Diners passing through the imposing façade of one of New York’s finest restaurants may perhaps be surprised at how well the maître d’ seems to know them, their profession, their personal tastes and perhaps the fact that they are celebrating an anniversary.
Even in a city like New York, where a significant proportion of the population believe themselves to be famous, the familiarity of the staff at Eleven Madison Park with their personal achievements would seem flattering but a little far-fetched.
The real reason that the staff know that a diner works in the music industry, or has his roots in rural Oregon, is because the maître d’ has carried out extensive research on the internet that afternoon.
The idea is to offer service tailored