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Can Restaurants Put People First? Jon Murray of Noko Hospitality Thinks So
Published 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Welcome to Industry Night with Nycci Nellis, where we go deep with the people shaping hospitality right now.
This episode comes at a moment when the industry is taking a hard look at itself. From conversations around René Redzepi and Noma to Pete Wells examining the brigade system, the question is clear: what does the future of restaurant culture look like?
My guest, Jon Murray of Noko Hospitality, is building a real answer.
Behind Noko and Kase x Noko, Jon is redefining hospitality with a people-first model—four-day workweeks, healthcare, therapy, and real work-life balance. He calls it, People Over Profits.
This is a conversation about leadership, culture, and what it takes to build restaurants that actually work for the people inside them.
Also, just don’t be a …. Jerk.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:20 - Discussing hospitality leadership and culture
04:24 - Focusing on employees first
07:06 - Reevaluating restaurant industry values
10:38 - Improving restaurant staff benefits
14:15 - Sticking to their principles
18:55 - Building a dedicated restaurant team
20:03 - How we hire our team
22:57 - Giving and receiving feedback
26:20 - Rethinking kitchen culture
30:05 - Community and local impact
34:21 - Prioritizing people in hospitality
35:41 - Outro
Key Takeaways
Redefining Success: People Over Profit
Rethinking Old-School Restaurant Culture
Hiring for Heart and Humanity
Leadership by Example: Don’t Be a Dick
Success with Heart: “If We Go Out of Business, At Least We Tried”
Community Commitment: Giving Back Isn’t Optional
A Challenge to the Industry: Think Beyond the Bottom Line
Quotes
Nycci Nellis:
"At the end of the day, hospitality is about people—both the ones we serve and the ones who are doing the serving. If we don’t take care of people inside our restaurants, the whole thing doesn’t work."
Jon Murray:
"If you lead with heart and you lead from the right place and you work your ass off, things happen the way they’re supposed to happen."
Follow Industry Night:
https://www.thelistareyouonit.com
Follow Nycci Nellis:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nyccinellis
Website: https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/
Produced by Heartcast Media:http://www.heartcastmedia.com
This episode comes at a moment when the industry is taking a hard look at itself. From conversations around René Redzepi and Noma to Pete Wells examining the brigade system, the question is clear: what does the future of restaurant culture look like?
My guest, Jon Murray of Noko Hospitality, is building a real answer.
Behind Noko and Kase x Noko, Jon is redefining hospitality with a people-first model—four-day workweeks, healthcare, therapy, and real work-life balance. He calls it, People Over Profits.
This is a conversation about leadership, culture, and what it takes to build restaurants that actually work for the people inside them.
Also, just don’t be a …. Jerk.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:20 - Discussing hospitality leadership and culture
04:24 - Focusing on employees first
07:06 - Reevaluating restaurant industry values
10:38 - Improving restaurant staff benefits
14:15 - Sticking to their principles
18:55 - Building a dedicated restaurant team
20:03 - How we hire our team
22:57 - Giving and receiving feedback
26:20 - Rethinking kitchen culture
30:05 - Community and local impact
34:21 - Prioritizing people in hospitality
35:41 - Outro
Key Takeaways
Redefining Success: People Over Profit
Rethinking Old-School Restaurant Culture
Hiring for Heart and Humanity
Leadership by Example: Don’t Be a Dick
Success with Heart: “If We Go Out of Business, At Least We Tried”
Community Commitment: Giving Back Isn’t Optional
A Challenge to the Industry: Think Beyond the Bottom Line
Quotes
Nycci Nellis:
"At the end of the day, hospitality is about people—both the ones we serve and the ones who are doing the serving. If we don’t take care of people inside our restaurants, the whole thing doesn’t work."
Jon Murray:
"If you lead with heart and you lead from the right place and you work your ass off, things happen the way they’re supposed to happen."
Follow Industry Night:
https://www.thelistareyouonit.com
Follow Nycci Nellis:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nyccinellis
Website: https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/
Produced by Heartcast Media:http://www.heartcastmedia.com