Guest experience

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Spectacle ROI vs Scene Retention: The Two Financial Logics of Nightlife

One of the biggest misunderstandings in modern nightlife is assuming the business runs on a single economic system. It doesn’t.

A sold-out Saturday doesn’t mean your model works, it just means your event worked.

What looks like one category from the outside is actually operating on two fundamentally different financial logics. Some venues run on Spectacle ROI, monetizing attention in spikes through high-impact nights. Others run on Scene Retention, monetizing repeat behavior through habit, identity, and belonging.

Both models can succeed. However, they require different strategies, risk tolerance, and expectations.

Nightlife hasn’t just split culturally, it has split economically.

by David Klemt

A DJ performing from an elevated both, with lights and fog going off over the crowd

Spectacle ROI: The Event Model

Spectacle-driven venues operate like live events.

Revenue is concentrated into big nights, big bookings, and big production. Talent becomes a headliner rather than background. Lighting, visuals, and room energy are core parts of the product. VIP sales function as a structured access economy.

The goal isn’t consistency, it’s impact.

Spectacle venues are built to answer one question: How big can this night be?

When this model hits, it hits hard; a single night can outperform several average weeks. The upside per activation is significant.

The trade-off is structural. Spectacle relies on novelty, meaning programming must refresh constantly, and attention fades faster than loyalty. Without momentum, gravity weakens quickly.

Scene Retention: The Habit Model

Scene-driven venues operate more like cultural infrastructure.

Revenue comes from repeat behavior, not single-night spikes. Guests return because the space feels familiar, aligned, and socially meaningful. Programming cadence matters more than headliner scale, and identity and community replace spectacle as the primary draw.

The question here isn’t how big the night can be, it’s how often the same guests return.

The Scene model builds more slowly than its Spectacle counterpart. This model rarely produces explosive revenue peaks. The retention that the Scene model generates compounds: loyalty stabilizes revenue, and acquisition pressure drops. The venue becomes part of a guest’s social routine, not just an occasional destination.

Scene doesn’t monetize moments, it monetizes habits.

The Revenue Split in Plain View

Spectacle operates on ROE, return-on-event; Scene operates on retention.

One monetizes attention in spikes; the other builds gravity that compounds over time.

That difference shows up everywhere operationally.

The Nightlife Revenue Split

Dimension Spectacle ROI Model Scene Retention Model
Core Goal Maximize revenue per night Maximize guest lifetime value
Economic Engine Event spikes Habit formation
Revenue Pattern Volatile, high peaks Stable, compounding
Guest Motivation Occasion, visibility Belonging, familiarity
Programming Strategy Big moments Consistent rhythm
Marketing Focus Reach, hype Relationship, trust
Risk Profile High Moderate to low
Talent Dependency High Moderate
Growth Style Fast, unstable Slow, durable
Gravity Source Novelty Habit

Neither model is “better” than the other. They’re built for different environments, capital structures, and operator skill sets.

Where Operators Get Into Trouble

Most struggling venues aren’t failing nightlife, they’re failing model and strategic clarity.

Examples show up everywhere:

  • Spectacle-scale buildout with mid-tier programming.

  • Big DJ nights layered onto a space that lacks identity.

  • Strong community concept buried under overhead designed for event economics.

These are structural mismatches.

You can’t run event economics on retention demand. You can’t expect habit behavior in a room designed for episodic spectacle. And you can’t out-market a model mismatch forever.

Diagnostic: Which Business Are You Actually Running?

Operators often think they’re running as one model while their numbers say they’re operating under another. The checklist below is a reality check.

Spectacle ROI Signals

  • ☐ Our biggest nights drive a disproportionate share of revenue

  • ☐ Talent bookings influence weekly performance heavily

  • ☐ Marketing cycles revolve around specific dates or headliners

  • ☐ Guest traffic varies dramatically week to week

  • ☐ VIP/Table sales are a primary profit engine

  • ☐ Production value is central to guest expectations

  • ☐ Without programming refresh, attendance drops fast

  • ☐ We rely heavily on new guest acquisition

  • ☐ Guests talk about specific nights more than our actual venue/brand

  • ☐ Our revenue model depends on scale and volume

If you’ve checked six or more boxes, you’re operating a Spectacle ROI model.

Scene Retention Signals

  • ☐ Regular guests attend multiple times per month

  • ☐ Staff recognize frequent guests

  • ☐ Programming cadence matters more than individual bookings

  • ☐ Week-to-week revenue is relatively stable

  • ☐ Word-of-mouth outperforms paid promotion

  • ☐ Guests describe our venue as their “spot”

  • ☐ Community identity matters (music, culture, subculture)

  • ☐ Nights feel familiar but still engaging

  • ☐ Loyalty drives traffic more than hype

  • ☐ The business could survive a week without headline talent

You’re operating a Scene Retention model if you’ve checked six or more boxes.

The Red Zone

If both sections score high, you may be trying to operate two incompatible economic systems in one space. That’s where identity confusion, overhead mismatches, programming inconsistency, and marketing inefficiency tend to show up.

This is a red flag, and your reality check, particularly if you feel like you’re working hard but not gaining traction. The issue likely isn’t effort, it’s alignment.

Where Gravity Lives

Spectacle captures attention, Scene builds gravity.

Gravity reduces acquisition pressure. It stabilizes revenue and increases guest lifetime value. Without it, venues remain stuck in perpetual re-acquisition mode, always chasing the next spike and new, first-time guests.

That doesn’t make Spectacle wrong or a “bad” model; it means Spectacle is a different business.

The Decision That Shapes Everything

Before programming calendars, deciding on talent budgets, or developing marketing plans, operators need to answer one question: Are we built to maximize nights or years?

The answer shapes staffing structure, pricing strategy, programming cadence, capital planning, and growth expectations.

Clarity here doesn’t limit a concept, it lays it a stable operating foundation on which a successful legacy brand can be built.

Nightlife hasn’t just fragmented socially; it has separated into two financial logics. Operators who understand which model they’re actually running and stop trying to be both are the leaders positioned to build nightlife brands with real staying power.

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

When Nightlife Becomes an Industry: Spectacle Economics in the U.S.

The U.S. shows what happens when Spectacle Nightlife reaches full maturity: the category shifts from subculture to structured entertainment economy.

Over the past several years, nightlife hasn’t just gotten bigger in the U.S., it has become an industry all its own.

In cities like Las Vegas, a club night can carry the economics of a touring concert, the sales structure of luxury hospitality, and the marketing engine of a major event.

This isn’t nightlife as Scene, it’s nightlife as Spectacle infrastructure. DJ bookings become headline acts, VIP ecosystems become core revenue engines, and venues function less like local scenes and more like recurring live-event platforms.

Understanding this shift isn’t about monitoring trends, it’s recognizing how scale changes the economics, risks, and operating realities of going out.

by David Klemt

Female DJ on the decks, overlooking a nightclub crowd bathed in red light

There was a time when nightlife was primarily a cultural business with entertainment layered into operations and programming.

In the U.S., that equation has flipped.

Today, top-tier Spectacle Nightlife operates at the intersection of three systems:

  • Live-event economics: headliner-style bookings, one-night performance stakes

  • Luxury hospitality mechanics: tiered access, service levels, status signaling

  • Entertainment production logic: lighting, staging, sound, and visuals as core product

This reality goes beyond just running a “busy club.” These venues are now functioning as recurring event platforms.

The DJ is no longer in the background, they’re the headliner. Production is no longer atmosphere, it’s the expectation. VIP is no longer a side offering, it’s the revenue engine.

That is industrialization.

Las Vegas: The Fully Realized Spectacle Model

If you want to see the Spectacle model built out fully, you look to Las Vegas.

Vegas has proven something the rest of the industry now studies and tries to emulate at varying scales: nightlife can be engineered like a large-scale entertainment product when tourism volume, capital investment, and talent pipelines align.

Here, a single night can resemble a festival set compressed into a room (or pool deck, or rooftop, or…):

  • internationally known DJs

  • large-format LED installations

  • choreographed lighting and visual sequences

  • host-driven VIP ecosystems functioning like parallel sales forces

Guest segmentation isn’t incidental, it’s strategic. General admission, elevated GA, table service, VVIP… Each tier represents a different product, not just a different price.

Vegas didn’t simply grow its clubs, it has built a repeatable Spectacle machine.

Spectacle Beyond Vegas: Markets Scaling the Model Differently

While Las Vegas is the clearest example of industrialized Spectacle Nightlife, it isn’t alone.

