Pre-Meal for Apr 30, 2025Every Detail Counts

Happy Wednesday!

I walked by a spectacularly designed car dealership in Manhattan the other day.

No expense had been spared. Between the beautifully polished concrete floors, custom beech cabinetry, and enormous, curved, custom plate-glass windows, the place looked more like an art gallery than a showroom. It certainly provided a worthy setting for the cars, glossy and beautifully designed themselves, and displayed like pieces of art.

I’m not even in the market for a car. Still, I found myself drawn in by the beauty and sheer thoughtfulness that had gone into every aspect of the space.

Until I hit the front door, where I found a piece of printer paper scotch-taped to the glass, “Back in five” scrawled in nearly illegible Sharpie.

Millions of dollars, countless hours of careful work, attention to quality at every turn — taken down by a crappy piece of copy paper.

Even a temporary sign is an expression of your brand; don’t let your team be reckless with it. You’ve identified your standard of excellence — but have you made it easy for the people who work for you to maintain it all the way across the board?

To give one example, is there a template with your logo and fonts on the manager’s computer, and a stack of heavyweight paper so they can quickly print out a sign — Elevator out of order! — that’s as gorgeous and intentional as everything else you do?

Excellence isn’t just about the big, flashy broad strokes, but the little details too. Build trust by reinforcing — to your team, and to your guests — that every one of those details matters.

Have a good service,

Will