๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ'๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ (๐๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ)
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:
๐ญ. ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป๐.
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.
๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
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:
โ What are 3 things you're proud of?
โ What are 3 things you can do better?
That balance protects the culture. It keeps the focus on growth instead of blame.
๐ฏ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ.
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?
๐ฐ. ๐๐'๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ.
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.
๐ง ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220802/episodes/18896168
Christin
