I had the opportunity to hear Danny Meyer speak in Denver a couple weeks ago.
He's celebrating the 20th anniversary of Setting the Table, and hearing him in conversation with Bobby Stuckey was a reminder of why his approach to hospitality still matters.
Here are the 4 points that really stuck with me:
𝟭. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.
It took Danny 10 years to go from Union Square Cafe to Gramercy Tavern.
He was open about why: limiting beliefs from watching his dad fail as an entrepreneur. For years, he associated growth with failure.
What finally moved him? He saw that scaling would create opportunity for his team, not just himself.
That's the most beautiful reason to grow. Not to build something to flip. But to create more space for the people who helped you get there.
𝟮. 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Danny was clear: perfection is a trap.
Bad shifts happen. That's the reality of restaurants. But beating yourself up every time something goes wrong isn't leadership.
He talked about asking his team two questions:
→ What are 3 things you're proud of?
→ What are 3 things you can do better?
That balance protects the culture. It keeps the focus on growth instead of blame.
𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.
Bobby asked Danny what behavior he wouldn't tolerate.
His answer: lack of generosity.
He told a story about a team member who boxed up an undercooked salmon instead of just fixing it for the guest. Stinginess, even in small moments, poisons a team.
We've all seen this play out. One poor performer slowly resets the bar. Mediocrity becomes the standard.
What behavior are you tolerating right now? And what's it costing your culture?
𝟰. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
We talk a lot about how hard it is to be a restaurant operator right now. Rising costs. Labor challenges. Thin margins.
Danny reminded us: it's also hard for the guests. And it's hard for the employees.
That landed for me. We used to talk about guests walking in with a sign that says "I need love." We never know what's happening in their lives before or after they sit down.
The same is true for our teams. If we put as much energy into the employee experience as we do the guest experience, retention wouldn't be such a struggle.
These lessons aren't new. But hearing Danny share them 20 years later, knowing how much he's built, was a powerful reminder that the fundamentals still work.
Take care of your people. Stay on the journey of excellence. Don't tolerate what you don't want to become your culture. And remember that everyone around you is carrying something.
🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220802/episodes/18896168
Christin
