Advertise on podcast: It’s Not You—It’s Your Hospitality

Why do great employees start a job excited and motivated, only to become disengaged or quit six months later? The problem might not be Gen Z. It might be how your business leads, trains, and develops its people. In this video, Preston Lee breaks down the four biggest reasons employees quit: underdeveloped leadership, poor training, lack of growth, and pay. You'll learn how to build stronger leaders, create effective training systems, develop trained trainers, and establish consistent accountability across your organization. Discover the difference between service and hospitality, why leading by example matters, and how simple, repeatable systems can help your team deliver exceptional experiences. Whether you run a restaurant, private club, or hospitality group, these leadership strategies will help you build a stronger culture, retain great employees, and create a team that consistently performs at a higher level. Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt102726 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule

Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt102126 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule How do you increase restaurant revenue without constantly chasing new customers? It starts with hospitality, guest retention, and building a team that gives people a reason to come back.  Preston Lee breaks down how great leadership, intentional training, and consistent guest experiences can turn first-time visitors into loyal regulars who spend more and visit more often. In this presentation, Preston shares the leadership strategies behind some of the most successful hospitality brands, including Trader Joe’s and Chick-fil-A. Learn why employees disengage, the four major reasons team members quit, and how leadership development, structured training, and accountability can transform your team's performance. He also explains why simply telling employees to “be more hospitable” isn't enough and what leaders need to do instead. The bottom line? Better hospitality drives guest retention, and guest retention drives revenue. Discover how to build a team that is bought into your mission, create a culture of accountability, and deliver the consistent experiences that keep guests coming back. Because when you stop focusing only on transactions and start focusing on people, your restaurant has the opportunity to grow.

Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt101326 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule Why do restaurants lose customers without ever knowing why? It often comes down to inconsistent hospitality, weak systems, and standards that slip when things get busy. In this video, Preston Lee and an experienced hospitality leader break down how poor execution impacts guest retention, revenue, and long-term growth and what restaurant owners can do to fix it. In this podcast, you'll learn: - Why unhappy guests rarely complain but often never return - How inconsistent food quality and service hurt customer loyalty - Why line checks, pre-shifts, and training systems matter - How great restaurant leaders build accountable, high-performing teams - What successful restaurant groups do differently to scale consistently If you're a restaurant owner, operator, or manager looking to improve hospitality, increase guest retention, and build a stronger business, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for practical strategies on restaurant management, hospitality, leadership, training, and growth.

Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt100226 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule ---------------------------- Treating your guests like you are dating them changes the entire dynamic. It is how you turn a transaction into a relationship. Most owners treat guests like a math problem to solve. Instead, treat them like someone you are trying to impress. That is the shift. This is the new way to approach hospitality training because it forces your team to be present, observant, and intentional. When you date your customers, you pay attention to the details that others ignore. You anticipate needs before they are spoken. That creates a guest experience that feels personal, not mechanical. It builds a restaurant culture where your staff stops just serving plates and starts building a connection with the people walking through the door. This requires a specific kind of restaurant leadership. You have to model what it looks like to really see a guest. When you stop rushing to close the check and start focusing on the interaction, the entire room changes.

Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt100526 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule Mastering the guest experience is why brands like Meow Wolf succeed. Here is how to apply that same level of immersion to your own restaurant. We often think of hospitality as just food and service, but it is actually about building a complete world. When you stop treating guests like a math problem to solve and start treating them like someone you are trying to impress, the entire dynamic changes. This is the difference between a transaction and a lasting connection. To achieve this, you need to focus on deliberate restaurant systems that make every touchpoint intentional. When your team understands they are part of the story, they stop just delivering plates and start curating an environment. This is how you drive real restaurant growth and ensure consistency across every shift, even when you are not in the room.

Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt93026 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule ---------------------------- Learn the specific restaurant systems that drive their massive scale. Most owners look at the golden arches and see a fast-food giant, but the real secret is the architecture beneath the burger. We are breaking down the operational discipline that allows a brand to maintain consistency across thousands of locations. You will see why scaling restaurants is impossible without the kind of rigorous structure that makes the output predictable, regardless of who is working the shift. This is not about copying their menu; it is about adopting their brand strategy of absolute reliability. When you study how they handle training and accountability, you realize that restaurant leadership is actually just the art of removing variables. If you want to grow, you have to build systems that function when you are not in the building.

AI is changing the restaurant industry, but there's one thing it will never replace: the human side of hospitality. In this talk, Preston Lee, breaks down why restaurant success isn't just about great food, marketing, or getting more customers through the door. It's about developing your people, building a culture of hospitality, and creating experiences that keep guests coming back. The truth? Your employees probably already know what great hospitality looks like. The real challenge is getting them motivated to deliver it consistently. In this video, you'll learn: -Why guest retention is one of the biggest drivers of restaurant growth -How consistent hospitality builds customer loyalty and repeat business -Why leadership and employee development matter more than you think -The four major reasons restaurant employees quit -How better training can reduce costly mistakes and protect the guest experience -How to increase sales through hospitality-driven upselling -Why restaurant owners need to focus on motivating their teams, not just managing them How successful brands like In-N-Out, Din Tai Fung, and The Cheesecake Factory create consistency at scale Why the future of restaurant success belongs to operators who invest in their people Preston also shares practical examples of how restaurants can improve guest experiences, increase the value of every visit, and build systems that support long-term growth. The bottom line: You can spend more money trying to attract new customers, or you can build a restaurant experience that gives people a reason to return. The best operators understand that hospitality isn't just a nice gesture. It's a business strategy. If you're a restaurant owner, operator, or hospitality leader looking to improve employee performance, increase guest retention, and build a more profitable business, this video is for you.

Learn how effective brand strategy turns provocative ideas into a loyal community. See why disruption wins customers. Most brands play it safe, but the most memorable ones are not afraid to polarize. This discussion breaks down the reality of using provocative branding to cut through the noise. It is not just about being loud for the sake of it; it is about building a foundation that resonates with your core audience. We analyze how a simple, edgy approach like putting a controversial phrase on a cup can drive significant customer engagement. When you commit to disruptive marketing, you create a tribe rather than just a customer base. This is the difference between a business that blends in and one that creates a lasting brand strategy that people actually talk about. Stop Running the Shift. Start Building the Leader. Download Our FREE Leadership Workbook: https://get.30percentrule.com/leadership-dl?el=yt92526 Follow @the30rule on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the30rule

Why do great teams fall apart — even when they have talented people, strong systems, and a great product? It usually comes back to leadership. In this video, Preston breaks down the leadership principles behind building teams that actually last, why culture and accountability matter, and the difference between simply managing employees and creating an environment where people can succeed. Whether you’re running a restaurant, leading a hospitality team, managing employees, or trying to scale a growing business, these leadership strategies can help you build a stronger culture, retain great people, and create a team that performs without everything depending on you. In this video: leadership training, team building, company culture, employee retention, hospitality vs. service, management systems, and how to build a business that can scale. Subscribe for more restaurant leadership, hospitality training, business systems, team management, and strategies for building a business that runs without you.

What separates good customer service from unforgettable hospitality? In this video, we break down how Chick-fil-A built one of the strongest hospitality cultures in the restaurant industry—and why that culture has become such a powerful competitive advantage. You’ll learn the difference between service and hospitality, why anticipating guest needs matters, and how creating a memorable customer experience goes far beyond simply being polite, fast, or efficient. We also explore how Chick-fil-A focused on hospitality as it scaled, the role culture and employee mindset play in the guest experience, and why small details—remembering preferences, showing genuine care, and making people feel valued—can have a massive impact on customer loyalty.

