They had everything lined up and toolboxes ready: screws, bolts, hammers, drills—you name it, it was there. Everything they needed to keep the plans moving forward confidently.

To renovate a home well, a toolkit is necessary. The same is true in hospitality.

Every person on a team needs access to a toolkit that helps them understand the business, their role, the expectations, and how to succeed. Simply creating the resources is not enough. A strong toolkit has to be clear, accessible, and updated as the business and team evolve side by side.

At Les Lumières - Partners in Hospitality, we spend a lot of time with our clients auditing onboarding materials, service documents, and communication systems. Often, there is already a solid foundation in place, but the information is not written as clearly or concisely as it needs to be. Sometimes valuable knowledge exists only in the minds of long-time leaders. Sometimes documents have been created over many years by different people with different approaches. The result is often a collection of resources that don’t fully support the team in the way they could.

The language matters. The design matters. The organization matters.

These tools should capture the team’s attention, build confidence, and make people excited to contribute to the larger ecosystem.

After the audit, we upgrade the toolkit.

We streamline content so the language, design, and structure feel consistent throughout the business.

With Kim’s background in education in culinary arts instruction, we approach these materials much like building a curriculum. We never assume something is “common sense,” because the truth is that common sense isn’t universal. What feels obvious to one person may be completely new to someone else.

Once the content is clear, Shawndra’s design perspective helps transform the tools into documents people actually want to use. Thoughtful formatting, visual hierarchy, color, icons, spacing, and layout all play a role. This isn’t simply about making things look nice. It’s about creating materials that feel approachable, align with the business’s identity, and encourage engagement.

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A toolkit is one of the loudest forms of communication a business has.

It tells people what matters.

It tells them where to find support.

It tells them what success looks like.

And it tells them how to grow within the culture.

While every toolkit we build is customized to the business, culture, and team, these are some of the foundational pieces we often develop:

Onboarding

• Employee Handbook

• Detailed Training Schedule with Expectations for Each Day

• Job Descriptions

• Organizational Chart

• Sourcing Story (when applicable)

Service & Operations

• Service Manual

• Steps of Service

• Positional Opening, Closing, and Running Checklists

• Pre-Shift Calendar

• Menu Grids

• Allergy Grids

• Food & Beverage Quizzes

Leadership

• Labor Models

• Weekly Leader Routines

• Guide to Leading Engaging Pre-Shifts

• Guide to Coaching Conversations

• End-of-Day Report Templates

• Department Checklists

• Resource Directories (”Who to Call for What”)

  

These are simply the baseline.

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The strongest toolkits are never one-size-fits-all. They are built around the unique needs, culture, and goals of the business. More importantly, they are designed to evolve. As teams grow, menus change, systems improve, and businesses mature, the toolkit should grow alongside them.

We often go through multiple rounds of revisions with leadership teams because they are the experts in their business—not us. Our role is to help organize their knowledge into tools that are practical, accessible, and sustainable.

The results are hard to ignore.

Teams become more confident because expectations are clear. Leaders spend less time answering the same questions and more time developing people. New hires feel supported from day one. Accountability becomes easier because standards are documented and shared. Culture becomes stronger because everyone is working from the same playbook.

We often see lower turnover, especially within the first 90 days of employment, because people understand what is expected of them and where to turn for support. Teams feel empowered to educate themselves, contribute ideas, and bring their own personality to the guest experience because the foundation is already in place.

When the guesswork is removed, leaders can focus on coaching instead of constantly troubleshooting. Team members feel more comfortable asking questions, taking ownership, and growing alongside the business. The work becomes less about putting out fires and more about building something together.

Most importantly, people have the freedom to focus on hospitality rather than uncertainty.

Just like renovating a home, building a great business requires vision. But vision alone isn’t enough. The right toolkit turns plans into progress, creates consistency without sacrificing individuality, and gives people the confidence to keep building.

Ready to upgrade your team’s toolkit? We’d love to connect.

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At its best, it feels effortless. A guest feels recognized, a team moves in rhythm together, and service feels calm, confident, and intuitive. Someone remembers an anniversary. A server catches a passing comment and transforms it into a personalized moment later in the evening. A manager has the time and presence to truly touch tables instead of sitting in an office buried in invoices.

