Restaurants are like kids. You hope you understand their innate gifts, and then you let them realize their aspirations.

I think that any business that thinks that the transaction is 'you give me money and I give you food, next, you give me money and I give you food, next,' without understanding that people deeply want to feel restored is in danger.

London has become one of the great world destinations for someone who likes food.

I don't think there's going to be sustainable demand for restaurants that force you to spend hours there.

Restaurants with small courses that give the customer choices, and that don't obligate them to spend a fortune, are going to do very well.

When the economy goes sour, there are three different kinds of restaurants that do well: the smaller-scale neighborhood restaurants that don't ask much of you; those that have banked enormous goodwill by offering great value during the boom; and those with proven records of excellence, a sure thing.

When chefs like Wolfgang Puck became household names, that became a compelling reason for an intelligent young person to go into the cooking profession. There have been no waiters who have turned into household names. The service and hospitality aspects have clearly lagged behind the kitchen.

Service is how product is delivered - the technical aspect.

In the restaurant business, as opposed to the theater, center orchestra is an 8 P. M. reservation. Orchestra on the side is 7 or 8:30. Mezzanine is 6 and 9. But people don't take it personally when they call the theater and can't get what they want.

Essentially what's going to determine how you succeed in New York is how people feel about the space, how delicious the food is, how they perceive the value and, most important of all, how they feel treated. My understanding is Stephen Starr is exceptionally good at all of this and his ability to create a transporting experience.

Wearing a baseball cap or sleeveless shirt in a white-tablecloth restaurant is rude and makes other diners upset, just like someone on a cellphone.

Diners are upset that restaurants aren't honoring reservations, and a lot of restaurants help bring this on by overbooking.

At my restaurants, we have training drills before every meal. We talk about what we did yesterday that was great and what we can improve today.

Short of hiring a new staff, consider giving subpar workers a chance to improve. Tell them why they're not measuring up and give them a set amount of time to make specific improvements.

Whole Foods has been brilliant at changing the way food is produced because they just won't buy it if it doesn't meet their standards.

I trust that McDonald's can find a way to sell all-natural chicken without raising their prices; we did that at Shake Shack. It is more expensive, and we took a slight margin hit, but we did it. And if we can do it, I know that much bigger companies can.

Today, it's almost the outlier if people are not photographing what they ate and then sharing that in real time.

One of my great teachers was the late Jean-Claude Vrinat of Taillevent in Paris.

I learned that you shouldn't take your most esoteric concept and fit it into the largest space with the highest fixed costs. It puts too much pressure on the restaurant to hit grand slams every day when there just aren't enough people who want to watch that sport.

Long before Starbucks popularized the phrase 'the third place' - somewhere to interact outside of work and home - it was neighborhood restaurants that helped to define places like Union Square.

It is sad that the more 'successful' a neighborhood becomes, the more it gradually takes on a recognizable, common look, as the same banks, drugstore chains and national brands move in.

The part of capitalism that doesn't work for me is when capitalists make decisions in the way that Adam Smith suggested, which is that as long as you do everything in the interest of the investor, you're going to actually make the best decisions for all other stakeholders. I don't happen to agree with that.

Restaurants and chefs have become followed by such a broad swath of the public, in a way that used to be reserved for sports stars, movie stars, and theater actors. Restaurants are in the firmament of today's common culture.

I'm a big believer that you can try to change the world based on philosophy, doctrine, and belief. But I think the thing that really drives the world is hedonism, the pleasure factor.

Every restaurant needs to have a point of view.

Be aware of textural elements throughout a party, like silverware, stemware, and linens. But the biggest element is metaphorical: it's your own touch. How are you making people feel?

There were plenty of people who didn't know that I played for United. I'm not one of those people that puts themselves out there. And I was never satisfied to be playing for United at 14 or 15; I wanted to play for Manchester United's senior team.

I don't really play off nerves. I just want to win.

When you score, you've got to be happy. It's only normal.

I've been through seasons where I've not played a lot of games, and its been difficult due to injuries and stuff like that.

Once I get into the box and get the opportunities, I have got faith in my ability.

I got Osgood-Schlatter disease in my knees because my bones were growing quicker than my muscles, and it's hard to get out on the training pitch; then, afterwards, you're in agony every single time you play football.

I've never asked or demanded a penny from United.

Fans are so important to football clubs, and you have to respect that everyone has got an opinion, but we have got to do our stuff on the football pitch.

I think it can be quite frustrating at times for anyone playing out of position, but you've just got to deal with it.

Things move on in life, and I think you've really got to make the right decision in the situation that you're in at that moment in time.

Jack Wilshere is a prime example of how things work. He went to Bolton and did really well, then he went back to Arsenal and really kicked on. It is something quite a few of the young boys look at and think, 'If he can do it, so can we.'

I think, first and foremost, Wayne Rooney is a class player. Wherever he is on the pitch, he can make an impact.

England against France is such a massive match; you can't get much bigger than that in European football. It's a huge rivalry.

Striker is my favourite position, but once I get on the pitch, whether it's out on the wing or in the middle, I just want to enjoy my football and try and produce as good a performance as possible.

When you are playing regularly, you feel a lot sharper on the pitch.

Once you play regularly, it just becomes second nature to do things on the pitch.

I've been playing for England at every single youth team level, so it's like a natural progression into the seniors, and I'm obviously delighted with my progress.

To be given the chance to play for United is a dream, and I'm always willing to go when asked.

I go into every game like I'm playing at school!

I think there's a lot of hidden talents at the big clubs that aren't getting the chance to showcase their ability.

Going on loan really benefits you.

Growing up at United and training with him day-in, day-out, you learn a lot from him. Wazza is always there, and you can talk to him. He has been through a lot of experiences in his life, and he is always happy to pass that experience down to the younger players.

Ever since I was a young kid, I've been playing for an academy with scouts all over the world that are looking for top players to come in.

You have competition throughout your whole life, and it only makes you better. That competitive edge gives you extra motivation.