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

The Modern Hotelier

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.

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/68j5jerfiG8

This episode is sponsored by Jonas Hospitality: https://www.jonashospitality.com/

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Nicholas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-lawrence-shrm-cp-59b76289/
Chick-fil-A Local Franchise: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/158

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