"The restaurateur who turned small, unreasonable gestures into a hospitality philosophy."
Will Guidara is a restaurateur who co-owned Eleven Madison Park, the New York restaurant that rose to become one of the highest-rated in the world under his and chef Daniel Humm's leadership. His book, Unreasonable Hospitality, argues that the difference between good service and truly memorable hospitality lies in small, deliberately excessive gestures — noticing a guest's offhand comment and acting on it in a surprising way — that make people feel individually seen rather than merely served. Guidara's central argument is that hospitality is a mindset that can be built into any organization's culture, not a luxury reserved for fine dining, and that empowering frontline employees to make judgment calls and take creative risks for guests produces far more memorable outcomes than rigid, standardized service scripts. His broader message is that generosity of attention, not just generosity of spending, is what turns an ordinary transaction into something people remember and talk about.
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
Will Guidara's guide to transforming ordinary interactions into unforgettable experiences — the leadership philosophy behind the world's best restaurant.
Read Summary →Guidara argues that small, deliberately excessive gestures — going beyond what's reasonable or expected — are what make service memorable and turn customers into advocates.
Guidara's approach centers on picking up on offhand comments or small cues from guests and surprising them with a gesture that shows they were truly seen, not just served.
Guidara argues organizations get more memorable outcomes by empowering employees to make creative, in-the-moment decisions for customers rather than enforcing standardized service scripts.
"Hospitality is about making people feel seen."— Unreasonable Hospitality
"The most memorable experiences aren't the result of grand gestures, but small, thoughtful ones."— Unreasonable Hospitality
Will Guidara's guide to transforming ordinary interactions into unforgettable experiences — the leadership philosophy behind the world's best restaurant.