Other U.S. cities have developed variations of the model. Some may operate at a slightly reduced scale but they’re still built around visibility, production, and high-value guest segmentation.

Miami: Spectacle as Lifestyle Infrastructure

In Miami, nightlife merges with tourism, luxury culture, and 24-hour energy.

Venues like E11EVEN Miami demonstrate how Spectacle logic travels outside Vegas: performance-driven environments, celebrity DJs, VIP ecosystems, and branding that positions the club as a destination in itself. The club even has its own lifestyle clothing brand, with its own dedicated website.

Miami’s version of Spectacle is less about mega-scale venues and more about allure, visibility, and proximity. That said, the economics still revolve around tiered access, production value, and guest perception of status.

Lesson: Spectacle doesn’t need Vegas volume if the city already functions as a global playground.

New York: Spectacle Under Density Pressure

New York City supports both Scene ecosystems and Spectacle venues, but its Spectacle model operates under different constraints: real estate costs, licensing limits, and neighborhood density.

Large-format nights still exist, but the economics require sharper programming, faster turnover of what’s “hot,” and stronger marketing engines. In NYC, Spectacle must fight harder for attention because the city’s overall entertainment field is so crowded.

Lesson: Spectacle in dense urban markets becomes a momentum business: constant refresh, constant visibility.

San Francisco: Spectacle Facing Structural Headwinds

San Francisco shows what happens when Spectacle-style nightlife meets demographic and economic pressure.

Large, generalized club formats have struggled as population patterns and social habits shift. The result isn’t the disappearance of nightlife, but a reduction in the viability of broad, mainstream Spectacle venues.

Markets like this expose a key truth: Spectacle requires the right ecosystem (population flow, tourism, and nightlife culture density) to remain sustainable.

Lesson: Without structural support, Spectacle struggles to maintain gravity.

What Scale Changes

When Spectacle scales to this level, the rules of nightlife shift.

1. Programming Becomes High Stakes

In smaller scenes, a soft lineup might dent a week. At industrial Spectacle scale, one weak booking can impact staffing efficiency, beverage forecasts, and margin performance in a single night.

Talent becomes a cost center that must perform like an asset.

2. Operating Costs Reshape Risk

Between talent fees, production crews, technical systems, security, and host teams, the cost structure resembles event production more than traditional bar operations.

Profitability depends on volume, pricing power, and consistent demand. This model rewards scale, and punishes inconsistency.

3. Marketing Becomes Infrastructure

Promotion is no longer a tactic, it’s a crucial system.

Hosts, promoters, influencer networks, partnerships, and digital campaigns function as a distributed sales and awareness engine. Without it, the machine stalls.

4. The Middle Gets Squeezed

At this scale, the market tends to split into true Spectacle venues, and everything else.

Mid-sized concepts that borrow the look without the engine and gravity often struggle to justify their position.

The Trade-Off of Spectacle at Scale

Industrial Spectacle Nightlife delivers destination pull, global brand visibility, massive revenue potential, and talent relationships that feed future programming.

However, this scale also compresses cultural cycles.

When production value rises everywhere, differentiation must move faster. Trend lifespans shorten, talent dependence deepens, and fatigue sets in more quickly if the experience feels interchangeable.

The more nightlife behaves like industry, the less room there is for cultural ecosystems that are slower to grow to define the mainstream.

The Counterweight: Scene Nightlife in the U.S.

Even in the U.S., Spectacle isn’t the whole story. If Spectacle represents nightlife as industry, Scene represents nightlife as cultural infrastructure.

Further, Scene nightlife isn’t limited to “small” or “secondary” markets, it’s simply the counterweight.

In places like Brooklyn, Chicago, and Detroit, Scene Nightlife operates on a different economic model. The model is defined by lower production arms races, deeper musical or cultural identity, and repeat behavior driven by belonging rather than visibility.

However, these spaces aren’t anti-Spectacle. Instead, they simply monetize a different currency: loyalty rather than volume.

This is the same structural split visible in Canada (and elsewhere), just with greater economic extremes on the Spectacle side in the U.S.

Chicago: Scene as Heritage and Habit

Chicago operates on deep musical lineage and neighborhood ecosystems. House music culture, live music venues, and genre-driven nights create repeat behavior grounded in identity, not production scale.

Chicago’s nightlife isn’t built around Spectacle-motivated spikes, it’s built around weekly rhythms that feel owned by the community.

This is where I first experienced nightlife, from the city’s biggest and most (in)famous nightclubs to goth and industrial bars, and everything in between. Chicago’s Scene Nightlife shaped a significant portion of who I am today.

Detroit: Culture Over Flash

Detroit remains one of the clearest examples of Scene logic. Techno heritage, intimate venues, and music-first environments make nightlife feel participatory rather than performative.

The value isn’t in flashy visual production. In Detroit, the value is in credibility.

Brooklyn: Scene at Urban Scale

Brooklyn demonstrates how Scene can operate at significant size without losing identity. Music-driven venues, warehouse-style events, and culturally specific nights build followings based on trust and consistency.

Brooklyn shows Scene doesn’t mean small. The reality is that Scene Nightlife in Brooklyn is anchored in culture first, scale second.

Portland: Micro-Scene Density

Portland thrives on personality-driven nightlife: themed venues, alternative events, and subculture-specific programming. These rooms rarely compete on spectacle; they compete on character.

This is nightlife designed for people who already know why they’re there, who want to be present, and who value experience over exposure.

Denver: Experience Reframed

Denver shows how Scene evolves with guest behavior. Social events, live music, and alternative nightlife formats emphasize connection, pacing, and community over traditional late-night spectacle.

Here, nightlife behaves less like a production and more like shared experience infrastructure.

What This Means for Operators

When considering starting a nightlife venue, the most important decision by operators isn’t design style, it’s business model identity.

The Spectacle Nightlife model operates on ROE: return on event. Scene Nightlife operates on retention. One monetizes attention in spikes, the other builds gravity that compounds over time.

Dimension Spectacle Nightlife Scene Nightlife
Economic Driver Event revenue spikes Repeat visit frequency
Financial Logic Return on event Retention/Lifetime value
Guest Motivation Visibility, energy, occasion Belonging, familiarity, identity
Programming Model Big nights, headline draws Consistent cadence, trusted rhythm
Risk Profile High volatility Lower volatility, slower growth
Marketing Focus Momentum and reach Community and trust
Gravity Source Hype cycles Habit formation

If You’re Playing Spectacle at Scale:

You are in several businesses at once: the event business, the talent business, and the luxury access business.

To ensure you succeed in Spectacle Nightlife, you need capital depth, programming pipelines, partnerships, and risk tolerance.

This is a high-reward, high-volatility model.

If You’re Not:

Attempting to replicate Spectacle aesthetics without Spectacle economics is incredibly dangerous.

Most markets can’t support industrial-scale nightlife infrastructure. Therefore, following the logic, many are better suited to Scene logic: identity, community, programming cadence, and repeat behavior.

Clarity on how to execute the Scene Nightlife model will help an operator create gravity (the invisible force that pulls the right guests back, again and again).

The Bigger Picture

The U.S. demonstrates what happens when Spectacle Nightlife reaches full economic maturity.

It’s impressive, there’s no doubt it. I’ve witnessed the evolution and industrialization of nightlife in Las Vegas firsthand for nearly two decades.

It’s engineered. Successful Spectacle Nightlife venues are systemized fully, with ruthless precision; nothing is left to chance.

Importantly, it’s also profitable. There are venues that boast nine-figure revenue generation annually.

However, it also makes the defining divide clearer than ever: nightlife today is built either for scale and visibility or depth and belonging.

Operators who understand which business they’re really in—and stop pretending they’re in both—are the industry leaders positioned for longevity as the economics of going out continue to evolve.

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Canada’s Nightlife Split: Spectacle vs. Scene, and What it Means for Operators

Closures don’t kill nightlife, sameness does. Across Canada’s major cities, nightlife isn’t disappearing, it’s sorting itself.

What used to be a broad middle ground of bars and clubs for everyone is fragmenting into two distinct operating models.

A recent cultural critique described nightlife as splitting between highly visible, algorithm-feeding spectacle and darker, more immersive underground spaces built for experience over exposure. (Indeed, a number of nightclubs and nightlife venues have dance floor phone bans in place to protect at least one element of the guest experience, and keep people present.) It’s a sharp observation.

