Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Setting the Table
    Setting the Table
    Setting the Table
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    Setting the Table

    Written by Danny Meyer

    Narrated by Danny Meyer

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack

    Seventy-five percent of all new restaurant ventures fail, and of those that do stick around, only a few become icons. Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a restaurant empire. How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done. 

    Setting the Table is landmark a motivational work from one of our era’s most gifted and insightful business leaders.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 3, 2006
    ISBN9780061252686
    Setting the Table
    Author

    Danny Meyer

    Danny Meyer, a native of St. Louis, opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, in 1985 when he was twenty-seven, and went on to found the Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes some of New York City's most acclaimed restaurants: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Maialino, North End Grill, Blue Smoke, and Shake Shack, as well as Jazz Standard, Union Square Events, and Hospitality Quotient. Danny, his restaurants, and his chefs have earned an unprecedented twenty-five James Beard Awards. Danny's groundbreaking business book, Setting the Table, was a New York Times bestseller, and he has coauthored two cookbooks with his business partner, Chef Michael Romano. Danny lives in New York with his wife and children. Michael Romano joined Union Square Cafe in 1988, preparing his unique style of American cuisine with an Italian soul. In 1993, Michael became Danny Meyer's partner. Under Michael's leadership, Union Square Cafe has been ranked Most Popular in New York City Zagat surveys for a record seven years. The restaurant also received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant of the Year. Michael has coauthored two cookbooks with Danny Meyer, The Union Square Cafe Cookbook and Second Helpings. He is the recipient of numerous nominations and awards, including the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef in New York City in 2001, and in 2000, he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America.

    Related to Setting the Table

    Related audiobooks

    Industries For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Dishing with Cole Ellis

      Aug 18, 2020

      Dishing with Cole Ellis
      2 min read

    • Article

      Nest Egg

      Jul 26, 2022

      Nest Egg
      5 min read

    • Article

      DISHED OUT Not A Celebrity

      Mar 17, 2023

      DISHED OUT Not A Celebrity
      3 min read

    • Article

      Meet JASON EISNER

      Sep 17, 2021

      Meet JASON EISNER
      4 min read

    • Article

      Give A Little Bit

      Aug 28, 2020

      I usually tell people that I’ve been a freelance writer for over ten years because I love flexibility and I love restaurants. I love restaurants so much that I’m a freelancer who writes about restaurants, often while sitting in one. And while I’ve ne

      3 min read

    • Article

      Sideboard

      May 23, 2023

      Sideboard
      4 min read

    • Article

      Artis(l) In The Kitchen

      Oct 25, 2022

      Artis(l) In The Kitchen
      5 min read

    • Article

      Letter To A Young Farmer

      Feb 7, 2019

      Letter To A Young Farmer
      4 min read

    • Article

      Knives Out

      Jun 27, 2023

      Knives Out
      3 min read

    • Article

      First Ladies of Food

      Dec 29, 2021

      First Ladies of Food
      4 min read

    • Article

      SMALL Kitchens

      Aug 16, 2021

      SMALL Kitchens
      22 min read

    • Article

      Go Big Or Go Home

      Jul 1, 2022

      Go Big Or Go Home
      4 min read

    • Article

      Wild About Harry

      May 31, 2022

      Wild About Harry
      5 min read

    • Article

      Sticky Fingers

      May 1, 2019

      Sticky Fingers
      7 min read

    • Article

      Expert Advice

      Jul 3, 2017

      for weddings, what’s the difference between serving from a food truck and a traditional catering company? Serving from a food truck is great in that guests get a unique level of interaction with the people preparing their food. We offer four types of

      5 min read

    • Article

      Crafting Cocktails And Stories

      May 1, 2022

      Crafting Cocktails And Stories
      3 min read

    • Article

      No Dego

      Nov 6, 2019

      No Dego
      5 min read

    • Article

      IN CONVERSATION WITH Clare Scrine

      Oct 11, 2023

      Tell us about your journey into the food world. Where did it begin and how? Food has always been something I’ve loved: eating, cooking, grocery shopping, sharing a meal around a table. The simple rituals surrounding food have been the parts of life t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lucky Number Seven

      Aug 4, 2021

      Lucky Number Seven
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Chain Reaction

      Nov 1, 2019

      A Chain Reaction
      6 min read

    • Article

      Monster Mash

      Jul 27, 2021

      Monster Mash
      5 min read

    • Article

      Skillet Skills!

