I heard about this book through Simon Sinek’s interview with Will Guidara on the podcast A Bit of Optimism. I was fascinated by Will’s take on AI and hospitality. I currently work in hospitality and was intrigued by what I might learn from reading it. I finished it last month.
The book is largely the story of how Guidara came into and rose high in the restaurant industry. He had a relentless focus on hospitality, on making the guest the center of the experience rather than the food. One example from the book: in passing a table of guests eating their last meal while visiting New York City, he overheard them lamenting that they never had the opportunity to eat a street vendor’s hot dog. Will immediately went out an bought one for the table. He then brought it to the chef to plate. Naturally, the chef of the fine dining restaurant was stunned and even a little offended. But he trusted will. The guest were over the moon about the gesture. This is unreasonable hospitality.
The book also chronicles the ups and downs in Guidara’s career. But all along the way, his goal is to empower the reader to use the ideas that guided his career to implement them in whatever industry they are in. As he points out in the podcast, this is the way to overcome the angst currently driven by AI. The writing is engaging and easy to read. It feels like a friend sharing his experience for your benefit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone seeking guidance in their career, no matter the industry.
My rating: 5/5
