DANNY MEYER

LESSONS FROM A LEGEND

Some people write books that change your thinking.

Others live in a way that changes how you show up in the world.

Danny Meyer did both.

Long before Setting the Table became the industry’s bible, I knew of him—and saw him at work. I still remember sitting at the bar in the old Union Square Cafe. It was a last-minute lunch with my boss. We could only get a seat at the bar—one of my favorite places to eat, actually.

And then my boss pointed him out. That’s Danny Meyer.

At that moment, he wasn’t giving a speech or being interviewed.

He was at a table with a waiter—resetting it. Smiling. Engaged.

Just quietly doing the work. Living his values.

That stuck with me.

It said something deeper than any mission statement could.

It said: no task is too small when you’re building something that matters.

When his book came out, it gave language to everything I believed about hospitality—but hadn’t yet put into words. I still go back to it. It’s not just about service or standards. It’s about how to create meaning in a guest’s experience. It’s about generosity, consistency, and grace.

Danny’s built an incredible business. But what makes him a hero to me isn’t the scale of it—it’s the soul of it.

He believes in hospitality as a force for good.

He knows how to build a team, lead with empathy, and give back to the community.

He’s not just building restaurants—he’s building relationships.

That’s the kind of legacy I want to be a part of.