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| First Person |
Soul Food
Danny Meyer (as told to Constance Gustke)
08/02/2004
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When I got to the car, the good news was that there was no ticket; the bad
news was that the car had been broken into, and there was glass all over the
sidewalk. I said to myself, “To what length can I go to show them that I am on
their side?” When I returned, they were angry that the car had been broken into.
So I said, “I can’t change what happened, but I can change your outlook with a
great meal—lunch is our treat today. I’ve already called the police precinct and
they’re going to come here to do a report for you.” They will tell that story to
everyone they know.
| I feel I have to do a decent job of shining the flashlight ahead for people, so they can see where to go. |
We also work within the community. We believe in the
notion that a rising tide lifts all boats. At the end of the day, I like to be
the tallest ship on the ocean. But the way to do that is to actually feed the
tide, rather than pushing the other boats down. An example of that idea is my
six-plus years as the chair of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. Madison
Square Park is a 150-year-old park that fronts two of my restaurants. Is that
restoration effort going to benefit my restaurant? Of course it is. It also
benefits my competitors around the park. But I actually believe that the more
restaurants there are, the better it is for us. Improving the park will benefit
all of us by lifting businesses, residential values and property values. The
park symbolizes wealth to me.
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