For operators, this isn’t about aesthetics or vibes. Nightlife operators need to understand how attention works now, how guests behave inside venues, and what really drives repeat behavior. What we’re seeing is a structural divide: Spectacle Nightlife vs. Scene Nightlife.

This split isn’t uniquely Canadian. It’s visible in major nightlife markets across the U.S. and globally. However, Canada’s cities offer a particularly clear view of how the two models compete and coexist.

Canada’s nightlife markets are a live case study on how these two models, Spectacle and Scene, compete, coexist, and succeed differently.

by David Klemt

DJs performing in tandem or back-to-back inside dark a nightclub.

The Structural Split: Spectacle vs Scene

Spectacle Nightlife

Spectacle nightlife is built for visibility.

These are high-energy, high-production environments designed to deliver moments, visually, socially, and culturally. They thrive on:

  • scale

  • lighting and production

  • social media momentum

  • “who’s hot tonight?” dynamics

Guests don’t just attend these venues and curated events. They perform in their own right, for friends, strangers, and, undeniably and increasingly, for the feed. The room is part dance floor, part stage.

From an operator standpoint, Spectacle Nightlife typically means:

  • higher buildout and operating costs

  • constant programming refresh to avoid fatigue

  • strong marketing engines

  • volatile relevance curves (big spikes, fast drop-offs)

When it works, it prints. When it fades, it fades fast.

Scene Nightlife

Scene nightlife is built for immersion.

These spaces are less about being seen and more about being there, and being present in the moment. The focus is on:

  • music or cultural identity

  • community and familiarity

  • programming depth over production scale

  • nights that feel specific rather than interchangeable

The goal isn’t to create a moment for a camera, it’s to create a night people remember. Importantly, they remember the night (or day; I haven’t forgotten about you, daylife operators and programmers) because they were present in it, not documenting it.

Operationally, Scene Nightlife tends to mean:

  • programming-driven differentiation

  • slower growth but deeper loyalty

  • lower hype volatility

  • stronger long-term cultural positioning

The energy isn’t just explosive, it’s sticky.

Why This Split is Happening: Sameness Fatigue

Guests aren’t just more price-sensitive, they’ve become experience-sensitive.

This has been true for several years now. A significant percentage of consumers make it clear they’re more interested in paying for experience than just buying things.

When nightlife starts to feel like the same playlist in the same room with the same crowd posting the same photos and videos, people pull back. They’re not rejecting nightlife entirely but they see no value in buying into interchangeable nights.

Spectacle formats that don’t evolve quickly enough collapse into noise. Scene formats, when done well, stand out because they feel specific to a sound, a community, a neighborhood, a subculture.

This is the backdrop against which Canada’s nightlife markets are operating.

How Canada’s Markets Reflect the Split

Vancouver: The Rise of the Intentional Night

Vancouver behaves increasingly like a Scene-leaning market.

Instead of broad, mainstream club ecosystems, the traction is in curated parties, themed nights, listening-bar energy, and ticketed or semi-ticketed events.

Discovery often happens through community networks, not just mass promotion. Nights with a clear identity (sonic, cultural, or thematic) outperform generic formats.

Operator lesson: Vancouver rewards clarity over scale. Being for someone beats trying to be for everyone.

Toronto: Big Enough for Both, Brutal to the Weak

Toronto can support Spectacle Nightlife. It has the population, tourism flow, and density to sustain high-visibility formats.

However, Toronto also punishes mediocrity, and it does so quickly.

At the same time, Toronto’s neighborhood ecosystems and niche venues show strong Scene dynamics. There are music-first rooms, culturally anchored spaces, and smaller venues with loyal followings.

Operator lesson: Toronto isn’t anti-spectacle, it’s anti-average. If you’re running Spectacle logic, it has to be sharp. On the other hand, if you’re Scene-driven, it has to be real.

Calgary: Social Infrastructure Over Spectacle

Calgary leans naturally toward Scene Nightlife.

The strength of its after-dark culture often lives in live music, approachable social bars, neighborhood movement, and nights built around connection, not performance.

This is nightlife as habit, not event. The room is a place to gather, not a place to stage a moment.

Operator lesson: Not every market wants a stage; some just want a room. Concepts that feel like community infrastructure rather than Spectacle venues hold traction.

Montreal: Culture as Competitive Advantage

Montreal’s nightlife behaves most like culture, not just entertainment.

Its advantage isn’t just venue count, it’s in neighborhood identity, programming depth, and scenes with history and credibility.

Even when venues scale, they often retain a Scene backbone: a sense that guests are stepping into a space that has context and character.

Operator lesson: You can’t manufacture Montreal-style nightlife with capital alone. Culture compounds, but only if it’s protected.

What This Means for Operators

The biggest mistake right now is trying to sit in the middle. Borrowing the look of Spectacle Nightlife without the engine or trying to co-opt the vibe of Scene Nightlife without the depth are failing “strategies.”

Positioning Question: Which model are you building?

This choice shapes a number of crucial operating elements, such as:

  • marketing strategy

  • staffing profile

  • programming cadence

  • revenue rhythm

  • risk tolerance

If You’re Spectacle-Leaning:

You need a strong visual and production identity, constant programming evolution, social momentum, and a content strategy.

Further, you’ll need to maintain operational precision under pressure.

If you choose to operate in the space of Spectacle Nightlife, you’re in the attention business; stagnation is your enemy.

If You’re Scene-Leaning:

You need consistent, credible programming. You’ll also need to build a team who understands culture, not just service.

Scene Nightlife operators must commit to community integration. Community in the sense of the immediate neighborhood, the town or city, and the subcultures targeted in the programming.

Crucially, if you’re a Scene Nightlife operator, you’ll need patience. Your brand will build more slowly but will also last longer.

You’re in the belonging business, and authenticity is your currency.

The New Competitive Advantage

Neither Spectacle nor Scene Nightlife concepts can rely on buildout alone for an advantage. Similarly, they can’t rely on table and bottle sales, nor will they succeed simply because of their talent bookings.

The new, clear competitive advantage in nightlife, regardless of how the concept leans, is clarity of experience design. Clarity is what creates gravity, the invisible force that pulls the right guests back, again and again.

Nightlife operators need to ask key questions about their experience design and programming:

  • What kind of night is this?

  • Who is this night for?

  • Why should a guest return after this night, not just once but habitually?

The markets that will thrive aren’t the ones with “more nightlife.” They’re the markets with clearer nightlife: concepts that understand whether they’re building spectacle or building scene, and align every decision accordingly.

It’s important to understand that nightlife hasn’t split because guests have stopped going out. The reality is that nightlife has split because because guest attention has changed.

Operators who understand this shift aren’t just surviving this era, they’re the leaders who will define what going out looks like next.

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Ditch Draconian Drink Development

Ditch Draconian Drink Development

by David Klemt

Hand throwing two red dice on a dark gaming table

This is not a viable business strategy.

As we enter the holiday season we need to reiterate that a single person can influence the bar and restaurant decision for an entire group.

Let me be even more blunt, now that I’ve got you here. As we head into 2026, I find it a bit shocking that we still need to address alcohol-free programming.

A recent trip to Colorado is putting this topic back in the spotlight for me. Pair it with menu programming for clients and I simply can’t let it go.

KRG Hospitality was in Denver for The Hospitality Show and Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025. President and principal consultant Doug Radkey spoke on a panel with chef and restaurateur Adrianne Calvo and chief marketing officer Lauren Barash.

While we were in town for the show, we attended other education sessions. One of these was “Trend on Tap,” which focused on beverage trends.

The entire panel was insightful, but something said by Miranda Breedlove, the national director of bars for the Lifestyle Division of Hyatt Hotels, really stood out to me.

To summarize, a single person—the non-drinker—has the power to decide which bar or restaurant a group chooses to visit.

Who, not Why

Let’s be clear about a crucial point: It doesn’t matter why someone has chosen to not consume alcohol.

A person may never drink alcohol. They may choose to forego alcohol for a month, week, or day. Someone may decide to stop consuming alcohol during a visit to a bar or restaurant.

None of that matters. What’s important is being respectful of that decision, being hospitable regardless.

One effective way of showing respect for that choice is giving more than a few seconds consideration to your zero-proof options.

In this situation, the who is more important than the why.

Who is the guest your zero-proof program is trying to reach? The guest who decides they want a zero-proof drink.

