"Can I warn you? Go [to Canlis] soon. Because what my brother and I are about to do might bury a four generation old business." Mark Canlis revealed a new model for leading Canlis at The Roots of American Food Conference in Chicago earlier this month. And if it works, it could spark a shift towards people-first leadership in the restaurant industry.
Fourth-generation restaurateurs Mark Canlis and his brother Brian are moving the iconic restaurant's focus away from the bottom line and towards its staff. Eater National reports that Canlis is honing in on one main idea: "We're the restaurant industry, the hospitality business, and here we're not taking care of our own..." He points out that, "our industry is kind of a broken place" that is "not known for growing people," and that to respond he's about to "bet the farm on... a sort of emotionally intelligent leadership, and taking care of our people in front of taking care of our business."
Watch this video for details on what changes Canlis has started to make in its culture.
