Ideas worth spreading

The secret ingredients of great hospitality

1,314,764 views | Will Guidara • TED@BCG

Restaurateur Will Guidara's life changed when he decided to serve a two-dollar hot dog in his fancy four-star restaurant, creating a personalized experience for some out-of-town customers craving authentic New York City street food. The move earned such a positive reaction that Guidara began pursuing this kind of "unreasonable hospitality" full-time, seeking out ways to create extraordinary experiences and give people more than they could ever possibly expect. In this funny and heartwarming talk, he shares three steps to crafting truly memorable moments centered in human connection – no matter what business you're in.

Restaurateur Will Guidara's life changed when he decided to serve a two-dollar hot dog in his fancy four-star restaurant, creating a personalized experience for some out-of-town customers craving authentic New York City street food. The move earned such a positive reaction that Guidara began pursuing this kind of "unreasonable hospitality" full-time, seeking out ways to create extraordinary experiences and give people more than they could ever possibly expect. In this funny and heartwarming talk, he shares three steps to crafting truly memorable moments centered in human connection – no matter what business you're in.

This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about the TED Institute.

Will’s team partners with leaders across all industries to rethink how hospitality can connect people while becoming a fundamental part of their business. Follow Will on LinkedIn to learn more.

The Welcome Conference is Will's annual hospitality symposium, bringing together leaders in hospitality from across industries to connect, share ideas and inspire one another. Sign up to learn more.

About the speaker

Will Guidara

Restaurateur, author

See speaker profile

Will Guidara believes in the remarkable power of hospitality.

Netflix, 2018 | Watch

7 Days Out

Episode 2 on this Netflix series features Eleven Madison Park and provides a peek behind the curtains of running the number one restaurant in the world.

Daniel Coyle | Random House UK, 2019 | Book

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

This book provides a guide to creating culture within an organization, showing how lessons in hospitality apply across disciplines. Watch his TEDx talk, "Growing A Talent Hotbed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq0pHpNy6bs)."

Chip Heath and Dan Heath | Random House UK, 2017 | Book

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

This book is about the science of what makes some moments memorable and extraordinary, and how we can craft more of those.

Priya Parker | Riverhead Books, 2020 | Book

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

This book is about how to be deeply intentional in creating meaningful, memorable experiences in any gathering you host. Watch her TED Talk, "3 steps to turn everyday get-togethers into transformative gatherings (https://www.ted.com/talks/priyaparker3stepstoturneverydaygettogethersintotransformativegatherings)."

Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom‎ | Compendium Inc, 2014 | Book

What Do You Do With an Idea?

This children’s book tells the story of a child who has an idea. When he embraces the idea and gives it space to grow, one day something amazing happens. It’s a brilliant story about how leaning into your ideas (even ones that seem crazy, like hot dogs…) can make this world a brighter and more magical place.

Learn more

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

Read more about the TED Institute

This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about the TED Institute.

Will’s team partners with leaders across all industries to rethink how hospitality can connect people while becoming a fundamental part of their business. Follow Will on LinkedIn to learn more.

The Welcome Conference is Will's annual hospitality symposium, bringing together leaders in hospitality from across industries to connect, share ideas and inspire one another. Sign up to learn more.