Why don’t they want to drink alcohol? It doesn’t matter. Why doesn’t it matter? It’s nobody’s business.

The only “why” relevant to this situation is, why are you taking the time to consider a well-crafted, zero-proof program? To be hospitable and serve all of your guests to the best of your ability. That’s good business in the hospitality business.

Which Sounds Better?

I’m going to present you with two options to consider.

Which sounds like a more enjoyable experience to you:

Option 1: Guests who want a non-alcohol drink are limited to water, soda, or juice in a bottle or can, or off the gun.

Option 2: Guests find a curated, zero-proof section on your menu, and experience the same service and presentation as guests who order low- or full-proof cocktails.

Of those two options, which seems like it delivers a memorable guest experience? Which option ensures a guest who doesn’t want to consume alcohol feels comfortable and valued?

I know I wouldn’t bother returning to a bar or restaurant that made me feel alienated rather than welcomed. And if I’m in a group of people, as Breedlove said, I can influence them to avoid that venue while we’re discussing where to go.

Rolling the Dice

Failing to develop an intentional, well-curated non-alc program is rolling the dice.

You’re rolling the dice on the guest experience. Rolling the dice on transforming first-time visitors into repeat guests.

And, in 2025, nearing 2026, you’re rolling the dice on your brand’s perception.

Sure, ten years ago or so the viability of zero-proof was debatable. Some operators and bartenders saw the value in appealing to guests, whether sober or sober in the moment, and treating them to the same experience as every other guest.

In the other camp, operators and bartenders who saw non-alc cocktails as a waste of time. I remember hearing bartenders say that making zero-proof drinks was pointless because they didn’t make the bar money, and didn’t make them tips.

However, it’s no longer debatable; refusing to be intentional about a zero-proof program for your bar or restaurant is bad business.

The proof is in the decision-making process. If the non-alcohol drinker can make the final choice for bar or restaurant selection for an entire party, it proves the importance of non-alc.

Not Done Yet

Breedlove made another excellent point that also relates to outdated thinking about beverage programs.

To paraphrase Breedlove, “batching” is not a bad word.

This is particularly true for high-volume bars. Likewise, it’s true of high-demand signature drinks that drive sales for a particular bar or restaurant.

As Breedlove said, if the drink won’t suffer, put your high-volume orders on draft. The reasoning is simple: your team likely can’t put out as many of a high-performing, high-volume drink to order as they can if it’s batched.

More of that popular, revenue-driving order going across the bar means more revenue, more tips, and reduced ticket times. Overall, it’s a win-win: better for the bottom line, and better for the guest experience.

And, as I’m sure you’ve put together, this can apply to your zero-proof menu. Have a killer non-alc Margarita? Put it on draft, save time in service.

The key to success, whether batching alcohol or non-alcohol drinks, is in the presentation. Give careful consideration to your ice program, glassware, garnish, and presentation so guests don’t feel shafted regarding the experience.

We’re having to adapt in hospitality once again. We need to make sure we’re moving past outmoded ways of thinking so we can move forward quickly and with strategic clarity.

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Excellence Fuels Influence in Hospitality

Excellence Fuels Influence in Hospitality

by David Klemt

The word "excellent" in a vintage script, superimposed over the image of a pint on a bar top.

Cool grabs attention. Good builds trust. And excellence? Excellence transforms your brand into an industry benchmark others want to emulate.

When someone recognizes a hospitality brand’s excellence, when they admire it, that means they respect how its team operates. They see consistency, character, leadership, and the brand’s aesthetic.

They see something that resonates with them. Something they’d recommend, talk about, maybe even want to copy to some degree. When a brand’s excellence is grounded in authenticity rather than performance, it becomes a serious competitive advantage.

The Five Traits of Excellence

When I first looked into these traits, they were described as “admirable,” or the characteristics associated with “admirability.”

However, I’ve had time to sit with these traits, and I feel it’s more appropriate to view them through the lens of excellence.

With that out of the way, research reveals five recurring traits of excellence (or admirability, if you prefer):

  • Attractive
  • Competent
  • Desirable
  • Friendly
  • Trendy

These traits represent perceived value. Not just operational performance, either. They’re tied to the vibe, confidence, and cultural relevance that set brands operating at a higher level—excellence—apart from the rest.

Attractive: First Impressions Still Matter

Let’s not pretend aesthetics don’t matter.

Attractive brands look the part. They photograph well. They feel polished. However, the polish goes deeper than surface level. The aesthetic is part of a greater brand alignment.

Branding communicates and supports identity. Design supports the experience. Everything feels intentional.

You don’t need marble countertops or $300,000 lighting installs to succeed. Yes, those can be fantastic details, but they don’t automatically lead to excellence.

What’s necessary is cohesion, confidence, and strategic clarity in how your brand shows up every day.

Look like you believe in your concept. Most importantly, just don’t look it, live it.

Competent: Show Your Mastery Without Flash

Competence is often invisible when it’s done right. On the flip side, it’s painfully obvious when it’s missing.

Competent brands:

  • run tight ops;
  • deliver consistent product and/or service;
  • empower their teams to handle problems before they escalate; and
  • communicate clearly, inside and out.

Guests and staff trust competent brands because they follow through.

It’s not about perfection. As Bruce Lee is quoted as saying, “If you are cursed with perfectionism, then you’re absolutely sunk. This ideal is a yardstick which always gives you the opportunity to browbeat yourself.”

Instead, it’s all about professionalism and developing leadership skills.

Desirable: Create Pull Without the Performance

Desirability isn’t just about being booked out or trending. I’m not saying those are problems; both are excellent goals to pursue.

What I’m saying is an even better goal is to become someone’s desired brand. You want to lead your business to the level of excellence that makes it the first that comes to mind when someone wants to feel seen, celebrated, cool, or impressed.

People want to be associated with desirable brands. This absolutely applies to hospitality businesses. Guests want to be wowed and motivated to post about your business. They want to host their friends at your spot. They want to bring dates to you and your team, to visit with their colleagues and clients after meetings.

But you have to blow them away with excellence and make your brand desirable.

Desirability shows up when your space aligns with identity. It’s when people say, “This feels like me,” or, “I fit in here.”

Friendly: Be Approachable Without Losing Edge

Hospitality can’t be excellent if it’s cold. Friendliness is the bridge between capability and connection.

In admired brands, friendliness isn’t a script, it’s embedded.

It’s how the hosts greet guests. How managers lead the floor, and how bar teams communicate under pressure. Friendliness, like excellence itself, is achieved by nailing every step and every detail.

Your team is a reflection of your brand’s personality, and leadership’s reinforcement of standards surrounding tone and attitude. Regardless of personality, friendliness needs to be a pillar of your brand; it’s a cornerstone of hospitality.

That doesn’t mean dulling your edge if you, your team, and your brand have one. In that case, it means balancing edginess with professionalism and being warm and welcoming.

So, make sure friendliness isn’t something you or your team fake. Just like believing in your own brand, your team needs to actually live hospitality.

Trendy: Be Culturally Aware, Not Chameleonic

Trendiness is tricky.

Do it well and you feel current. You and your team are plugged in, exciting.

Do it wrong? You feel desperate.

Excellent, admirable brands don’t chase trends, they curate them. Excellent brands set the pace rather than follow someone else’s.

These are the brands that understand what fits their DNA, and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t.

Think of trendiness as a signal that you’re paying attention and evolving but not forgetting who you are and losing your brand identity.

Excellence Attracts Talent, and Keeps It

It’s no secret this industry has a labor challenge. But what’s often missed is that excellence works like gravity on guests and on talent.

People want to work somewhere led by someone that gives them a sense of pride. They want to work somewhere that gets talked about for the best reasons. They’re eager to be part of a brand that provides them near-daily opportunities to say, “I helped build this.”

So, give that to them. Become the leader in your market with the team that others are eager to join.

When your brand is admired, recruiting becomes less about chasing candidates and more about filtering them. You attract people aligned with your mission, energy, and culture.

Even better? Admiration born of excellence drives retention; people stay where they feel proud, seen, empowered, and challenged.

Excellence Inspires the Next Generation

When you lead your brand to excellence, you’re not just running a business, you’re helping shape the future of hospitality.

Operators who work toward, achieve, and maintain excellence become case studies. They get quoted, referenced, and emulated.

And whether they know it or not, they spark ambition in others. They inspire the bartender who dreams of opening their own cocktail bar. The server who’s sketching out a fast-casual concept. They’re a mentor to the GM who eventually moves on in their hospitality journey and launches their own successful concept.

