Radical Hospitality: This is what radical hospitality looks like

Putting Employees First: The Core of Radical Hospitality

You know the airplane rule—put your mask on before helping others.

That’s the motto that Anthony Sitek, chef-owner of Crown Restaurant Group in Cincinnati, takes. His company’s service-forward approach is not just to get guests to come back—it’s to serve and support his team, first and foremost.

“We call this ‘radical hospitality,’” he says. “We’re investing in every corner of the restaurant to make the experience better—but we’re also investing in each and every one of our team.”

Sitek credits a hands-on leadership team, including his wife, Haley Nutter-Sitek; director of operations Brenna Alderman; and food and beverage director Alex Stevens, for helping develop this strong culture. “They’re 100% with the teams every day, and I’m with the back of the house every day,” Sitek says. That attention has paid off, he notes.

What Radical Hospitality MeansRadical Hospitality

Nutter-Sitek explains how radical hospitality also extends to the guests. “Radical hospitality is everything that happens between the steps of service—it's not just filling waters, bringing the food,” she says. “It’s recognizing a note on OpenTable that says someone is celebrating an occasion, and then making that moment feel personal. We literally have happy anniversary cards that we will bring them, and a champagne toast. … They’re choosing us and we don’t take that lightly.” Nutter-Sitek recalls a special moment when a manager ran out to a store to buy another pair of shoes after a guest broke her heel on the way in.

“You can give people sh*t food, but if the service is great, they’re going back,” Sitek says. “We make everything from scratch—our own butchery, pasta, ice cream—but service is just as important.” Click here to check out how Sitek makes the signature arancini from Rosie’s Italian.

Nutter-Sitek says that culture starts with who they hire and how they treat people once they’re in the door. “I can train food and I can train service, but I can’t train you how to be a good person and have a heart and connect with people,” she says, adding that she’s worked in restaurants where she literally dreaded going to work, and she was determined not to recreate that: “From the get-go, our staff—front and back—feel valued, and they feel heard.”

Building a Culture of TransparencyTotal Transparency

Open Books and Financial Clarity

Sitek says an open book format helps this inclusive culture. “We don’t hide anything when it comes to finances—the books are open,” he says. “Our turnover is low because we invest in our team—even skipping my own paycheck if needed. We’d rather take care of our employees than ourselves, because the return is better long-term.”

Leading by Example, Working Alongside the Team

Nutter-Sitek says showing up also means working alongside the team: “We’re never going to ask them to do stuff we wouldn’t do,” she says, adding that there have been days when “Anthony’s in a full-blown suit, and he’ll be doing dishes because the dishwasher didn’t show up.”

Growth From Within

Internal growth is another reason the Siteks’ team has held together—and helped the company grow.

“We had one of our best GMs tell us she wanted to move closer to Columbus,” Sitek says. “So, we started looking at spaces there. Now she’s going to run that location for us, and she’s bringing another top GM with her so he can grow and learn with her.”

“The reason we have been able to grow so quickly is because people wanted to grow with us,” Nutter-Sitek says. “When [our team] ask us questions like, ‘What’s my next step?’ We want to create opportunities for them.”

“When we expand, we look at what brands scale—but we also ask what gives our staff the best quality of life possible. That absolutely factors into the decision-making,” Sitek adds.

To hear from more US Foods customers and chef/owners who have taken steps to take better care of their teams, click here