Hospitality is More Than a Smile

People love to talk about hospitality, but a lot of them miss the mark. They think it’s just being nice, smiling, saying “my pleasure,” and checking in once or twice. While yes those things matter, they’re just the surface. True hospitality runs deeper than manners. It’s about creating a space where people feel genuinely welcome, seen, and taken care of. That goes for your guests and your team.

If your staff feels invisible, overworked, or unappreciated, no amount of charm is going to save the guest experience. The energy is off. The smiles feel forced. Customers might not be able to name it, but they’ll feel it. On the other hand, when your team feels supported, included, and respected, that energy becomes contagious. It shows up in how they move, how they talk to guests, how they handle problems. Hospitality is a direct reflection of your internal culture.

What Guests See vs. What’s Really Going On:

None of this happens by accident. You have to build it. You can train for technical skills, but real hospitality culture comes from how people feel day to day. Are they burned out or energized? Are they supported or just surviving their shift? If you’re not paying attention to the vibe behind the scenes, you’ll never consistently deliver a great one out front.

So next time you're thinking about improving hospitality, don’t just tweak your scripts or redesign the menu. Start with your people. Because hospitality isn’t just something we do it’s something we live.

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Welcome to FOH Files

If you've ever worked a double shift on three hours of sleep, trained a new server mid rush, or tried to unclog a sink while pretending everything's fine at table 12, this blog is for you. I'm HW Giovanni Fox, I have been in the hospitality industry for over a decade, managing restaurants across Los Angeles county and working as a consultant to help restaurants and cafes improve their service. I started FOH Files because I wanted to share what really happens behind the scenes and how we can do better. Too often the people doing the hardest work are also the most overlooked and that has to change. FOH stands for "Front of House", the part of the restaurant or cafe that guests see and interact with. It includes servers, hosts, bartenders and anyone else making sure guests have a positive experience. FOH is where hospitality lives and breathes. When it runs smoothly, guests feel cared for and welcome but when it breaks down, even great food can't save the ex...

Stop Blaming Your Staff

I'm going to just say it... bad service is rarely just about the server. As someone who has managed restaurants and now gets called in to fix them, I can tell you the real problem usually starts at the top. When systems are broken, when training is rushed (or even nonexistent), and when communication is a mess, you're setting you staff up to fail. Then management turns around and blames them for not "caring enough". Here's what I've seen too many times: a server gets thrown on the floor with little to no prep, the menu changes weekly with no updates, and half the team is brand new because turnover is high. Guests get frustrated, reviews go downhill and leadership responds by telling me "our staff just isn't motivated". This evaluation is not just unfair, it's lazy. Most people don't come to work hoping to fail. They want to do well, feel confident, and be part of something that works. When they don't, that's on leadership. T...

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