Excellent leaders turn staff into students, and transform students into operators, and the cycle continues.

That’s a legacy. That’s leadership. It’s one of the most underrated impacts of getting all of this right.

Why Excellence Drives Long-Term Value

Cool is magnetic. Good is reliable. Excellence is memorable.

Excellent brands get the press, the partnerships, and the loyalty that goes beyond convenience.

They attract talent that wants to grow with them, not just collect a paycheck.

Admired brands:

  • operate with integrity;
  • evolve with purpose;
  • communicate with confidence; and
  • stay consistent in chaos.

To that last point, an excellent brand’s standards are so concrete, so non-negotiable, that they’re capable of thriving in chaotic situation. In fact, they defeat chaos and learn from it.

In short, excellence leads whether it’s trying to or not.

Reflection Questions for Operators

  1. What’s one thing your brand does that genuinely earns admiration rather than just attention?
  2. Are your aesthetics aligned with your service culture?
  3. Do your team members feel proud to represent your concept?
  4. What trends have you adopted that actually fit your identity?

The Final Bite: Know Who You Are, Then Amplify It

Now that you’ve seen all three dimensions —coolness, goodness, and excellence—you’ve got a strategic lens most operators never even consider.

It may seem overwhelming to consider 19 traits and how they relate to your brand. Luckily, you don’t need to master all of them. What you need to do is lead with intention.

Know who you are, amplify that, and remember:

  • Cool gets them in.
  • Good keeps them in.
  • Excellence makes them talk.

Want to build a brand that lasts? Get intentional about how people perceive you, and how your team lives that perception every single shift.

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The word "good" in a vintage script, superimposed over the image of a pint on a bar top.
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Good: Trust & Comfort Build Loyalty

Good: Trust & Comfort Build Loyalty

by David Klemt

The word "good" in a vintage script, superimposed over the image of a pint on a bar top.

Cool grabs attention because it’s magnetic and buzzworthy. But if you want people to come back and bring others with them, cool isn’t enough.

You need to be good.

However, when I say “good” I’m not talking about being nice, or offering competent service. This is hospitality; those are (or damn well should be) a given.

In hospitality, in this context, good is about emotional safety, reliability, and the kind of consistency that turns a first-time guest into a regular.

The best hospitality brands do more than just impress, they reassure.

The Eight Traits of Good

According to cross-cultural psychology research, eight traits consistently define what people perceive as “good” in others. We can apply these traits to brands as well.

I shared them earlier this year:

  • Agreeable
  • Calm
  • Conforming
  • Conscientious
  • Secure
  • Traditional
  • Universalistic
  • Warm

If cool is what gets guests in the door, good is what makes them feel welcome, seen, and safe enough to stick around.

Agreeable: Cooperative and Empathetic

Just as you can pick up on tension within moments of stepping inside a given venue, you can feel it when a venue is easygoing.

The team’s on the same page. The energy is collaborative. There’s a sense of mutual respect between staff and guests, and between team members and leadership.

Notably, however, being agreeable in hospitality isn’t about people-pleasing. In reality, it’s about creating a culture of empathy and professionalism.

When you step into such a venue you notice that hospitality isn’t forced, it’s practiced.

Calm: Clear-Headed Under Pressure

Calm hospitality environments feel better. They’re emotionally steady.

The pace may be fast, but the energy is measured, controlled, and confident. Guests pick up on this instantly, and so do team members.

When your culture is calm, you and your team don’t just survive a busy night, you all come together, thrive, and make it look easy.

Conforming: Reliable and Predictable (In the Best Way)

Let’s redefine “conforming.” When I use it in this context, I’m not talking about suppressing creativity. Instead, conformity is an alignment with expectations.

Guests return when they know what to expect. They come back when they trust that the experience will meet the impeccable standard you and your team have set every time.

It’s the culmination of onboarding, continuous training, non-negotiable SOPs, structure, and consistency.

Conformity, in this way, isn’t boring, it’s dependable.

Conscientious: Detailed and Purpose-Driven

Conscientious brands care about the little things. They’re organized, thoughtful, and consistent, and that shows up every shift in a multitude of ways.

It’s how the bar team garnishes each drink. How clean the bathrooms are kept. How team members communicate with each other, leadership, and guests throughout their shifts.

It comes through in your consideration of each and every touch point that guides the guest journey.

Conscientiousness builds trust. You’re delivering on the promise to your guests and your team that you don’t cut corners.

Secure: Safe, Seen, and Stable

Safety in hospitality isn’t just physical, it’s emotional.

Guests want to know that you’re going to take care of them because you respect them. You respect their decision to visit your venue, spend their time with you and your team, and spend their money inside your business.

Likewise, your team members want to feel protected, heard, supported, and empowered. To provide an example, I’ve made it clear more than once in articles and on the Bar Hacks podcast that I expect leadership to support team members. No, the guest isn’t always right. “The customer is always right” isn’t just an abused misquote, it’s an outdated sentiment any way you slice it.

I expect leaders to step in and handle all guest complaints; that’s a crucial part of the job. Do you want your team to believe in your concept? They had better be given proof that they should believe in leadership.

Security is built through:

  • clear boundaries;
  • steady leadership;
  • well-trained staff;
  • staff that feels cared for and respected; and
  • real accountability, regardless of role.

If your guests feel nervous or confused—and they will if that’s how your team feels—you’ve lost them.

Traditional: Grounded, Not Outdated

Tradition gets a bad rap in modern branding. Traditional values—community, respect, attention to ritual—are deeply comforting.

When used well, tradition creates familiarity and nostalgia, particularly at neighborhood spots, legacy venues, or family-forward brands.

And even modern, forward-thinking spots can lean on traditional service values without feeling dated.

Universalistic: Fair, Equal, and Consistent

This is where your hospitality values shine.

Universalistic brands don’t treat some guests better than others. They don’t ignore or dismiss certain demographics.

A universalistic hospitality brand operates from a belief that everyone deserves a great experience.

That belief, that value, creates equity. Equity creates trust.

Once you’ve earned that trust, you need to commit to keeping it. As the saying goes, “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.”

Warm: Friendly, Kind, and Human

Warmth is the final, and arguably most important, “good” trait.

Warmth shows up in tone, body language, follow-through, and how guests are made to feel the moment they walk in.

Anyone can serve someone. Warmth is what makes someone feel welcome.

Why “Good” Hospitality Brands Last

Good is often invisible. It doesn’t always get the hype but it builds return visits.

Goodness is what builds reputation, earns word-of-mouth referrals, and retains guests and team members.

Good brands become a reliable part of someone’s routine. They’re the go-to when friends visit from out of town. The default when someone asks, “Where should we go tonight?” They’re the first venue that pops into someone’s head when they think “date night.”

Reflection Questions for Operators

  1. Where does your team already show strength in “good” traits?
  2. Which of these eight traits does your guest journey express naturally?
  3. Which ones feel like gaps, and how could they be reinforced operationally?
  4. Are your brand values visible in your culture and your service, or are they just words on a website and inside an employee manual?

Up Next: Quantifying Excellence

In the final part of this series, we’ll unpack what it means to be seen as excellent, and how that perception drives brand equity, team pride, and long-term influence.

Because once you’ve nailed cool and good, excellence is what turns your brand into a benchmark.

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Cool: Magnetism Matters in Hospitality

Cool: Magnetism Matters in Hospitality

by David Klemt

The word "cool" in a vintage script, superimposed over the image of a pint on a bar top.

We all know what it feels like to walk into a cool space. The room hums, the lighting hits just right. The music, the people, the energy…it’s magnetic.

But when we talk about cool in hospitality, too often we’re referring to aesthetic alone: the vibe, the lighting, and the playlist, among other details.

The truth? Cool isn’t just visual. And it’s not trend-chasing.

Cool is a collection of behavioral traits. When those traits are intentional, the perception of cool becomes strategic. In turn, that magnetism becomes a strategic element.

The Six Traits of Cool

Cool can feel elusive, but it’s not mystical.

Cross-cultural research has identified six traits that people consistently associate with coolness.

They are:

  • Extraverted
  • Hedonistic
  • Powerful
  • Adventurous
  • Open
  • Autonomous

Let’s break them down, and apply them to hospitality.

Extraverted: Show Up and Stand Out

Cool brands don’t hide in the background.

They communicate clearly, loudly, and often. They show up on social and in the community. Cool brands own their tone.