We often share Will Guidara’s TED Talk, The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality, at the beginning of team training sessions, particularly his idea of “dreamweaver” moments - the deeply thoughtful gestures and emotional connection points guests carry with them long after an experience ends.

Those moments are difficult to create consistently when teams are overwhelmed, reactive, disorganized, or unclear on expectations.

The strongest hospitality teams are deeply prepared behind the scenes. They are educated, aligned, operationally informed, and supported by systems that allow them to focus less on chaos and more on people.

That preparation creates space for creativity, emotional intelligence, and genuine connection, both internally for teams and externally for guests. And those moments do not need to be extravagant to matter. Great hospitality is often found in the simplest gestures: remembering a guest prefers a quieter table, adjusting the pacing of service when someone seems rushed, gracefully supporting a guest who is navigating food sensitivities, or recalling a favorite spirit from a previous visit.

These are not gestures reserved for 18-course tasting menus or massive hospitality budgets (Who has those??) They are the result of teams being present enough to notice people in the first place.

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In Setting the Table, Danny Meyer talks about the “10-foot rule,” making eye contact and acknowledging a guest before you even have the chance to say hello. The impact is significant because the guest immediately feels seen within the establishment.

Behind every seamless guest experience is structure: strong systems, clear communication, and operational visibility.

At Les Lumières - Partners in Hospitality, we do not choose technology because it is trendy or overly sophisticated. We choose systems that create clarity, reduce operational friction, and allow leadership teams to spend more time focused on people.

When we walk into businesses, we are often seeing the same challenges repeated in different forms:

• Communication breakdown

• Leadership overwhelm

• Inconsistent service

• Labor costs disconnected from business levels

• Managers buried in administration

• Too many disconnected systems

• Teams operating without shared accountability

Technology alone does not solve these problems. Operational rhythm does. The right systems simply support it.

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When teams feel operationally prepared, educated, informed, and confident in their responsibilities, they show up differently. There is more calm, more creativity, and more ownership. Daily lineups become opportunities for meaningful education instead of reactive troubleshooting. Leaders have the bandwidth to create thoughtful menu features, community events, and team development opportunities. Service teams become more observant and present, which is often what allows them to catch the “golden nugget” details that create deeply personal guest experiences.

The operational systems behind a business should ultimately create more space for human connection, not less.

For us, successful operational technology should:

• Create visibility and accountability

• Reduce confusion and reactive leadership

• Support smoother communication between departments

• Help teams operate from the same playbook

• Reduce unnecessary meetings, emails, and texting

• Allow leaders to spend more time coaching, mentoring, and connecting with guests

The best systems are often not the flashiest. They are the ones teams actually use.

Our WHY Behind Recommended Tech Stacks

Toast

Toast has become a strong operational fit for many of our projects because it balances usability, integrations, reporting, and flexibility.

We value:

• Easier multi-location consistency

• Remote menu programming and management

• Strong reporting visibility

• Labor and hours tracking

• Third-party delivery integration

• Loyalty and marketing tools

• Easier onboarding and training

• Faster service recovery and guest follow-up

Most importantly, Toast integrates well with other systems. Operational technology should speak to itself.

Disconnected systems create disconnected leadership. When systems integrate effectively, managers spend less time buried in admin and more time on the floor with their teams and guests. That shift matters enormously because the more operational clarity leadership has, the more energy can be directed toward mentorship, creativity, service refinement, and guest connection.

Toast is also far more powerful than many businesses realize when it comes to loyalty and marketing. Most operators are paying for features they are barely utilizing.

At Dear Mama, a café deeply rooted in the community in Harlem, we worked with the team to activate SMS marketing for their loyalty members, which was already over 5,000 strong. Each week, they release a simple loyalty-driven special available only to subscribed guests, something as approachable as a $3 Cold Brew Happy Hour from 3–5 pm on Wednesdays. Week over week, they have seen an additional 5–10 loyalty members sign up specifically to take advantage of these offerings, while also increasing traffic during a commonly slower period for the business.

