Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
About this product
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. Read more
Editor's Take
Readers and reviewers consistently describe Setting the Table as an inspiring and practical business book focused on hospitality, leadership, and building strong teams. Goodreads reviews are largely positive, with many readers calling it essential reading for anyone in restaurants, service, or management, while a few Reddit comments are more critical and mention that the book can feel self-promotional or overly focused on Meyer’s own experience.
- Amazon-style and Goodreads-style reviewers praise its lessons on customer service, culture, and trust.
- Book review blogs call it a strong read for hospitality professionals and business leaders.
- Reddit discussion includes at least one negative reaction, saying the book felt arrogant and difficult to continue.
- YouTube search results did surface real video pages about the book, including review-style videos and a video titled around Danny Meyer’s transforming power of hospitality in business.
Overall, the strongest theme across sources is that the book is widely valued for actionable hospitality principles, especially by readers in service industries.
Price History
Specifications
| Publisher | Ecco |
| Publication date | January 29, 2008 |
| Edition | Reprint |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0060742763 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0060742768 |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.31 x 0.76 x 8 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #4,608 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Service Industry (Books) #2 in Customer Relations (Books) #3 in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,327) |
