Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

“No one who ever changed the game did so by being reasonable. Serena Williams. Walt Disney. Steve Jobs. Martin Scorsese. Prince. Look across every discipline, in every arena—sports, entertainment, design, technology, finance—you need to be unreasonable to see a world that doesn’t yet exist.”

Guidara posits that transformational change across various fields requires an “unreasonable” approach, a perspective that challenges conventional boundaries and expectations. By enumerating iconic figures such as Serena Williams and Steve Jobs, high-achieving individuals known to upend the status quo, he emphasizes that groundbreaking achievements are often the result of visionary thinking that goes beyond accepted limits. Guidara’s assertion underlines the core philosophy of his book—that in the realm of hospitality, like in other disciplines, embracing an unreasonable mindset is essential for innovation and for envisioning new possibilities that redefine excellence.

“I had already happily chosen a life in restaurants, but that night, I learned how important, how noble, working in service can be. During a terribly dark time, Daniel and his staff offered my dad and me a ray of light in the form of a meal neither one of us will ever forget. Our suffering didn’t disappear by any means, but for a few hours, we were afforded real respite from it. That dinner provided an oasis of comfort and restoration, an island of delight and care in the sea of our grief.”

Guidara employs the metaphors of “ray of light,” an “oasis of comfort and restoration,” and an “island of delight and care in the sea of our grief” to articulate the profound impact a dining experience can have during times of personal turmoil. These metaphors elevate the act of dining to a form of emotional healing and sanctuary, encapsulating Guidara’s deep-seated belief in the power and nobility of service. Through this imagery, he conveys that hospitality, at its best, provides not just sustenance or leisure, but a meaningful escape, offering solace and momentarily lifting the weight of sorrow.