Setting the Table

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

By: Danny Meyer

Narrated by: Danny Meyer

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and scant experience. He is now the CEO of one of the world's most dynamic restaurant organizations, one that includes 11 unique dining establishments, each at the top of its game. How did he do it? How has he consistently beaten the odds in one of the toughest trades around?

In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned while developing the winning recipe for his way of doing business � what he calls "Enlightened Hospitality". This innovative business philosophy emphasizes putting the power of hospitality to work in a new and counterintuitive way: the first and most important recipients of hospitality are the people who work for you. In descending order of priority, the next most important receivers of hospitality are guests, the community, suppliers, and investors. This way of setting priorities stands more traditional business models on their heads, but Danny considers it the foundation of every success he and his restaurants have had.

Full of behind-the-scenes history on the creation of Danny's most famous restaurants, and the anecdotes, advice, and lessons he has accumulated on his long and ecstatic journey to the top, Setting the Table is a treasure trove of innovative insights applicable to any business or organization.

©2006 Danny Meyer (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Non-fiction, Abridged, 2007

"This honest, modest book will appeal most to foodies and aspiring restaurateurs but also offers insight for entrepreneurs in any industry." (Publishers Weekly)

inspirational but lacking technicality.

i found this book more like a story with theory, but not having much of pratical guidence- wich i was hoping for.
still, a good book with solid theory.

Excellent and insightful!

As a member of the hospitality and business communities, I sincerely feel a 5-star review is totally appropriate.

This book was well written, well spoken, and very insightful from both a business and hospitality standpoint. It was great getting to know Danny AND his companies.

It made me want to work for his company!

Keep it up!

A fantastic way to approach business!

Would you consider the audio edition of Setting the Table to be better than the print version?

Yes! Danny Meyer's voice allows you to hear the words delivered with power and finesse!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Setting the Table?

His deeply personal stories that allow the reader to connect with him as the author & narrator! With his descriptions and candor he makes you want to not only be a better employee... but to have your good employees be great & that the reader can follow his same principles to create those great employees in ALL points of the biz world!

Have you listened to any of Danny Meyer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His realization that it was time to let go of Eleven Madison Park... a restaurant that he loved dearly after all of the time it took to get it off the ground. Although he was selling it to (essentially) the exec chef, he knew he had to do it & that he could continue to build & create amazing restaurants in the future!

Any additional comments?

Amazing book & great read!

Great to hear the Arthur read his own story!

Pretty inspiring and read very well by Danny himself! Highly recommended for anyone looking to start their own business, whatever it is.

Good management in accessible narrative

Danny Meyer is a refreshing CEO who achieves “bottom line” by making his employee quality of life better, giving back to his community, and moving the needle on everyday cuisine.

Great Content

Really enjoyed the book and love / believe in what Danny Meyer and team have created; however there were quite a few redundancies - making the book drag for a bit about 50% of the way through. To compensate I just increased the reading speed...

Setting the table

Second time listening to the book. Every one who works in the restaurant industry needs to read this!! Awesome!!

A great read for any USHG fan.

Great reading by the author, Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, and arguably the most important American restaurateur of the last two decades. my only complaint is that it only goes up to 2005... would love to hear a revised edition that covers the last 15 years!

A whole new appreciation for hospitality

Having worked in the service industry for nearly my whole working life, I have had many companies and managers preach hospitality to me and while I have always known of its importance, this book transformed my view of it in a way where I want to apply it to all my relationships and to my life generally. This was a required read for a job I’m starting in a Michelin star restaurant that embodies all the qualities and values this book speaks on. It’s no wonder why the existing staff is so happy to work where they do and why they are so discerning about who to bring on with them. Striving for excellence has always intimidated me but having read this book, it feels so much more attainable and something I’m excited to, and feel capable of achieving.
I hope in the future I have the privilege at dining at any of Mr. Meyer’s restaurants. I’d love to see his visions and accomplishments with my own eyes.

Fantastic!

Huge fan of Danny Meyer, and this book was awesome. Delivered well and kept me engaged the entire time! Highly suggest it for anyone in the hospitality industry.