However, they’re not loud for the sake of making noise. It means that they own the room without apology.

Think confident service teams, guest-forward experiences, and spaces designed for connection rather than just consumption.

Hedonistic: Make People Feel Good

Let’s kill the negative spin on the word “hedonistic” right from Jump Street.

In this context, it simply means “pleasure-oriented.”

Cool brands create experiences that feel good. Not just pleasant, memorable.

Drinks that hit flavor and presentation. Lighting that makes everyone look and feel attractive. Flow that feels frictionless.

This is about sensory impact. It’s why people will choose your place even if another spot has better prices or faster service.

Guests aren’t really buying food or drink; they can make either at home. They’re buying the feeling you, your team, and your venue gives them. In reality, they’re buying your cool, expecting it to reflect onto them.

Powerful: Influence, Not Ego

Power in a hospitality setting doesn’t mean dominating the scene.

For a hospitality brand, power means having influence. That influence makes guests feel like they’re somewhere that matters.

Power shows up when:

  • your venue sets trends instead of following them;
  • your team leads with confidence and autonomy; and
  • people talk about your space and brand when you’re not in the room.

A powerful brand doesn’t have to scream, it simply can’t be ignored.

Take the phrase, “real wealth doesn’t scream, it whispers.” Now, replace “wealth” with “coolness.” Do you believe someone when they loudly tell you that they’re cool? Or do you sense when they communicate it without having to say a word?

Adventurous: Show Some Edge

Cool brands take risks.

Try new menu items, new event formats, new collaborations. Don’t wait for permission, just do it.

However, keep in mind that risk and adventure don’t necessarily require recklessness. They simply require you to indicate, with confidence, that you’re willing to experiment publicly.

This could look like a pop-up collab with a neighboring venue. Hosting an event, a person, or a brand that’s never been seen or experienced in your market. Reinventing a tired night of the week with a totally new promotion.

Predictability is comforting, but adventure creates buzz. Be the buzz.

Open: Let the Culture In

Being open means staying curious to new ideas, influences, voices, and formats.

Guests notice when a brand is receptive, diverse, and dynamic. They reward that with their loyalty.

Openness in hospitality looks like:

  • Welcoming feedback, and acting on it.
  • Hiring for perspective rather than just experience.
  • Rotating menus or programming to reflect seasonality and community.

Cool doesn’t look the same in every city or concept. Openness helps you localize your identity without diluting your brand.

Autonomous: Lead with Vision, Not Imitation

The coolest brands feel like they were born fully formed,  even if we know the reality is messier and took years to perfect.

Why? Because they make decisions as themselves, not in response to what others are doing.

Autonomy shows up when your voice and values are clear across every touch point. When you stay consistent, even when competitors pivot. Your autonomy comes through when finally figure out what you’re not trying to be.

Hospitality is full of sameness. Cool stands out when it’s driven by clarity.

Why Cool Still Matters

Cool isn’t shallow, and it isn’t fleeting. Not when it’s rooted in these six traits.

Cool matters because it creates curiosity, conversation, and connection.

It’s what gets people to check you out, to take a risk and try you. That decision to try you is the first step to becoming a loyal guest, team member, or partner.

But remember that while cool can grab people’s attention and create energy, it’s not capable of creating sustainability on its own. You need systems in place to stabilize and scale.

A Few Reflection Questions

  1. What part of your guest experience feels truly cool right now?
  2. What parts feel tired, safe, or imitative?
  3. Which one of the six traits comes to your concept most naturally?
  4. Which one could you amplify intentionally this month?

Next Up: Quantifying “Good”

In the next installment, we’ll talk about the eight traits that make a brand feel good, the kind of hospitality that builds trust, reputation, and retention.

Until then, stay cool.

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Cool, Good, Excellent: 19 Defining Traits

Cool, Good, Excellent: 19 Defining Traits

by David Klemt

"Good. Cool. Excellent." Retro baseball jersey-style font superimposed over the image of a brick wall, bar top, and pint of beer

Cool gets people through your doors. Good impresses guests and keeps them coming back. Excellence inspires people to talk about you.

We throw around words like “cool,” “good,” and “excellent” all the time in this industry.

“Cool new spot.” “Good service.” “Excellent experience.”

But what do these terms actually mean when it comes to hospitality brands and strategy? More importantly, what do they mean to your guests, your team, and your community?

The truth is that perception is everything.

Cool. Good. Excellent. These aren’t just vibes, they’re measurable. If you’re not intentional about which of these traits your brand is projecting, the market will decide for you.

Let’s dig into the 19 traits that shape how your concept is perceived, trusted, and remembered.

Cool: The Magnetism Factor

Cool is what gets people talking. It draws guests in through a mix of confidence, curiosity, and charisma.

Researchers have identified six traits that consistently define cool across a multitude of cultures:

  • Extraverted: Social, talkative, and expressive.
  • Hedonistic: Oriented toward pleasure, excitement, and sensory experience.
  • Powerful: Assertive, influential, and bold.
  • Adventurous: Willing to take risks, and try new things.
  • Open: Curious, flexible, and adaptive.
  • Autonomous: Independent, self-driven, and unconcerned with conformity.

Sound familiar? These are the brands that pop off on social. The ones that get the influencer love, and that make guests feel seen.

You probably thought of a cool brand or two when you started reading this article. Hopefully, one was your own.

That said, there’s a catch: cool alone doesn’t carry a brand. It grabs attention, but without something deeper underneath, people move on. And they move on fast.

Good: The Retention Engine

If cool gets people through the door, good is what keeps them there.

The “good” brand traits are quieter, and that’s the point. They’re what make a concept feel dependable, thoughtful, and rooted.

There are eight of them:

  • Agreeable: Cooperative, empathetic, easy to work with, and accommodating.
  • Calm: Emotionally stable, composed, and clear-headed.
  • Conforming: Consistent, reliable, and willing to follow a structure.
  • Conscientious: Responsible, organized, and focused on detail.
  • Secure: Trustworthy, steady, and emotionally and physically safe.
  • Traditional: Grounded in shared values and norms.
  • Universalistic: Treats all people equally and fairly.
  • Warm: Friendly, kind, and welcoming.

Good brands don’t always make headlines, but they build habits. They’re the spots people go back to week after week. The places that make guests feel like regulars before they even are regulars.

Excellence: The Aspiration Layer

Cool is attention. Good is trust. Excellence? That’s respect.

When a brand is seen as excellent, it carries influence. It becomes a reference point, not just for guests but for peers, media, talent, and even future collaborators.

Five traits define excellence (or admirability):

  • Attractive: Physically appealing, well-designed, and aesthetically impactful/appealing.
  • Competent: Skilled, knowledgeable, and consistently excellent.
  • Desirable: Sought after, relevant, and aspirational.
  • Friendly: Approachable, kind, and human.
  • Trendy: Aligned with current culture without being performative.

Excellent brands don’t just do things well, they inspire.

19 Traits. One Brand. What’s Your Mix?

Let’s be clear: you don’t need to embody all 19 traits at once. You shouldn’t even try to do so. That would be overwhelming for you, your team, and your guests.

But you do need to know which of these traits your brand currently embodies, and which it should emphasize more intentionally based on where you are in your journey.

Here’s a way to think about it:

  • Goal 1: Focus your brand’s defining traits.
  • Goal 2: Boost foot traffic or hype (leverage coolness)
  • Goal 3: Improve retention, reviews, and culture (leverage goodness)
  • Goal 4: Increase brand equity, word of mouth, and influence (leverage excellence)

This applies internally, too. Are you hiring for culture fit? Think about the traits your current team exudes.

Launching a new concept? Choose the traits that will define it from Day One.

At KRG Hospitality, our clients undergo an exercise that helps them identify their values. In turn, this exercise helps them identify the traits that will define their brand long before they ever open their doors for the first time.

Final Thought: Brand Perception is a Strategy, Not an Accident

You’ve built a concept. A vibe. A brand. But your guests don’t just see what you say you are, they feel what you are.

They feel cool, or calm, or cared for. They notice when things flow or when they don’t.

Cool gets them in. Good keeps them in. Excellence makes them talk.

Get the balance right, and you’re no longer reacting to perception, you’re shaping it. And in today’s market, that’s one of the most valuable competitive advantages you can have.

To help you strike that balance, I’ve got three deep-dive articles coming over the course of the next three weeks. One about coolness, one about goodness, and, you guessed it, one focused on excellence. Cheers!

