Restaurateur became co-producer of Emmy-award winning series ‘The Bear’
The genius behind the celebrated New York restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, and co-producer of the Emmy-winning series “The Bear,” Will Guidara took the stage to deliver an inspiring second keynote address of eXpcon 2024.
He began his address by talking about how he started his career at a young age, co-owning Eleven Madison Park, first making it No. 50 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
“We doubled down on excellence, we were relentless in our pursuit of excellence, going from 2 stars to 4,” he said. “That’s what got us to No. 50. But being named No. 50 was deeply disappointing for us. We wanted to be first.”
The Birth of ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’
“Little drops of water can make an ocean,” he said. “It’s the little things you do every day that transform client relationships.” Under his leadership, Eleven Madison Park was eventually named the No. 1 best restaurant in the world according to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.
“The greatest gestures are bespoke to the person making them,” he advised. “We hired a ‘dreamweaver’ solely responsible for identifying the unique needs of our diners and then meeting those needs. It feels unbelievable to make people happy. Do the unscalable things even though they are harder.”
Bringing Authenticity to the Screen with “The Bear”
Will went on to become a co-producer, writer and appeared on the highly popular FX Emmy award-winning comedy drama series, “The Bear.” His involvement brought authenticity to the show, which focuses on the high-pressure world of a professional kitchen. He portrayed a version of himself in the Season 3 finale.
“Identify the recurring moments — someone is coming in because they are getting married or need a new house because of an expanding family,” he said. “Then you can look at how you can improve the experience and make it special.”
When reflecting on his rise to the No. 1 restaurant in the world, it was not about the product, it was about their “pursuit of unreasonable hospitality.” He explained that by doing that, you will create thousands upon thousands of brand ambassadors.
Will left the audience inspired, challenging them to embrace the transformative power of “unreasonable hospitality” in their own careers. “Whether in a kitchen or in real estate, it’s the human connection that builds lasting success and turns clients into lifelong advocates.”
