10 posts.
Places & perspectives
Xenia, atithi devo bhava, the Rule of Saint Benedict and omotenashi each answer the same question: what do we owe a stranger at the door? Their answers still work.
Starting a restaurant
The famous 90 percent failure figure is not supported by the data. The real risk is structural: fixed costs, the wrong site and no exit plan. Here is how to design against each one.
Hotels & lodging
Hotel restaurants are usually judged on their own profit, and misjudged. Decide by the job the restaurant does for the rooms, then pick the model that fits.
New formats
People are spending more time alone, and cafes, bars and hotel lobbies are filling the gap. The catch: a true third place is cheap to enter and full of regulars. Here is how to run one.
Operations & service
Kitchens say 'heard' and think the loop is closed. It is only half closed. Here is how the pass works, and what to borrow from hospitals to fix it.
People & careers
People rarely leave a restaurant for one reason. An essay on the three things that tend to keep them, a rota people can plan a life around, a visible next step, and being known.
People & careers
A strong hospitality culture is the set of habits your team keeps when the dining room is full. Here is how to build one that does not run on exhaustion.
Marketing & guest experience
An origin story is told once. A service is shown every night. Hospitality storytelling works when the story you tell is one the next table can check.
Places & perspectives
Omotenashi is often described as a mood. The research suggests it is closer to a system: training, shared feedback, and respect for the guest's choice. Here is what travels.
Places & perspectives
Nordic hospitality is usually sold as minimalism and candles. The more useful lesson is quieter: simplicity works when a shared set of rules and a lot of trust sit underneath it.