This is a simple example of using Toast marketing tools to their fullest potential. Newsletters are next!

What matters most to us is not the technology itself, but how these systems allow businesses to create thoughtful touch points with their guests in ways that feel genuine rather than transactional.

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7shifts

We value 7shifts because it combines labor forecasting, scheduling, communication, and operational visibility in one place.

The platform helps create:

• Better labor control

• Schedule transparency

• Clearer communication

• Easier team messaging and education

• Smoother shift handoffs

• Stronger operational accountability

Customizable daily logs are particularly valuable because they allow leadership teams to track trends, document challenges, review business levels, and coach more effectively over time.

We consistently encourage businesses to fully utilize the shift log rather than relying on scattered email threads or disconnected Google Forms. The 7shifts shift log keeps communication centralized, visible, and integrated directly with the POS and schedule systems.

It allows teams to document wins, challenges, sales trends, operational notes, and guest insights in real time while reducing unnecessary emails and verbal handoffs. We have implemented this feature across A16 restaurants, Dear Mama, and many more.

Shift logs are one of the most valuable communication tools within a business, so why not use the tech stack to keep all of the information in one place? The added beauty is that the information pulls directly from the POS and scheduling systems since Toast and 7shifts integrate together.

When communication becomes centralized and visible, operational stress decreases significantly. Teams spend less time searching for information and more time focused on execution, education, and hospitality.

Craftable

Inventory systems are not just about counting products. Healthy inventory systems create healthier businesses. Margins protect culture. And operational visibility allows creativity.

Craftable has been particularly useful for:

• Inventory tracking

• Invoice loading

• Order guides

• Recipe catalogs

• Menu costing

• SKU creation

• Waste reduction

• Better visibility into food cost discrepancies and loss

Strong inventory systems reduce chaos. They help operators make smarter purchasing decisions, create more consistent menus, and support more confident teams.

Reservations Systems

We also value platforms like OpenTable, Resy, and Seven Rooms, all of which extend beyond reservations into guest communication and community engagement.

Used thoughtfully, these systems help businesses:

• Promote events and programming

• Track guest preferences

• Improve reservation flow

• Stay connected to their communities

• Create more intentional guest follow-up

The more visibility teams have into guest patterns and communication history, the more personalized hospitality can become.

Those details are often what transform a standard experience into something memorable and emotionally resonant for guests.

The important detail about choosing the right reservation system for a business depends primarily on their location and market. Some cities are Resy dominant, while others are Opentable dominant. Even though they offer different marketing and tools, we always do the research to make sure the business is staying competitive within its market.

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The Goal

The goal is never technology for technology’s sake.

The best hospitality technology creates more presence, more team confidence, more efficiency, and more effective collaboration. It allows teams to speak the same operational language, move in rhythm together, and operate with a sense of flow instead of friction.

Because ultimately, hospitality works best when teams feel aligned, informed, calm, and connected. The systems themselves are invisible. What guests remember is how the experience made them feel.

When new owners Andrew and Bosco, alongside Chef Cortney Burns, took the helm of the historic The Ark (Formerly Pilgrim’s Inn)(est. 1793), they were stepping into a legacy deeply woven into the Deer Isle community. Our role was to help them honor that history while creating a service culture and operational structure that would support their deeply personal vision for the future.

From the start, we recognized the importance of learning the history of the business and place directly from the returning team as well as the fishers, farmers, purveyors and artists deeply woven into the community. Our goal was aimed at finding balance: integrating an approach steeped in the returning team’s understanding of the community with fresh approaches that would achieve deeper collaboration, operational efficiencies and financial success. We collaborated closely with Andrew, Bosco, and Cortney to map every touchpoint of the business, continuously asking how we wanted both guests and staff to feel.

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Building the Foundation
We began with a culture-defining exercise that established a shared baseline for the entire team. This created space for trust, pride, and collaboration, and ensured every voice was heard. With that cultural foundation in place, we introduced tailored training programs, service templates, and tools, reinforcing that these were starting points to be adapted in real time during training. This approach kept the process authentic and avoided overwhelming the team with “outsider” systems that might not fit the island’s unique rhythm and history.

