By Nina Love, All Black Everything Hospitality Group CEO
There is a moment, subtle, almost invisible, when a meal becomes something more. It is not just the food. It is not just the drinks. It is the lived experience that someone intentionally thought about you and prepared themselves to deliver exceptional service long before you arrived. That is what I preach and what Will Guidara has coined as unreasonable hospitality, not because it is extra, but because it refuses to be ordinary.
As a chef, a consultant, and a lifelong student of the hospitality industry, I have spent over two decades inside kitchens, dining rooms, and indulging in dining experiences across this country and around the world. I have eaten in spaces where every detail was engineered to create awe, and I have sat in places where the food was good, but the experience was forgettable.
And here is the truth: Detroit deserves better than “good enough.”
We are a city rich in culture, creativity, resilience, and flavor. We are innovators, storytellers, and builders. And yet, when it comes to hospitality, we are still, in many ways, finding our collective standard.
This column is my contribution to that conversation.
Each month, I will take you inside the experience of dining—not just as a consumer, but through the lens of someone who understands what it takes to create excellence in a food and beverage operation. We will explore what makes a space work, what makes it fall short, and what makes it unforgettable.
Because great hospitality is not accidental. It is designed.
The Table: What Is Unreasonable Hospitality?
Unreasonable hospitality is the practice of going beyond what is expected, not for show, but to establish connection.
It is the host who remembers your name, the server who notices you are left-handed and adjusts the table setting without being asked, the kitchen manager that sends out a small bite because a server told the kitchen you were celebrating something, even if you never said it out loud.
It is anticipation. It is intention. It is care, operationalized.
And here is where many businesses get it wrong: they believe hospitality lives in doing alone. It does not.
True hospitality is built on systems, training, culture, and leadership. It is a way of being. It is repeatable, scalable, and teachable.
That is where operational excellence meets emotional impact.
The Story: A Seat at the Table
I remember sitting in a small restaurant in Puerto Rico—no fanfare, no headlines, no social media buzz.
But when I walked in, I was greeted as if I belonged there.
By the time I left, I realized something profound: every single person in that space understood their role in creating an experience. The timing was seamless. The food told a story. The energy felt intentional.
No one rushed. No one hovered. No one forgot me. That is the difference, not luxury, not price point, but presence.
The Standard: Detroit, We Are on the Edge
Recently, I visited a local establishment here in the Metro Detroit area that came highly recommended. The food was solid, well-executed and thoughtful, but the experience told a different story.
I waited at the door longer than I should have. No acknowledgment. No eye contact. No sense of urgency upon my arrival.
Once seated, the service was polite but reactive, not intuitive. No one guided the experience. No one led.
And yet, there were glimpses, moments where I could see the potential so clearly. That is what excites me. Because Detroit is not lacking talent. We are not lacking creativity. We are not lacking flavor. We are simply being invited, right now, to raise our standard.
This column is not about criticism. It is about elevation.
It is about celebrating the spaces that get it right. It is about challenging the ones that are almost there. It is about giving language to something we have all felt but may not have known how to name.
Hospitality is not just what we do — it is the imprint we leave, that lingering impression, how we make someone feel while in our care.
And in a city like ours, that feeling should be something to sing about.
Nina Love, aka The Culinary Griot, is a culinary artist, hospitality consultant, and the founder of A.B.E Hospitality Group, The Love Experience, Alchemy of Excellence Consulting, and The Culinary Griot. With over 22 years of experience, she specializes in operational excellence, culinary mastery, elevated guest experience, and building transformative hospitality brands.
