A great restaurant doesn't distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes but by how well they handle those mistakes.
Danny MeyerRead
My history has been to grow the roots as deeply as you can before going on to the next thing. That's why it took 10 years to go from Union Square Cafe to Gramercy Tavern, and another 10 years to go from Blue Smoke's first location to its second, and five to go from Shake Shack 1 to Shake Shack 2.
Interpretation
Invest time in building a strong foundation before expanding.
Danny Meyer's quote emphasizes the importance of establishing deep roots and a solid foundation in any endeavor before pursuing further growth. He reflects on his own experiences in the restaurant industry, highlighting the significant time it took to successfully expand his ventures, which underscores the value of patience and thoroughness in achieving long-term success.
In practice
During a keynote speech about entrepreneurship, this quote can inspire new business owners.
A great restaurant doesn't distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes but by how well they handle those mistakes.
The most important thing you can do is make the distinction between customer service and guest hospitality. You need both things to thrive, but they are completely different.
In an age when so many groups are rolling out restaurants faster than your local baker makes donuts, my goal is that each restaurant feels hand-crafted. That they have their own soul.
Hospitality is present when something happens for you. It is absent when something happens to you. Those two simple prepositions - for and to - express it all.
We have usually made our best purchases when apprehensions about some macro event were at a peak. Fear is the foe of the faddist, but the friend of the fundamentalist.
Most years, if you were to ask me how much I make, the genuine answer is that I have no clue. I usually find out the answer to that question once a year, at tax time, when my accountant tells me.
An organization's success has more to do with clarity of shared purpose, common principles and strength of belief in them than to assets, expertise, operating ability or management competence, important as they may be.
The point is that it doesn't matter if you look like a beast before or after the hit, as long as you look like a beauty at the moment of impact.
The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you.
It is not enough to be a hardworking person. Equally important is the job you are working at.
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