This CEO Is Building a Hotel Designed to Stand for 100 Years

Alistair Darby, CEO of Sir Richard Sutton Limited, has over 25 years leading public and private companies through growth and change. His approach to hospitality looks beyond the next quarter, with investments built to last for generations and a willingness to take difficult assignments. Watch now to learn why Darby rejects quarterly thinking, why leaders should take the difficult assignment and how long-term investments build stronger hospitality businesses. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://toast.partner-experience.com/... Chapters: [02:17] - A Company Built Over 1,000 Years [06:53] - Why Quarterly Thinking Is Insane [27:06] - Always Take the “Sh*tty Mission” [29:27] - Rethinking the Hotel P&L [36:03] - The Best of British Service SPONSORS: RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST — Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. • Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://toast.partner-experience.com/... PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST — Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders. Check out PepsiCo Foodservice Episode Links: Alistair Darby LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistaird... The Athenaeum Hotel: https://www.athenaeumhotel.com/ Sir Richard Sutton Limited: https://www.srsl.co.uk/ Sir Richard Sutton Limited LinkedIn:   / sir-richard-sutton-limited   Key Takeaways: Think Beyond the Next Quarter: Alistair Darby believes lasting hospitality businesses must make decisions based on what they are building for future generations. At Sir Richard Sutton Limited, that means investing in hotels designed to remain valuable for the next 50 to 100 years. Build the Experience Before Demand Arrives: Darby learned that businesses sometimes need to accept short-term costs to establish the reputation they want. A German bar group built a successful breakfast business by offering a complete buffet from the beginning, even when there were not enough customers to justify it. Take the Assignment Nobody Wants: Darby credits some of his greatest career growth to accepting difficult roles instead of choosing the safest promotion. By taking on struggling businesses, he gained the freedom to make meaningful changes, develop as a leader and build experience he would not have found on the easier path. *** ABOUT ALISTAIR DARBY — Alistair Darby is CEO of Sir Richard Sutton Limited and a non-executive director with more than 25 years of leadership experience across hospitality, leisure and healthcare companies. He previously served as CEO of Mitchells & Butlers and has led businesses through growth, turnarounds, mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructures. Today, Darby is helping Sir Richard Sutton Limited grow from a longtime asset manager into a hospitality operator focused on its people, guests and long-term investments. ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS — Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online. Published by Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com Produced by Cali BBQ Media - https://betheshow.media