Bringing Culture to Life
Training sessions became interactive workshops: tasting, listening, adjusting, and learning together. Because we began with culture, the team approached every question and challenge with reflection instead of reactivity. This shift turned potential stress points into intentional strategy adjustments, aligning the team’s actions with their shared values.

The Impact
Within six months of reopening, The Ark earned a spot on the New York Times Top 50 Restaurants list, a remarkable recognition that was never the goal, but a natural outcome of the team’s commitment to excellence. For first-time innkeepers Andrew and Bosco, navigating a 16-key inn with two food & beverage outlets was a learning journey. Their success reflects not only their leadership but also the dedication of the entire team to the place, the ingredients, the guests, their values and their integration into the local community.

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We’re honored to have played a role in this first season, and proud to celebrate The Ark’s team as they continue to build on a historic legacy with heart, integrity, and vision. We can’t wait to see how they continue to evolve and grow into their second season with more operational knowledge and confidence in their toolkits.

For more information on our work visit our website. We’d love to be in touch and learn how we can support your hospitality business.

Since opening its doors in 1984, Malliouhana has been synonymous with Caribbean luxury. Perched above the turquoise waters of Meads Bay, the resort not only set the stage for Anguilla’s transformation into a world-class destination but also helped shape the island’s identity as a haven of culinary and hospitality excellence. One of its very first guests was Giorgio Armani, a fitting symbol of the glamour and sophistication Malliouhana embodied from the start.

Over the decades, Malliouhana became known as a culinary destination, attracting global travelers, celebrated chefs, and loyal guests who returned year after year. Yet in more recent years, the resort faced challenges: multiple changes in ownership, shifting brand visions, inconsistent service standards, and a lack of focus on the team and their internal culture. While its physical beauty never faltered, its identity as a culinary and hospitality leader needed renewal.

A New Chapter of Excellence

With the formation of Storey Hospitality Group and Malliouhana’s return to private ownership, a new vision emerged: to honor the property’s storied past while reimagining excellence for the modern era and global guest expectations. Award-winning restaurateur and sommelier Shelley Lindgren, alongside longtime Malliouhana Sommelier and island wine consultant Albert Lake, was brought in to reinvigorate the wine program. They co-created a list that would reflect both evolving global tastes and the sea-inspired dishes and bold Caribbean flavors.

Just days into her first visit in Fall of 2023, Shelley recognized the extraordinary potential of the team and reached out to Shawndra of Les Lumières: “The property is extraordinary, the team is incredible — can you be here in a week to train and rollout the new list?” That call marked the beginning of a partnership that continues to evolve, season after season, with Les Lumières.

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Our Approach: Building from Within

From the outset, our philosophy was clear: listen first, then build together. Malliouhana’s team wasn’t just staff; they were legacy bearers. Many had worked at the property for decades, while others followed in the footsteps of parents, siblings, or grandparents who had shaped Malliouhana’s 40-year history. The pride they held for the property and for Anguilla’s culture became the foundation of our work.

Our approach unfolded in four key pillars:

1. Listening & Observing

We began by immersing ourselves in the rhythms of the team and the place, observing relationships, service, and listening deeply to the team’s insights. Past experiences with consultants had left mistrust. We uncovered rigid templates imposed from outside that didn’t reflect the uniqueness of Malliouhana. We committed to a different path, one grounded in respect and collaboration.

2. Tailored Training & Service Standards

Instead of standard manuals, we co-created service standards with the team, refining them through real-time guest interactions and constant feedback. Training was tailored to meet the team where they were, from seasoned professionals to first-time hospitality workers, and was designed to evolve with each new season.

3. Wine & Culinary Integration

We supported the rollout of a fresh, globally relevant wine program designed by Shelley Lindgren and Albert Lake, creating tools and training that empowered the team to confidently deliver the program through unique sensory experiences aimed at understanding the individuality of each guest. Working alongside Culinary Director Kerth Gumbs and Executive Chef Wilson Macedo, we translated bold culinary vision into guest-facing rituals, ensuring every dining experience reflected Malliouhana’s modern Anguillian identity.

