Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara
Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara
16 Rating(s)
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Unreasonable Hospitality
The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Author: Will Guidara

Narrator: Will Guidara

Unabridged: 8 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 10/25/2022


Synopsis

The must-read New York Times bestseller that's redefining hospitality and inspiring readers in every industry. 

- Featured in FX's The Bear and Showtime's Billions
- JP Morgan NextList Pick

Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.
 
How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more—not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner.
 
Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.

About The Author

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, which chronicles the lessons in service and leadership he has learned over the course of his career in restaurants. He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is the host of the Welcome Conference, a co-producer of the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear, and a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award. He lives in New York with his wife, Christina, and their two children, Frankie and Sonny.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jessica on January 15, 2023

Let me start by saying that I'm not in the hospitality business, but have certainly worked in service and have a service-oriented career, so I'm kind of the audience, but not also really for the book. I was just... whelmed. The thing is, it's an average book about management. Great story - Guidara de......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on February 18, 2024

I LOOOVEDDD this book!! If any of the following 3 things apply to you, you’ve gotta read this: 1. You love Richie’s staging episode in season 2 of The Bear. 2. You’re business minded, lead in any aspect, or are honestly just employed. 3. You care about people.......more

Goodreads review by Hugo on December 22, 2022

Reading this book I learned that we all are in the hospitality business, it is all on how we make people feel.......more

Goodreads review by Kristi on April 12, 2025

I had high expectations for this book and it delivered. This book brings together so many things I love to learn about: leadership, the best restaurants in the world, and joyful extravagance. It’s the perfect balance of stories and principles; you’re given meat but with plenty of sauce 😄 I’ve been in......more

Goodreads review by Nikki on April 19, 2024

Listened as an audio book and loved every minute. As someone who has worked mostly in the hospitality industry, I genuinely loved hearing and learning from Guidara! I would highly recommend to anyone, especially if you work in an industry that works with people.......more


Quotes

“Guidara makes his nonfiction debut with an enthusiastic guide for leaders [and asserts] sage advice about leadership.” – Kirkus Review

"Will Guidara is one of the very best in the hospitality business, but this book is for everyone. His insights on how to be a great entrepreneur cut through the noise." – David Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku, and host of Ugly Delicious
 
“Working alongside Will Guidara is the ultimate masterclass in how to thoughtfully improve the lives of those around you. He is now sharing his truly remarkable gift with the world in this keenly observant and heartfelt must-read, for anyone looking to stand out from the pack.” –Dan Levy, Emmy® award winning writer, actor, director, and producer of Schitt's Creek

"One of the five best management books I have ever read. Plus, it is the most engaging and entertaining – by a wide margin. This is, flat out, not a book to miss." – Roger Martin, writer, strategy advisor and management thinker

“Will Guidara weaves heartfelt stories and keen observations to illustrate how purposeful, no-holds-barred hospitality satisfies our essential need to belong. An exceptional book for anyone or any organization aiming to excel at human connection.” – Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and author of Setting the Table
 
"In this book, Will Guidara shows us how to lead and to serve at the next level by building a foundation of hospitality, and creating a people-first “working together” culture. It’s an inspiring book for businesses in every industry." – Alan Mulally, former CEO of Boeing and Ford
 
“In dining rooms, in conference rooms, and in all corners of hospitality, Will Guidara has made a career out of going above and beyond, giving people what they want, even when they don’t know they want it. This book puts his story, and more than a few of his trade secrets, in your hands.” — Questlove
 
“Will gives us the best reason to be unreasonable—the people we serve. His approach to hospitality is novel, noble, and not at all exclusive to the restaurant industry. If you want to revolutionize the way you do business, you need this book!”  — Dave Ramsey, bestselling author and radio host

“Making people feel welcome, accepted, appreciated, seen, known… what could be cooler than that? This is what Will has unlocked in this book: that hospitality is as thrilling and inspiring to give as it is to receive, both in work, and in life.”— Christina Tosi, founder and CEO of Milk Bar