Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

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Danny Meyer

HarperCollins, New York, 2006, English

Nonfiction, General; Design, General

ISBN: 9780060742751

In October 1985, at age 27, Danny Meyer, with a good idea and scant experience, opened what would become one of New York City's most revered restaurants—Union Square Cafe. Little more than twenty years later, Danny is the CEO of one of the world's most dynamic restaurant organizations, which includes eleven unique dining establishments, each at the top of its game. How has he done it? How has he consistently beaten the odds and set the competitive bar in one of the toughest trades aroun

In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he's learned while developing the winning recipe for doing the business he calls "enlightened hospitality." This innovative philosophy emphasizes putting the power of hospitality to work in a new and counterintuitive way: The first and most important application of hospitality is to the people who work for you, and then, in descending order of priority, to the guests, the community, the suppliers, and the investors. This way of prioritizing stands the more traditional business models on their heads, but Danny considers it the foundation of every success that he and his restaurants have achieved.

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Jeffrey Beers

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Danny Meyer has built a successful career on the simple principle that the guest experience comes before anything else. As a designer, I share his notion that great hospitality design begins with considering the guest experience. This is a great read for anyone who wants to learn from a man who has mastered the art of simple, honest, and genuine hospitality.

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