Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Will Guidara

Oct 2022 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Will Guidara

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

I hope Will writes a sequel called "Unyielding Empathy." This book was a humbling experience, about passionate service to others. If you've ever sought to be the change you wish to see, or to be the light in a sometimes dark world, this is a must read. However, if you are somehow going through life devoid of the desire to improve the lives of others, this book is even more important. You need to read this right now.

Amazing from start to finish. As a restaurant manager myself it was awesome to see an evolution of a person not just a business. Not every restaurant is a 4 star Madison Park . Some ideas simply won't or can't translate. For every one that doesn't you'll find 2 that do work.

a good reminder about why we love this business and how it shapes the next round of operators. Inspired me to look at my restaurants again with a new level of expectation for my team and my guests. thank you for the inspiration!

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.