Two municipal managers introduced host Nancy to the same book: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. Chris Garges and Joe Hogarth (also Chief of Police) join her to unpack what a four-star Manhattan restaurant can teach local government.

Through a municipal lens, they talk about the front of the house and the back of the house, how "toiling in obscurity" is part of our success, why imitating others is a bad idea, and what Joe calls the nobility of the work.

This PCC Local Time podcast episode has been created in partnership with APMM - the Association of Pennsylvania Municipal Management.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Opening: what can a restaurant teach local government?

00:02 How Joe and Chris found the book

00:05 Nancy’s restaurant story and the customer experience lens

00:07 Silos, roles, and balancing departments

00:09 Real teamwork across public works, police, and codes

00:11 Volunteer work and building connection across staff

00:13 Why stories matter in shaping culture

00:16 Purpose, community, and significance in public service

00:20 Chris on marathon mindset and mental toughness

00:22 Why collaboration meets resistance

00:23 Vulnerability and the myth of the all-knowing leader

00:26 Humility, learning, and asking better questions

00:27 Learn from others, but do not imitate blindly

00:29 Hierarchy, feedback, and speaking honestly

00:31 Hospitality as a daily dialogue

00:33 Younger employees and visible community impact

00:34 What leaders do with resistant employees

00:36 Encouraging people when the work never feels finished

00:38 One takeaway for managers

00:39 Nobility, purpose, and the meaning of service

00:41 Final story: when someone thanks an officer for arresting them