Will Guidara, internationally renowned maitre d'hotel, has left an indelible mark on the luxury dining scene. His partnership with chef Daniel Humm led to the rise of Eleven Madison Park and the founding of Make it Nice. His mission is to provide authentic pleasure to customers, making them feel at home.
His professional journey is filled with successes and prestigious collaborations, making him a point of reference in the industry.
Will Guidara was born in 1979 in Sleepy Hollow, a few miles north of Manhattan, New York.
After graduating in 2001 with a degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, he began his career in front-of-house service at Wolfgang Puck's "Spago" in Beverly Hills. Here, he started honing his skills in managing service and learning the importance of high-quality hospitality.
Subsequently, he held various roles at Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, one of the most important organizations in the New York restaurant scene. He worked at "Tabla," "Café 2," and the restaurants at the Museum of Modern Art, always demonstrating great professionalism and dedication to his work.
In 2006, at the young age of 27, Guidara became the general manager of "Eleven Madison Park," a renowned restaurant in New York. During that time, the establishment was a traditional French brasserie located in a former bank. It was during this occasion that Will first collaborated with Swiss chef Daniel Humm.
This partnership turned out to be the starting point of a highly successful friendship and collaboration. The two transformed "Eleven Madison Park" into one of the world's best restaurants, earning it Three MICHELIN Stars and leading Guidara to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Wine Service.
In 2011, Guidara and Humm became independent entrepreneurs, founding the company "Make it Nice" and acquiring the restaurant they had shaped.
In addition to "Eleven Madison Park," the group also included the restaurant "NoMad" in New York, which opened in 2012, and the "NoMad Bar," where Will received the Best Bar Program award in 2014.
Over the years, the duo continued to gather success and recognition.
In 2016, Guidara received the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award and the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Service. In the same year, Guidara married Christina Tosi, with whom he later had two children. In 2018, "Make it Nice" expanded with the opening of the NoMad in Los Angeles, followed by the NoMad in Las Vegas.
In 2019, the partnership between Guidara and Humm came to an end, leading Will to embark on new projects on his own.
His mission has always been to provide authentic and heartfelt pleasure to his customers. His philosophy is based on offering comfort and excitement, making the customer feel at home.
Will has shared his experience and knowledge of luxury dining by co-authoring several books with Humm since 2011, including "Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook," "I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes," "The NoMad Cookbook," "Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter," and on his own in 2022, "Unreasonable Hospitality."
Cover Photo: @Sara Beth Turner
