A New York restaurateur shares anecdotes of his experiences as the co-owner of eleven establishments in one of the world's most competitive arenas, discussing the lessons he has learned about innovative business practices, team building, and customer service. The author started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and scant experience. He is now the CEO of one of the world's most dynamic restaurant organizations that includes eleven unique dining establishments, and each is at the top of its game. How has he done it? How has he consistently beaten the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this book, he shares the lessons he's learned while developing the winning recipe for doing business he calls "Enlightened Hospitality." This innovative business 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, in descending order of priority, the guests, the community, suppliers, and investors. This way of setting priorities stands the more traditional business models on their head, but he considers it the foundation of every success he, and his restaurants, have had.
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