In this episode, Ryan Magnon, Chief Operating Officer of Ithaka Hospitality Partners, shares a valuable lesson from his experience leading training at Chick-fil-A. While speed, accuracy, and consistency mattered in the drive-thru, the real differentiator was hospitality: how team members made guests feel in just 60 seconds.

Ryan explains how Chick-fil-A trains frontline employees, many of whom are just 17 or 18 years old, to view each guest not as an order, but as a person with challenges and opportunities to be cared for. This approach transformed transactions into moments of genuine connection.

For hospitality leaders, Ryan’s story highlights how small interactions can shape big impressions, and why training to focus on human connection may be the most powerful investment you can make.

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands