have faith in your ability to figure it out.
You'll never advance if you always avoid the challenge.
Growth happens outside of your comfort zone.
Nobody knows what they're doing before they do it.
5. Daily 30-Minute Meetings
A daily thirty-minute meeting is where a collection of individuals becomes a team.
Attendance is mandatory. Monday through Friday.
Start with housekeeping. Then talk about a topic.
To become a team, you need to stop, take a deep breath, and communicate with one another.
6. How You Do One Thing is How You Do Everything
Communicate consistent standards with lots of repetition.
Make sure everyone knows what they have to do. Then make sure they do it. Your team can't read your mind.
A huge part of leadership is taking the time to tell your team why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Use the daily meeting to get into that why.
A team can't be excellent if you're not holding them accountable to the standards you set.
7. Listen to Every Idea
When you spend this much time encouraging your team to contribute, you'd better make sure your team knows that your doors are always open to ideas.
There's a better way to do everything.
Make it clear. If anyone has an idea for how you can improve, you want to hear it.
8. Keep Emotions Out of It
Criticize the behavior. Not the person.
Praise in public. Criticize in private.
Praise with emotion. Criticize without emotion.
Establish a regular rhythm for giving praise.
People love awards.
9. Restaurant vs Corporate Smart
Restaurant teams have more autonomy and creative latitude. They tend to feel more ownership and give more of themselves to the job.
They offer better hospitality because they're nimble. There aren't a lot of rules and systems getting in the way of human connection. But they are missing corporate support / oversight, which makes excellent businesses.
Corporate teams have all the backend systems and controls in areas like accounting, purchasing, and human resources that are needed to make great businesses and are more profitable as a result.
But systems are controls and the more control you take away from the people on the ground, the less creative they can be, and customers feel that.
Grab the book Unreasonable Hospitality and create delightful experiences for your customers.