The Human Landscape

A few days ago, I started reading War by Sebastian Junger. I'm only about a quarter of the way through, but already it's drawn some surprising parallels to life in the restaurant business.

Now, to be clear—I’d never equate the danger of combat with the pressure of a dinner rush. Working behind a line isn’t the same as ducking behind sandbags while bullets fly. But there are some relatable elements, especially when it comes to the human experience under stress and how it impacts teams and communities.

In War, Junger makes a distinction between controlling the physical terrain and the human terrain. In warfare, you can't truly control one without the other. The same is true in restaurants. Over the past 30 years, I’ve heard countless conversations about site selection, menu development, COGS, labor goals

—you name it. But rarely do we dig as deeply into the human landscape: the people who make the operation work, the management team, the culture, the community.

Maybe that’s because the human side is so nuanced, so deeply personal. Or maybe it’s just hard to explain and even harder to measure. But ignoring it is a mistake. The answers to many of our biggest challenges often lie in understanding and managing this human terrain.

In a restaurant, success doesn’t just come from strong logistics or great food—it depends just as much on emotional intelligence, leadership, and empathy. As managers, we’re responsible for more than scheduling and cost control. We’re setting the tone, shaping the culture, and resolving conflicts. That means understanding the microculture of your restaurant: the unspoken norms, the influential personalities, and the diversity that shapes how people communicate and respond to pressure.

When you truly understand your team’s dynamics—who the quiet leaders are, what motivates your staff, how stress is affecting them—you’re better equipped to guide your decisions and adapt your leadership style.

Let’s not forget: the service industry is inherently stressful. We're expected to maintain a pleasant, composed demeanor no matter what's happening behind the scenes. And during a dinner rush or customer meltdown, emotional regulation becomes just as important as ticket times.

Think of it like a race car. If you're the driver, you need to be in tune with the machine. You need to know when it's being pushed too hard, when something's off. In the same way, we have to pay attention to the rhythm of the restaurant and the emotional wear on our team. Sometimes that means delivering tough love, telling someone to dig deep and push through. But just as often, it means leaning into compassion and using empathy as a leadership tool.

Because at the end of the day, none of us can do this alone. Without our teams, a restaurant is just a building filled with expensive equipment and empty seats.