A Defining Moment: 40 Years of Malliouhana

In November 2024, Malliouhana celebrated its 40th anniversary. For this milestone, Les Lumières worked closely with leadership to prepare the team to step confidently into the spotlight, showcasing both a reinvigorated service culture and a bold new culinary direction under Chefs Kerth Gumbs and Wilson Macedo. The celebration was not only a tribute to Malliouhana’s legacy but also a declaration of its future, with the team at the heart of the transformation.

Results & Legacy

The outcomes of this partnership are both tangible and cultural:

• Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for restaurant Celeste (2024 & 2025), honoring the strength of the new wine program and the team’s execution.

• Recognition across global platforms, including Forbes (Best Hotel in Anguilla 2024), Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2024, Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice 2024, and the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards (2024–2025).

• Bar Soleil was named one of the Top 10 International Hotel Bars by Food & Wine’s Global Tastemaker Awards in 2025.

• A revitalized guest experience rooted in authenticity, warmth, and precision.

• A new generation of Anguillian leaders, emerging from the line level, reflecting the pride, growth, and talent nurtured within the Malliouhana team.

• Stronger alignment with Small Luxury Hotels standards, balanced by the unique spirit of Anguilla.

An empowered team, equipped not only with new skills but also with ownership of Malliouhana’s legacy and its future.

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Sustained Growth & Seasonal Evolution

Each season brought new goals, challenges, and opportunities. With every return to Anguilla, we built on past learnings, refined standards, and addressed new objectives set by leadership, guest feedback, and ownership. This cycle of reflection and renewal created visible momentum: rising stars on the team stepped into leadership roles, and the service culture grew stronger with each iteration.

The story of Malliouhana is one of legacy renewed continues to shine as an icon of modern Caribbean luxury. By honoring its history, amplifying its culture, and investing deeply in its people, the resort has reestablished itself as the culinary and hospitality heart of Anguilla. It is an honor to support this evolving legacy and continue to expand our partnership with Storey Hospitality Group.

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Welcome to Les Lumières, Partners in Hospitality. Shawndra and I (Kim) are excited to have you joining us here!

We will be sharing case studies from our projects within the hospitality industry, how we build systems that directly impact culture and the guest experience, and the importance to integrating community tied to place.

Who we are?

We are a multifaceted, mission-driven and heart-centered team that thrives on listening and realizing dreams in hospitality and event spaces. We cultivate thriving businesses by fostering healthy, high-performing teams and exceptional guest experiences. Our expertise in strategic planning, cultural transformation and leadership coaching drives sustainable growth, team and guest engagement and increased revenue. We understand and address the financial and cultural risks associated with ineffective onboarding and training - we work collaboratively to build strong foundations and empower teams, ensuring your business has long-standing success. We are a force in building hospitality communities and brands with the potential for true impact.

Experience Architect
Shawndra’s process starts with vision — collaborating with leadership to dream into what the ultimate experience should be. She synthesizes the culture, location, community, and mission of the business to craft a cohesive, memorable journey. By bringing people together, she highlights their unique gifts and curates guest experiences that stand out from the ordinary.

Shawndra trains teams to activate all senses and to intuitively read guest cues, tailoring moments that resonate deeply. She empowers them to create authentic, resourceful experiences within their realm, leaving both team members and guests inspired and engaged. This approach not only fosters loyalty and core memories but also drives revenue growth and long-term connection.

Training & Culture Whisperer
Kim is a guiding force—an educator and facilitator dedicated to cultivating safe, vibrant cultures. She believes that the team’s foundation begins with clarity, baseline knowledge, understanding, and shared language. By equipping leaders and owners with the tools—training structures, service manuals, and resources—they create spaces rooted in trust, respect, and collaboration.

Kim’s approach starts with laying the groundwork—building the structures that empower teams to feel confident and valued in their roles. She emphasizes active listening and connecting the dots, swiftly uniting teams and opening space for collective growth. Because true magic happens when everyone is equipped to learn, adapt, and thrive together, fostering environments where memorable experiences—and genuine collaboration—can truly flourish.