      Oct 1, 2020

      Skillet Skills!
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Setting the Table

    4.5/5

    83 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I've had this on my shelf for I don't know how long and finally started to read it a few weeks ago. It's a quick and fast read that took this long only because I didn't have steady reading time on vacation. I think I was especially curious to read this now due to the new Shake Shack opening on my corner, although I don't think I've been to any of his restaurants. I work at NYC & Company, which Meyer references frequently throughout the book in the context of his work after 9/11 and for the restaurant committee. In fact, I think I got his book at the office.I like how Meyer's family history shaped his leadership and business goals - how they helped him to be who he is. While there's a lot of focus on the opening of Union Sq Cafe, it's nice to see the other issues that went into Tabla, Eleven Madison Park, etc. all of which are familiar on the NYC restaurant landscape. Due to the time that had passed between the restaurant openings and the book, Meyer had tme to reflect on the challenges and therefore I think his writing on them was different than it would have been if this book was written immediately after any of the openings. I'm also interested in Meyer's philosophy on hospitality as it connects to my own work in the industry. A great read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Learned so much about running a restaurant. Hospitality is key. Always hire people who have high EQ. So they bring and hire similar people. Don't jump onto every opportunity. Be a restaurant where people come because it is a good place to come. Don't compromise on standards. Always try to give the best food to the customer. Wow- so many tips. I always wanted to open a coffee shop. I will surely review these tips again. Really awesome book to learn about running restaurants and hospitality.
    • 5/5
      The best book I've listened to on hospitality so far.
    • 3/5
      Corporate glossy version of the restaurant tradeThis is pretty light on any of the blood and guts behind the scenes of the restaurant business but does have its points in terms of the psychology of customer interaction and the selection of employees for your business. Meyer's 51 percent rule of hiring people who bring a greater share of emotional skills vs a lower share of technical skills (which can in most cases be taught and learned) is something of wider use beyond the food business. For a more grittier, albeit fictionalized, view of the Union Square Café group see Stephanie Danler's "Sweetbitter."
    • 5/5
      Amazing book. As an aspiring restauranteur myself, Danny has changed a lot of my perspectives on hospitality and has inspired me to learn even more!
    • 4/5
      A valuable read for any aspiring restauranteur or entrepreneur. I especially appreciated his focus on attracting and retaining quality employees and community involvement/philanthropy.
    • 5/5
      For person from hospitality industry this book was extremely informative
    • 4/5
      I started reading this book based on a VC's recommendation and express admiration of Danny Meyer. I loved the storytelling and arc with which Danny leads. As I've seen with books from other entrepreneurs, this book mixes a personal story, beliefs, and best practices they followed in their business. Inevitably all leaders focus on management which even Danny does in this book. Some exceptional concepts that I took away from this book are finding the north star of a business, in Danny's case it was "Enlightened hospitality". Gems like "If you'd like to grow then learn to let go", the principle of "Whoever wrote the rule" and "Write the last chapter of the story" will remain etched in my mind forever. Needless to say, having dined in Gramercy Tavern, it was a thrill to read the story of its origin. A must-read.
    • 5/5
      This is a Great book. Thanks for the Hospitality lesson!
    • 5/5
      Amazing advice on customer service! A must-read for anyone in the retail or customer service business
    • 3/5
      Decently entertaining story. Not as much structure and detail about management as I expected/wanted. Kind of a rambling memoir. Somewhat boring narration with a lot of level monotone.
    • 1/5
      Close to zero detailed inside information about opening and running restaurants. Instead, it seemed more like a big picture sales pitch to potential investors.

      1 person found this helpful