Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
The lyric from the 90’s song by Semisonic, “Closing Time” flashed into my head today when I read Danny Meyer’s LinkedIn post about the closing of his North End Grill by the end of 2018.
View of the Statue of Liberty from North End Grill’s Rooftop Garden {Photo: Diane Wagner}
I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I visited the North End Grill. While the food and service were spectacular (as they are with any Danny Meyer venue), what I remember most were the incredible views from their rooftop garden on a crystal clear day in New York City.
I respect Danny Meyer for the iconic restaurant empire he has built with Union Square Hospitality Group—and for the cheese fries at Shake Shack that are DeathbedFood.
What I respect more though is Danny’s openness about entrepreneurship and failing:
Closing anything—failing at anything—hurts … and when reality dictates closing, we have a choice: to do so in secrecy and shame, or instead, with dignity, integrity, and pride.
Uplifting outcomes (some of which can take time to reveal themselves) usually ensue … from weathering adversity. And you benefit from the introspection needed to reflect upon and learn from what went wrong. It’s a lesson every entrepreneur can practice with failures big and small.
What if closing a business could be an exercise in pride, rather than shame?
I’m an entrepreneur with my share of painful failures but I don’t really talk about them. Not many people openly talk about failure, entrepreneurs or not. We should. If we did, there would be less shame and more pride.
I’m not sure what’s next for Danny but I’m confident there will be many more beautiful beginnings for him.