What do Chick-fil-A and Hillstone understand about hospitality training that most restaurants miss? In this podcast, we break down how Chick-fil-A and Hillstone execute hospitality training to create consistent guest experiences, stronger restaurant teams, and service standards employees can actually deliver — even during the busiest shifts. Great hospitality isn’t created by telling your team to “give better service.” It comes from building the right training systems, setting clear expectations, reinforcing standards, and creating a culture where the guest experience becomes everyone’s responsibility. You’ll learn how leading restaurant brands approach: • Restaurant hospitality training • Employee onboarding and ongoing development • Guest experience and customer service standards • Creating consistency across every shift • Training employees to anticipate guest needs • Restaurant leadership and accountability • Turning hospitality into a repeatable system • Building a service culture that lasts Whether you own a restaurant, manage a hospitality team, train employees, or want to improve your restaurant’s customer experience, these principles can help you move from inconsistent service to a culture where exceptional hospitality becomes the standard. The biggest takeaway? Hospitality isn’t something your team simply knows. It’s something you train, practice, coach, and reinforce until it becomes automatic. If you’re looking to improve restaurant training, guest retention, employee performance, restaurant culture, or hospitality leadership, subscribe for more practical strategies you can implement inside your operation.

Here's 10 years of hospitality training, leadership lessons, and guest experience strategy in less than 15 minutes! If you work in a restaurant, bar, hotel, hospitality business, or lead a customer-facing team, this video breaks down what actually separates average service from unforgettable hospitality. Service is a transaction. Hospitality is a feeling. The restaurants and bars that win aren't just serving great food and drinks—they're creating experiences that make people feel valued, welcomed, and excited to come back. In this hospitality training, you'll learn: • The real difference between service and hospitality • Why one bad employee can destroy years of customer loyalty • How exceptional guest experiences increase customer retention • Why every employee (not just servers and bartenders) owns the guest experience • The importance of focus, clarity, training, and innovation • How restaurant managers can create stronger hospitality teams • Why leadership is a responsibility, not just a title • How better employee development creates better customer experiences • Why consistency matters more than a single great interaction • What makes guests choose your restaurant or bar again and again Your dishwasher, host, bartender, server, food runner, barback, line cook, and manager may have completely different jobs—but they should all share the same mission: Give the guest the best experience possible. Because customers have endless choices for where to eat and drink. Your food matters. Your cocktails matter. Your atmosphere matters. But what keeps people coming back is how your team makes them feel. If you're a restaurant owner, hospitality leader, general manager, bar manager, server, bartender, or anyone responsible for customer experience, use this video as a crash course in building a stronger hospitality culture.

Great restaurant owners don’t ask, “Why can’t we do this?” They ask, “How can we make it work?” In this podcast, Preston Lee breaks down one of the biggest mindset differences between restaurant owners who stay stuck and those who continuously improve, innovate, and grow. After working with restaurant owners and hospitality leaders across the industry, one pattern shows up again and again: the difference between an “I can’t” mindset and a “How can I?” mindset. “I can’t” sounds like: • We don’t have enough staff • We don’t have the budget • We’re too busy right now • We need another manager first • That won’t work in our restaurant • The margins are too thin Great restaurant operators approach those same problems differently. Instead of immediately looking for a reason something can’t happen, they ask: How can we make it happen? That shift affects everything from restaurant leadership and hospitality to employee training, guest experience, revenue, retention, and profitability. Preston covers: • The mindset that separates high-performing restaurant owners from struggling operators • Why “I can’t” can destroy innovation inside a restaurant business • How leaders create a culture of problem-solving instead of excuses • Why great hospitality means finding ways to accommodate the guest • How owner mentality influences managers and frontline employees • Why restaurant training should be viewed as an investment—not just an expense • How better training can improve employee retention, upselling, reviews, and sales • Why cutting costs isn’t always the answer to thin restaurant margins • How focusing on increasing revenue can create a snowball effect across the business • The importance of restaurant systems, leadership development, and trained trainers • How to get your management team thinking “How can we?” instead of “We can’t” One of the biggest mistakes restaurant owners make is trying to solve every problem by spending less. Sometimes the better question is: How can we generate enough additional revenue to make the investment worthwhile? More training can create better hospitality. Better hospitality can create better reviews. Better reviews can bring in more guests. Stronger sales can fund stronger managers, better systems, and continued restaurant growth. That’s the difference between simply cutting your way through problems and building a restaurant business designed to grow. If you’re a restaurant owner, operator, general manager, hospitality leader, or multi-unit restaurant executive** looking to improve restaurant management, leadership, culture, profitability, employee training, and guest experience, this video is for you.

