Guidara describes an anecdote from Danny Meyer’s book Setting the Table, in which Danny explains his philosophy of enlightened hospitality: A couple dining at one of Danny’s restaurants realized that the champagne they had left in their freezer at home would explode before they got back, so the sommelier took their keys and moved the bottle for them into the fridge while they enjoyed the rest of their meal. While at their home, the sommelier also left caviar, chocolates, and an anniversary card tucked into the fridge with the bottle. Stories like this one then disseminated through the company and inspired Danny’s employees to surprise and delight their guests. One way in which they regularly did this was by offering to pay guests’ parking meters while they ate so they wouldn’t have to get up and interrupt their meal to feed the meter.

Guidara discusses the importance of language in creating culture, recounting how Danny was particularly skilled at coining phrases that conveyed the culture of Union Square Hospitality Group. These phrases included: “constant, gentle pressure” (Danny’s version of kaizen, or constant improvement), “athletic hospitality” (always looking for a win, whether playing offense or defense with the customer), “be the swan” (exhibiting grace and poise without letting guests see the effort that went into creating it), and “make the charitable assumption” (assuming the best of people—including both guests and coworkers) (28).