In Search of Exceptionalism in Hospitality: Danny Meyer

If Isadore Sharp and Four Seasons exemplify exceptionalism on a global luxury scale, Danny Meyer demonstrates how the same philosophy can thrive in restaurants where moments are brief, margins are tight, and competition is fierce.

In Setting the Table, Meyer presents the idea of “Enlightened Hospitality,” the belief that true success comes not from serving food alone but from creating memorable and deeply human experiences. For Meyer, hospitality begins with employees. When staff feel genuinely valued and cared for, that spirit radiates outward to guests, suppliers, investors, and the wider community.

This philosophy challenges the notion of baselines in several ways. Many restaurants measure success by efficiency, but Meyer prioritized the feeling a guest carried away. Service was never only about accuracy or speed; it was about leaving a lasting impression. He also redefined value creation. By focusing on hospitality first, his businesses such as Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack achieved both customer loyalty and financial strength. Shake Shack’s IPO in 2015 was one of the most successful in restaurant history, proving that exceptionalism could be scaled. Finally, Meyer built culture over manuals. He trusted employees to act with empathy, judgment, and creativity, rather than follow rigid scripts.

Meyer’s career shows that exceptionalism can scale across formats, from fine dining to fast casual. His guiding principle, “Business, like life, is about how you make people feel,” explains why his restaurants consistently top customer rankings and earn critical acclaim.

Danny Meyer succeeded not by perfecting service baselines but by rejecting the very idea of a baseline. He created organizations where excellence was a starting point, not the destination, and where the pursuit of exceptionalism defined every guest experience.

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