EP50 Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer's book Setting the Table is an instant favorite amongst entrepreneur memoirs, up there with the likes of Creativity Inc and Shoe Dog. Danny Meyer opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, in 1985, and has been prolific since then, building and expanding premier restaurant concepts across NYC and other major markets. In addition to that, he founded and scaled Shake Shack into the nationwide burger chain that is it today, taking the company public in 2015. In this episode, we learn how his obsession to hospitality helped him overcome the high failure rates and bankruptcies in the restaurant industry, and explore many of the tools he used to distinguish himself. I'm thrilled to share the story and wide-ranging insights from Danny Meyer's career! ---- Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business - Danny Meyer Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Succeed & Thrive in a Career You Love - Bill Gurley Welcome to Hillstone, America's Favorite Restaurant - Bon Appetit ---- Please share with a friend or rate 5 stars if you enjoyed this episode! | Find me on Twitter @ReadnRepeatPod ---- The Web of Ideas: Setting the Table (my notes on the book) ---- Show Notes: 3:38 - Hospitality exists when you believe the other person is on your side 5:42 - His father is both his hero and the ultimate warning of what NOT to do 11:40 - Experimenting and finding inspiration as a child 15:23 - Pursuing his dream as a restauranteur 18:23 - Bill Gurley's advice: seek out the experts in your field 21:33 - Professional research: be the MOST knowledgeable in your field! 26:18 - Selecting a location for Union Square Cafe 31:45 - Less is more 36:09 - There is no such thing as an "overnight success" 39:21 - Always be collecting dots 43:15 - Excellence is preparation 47:20 - Founding Shake Shack - be the consummate student AND master 56:21 - What makes ours different and special?? 1:00:10 - It's the "whelming" candidate you must avoid at all costs... 1:04:59 - The more we give, the more we get back 1:08:52 - An OBSESSION to hospitality