This month’s book review is ‘Unreasonable Behaviour’, an inspiring and insightful book by Will Guidara, the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (EMP), a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York.
This book was given to me by one of our clients who recommended it knowing that I am an avid business book reader and said it was a great read about exceeding expectations, which is something they strive to do as a business. It is not a book I had come across or even heard of, so I was intrigued!!
The book explores the transformative power of hospitality and whilst all the stories and ideas relate specifically to the restaurant industry, the lessons and learnings can be applied to any business or indeed your personal life.
Guidara argues that going above and beyond, exceeding expectations, and making people feel valued is the key to creating extraordinary experiences.
There are five key themes in the book:
1 – The Power of Hospitality – The book highlights how small, thoughtful gestures can turn a good experience into an unforgettable one. Whether in a restaurant, a corporate setting, or personal relationships, making people feel special creates lasting impact.
2 – Leadership & Culture – Guidara shares his journey of leading Eleven Madison Park to become the world’s best restaurant, emphasising the importance of fostering a culture of excellence, generosity, and creativity.
3 – Customer Experience Beyond the Norm – The book challenges conventional business thinking by advocating for ‘unreasonable hospitality’ and going so far beyond expectations that it feels almost excessive, but in a delightful way.
4 – Stories of Transformation – Through real-life stories Guidara illustrates how memorable experiences are crafted.
5 – The Business Case for Hospitality – How It Drives Success While hospitality is often seen as an emotional or ‘soft’ skill, Guidara argues that it is actually a strong business strategy. Delighting customers leads to strong word-of-mouth, customer loyalty, and even higher profitability.
Whilst these are the themes, the book is all about the stories and you only understand what he means by ‘unreasonable hospitality’ by reading and understanding the stories and what they did and indeed how far they went as a business to ‘delight’ their customers.
Some examples of these stories include:
The Hot Dog Story – One of the most famous moments in the book involves a guest at the restaurant who mentioned that, despite dining at one of the best fine-dining restaurants in the world, their favourite food was a simple hot dog. Instead of dismissing the comment, Guidara and his team sprang into action. They quickly sent a staff member to a nearby food cart, bought a hot dog, plated it beautifully, and presented it to the guest. The surprise and delight this created perfectly captured the essence of what they wish to do.
The Surprise Champagne Picnic – A couple celebrating a special occasion mentioned to their server that they loved Central Park but hadn’t had a chance to visit it yet. While they were dining, the team quickly put together a beautifully packaged picnic basket with Champagne, snacks, and a handwritten note. As the guests finished their meal, they were gifted the picnic, allowing them to continue their celebration in the park.
The Custom Experience for Tourists – A group of tourists dining at EMP casually mentioned that it was their last night in New York City and they hadn’t yet experienced classic NYC attractions like a yellow taxi ride or a street pretzel. Rather than just acknowledging their comment, Guidara’s team arranged for a yellow cab to pick them up after dinner and surprised them with warm pretzels to enjoy on their ride. This level of detail and effort exemplified the book’s core principle.
The Welcome – This is one of my favourite ones. They got rid of the reception desk/counter where you would normally say you are Mr or Mrs X and have a table for Y and a time of Z etc. When you book a table with them now, the restaurant researches you and looks you up on social media etc, so that when you walk in the restaurant they know what you look like and so you are greeted by someone who automatically says ‘Welcome Mr and Mrs X’ your table is ready!!
All these stories share a common theme: paying close attention to guests, listening for small details, and then using creativity and generosity to exceed expectations in unexpected ways. Unreasonable hospitality isn’t about extravagant gestures. It’s about making people feel seen, valued, and special.
Guidara and his team realised that delivering truly exceptional hospitality required more than just great service; it needed someone whose job was to listen, observe, and act on opportunities to surprise and delight guests in unexpected ways. Thus, they created at first a job role and then a team of what they called ‘Dreamweavers’ whose job was to surprise and delight.
The responsibilities of the Dreamweavers were:
Listening for Clues – The Dreamweaver would discreetly gather personal details about guests during their visit. This included casual comments, preferences, and even unspoken cues that could be used to create personalised surprises.
Creating Bespoke Experiences – Once a special opportunity was identified, the Dreamweaver would coordinate with the team to execute it seamlessly. Whether it was recreating a childhood memory, surprising guests with a personalised gift, or even bringing their dream moment to life, their job was to make the impossible happen.
Coordinating Logistics Behind the Scenes – The Dreamweaver had access to a network of vendors, delivery services, and creative resources to execute these special touches on the fly. Whether it was sourcing a rare item, setting up a surprise picnic, or even making it snow indoors, they worked behind the scenes to bring magic to life.
You will probably never look at service again in the same way after reading this book. Well worth a read for both business and personal purposes, and I am glad I was alerted to it.
