In a Nutshell
A Place of Hospitality is a certification and support program designed to help independent restaurateurs ...
- re-discover their roots -- hospitality itself
- enjoy more balance in their lives
- put joy back into serving the public
- level the playing field when competing against the chains
- create sustainable, steadily growing businesses built not on discounts and endless hype but on personal
connection and true service to the community
- do all this in a way that is both practical and extremely profitable.
A Place of Hospitality recognizes independent restaurateurs who have not only made a commitment to provide
exceptional personal hospitality to every patron, every time ... but who have succeeded at it! The certification
cannot be purchased and a restaurant cannot pay to keep it -- they must live it every day.
The Missing Link
It always seems ironic that the competitive element most responsible for success in the hospitality business
... and the piece most visibly absent ... is hospitality itself!
You can be adequately fed and reasonably served in most restaurants, but how often do you experience heart-felt
caring and personal connection -- that warm feeling that tells you the restaurant's staff is delighted you are
there and it matters to them that you have a great time?
We are out to fix that -- to make hospitality the rule rather than the rare exception -- and to allow
independent restaurants to operate with effortless excellence.
The Ripple Effect
We believe that one restaurant can do more good for the well-being of a community in one day than all the mental
health professionals in town will do in a year because the restaurant will touch more people.
Human beings tend to treat others the way they are treated and it has to start somewhere. Who better to trigger a
resurgence of hospitality in the world than the hospitality industry itself?
When guests feel well and personally served, they leave the restaurant feeling better about themselves and life in
general. As a result, they will naturally be more considerate of the people they deal with. In this way,
hospitality has a way of paying itself forward. Courtesy begets courtesy.
When you are focused on nurturing relationships with your guests rather than simply trying to pry money from their
clutching fingers, your patrons have more trust in you. They return more often, recommend you to their friends and
become fiercely loyal fans.
They will stick with you through tough times and patronize you -- at full price -- because they WANT to! The result
is higher sales, lower marketing costs ... and a happier service staff making better tips. It is truly a
win-win-win situation.
Better yet, once the dining public has experienced the warmth of true hospitality, they will no longer be as
willing to tolerate the indifference and callous attitudes found in many corporate eateries and most inept
independents. In ever larger numbers, they will favor -- and be drawn back to -- certified Places of
Hospitality.
We believe the ripple effect from restaurants delivering the experience of heart-felt caring to every patron will
start a self-reinforcing cycle of caring and consideration that will transform the communities they serve and make
life more pleasant for everyone ... and we could certainly use more civility on the planet!
Yes, courtesy is indeed contagious ... and very, very compelling. It is noble work.
Here is the background ...
|