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Five Traits Quantify Admirability

5 Traits Quantify Admirability

by David Klemt

Canadian flag against blue sky and white clouds

In part three of this series, I look at what traits people find admirable in others, and apply them to hospitality concepts.

Some venues are effortlessly cool. Others are undeniably good.

In 2012, a team led by psychologist Ilan Dar-Nimrod published a study in the Journal of Individual Differences titled “Coolness: An Empirical Investigation.”

Researchers asked more than 1,000 Canadian survey respondents (hence the image up top) to define what “cool” meant to them. They were also asked to describe someone they believed fit the label.

Their findings? People tend to assign admirable traits to “cool” individuals. Specifically, attractiveness, competence, desirability, friendliness, and trendiness.

Admirability, to provide further context, “is the quality of being admirable, worthy of respect or approval due to excellent qualities or achievements. It’s a noun that describes something or someone deserving of admiration.”

Interestingly, these attributes, while appealing, don’t align with the “counter-cultural” or “edgy” factors that typically define “actual” coolness in subcultures or social identity theory, per the research team.

In short, people blur the lines between being cool and being appealing or admirable. In hospitality, we often do the same.

Let’s break these five traits down, and look at how they shape the way guests may perceive your brand. If you can set out to build a cool or good hospitality concept, can you build one that’s worthy of admiration?

Attractiveness

In the Dar-Nimrod study, physical and aesthetic attractiveness ranked high as a “cool” trait. That’s largely because many people conflate outer appeal with inner value.

We all know (or should, at least) that being deemed physically attractive doesn’t automatically equal cool. Still, in this particular study of coolness, being attractive was ranked high as an admirable trait.

However, that’s easy for guests to forget when they’re surrounded by sleek interiors, photogenic food, or staff who look like they belong in a luxury fashion brand’s campaign shoot.

In a hospitality setting, attractive design can make a strong first impression. Some bar, restaurant, and hotel operators throw a lot of resources toward making their space look and feel cool. And why not? It does make some sense to assume that an attractive space will attract attractive people.

But cool isn’t curated, it’s effortless. At least, it it should feel that way, from discovery and arrival, and from service to exit and followup. Every aspect of service should be as amazing as the interior and exterior design.

Operators and their teams should identify and remove pain points and deliver smooth, seamless service to help the guest relax and escape. That’s effortless cool.

If the concept lacks a cohesive vision beyond “make it look cool,” there’s a feeling of inauthenticity. The service feels far more like a business deal than experiential, and the experience lacks soul. Soon, guests will see through the attractive façade.

In other words, a stunning dining room or bar doesn’t compensate for transactional hospitality.

If you’re leaning heavily on looks, make sure there’s substance beneath the surface. Create moments. Don’t let the aesthetic do all the heavy lifting.

Competence

Guests love a restaurant or hotel that runs like a Swiss watch. Precision is admirable, and competence feels reliable.

And when things just work, it puts people at ease.

But let’s be honest—competence isn’t inherently cool. In fact, when a brand flaunts its expertise too much, it can come across as smug or inaccessible.

In the Dar-Nimrod study, competence was one of the most frequently mentioned traits in cool people. But being competent doesn’t mean you break rules, take risks, or build culture.

Further, many people today are less interested in your how than your what. It’s becoming nearly as important as your why.

If a guest comes to your bar, what should they expect? What does your restaurant have to offer them? Is there something about your hotel that guests should see and experience?

Focus much more on the why and what, and let them decide if they want to know your how.

It’s the difference between a chef who lets their food do the talking versus one who drills guests with the minutiae of each ingredient and every technique they use to create each dish. Sure, a handful of guests are interested; most just want to scan the menu, order, and eat.

For most concepts, operational excellence should support the experience, not be the experience. Let your team’s confidence come through in calm, collected moments.

Again, coolness seems like it takes very little, if any, effort. It’s a bit of paradox, but great operators put the hard work into analyzing and refining every step of service until it becomes so smooth that it seems to come off effortlessly.

Desirability

Exclusivity creates demand. Demand fuels the perception of coolness.

But here’s the trap: When people want in just because everyone else does (FOMO, anyone?), a concept or brand risks becoming nothing much more than a hype machine.

That can look like cool from the outside. It can even seem like the concept is printing money if seats or rooms are unavailable for weeks or months. However, if the guest experience is just average, all that has been built is a fragile house of cards.

In Dar-Nimrod’s research, social desirability—the idea that someone is wanted, valued, or sought after—was commonly linked to perceived coolness. But desire is contextual.

Just because a place is hard to get into doesn’t mean it’s good, or cool, or will be relevant six months after opening, let alone a year into operations.

Most concepts don’t need a velvet rope. And they don’t need reservations so exclusive that an entire black market industry sprouts up just to obtain one.

What operators, their teams, and their brand need are values, intention, and consistency. That’s what drives real brand loyalty.

Artificial scarcity, like superficial desirability, is fleeting; integrity and authenticity are enduring.

Friendliness

This one’s a bit of a curveball. Friendliness is thought to be one of the core tenets of hospitality. So, how could it not be cool?

In the study, friendliness was often linked with coolness, but not in a defining way. More often, it was background noise—something that made someone likable, not legendary.

Here’s the thing: being friendly is expected in our industry. Being cordial is our baseline; it’s our standard level of professionalism.

It’s warmth, however, that really draws in guests, makes an experience memorable, and inspires repeat visits. In fact, warmth is included in a list of attributes that people tend to equate with being good. You can find that and the rest of the “goodness” traits in the second article in this series.

When everything is pleasant but perceived as too polished, the experience can slide into forgettable territory. Worse, it can feel disingenuous, and easily become off-putting.

I’d argue that being warm and welcoming is a true tenet of hospitality. More so than friendliness, anyway.

To me, friendliness is a byproduct of being warm. It’s what really makes a guest feel welcome when stepping into a bar, restaurant, or hotel. A person really can’t be warm and welcoming without being friendly (unless they’re incredible actors).

Guest-facing staff should be warm, not robotic. They should build rapport, not routines.

Let your team’s personalities shine through, even if it breaks script now and then. Guests remember what’s real, and how staff made them feel.

Trendiness

Trendiness is the most deceptive trait on this list of five.

Dar-Nimrod’s participants often cited trendiness when describing cool people. But deeper analysis by the researchers revealed that trendiness is perceived cool, not authentic cool.

It’s difficult for any concept to seem authentic if its constantly chasing trends. What is the concept if there’s little to no consistency because the operators are just jumping on every shiny, new toy that comes across everyone’s social media feeds?

A venue that pursues every current trend—cocktail techniques, food items, cuisine mashups, design palettes, even vibes—might look cool (attractiveness). We need to keep in mind that fads are fleeting, and trends, however one may influence culture, tend to have short lives.

The authentically cool thing to do is be discerning. Sit back and let others chase fads or trends every time one pops up. It takes much more savvy, and therefore coolness, to wait to embrace a trend that seems organic to your concept.

Make sure you’re building something lasting. Integrate trends in ways that feel organic rather than opportunistic.

Don’t chase every trend; be the source of a trend. That’s a cooler move by nearly every measure.

Final Bite

So what do you do with all this?

Pursuing attractiveness, competence, desirability, friendliness, and trendiness to be cool isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Neither is perceiving these traits as admirable, and striving to develop a concept that has these attributes.

These traits can be cool, and can be admirable, and they do contribute to brand value.

But if you want to build a venue that feels cool in the way that draws a crowd without trying too hard, builds loyalty through authenticity, and sets the tone instead of following it, you’ll need to go deeper.

Cool can’t be faked, but it can be felt. At the end of the day, operators and their teams should strive to be hospitable, warm, and welcoming.

Image: Chris Robert via Unsplash

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A vertical hotel sign reading "GOOD" with glass buildings in the background.
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Eight Traits Quantify Good

8 Traits Quantify Good

by David Klemt

A vertical hotel sign reading "GOOD" with glass buildings in the background.

Is this too on the nose? I feel like it’s too on the nose. At least it isn’t AI!

We took a look at what traits may make a bar, restaurant, or hotel cool. Now, we’re turning our focus to what would make one “good.”

Similarly to cool, it can be easier to identify good than to sit down and quantify it. That is to say, most of us sense goodness better than we describe goodness.

But what meaning of “good” am I using as a form of measurement? For this article, understand that I’m not using the words “good” or “goodness” in the context of rating a restaurant or bar, or its F&B items.

