Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer – Life, Business, and Hospitality Philosophy

Explore the life and work of Danny Meyer — American restaurateur, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, and author. Learn about his business philosophy, impact on the restaurant world, and timeless quotes on leadership and hospitality.

Introduction

Danny Meyer (born March 14, 1958) is an influential American restaurateur, author, and business thinker renowned for redefining hospitality in the modern food industry. As the founder and executive chairman of the Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), Meyer has launched or overseen many celebrated restaurants (including Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack) that marry culinary excellence with a deep commitment to service and human connection. His ideas about “enlightened hospitality,” leadership, and culture have impacted not only restaurants, but broader service industries and business practice.

Early Life and Background

Meyer was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, in a reform Jewish family.

As a child, Meyer traveled with his family on custom European itineraries arranged by his father’s business, and these experiences fostered a love of food, tradition, and place.

He attended John Burroughs School (a private school) before going to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he studied political science and graduated in 1980.

After college, he briefly explored roles in politics and public service (e.g. working on John Anderson’s 1980 presidential campaign) before committing to hospitality.

Building the Restaurant Empire

The Beginnings: Union Square Café & Early Moves

At age 27 (in 1985), Meyer opened Union Square Café in New York City.

He complemented his practical restaurant work with formal “stage” (intern) training in Europe in kitchens in Italy and Bordeaux, sharpening his sense of technique and culinary underpinning.

From the success of Union Square Café, Meyer expanded by opening or acquiring other restaurants under the umbrella now known as Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG).

Shake Shack & Scaling the Model

One of Meyer's most visible successes is Shake Shack: originally a hot-dog-and-burger kiosk in Madison Square Park, eventually transformed into a widely recognized brand with hundreds of locations worldwide.

In 2015, Shake Shack went public, further solidifying its place in the restaurant economy.

Innovations & Challenges

Meyer is known for making bold and sometimes controversial decisions. One notable shift was his elimination of tipping in many of his restaurants around 2015, intended to create more equitable pay for back-of-house staff.

He also sold Eleven Madison Park, one of his premier fine-dining properties, to its chef and front-of-house director, allowing USHG to focus on restaurants more aligned with his broader vision.

Through the pandemic, Meyer closed all USHG restaurants temporarily, laid off staff, and later played a role in New York’s economic recovery by accepting a city appointment tied to revitalizing the restaurant sector.

Philosophy, Values & Business Principles

Enlightened Hospitality

Central to Meyer’s worldview is the idea of “enlightened hospitality”: that attending to employees (as “internal customers”) is not secondary — it is foundational. If staff feel respected, cared for, and motivated, they will deliver better experiences to guests. hospitality (how someone feels when something is done for them) from mere service (how a task is executed).

Hiring for Emotional Skills

Meyer places immense value on emotional traits over raw technical skill. Traits like kindness, curiosity, work ethic, empathy, and integrity are central to his hiring philosophy.

Mistakes & Recovery

One of his guiding ideas:

“A great restaurant doesn’t distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes but by how well they handle those mistakes.”

He believes that mistakes are inevitable — what defines a business is the humility and dexterity with which errors are managed.

Core Values & Consistency

Meyer emphasizes that every restaurant (or business) should have a point of view and core values that guide decisions, especially in adversity.

From Setting the Table:

“Wherever your center lies, know it, name it, stick to it, and believe in it. … When you cede your core values … it’s time to quit.”

He also distinguishes between who will be top performers in the long term versus marginal averages, advocating for hiring for high potential.

Soul, Dialogue & Community

Meyer believes a business must have soul, which arises from ongoing dialogue with customers, employees, suppliers, community, and investors.

He says, “Hospitality knows no gender or race.”

Recognition, Writings & Influence

Awards & Honors

Under Meyer’s leadership, USHG restaurants have collectively won 28 James Beard Foundation Awards.

Books & Thought Leadership

Meyer is also an author and speaker. His key works include:

• The Union Square Café Cookbook (along with Chef Michael Romano, 1994)

• Second Helpings from Union Square Café (2001)

• Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business (2006) — his most influential book, articulating his philosophy.

• Mix Shake Stir (2009), a cocktail and bar book.

His writing continues to serve as a reference for restaurateurs, service businesses, and hospitality executives around the world.

Broader Impact

Meyer’s ideas have influenced how restaurants, hotels, retail, and even corporate cultures think about guest experience, internal culture, and leadership. His notion that how people feel can become a sustainable competitive advantage is widely cited in business literature.

He remains active as a speaker, sharing his insights through keynote addresses, podcasts, and public engagements.

Memorable Quotes by Danny Meyer

Here are some notable quotes that capture Meyer’s philosophy:

• “The excellence reflex is a natural reaction to fix something that isn’t right, or to improve something that could be better. … It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.”

• “A great restaurant doesn’t distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes but by how well they handle those mistakes.”

• “Every restaurant needs to have a point of view.”

• “Hospitality is almost impossible to teach. It’s all about hiring the right people.”

• “Good service means never having to ask for anything.”

• “Wherever your center lies, know it, name it, stick to it, and believe in it … When you cede your core values … it’s time to quit.”

• “Hospitality knows no gender or race.”

Lessons and Takeaways

1. Culture first, processes second
   Meyer demonstrates that investing in people and values pays dividends.

2. Emotional intelligence matters
   In many service-oriented businesses, how someone makes you feel becomes the key differentiator.

3. Own your point of view
   Consistency and clarity of vision help maintain integrity through challenges.

4. Mistakes are inevitable — excellence is response
   It’s not perfection that wins but agility and humility in repair.

5. Balance scale with soul
   Meyer shows how a brand (e.g. Shake Shack) can scale, while still preserving hospitality principles.

Conclusion

Danny Meyer is more than a restaurateur: he is a thought leader who argues that hospitality — done with sincerity, respect, and care — is one of humanity’s most powerful currencies. His journey from Union Square Café to Shake Shack, and his writings like Setting the Table, offer an instructive playbook for any business that sells experience and connection.