Thomas Keller Restaurant Group: Leadership Through a Pandemic

Thomas Keller, the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide, and Joe Essa, the immediate past Board Chair of the National Restaurant Association and the CEO of Keller’s restaurant group, were class guests in the HBS course “Challenges and Opportunities in the Restaurant Industry" on March 12, 2020. Then, that night, they began to confront a situation they could not have imagined, the declaration of a national emergency and the immediate closure of all of their restaurants. Pondering how they could best save their restaurants, their staff, their communities and the restaurant industry, they examine how to navigate uncharted waters locally within their restaurant communities and nationally in an upcoming meeting with the President of the United States.