Rather, I’m going the direction of the article I based on the “Cool People” experiment. If we can quantify cool as a person, we can a bar, restaurant, or hotel’s coolness. Therefore, we should be able to do the same to measure a venue or brand’s goodness.

Drilling down further, I’m also not really looking at goodness to judge a brand’s ethics. I like restaurants and bars that implement SOPs that reduce waste. And I think it’s important for hotels to operate in sustainable manners.

However, we can all argue over responsible, ethical operations and whether that makes a brand good. Can a brand be performative but still good? If the result is the same, does it matter if the company doesn’t really care?

Instead, I’m using the “Cool People” experiment’s own attribute measurements, and looking at how they can apply to a hospitality business.

Agreeable

Three attributes scored in the “Cool People” experiment were part of a Big Five Personality Traits* list. This is one of them, along with being conscientious and calm.

If someone is agreeable, they’re sympathetic and warm. They’re perceived as compassionate, cooperative, and kind. People who are perceived as highly agreeable are regarded as empathetic, altruistic, and focused on maintaining positive relationships.

To me, that sounds a lot like a definition of hospitality. The spirit of hospitality is selflessness, kindness, helpfulness, and a devotion to welcoming all.

*Anyone curious to learn more can search for “A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains” by Samuel D. Gosling, Peter J. Rentfrow, and William B. Swann, Jr., published in the Journal of Research in Personality in 2003.

Calm

A calm person is emotionally stable. Perhaps the best way to look at this attribute is through its opposite: neuroticism.

If someone’s neurotic, they’re emotionally reactive. Stress and change are seen as threatening by neurotic people. Due to poor coping mechanisms, someone who’s neurotic may think less clearly about what they’re experiencing, and therefore make worse and worse decisions.

On the other hand, a calm person retains their composure, handling stressful situations rationally and gracefully. They’re able to make good, effective decisions in the midst of stress and tension.

So, a calm restaurant or bar doesn’t make its guests feel negative emotions. The vibe may be energetic rather than placid, but it doesn’t feel anxious or angry. Guests who visit a calm hospitality venue won’t be overcome with the desire to leave; they’ll feel comfortable and safe.

This is an attribute that’s certainly tied to culture. If leadership is reactive or emotionally unstable, the rest of the team will feel it, and that will be felt by guests. The same can be said for problematic staff that infect the team with their reactivity and negativity.

A stable, supportive leadership team that hires for and nurtures a positive, healthy team will create a calm atmosphere for guests.

Conforming

Let’s look at how the “Cool People” team presented this attribute to respondents.

  • This person believes that people should do what they are told.
  • He/she follows rules at all times, even when no one is watching.
  • It is important for this person to always behave properly.
  • He/she avoids doing anything people would say is wrong.

At first glance, this sounds like it’s describing an authoritarian: do as your told, and don’t deviate from the rules.

Now, let’s put “conforming” into the context of a well-run bar, restaurant, or hotel.

Ruling with an iron fist is poor leadership. Identifying a brand’s values and mission, and adhering to them every step of the way is real leadership.

Crafting a hiring and onboarding materials, including an employee manual that includes clear SOPs for every role, is the type of conformity that’s healthy for a hospitality business.

The benefit of everyone knowing what’s expected of them, and believing leadership walks the talk of values and mission, is consistency. And consistency is the key result of this form of conformity.

That said, leadership needs to strike a balance between conformity and adaptability. The team should adhere to SOPs without being robotic; empower them to adapt should they find themselves in a service recovery situation.

Conscientious

This is a slippery one. A person who’s perhaps too conscientious can be perceived as obstinate, refusing to change a course of action. People who have low conscientiousness may be viewed as unreliable and sloppy.

The ideal balance, then, is someone who’s reliable and organized, and wants to complete their tasks efficiently.

Were a restaurant or bar to be perceived as conscientious, the team would be known for its top-level service. That impeccable service—including service recovery—would, of course, be linked directly to being conforming, calm, and agreeable.

In short, a conscientious restaurant would be known for its reliable service. A conscientious bar is led by an organized team. Such a hotel would be a well-oiled machine that develops and nurtures a team committed to efficiency.

Secure

There are a couple of ways to view a bar, restaurant, or hotel through the lens of security.

A hospitality venue perceived as secure makes guests and staff feel safe and comfortable. Even those in rougher locations can be secure if the operators do the work to make guests feel safe once they’ve stepped through their doors.

That feeling of security must also extend to staff. The team needs to know and feel that leadership sees their value, treats them fairly, has their back when guests are being difficult or making them feel uncomfortable, and enforces rules consistently.

Security can also take the form of reliability. Putting in the work to be a guest’s “safe” option can pay big dividends. There’s security and long-term success in becoming someone’s “third spot.”

It’s fun to innovate and be edgy. However, it’s also important to be familiar and approachable. Security as reliability and consistency is how a bar, restaurant, or hotel encourages a guest’s second visit, and then the all-too-important third visit that transforms them into a regular.

In either sense of the word, security is a key attribute for a good venue.

Traditional

I’m going to admit that I struggled with this one. The way it was presented to participants of the “Cool People” experiment doesn’t appear to translate directly to bars, restaurants, or hotels.

Half of the measures for this attribute focus on religion explicitly. It’s also presented as the antithesis to hedonism, an attribute associated with people perceived as cool.

Okay, so how can I relate religion to hospitality? Respectfully, I hope. As I view its essence, religion can be defined by community, guidance and belief, and practices.

Traditionally, hospitality is about building and serving communities. Hospitality workers are also a community in and of themselves.

As far as beliefs and guidance, hospitality is driven by service, generosity, and an authentic desire to welcome and accept others.

Those beliefs are reinforced by hospitality professionals who practice:

  • selflessness and sacrifice;
  • creating memories through kindness;
  • providing what guests want;
  • anticipating and honoring their needs; and
  • being respectful, friendly, and welcoming to everyone.

The way I see it, all hospitality venues that are welcoming and committed to hospitality are traditional.

Of course, there’s also the way we all perceive bars, restaurants, and hotels. Even the most innovative, experimental, and experiential concepts (The Aviary in Chicago, for example) are traditional in the sense that guests have an idea of what they should expect when they walk through the doors.

Universalistic

“This person thinks it is important that every person in the world be treated equally.” That’s how someone defined by this attribute could be measured, per the “Cool People” experiment team.

Let’s be honest, treating every guest as equal and equally important is the baseline for hospitality.

People can choose to spend their time and money at any bar or restaurant. Or they can decide against doing that at all, stay home, and make their own food and drinks. The same is true of lodging and accommodation: there are plenty of motels, hotels, and resorts someone can visit.

The question is: Why should they spend their time and money at your bar, restaurant, or hotel?

The answer is: Because you treat every guest with respect, and make them feel welcome and special.

Make someone feel cool and they’ll make return visits. They’ll tell their family, friends, coworkers, tourists, and people online to check out your spot. Make every guest feel relevant, seen, and heard.

It’s non-negotiable for a good restaurant, and that’s what makes a great hospitality brand and venue universalistic. If you’re not interested in welcoming everyone and treating them as equals, you’re in the wrong business.

Warm

Warmth is one of the core elements of hospitality. The people who conducted the “Cool Person” experiment may as well have been talking about a hospitality pro when they included the measures of this attribute:

  • it is important to this person to help people;
  • they care for other people;
  • they’re loyal to his/her friends; and
  • this person devotes himself/herself to people that are close to him/her.

With very few minor revisions, that could absolutely describe the ideal candidate in a bar, restaurant, or hotel job listing.

It’s crucial to hospitality, and it walks hand in hand with being welcoming and agreeable.

We can train just about anyone on the technical aspects of a given hospitality role. That’s what onboarding, training, and ongoing training is all about: developing and reinforcing skills.

That’s why the prevailing wisdom from successful hospitality operators and leaders is to hire for personality. Look for genuine warmth, extraversion, and the personality traits you need for your concept’s team.

Final Sip

Can a hospitality business be perceived as good in similar fashion to a person?

Perhaps. I’ll say that this has been a bit of an odd exercise.

Of course, finding out if I can attribute “goodness” to a bar, restaurant, or hotel has also been fun for me. I hope these two articles—one on quantifying cool, one on measuring good—have been entertaining and compelling for you, as well.

As it stands, I’ve got one more in me. We’ve got a series! Cheers!

Image: Carson Masterson on Unsplash

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