Rant: Without Proper Hospitality, A Restaurant Will Fail

"Hospitality is the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity."
--Chevalier Louis de Jaucourt in Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers

In short, hospitality is the warm, friendly reception and treatment of your guests. It's important in many areas, including restaurants, but it doesn't seem everyone understands its vital role. That failure can have a negative impact on a restaurant's bottomline so restaurant owners, and their employees, need to ensure that hospitality is a crucial element of their operations. It may sound simple, but then why are there otherwise good restaurants which fail in this regard?

The concept of hospitality was front and center in my mind last week as I attended a preview of Kaia, a new Greek restaurant in Boston's South End. Kaia is under the umbrella of Xenia Greek Hospitality, a restaurant group which also owns the excellent Krasi Meze + Wine, Hecate, Bar Vlaha, and Greco truly Greek. I'm a huge fan of their restaurants, and expect Kaia will be another winner. The food and drink at their restaurants excels but there's another significant element which elevates your dining experience at these spots. 

The Xenia website states: "At Xenia Greek Hospitality, we are inspired by the ancient Greek concept which is built on guest-friendship. Today, we often forget how important not only the food being served is, but most importantly how it is being served. With a single visit to any of our concepts, you can experience the highest level of hospitality, with care and attention to all our guests, so you feel welcomed in our home." 

Some restaurants only give lip service to the concept of hospitality, but the Xenia group truly embraces its spirit and practice. I have met many of the people behind the Xenia group, such as Stefanos Ougrinis, Demetri Tsolakis, Natasha Breshinsky, Brendan Pelley, Evan Turner, and Chris Marcin. And each and every one of them has been an exemplar of hospitality. In addition, they are truly sincere in their hospitality. It's not merely a front, but a concept they embrace heart and soul. They pass on their belief in hospitality to their employees, and it's evident as well at all of their restaurants. The level of hospitality at the Xenia restaurants is a significant reason for their success. 

People dine out not just for good food and drink, but also for the experience. They want to be treated well, as a beloved guest, so if the hospitality is lacking, their experience suffers. And they won't want to repeat such a failed experience. Have your chef make the best food possible, have your sommelier compile a killer wine list, have your bartender concoct an awesome cocktail program, but without the element of hospitality, the experience becomes a failure.

When I consider my favorite restaurants, the commonality of them is that they provide excellent hospitality. Sure, I love the food and drink at these restaurants, but without proper hospitality, they wouldn't be considered my favorites. 

How important is the hospitality of a restaurant to you?