Business

Setting the Table: 8 key ideas

by Danny Meyer

The core ideas of Setting the Table, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Hospitality is how guests feel

   Meyer, a famous New York restaurateur, distinguishes service, the technical delivery of food and drink, from hospitality, how the experience makes guests feel.

   He argues that hospitality is what makes people return.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   Put employees first

   Meyer's idea of enlightened hospitality puts employees first, then guests, community, suppliers and investors.

   Happy employees create happy guests. In Meyer's view, staff who feel cared for are more likely to care for guests, and this is why employees come before everyone else.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   Hire for emotional skill

   Meyer looks for fifty-one percenters, people whose skills are at least half emotional, such as warmth and empathy.

   Technical skills can be taught. In Meyer's view, people with warmth and empathy make guests feel welcome in a way that training alone cannot give.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Apply gentle pressure

   Meyer describes constant gentle pressure, steadily maintaining high standards.

   Small corrections keep quality high. In Meyer's view, a leader who keeps pushing kindly for better work builds a culture where excellence is normal and not a one-off effort.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Mistakes can become opportunities

   Meyer argues that when something goes wrong, a restaurant can write a great last chapter by responding generously.

   Recovery builds loyalty. In Meyer's view, a guest who sees a problem fixed with care may feel more loyal than one who never had a problem.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Notice guests

   Meyer encourages staff to collect details about guests, such as preferences, to personalise service.

   These dots create connection. In Meyer's view, remembering a small detail about a guest shows that the staff pay attention, and it makes people feel valued.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   His first restaurant set the tone

   Meyer describes opening Union Square Cafe and learning lessons about hospitality.

   It shaped his later restaurants. In his account, those early lessons about caring for guests and staff stayed with him as he built more restaurants.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   Hospitality applies beyond restaurants

   Meyer argues that the principles of hospitality apply to any business.

   Caring for people builds success. In Meyer's view, any business that serves people can do better by making those people feel cared for and respected.