What Hotels Can Learn From Chick-fil-A Culture | with Nicholas Lawrence

The Modern Hotelier - Episode #158: What Hotels Can Learn From Chick-fil-A Culture | with Nicholas Lawrence What makes Chick-fil-A’s hospitality more than just good service? In this episode, we're joined by Nicholas Lawrence, Executive Director of People & Culture, Chick-fil-A Local Franchise - Indianapolis and the founder of Lawrence Leadership. Nick takes us behind the scenes of Chick-fil-A’s legendary hospitality culture—where “my pleasure” isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s a moral obligation. From his early days selling shirts and ties at Macy’s to leading people and culture at a top-performing franchise, Nick shares how leadership, emotional intelligence, and ownership are at the heart of every great customer experience. What You’ll Learn: How Chick-fil-A builds a customer-first culture that rivals the best in hospitality Why local ownership makes all the difference in maintaining brand excellence Lessons from retail and HR that translate directly into hotel leadership Why emotional intelligence is the competitive edge for any hospitality business What “serving a higher purpose” really looks like in day-to-day operations Whether you're leading a hotel team or running a restaurant, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to elevate your guest experience. ************ TIMESTAMPS ************ 00:00 Introduction 02:07 Getting to Know Nick 04:07 Nick's Background and Upbringing 05:32 College and Early Career 08:16 Transition to HR and Retail Experience 12:07 Joining Chick-fil-A 15:39 Current Role and Responsibilities 17:07 Lawrence Leadership 18:21 Industry Thoughts and Chick-fil-A's Unique Culture 18:42 Building a Culture of Service Excellence 21:30 Hiring and Training Strategies at Chick-fil-A 23:05 The Secret to Chick-fil-A's Success 25:14 Applying Chick-fil-A's Principles to Hospitality 28:56 Trends and Technology in Hospitality 30:21 Advice for Emerging Brands 34:05 Q&A with the Hosts 37:51 Hidden Gems in Indiana 39:11 Conclusion and Farewell ************ LINKS & RESOURCES ************ Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Links: Nicholas on LinkedIn:   / nicholas-lawrence-shrm-cp-59b76289   Chick-fil-A Local Franchise: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/ The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media: https://makemore.media/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode... Join the conversation on LinkedIn:   / the-modern-hotelier   Connect with Steve and David: Steve:   / %f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8fsteve-carran-00914510   David:   / david-millili