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

The historical context of Unreasonable Hospitality is critical to understanding the unique position Eleven Madison Park carved out in the culinary world, particularly in an era dominated by the ascendancy of the celebrity chef and a predominant focus on culinary excellence. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the restaurant industry witnessed a significant shift in restaurant culture, with the spotlight increasingly falling on the chef and their culinary creations, often at the expense of the holistic dining experience. Chefs grew to near-celebrity status, and the narrative around dining began to prioritize the food and the personality behind it over the guest experience.

In this landscape, most restaurants, particularly those aspiring to or holding Michelin stars, concentrated their efforts on showcasing culinary innovation and prowess. The dining room experience, while not neglected, was often seen as secondary to the food being served. This hierarchy placed the chef at the center of the restaurant’s identity, sometimes fostering a divide between the kitchen staff and dining room staff. The egos associated with the celebrity chef phenomenon could exacerbate these divisions, creating an environment where the contributions of the front-of-house team were undervalued in comparison to those of the kitchen.

Will Guidara, through his leadership at Eleven Madison Park, sought to counteract this trend by placing an equal, if not greater, emphasis on hospitality. Guidara and his team recognized that while culinary excellence was crucial, the guest experience—encompassing everything from the greeting upon arrival to the farewell at departure—was equally important in creating a memorable dining experience. This approach aimed to bridge the gap between the kitchen and dining room staff, fostering a culture where both were seen as integral to the restaurant’s success and where collaboration was celebrated. Guidara shares that when he agreed to take on the role of General Manager at EMP, he intimated to Humm that he only wanted to work with him if they agreed to treat each other as partners, with no divisions or hierarchy between kitchen and the dining room.

Guidara’s strategy was about elevating hospitality to the forefront of the restaurant's identity, thus distinguishing EMP from its competitors. By doing so, he addressed a gap in the industry: the need for a dining experience that values the guest’s emotional and sensory journey as much as the culinary journey. This focus on hospitality as a differentiator was innovative, challenging the prevailing industry norms that placed the chef and the culinary offerings above the holistic guest experience.

In essence, the historical context of Unreasonable Hospitality reveals how Guidara and EMP navigated and transformed the culinary landscape of their time. By prioritizing hospitality and seeking to harmonize the contributions of kitchen and dining room staff, Guidara countered the industry’s focus on culinary excellence and the cult of the celebrity chef, and also redefined what it means to be a world-class restaurant. This approach secured EMP’s place at the apex of global dining and contributed to a broader conversation about the value and importance of hospitality in the culinary arts. In Unreasonable Hospitality, Guidara shares that he was honored to accept the first-ever Art of Hospitality Award while helming EMP, indicating that the restaurant’s focus on guest experience greatly impacted the industry.