Take It Personal

In his leadership manifesto, David Grutman shares his journey to becoming owner of some of the top venues in dining and nightlife, showcasing his years of experience in the hospitality industry and teaching readers that relationships are at the core of any successful business.

David Grutman knows everyone, and everyone—or rather, anyone who’s anyone—knows him. From a humble start as a 21-year-old bartender at a restaurant in the Aventura Mall just north of Miami to today, partnering with the owner of that same restaurant almost two decades later on a globally recognized nightlife brand. Grutman is credited with singlehandedly transforming the global nightlife and hospitality scene. His collective business properties across Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas include a Japanese-inspired steakhouse in partnership with Bad Bunny and some of the highest-grossing-per-square-foot restaurants in the country. Groot Hospitality is a household name and David prides himself on not only creating incredible venues, but once in a lifetime experiences that people are willing to travel from all over the world to enjoy.

David has taken hospitality to a whole new level, and now, he is breaking down exactly how he got to where he is today. The key to his success has not changed from his first opening to his most recent multimillion-dollar venture: It’s his relationships. In Take It Personal, David shares his core values and guiding principles on building relationships, and businesses, that last, including:

• Don’t just open a venue, create an ecosystem.
• The little things are everything in hospitality.
• Build a team you can trust.
• Play the long game, but know when to walk away.
• And so much more . . .

Entertaining and practical in equal measure, Take It Personal is the perfect guide to leveling up in your career and your life.