Danny Meyer grew up in a Jewish family in St. Louis with two competing lessons about business: his father’s entrepreneurial spirit taught him to dream big, while his bankruptcies taught him the risks of growing too fast.
With an early love of food, travel, and hospitality, Danny opened Union Square Cafe at 27. He went on to build Union Square Hospitality Group, behind celebrated restaurants like Gramercy Tavern and The Modern, and founded Shake Shack, turning a project to revitalize Madison Square Park into a global restaurant chain.
In this episode of Big Shot, Harley Finkelstein and David Segal explore how Danny’s upbringing shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, his deliberate expansion, and the stories behind his iconic restaurants. They also discuss the difference between service and hospitality, building enduring teams and cultures, and the optimism that keeps Danny asking, “What could possibly go right?”
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*In This Episode We Cover:*
(00:00) Intro
(03:13) Growing up Jewish in St. Louis
(06:33) How Danny's parents got into the tour business
(09:43) Danny's entrepreneurial grandfather, Irving Harris
(12:16) How his father's bankruptcies shaped Danny's approach to risk
(17:52) Going into the restaurant business
(21:08) Why Danny credits Union Square Cafe's success to good timing
(23:32) The story of Eleven Madison Park
(28:46) What restaurant stars really mean
(32:15) Gramercy Tavern and the meaning of a tavern
(39:01) Building strong teams through hiring, training, and culture
(45:43) The difference between service and hospitality, and why both matter
(51:56) Danny's relentless optimism and "what could possibly go right" approach
(56:17) How Shake Shack began as a project to revitalize Madison Square Park
(1:03:46) Building Shake Shack's culture with alumni from Danny's other restaurants
(1:05:44) Taking Shake Shack public
(1:08:11) Key lessons from Setting the Table and What Could Possibly Go Right
(1:12:00) The story behind buying his first restaurant
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*Where to find Danny Meyer:*
• X: https://x.com/dhmeyer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhmeyer
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dhmeyer
• Website: https://www.ushg.com
*Where To Find Big Shot:*
• Website: https://www.bigshot.show/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/
• Harley Finkelstein: https://twitter.com/harleyf
• David Segal: https://twitter.com/tea_maverick
• Production and Marketing: https://penname.co
