In his book, Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara mentions his restaurant has a tool kit at the ready to best serve their customers. They found enough consistency in their customers requests that they were able to prepare for the recurring events in advance.
“Since people visiting from out of town often asked about our own favorite haunts in the city, we printed little maps, marked with some of our secret spots: the best pizza slice, best bagel, the best place to get Sunday brunch…We bought tickets to the observation deck of the Empire State Building we could give to tourists who were super excited to be in New York City.”
-Will Guidara
We can do the same with hospitality in our homes. We can create a tool kit to have at the ready for our guests. A way for us, as the host, to streamline what we know our guests want and what we can provide. Here is what is in my tool kit.
4-in-1 Coffee Maker: I don’t like a lot of appliances on the counter and found this was the best way to combine all of the options in one machine. It makes 12 cups of coffee, has Keurig and espresso pod options and a hot water wand for tea.
Pasta, spaghetti sauce, frozen garlic bread: At the ready I can make a simple meal that almost everyone enjoys.
Brownie Mix: I like to have these on hand to offer guests, but also to offer to bring to someone’s home. They’re great for dessert or any other time someone in your life might need chocolate.
Baked Goods: I’ve been trying to bake once a week to have something on hand to offer with coffee. I love to bake so I don’t mind. If you don’t, head to your local bakery or ask a friend who loves to bake to make something for you.
Popsicles: These are great in the summer if you have kids running in and out of your house on a hot day. They’re also good to have if you need to divert attention away from a sibling fight or to soothe cries from a bee sting or scraped knee.
Iced Coffee: One thing our coffee pot doesn’t make is iced coffee. In the summer I’ll make this recipe to have on hand. 12 cups strong coffee, 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Combine while coffee is hot. Refrigerate until cool. Yes, it’s sweet! (If you want to add ice, but don’t want the cubes to dilute your coffee, freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays).
Mac N Cheese + Chicken Nuggets: I don’t have these on hand anymore, but when the kids were little I made sure I was always stocked. These are great for lunch, post school snack, a simple dinner or for those picky eaters.
And let’s be honest. I always have cheese, crackers and bubbly water on hand. Not by intention, but by the fact that I could live on these three things alone. :)
Not everything in your tool kit needs to be food. What is important in your house to have clean or put away? For me:
Clean bathroom
Empty sink
Cleared table and seating
When I see that the bathroom is getting dirty, the sink is full, or the seating areas are crowded I take care of them right away. Even if guests aren’t coming over.
“The fresh elements had to be baked and restocked daily, but the thinking—the idea, the plan, the basic execution—had to happen only once. Prepare for these recurring moments in advance, and your staff doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel every night—they just have to listen and make it happen.”
-Will Guidara
Ooo saving this iced coffee recipe for sure!
I always love these gathering guides 😍 so helpful!!