What does it really take to build a restaurant team capable of delivering Michelin-level hospitality? In this conversation, Michelin-star chef and restaurateur Josiah Citrin shares the lessons he’s learned from decades of building restaurants, developing teams, navigating major industry challenges, and balancing culinary passion with the realities of running a profitable business. Josiah explains the evolution of Citrin and Mélisse in Santa Monica, including how one restaurant became two distinct concepts under the same roof, how his team adapted through COVID, and why great restaurants depend on far more than great food. We also dive into the leadership and management philosophies behind his restaurant group, including: • Why Josiah hires for personality and passion over experience • How to build a strong restaurant culture • Why training and developing internal leaders matters • How “train the trainer” programs can improve employee retention • Creating career paths that motivate restaurant employees • Why promoting from within can strengthen restaurant leadership • How employee rewards can reinforce high performance • The importance of maintaining hospitality standards as a business grows • How restaurant owners can build systems that allow them to step back • Why passion alone isn’t enough to run a successful restaurant • Balancing food quality, staffing, labor, profitability, and guest experience • What Michelin-level hospitality looks like behind the scenes Josiah also shares his philosophy that hospitality means taking responsibility for a guest’s happiness while they are under your roof—with the goal of making every guest leave feeling like a king or queen. Whether you’re a restaurant owner, chef, general manager, hospitality leader, or aspiring restaurateur, this conversation offers practical lessons on restaurant management, leadership development, staff training, culture, profitability, and building a business that can succeed without the owner controlling every detail. If you’re working to build a stronger restaurant team, develop better leaders, improve hospitality, or create systems that allow your restaurant to grow, this episode is for you.

Want to know how to increase restaurant sales in 2026—without relying on discounts, gimmicks, or simply trying to get more people through the door? In this episode, Founder & CEO of Thirty Percent, Preston Lee, sits down with Geno McWilliams, owner of Lucia’s Italian Kitchen in Effingham, Illinois, to break down the restaurant sales strategies, hospitality systems, and operational decisions that are helping his 40-seat Italian restaurant create unforgettable guest experiences. Lucia’s isn’t your typical Italian restaurant. Guests sit just feet away from an open kitchen, watching chefs prepare everything to order. There are no freezers, fryers, or microwaves, and the menu changes every three months to showcase different regions of Italy. But the biggest lessons aren’t just about the food. Gino shares how his team has turned "hospitality, culture, upselling, and customer experience into powerful sales drivers." In this eye-opening interview, you’ll learn: - How to map the entire restaurant guest experience—from the parking lot to the dining room - How Luchia’s uses a “10 for 10” accountability standard to build a culture of excellence - Why training your team on hospitality **mindset instead of just mechanics** can transform the customer experience - How “passion selling” can increase perceived value and help guests understand premium pricing - How one creative upsell achieved a **65% attachment rate** - How listening for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special moments creates memorable guest experiences - Why experimenting with unexpected menu ideas—like pizza topped with shaved chocolate—can create your next bestseller Whether you’re a **restaurant owner, operator, chef, general manager, or hospitality professional**, this episode gives you practical ideas you can use to increase restaurant sales while building an experience customers actually want to come back for. If you’re looking for the 2026 blueprint for restaurant growth, start with better hospitality, stronger systems, smarter selling, and an experience worth talking about.