Ari Weinzweig on the Habits That Make Great Hospitality Leaders

Zingerman’s co-founder and author Ari Weinzweig has spent decades proving that great businesses are built from the inside out. At Zingerman’s, he turned a single deli into a community of values-driven companies powered by trust and intention. In his conversation with Matt Jennings on Serving Success, Weinzweig broke down how those same principles guide leadership in hospitality today: humility, clarity, and care in every action.

1. Lead Like a Line Cook

Start with humility and consistency.

Weinzweig traces his leadership style back to the line. “When you’re cooking, you don’t get to hide. Everyone depends on you,” he said. “If you show up sloppy or distracted, it hurts the whole crew.” For him, leadership is a service position that requires the same discipline, readiness, and self-awareness expected of a great cook.

Operator takeaway: Lead by example in the smallest ways. Show up early. Prep your station and your team for success. The energy you model becomes the culture you build.

Try this: Run one shift beside your team this week. Notice how showing up early, asking questions, and pitching in changes the tone of service.

2. Write a Vision, Then Share It

You cannot build what you have not imagined.

Weinzweig calls visioning “the most practical tool in leadership.” He tells operators to write a clear, present-tense description of what success looks like — not as a dream but as a daily reality. “If you cannot describe the future you want, you will end up reacting instead of leading,” he said.

Operator takeaway: Write it down. Share it with your managers. Use it in pre-shift meetings and goal-setting. A shared vision becomes a decision-making filter for everyone on your team.

Try this: Write your next 12 months in the present tense. Describe what your restaurant feels like when it’s running at its best. Read it with your team and invite feedback.

3. Build Systems That Support, Not Stifle

The right structure sets people free.

Zingerman’s is known for its systems, training guides, open-book financials, and leadership frameworks, but Weinzweig reminds us that the goal is not bureaucracy. “Systems exist to make it easier for people to succeed,” he said. “They should serve the team, not the other way around.”

Operator takeaway: Simplify. Document what works. If a system is not helping your team do great work, fix it or toss it. Every process should reduce stress, not add to it.

Try this: Ask your team what part of their day feels most frustrating or unclear. Use that input to adjust one system this week, together.

4. Give Feedback Like You Would Serve a Guest

Be honest, respectful, and consistent.

“Feedback is not about catching mistakes,” Weinzweig said. “It is about helping people see what great looks like.” He teaches leaders to treat feedback like hospitality — generous, specific, and rooted in care. That means addressing issues quickly, but always with the intent to help someone grow.

Operator takeaway: Deliver feedback in real time. Start with what is working, then move to what can improve. Follow up once progress shows. The goal is improvement, not punishment.

Try this: Use the above feedback model with one person each day. Start with appreciation, then offer one actionable suggestion.

5. Keep Energy Visible

Culture is measured by how it feels to work there.

Weinzweig talks often about keeping the energy visible. In practice, that means noticing what lifts people up and what drags them down. “Energy is contagious,” he said. “If leaders walk in frustrated, the team catches it. If leaders walk in curious, they catch that too.”

Operator takeaway: Check in on the mood of your shop as often as your metrics. Celebrate small wins. Start meetings with gratitude or reflection. People remember how you made them feel, not just what you said.

Try this: Build five minutes of reflection into your weekly manager meetings. Ask, where did we see great energy this week, and how can we create more of it?

In Closing

Weinzweig’s Serving Success season is not about quick fixes. It’s about presence, practice, and patience, the same traits that make a great cook. His lessons remind us that leadership is not something you master once. It is something you rehearse daily, in every service and every conversation. Join the MAJC Community to watch Ari’s full Serving Success season and access leadership templates built from his teachings.

At MAJC, AI helps us organize thoughts and speed up workflows, but every article is shaped, refined, and approved by real people who live and breathe this industry. We think honesty (like hospitality) works best when it’s real.