David Pisor and What If Syndicate — Elevating the Customer Experience and Driving Brand Success in the Hospitality Industry

David Pisor has spent his career creating places that people can’t help but remember. Whether it’s a luxury hotel or a top-tier restaurant, he knows how to make an experience feel effortless, inviting, and entirely unforgettable. David is leaning on his knowledge and experience to drive innovation, expand opportunities, and shape the future of hospitality and dining.

For Pisor, growth has never been about following norms but identifying opportunities to make something better. He believes in pushing boundaries, adapting to change, and building brands that resonate with people on a deeper level.

This philosophy has shaped every project he’s led, from the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, which was named the #1 hotel in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler, to Chicago’s Maple & Ash, which ranked as the fourth top independent restaurant in the country in 2022.

Pisor seeks to redefine hospitality by creating innovative dining concepts, elevating customer experiences, and growing strong, memorable brands.

Learning Leadership from the Best

Long before Pisor was making a name for himself in the hospitality industry, he was learning what it meant to be a leader. His grandfather, a consultant to Fortune 500 CEOs, gave him an early education in business that most people never get.

Instead of seeing leadership as just making big decisions, he was taught that true leadership is about understanding people, having emotional intelligence, and building trust to get the best out of people. This early lesson shaped his career, and over the years, he founded and sold four businesses—three of them for more than $100 million. These businesses thrived by focusing on customer experience, brand identity, and long-term value.

Pisor’s philosophy has always been rooted in delivering on his commitments, creating brands that people connect with, and maintaining high standards in every aspect of business. This approach has guided him through every venture he’s launched and scaled, reinforcing a lesson he’d pass on to his younger self:  surround yourself with good people and trust your instincts.

Elevating Hospitality: Hotels to Restaurants

Pisor’s work in luxury hotels taught him that a great experience isn’t only about the high-end amenities, but attention to detail, atmosphere, and the way guests feel when they walk through the door. That same thinking carried with him in his move into the restaurant industry, where he set out to make dining as intentional and immersive as a five-star hotel stay.

When he developed The Elysian Hotel & Residences, which opened in 2009, it quickly gained recognition, with its restaurant earning two Michelin stars within its first year. He later partnered with Tommy Hilfiger to restore The Raleigh Hotel in Miami, which he sold in 2017.

Pisor also recognized that restaurants could create the same kind of connection with guests as hotels. Through What If Syndicate, he helped drive the success of Maple & Ash and Etta, two brands that brought a fresh perspective to fine dining.

At Maple & Ash, Pisor helped create a steakhouse that combines elegance with a lively atmosphere. The restaurant now has locations in Chicago Miami, and Scottsdale. With Etta, the focus is on wood-fired cooking and quality ingredients in a relaxed yet refined setting. The concept resonated with guests, leading to its expansion from Chicago and Scottsdale.

Across all of his projects, David Pisor has understood that guests return not just for the food or accommodations, but for the way the place makes them feel. The same high standards that have shaped his hotels and restaurants are now driving his current interest in food ingredients in the U.S.

Over time, the American food supply chain has undergone dramatic changes, often in ways that are overlooked by consumers. One specific change that caught Pisor’s attention is how McDonald’s french fries contain only three ingredients in every country except the U.S. Instead of using just salt, oil, and potatoes, the fries contain 16 ingredients, two of which are known to cause cancer. Pisor views this issue as a wider societal concern that he may be able to address.

Leading Through Tough Times

Strong leadership is tested in difficult moments, and few challenges were as disruptive to the hospitality industry as the COVID-19 pandemic. With restaurants forced to shut down and fine dining completely upended, business owners had to adapt quickly in order to survive.

For Pisor and his team at What If Syndicate, the sudden shift meant not only adjusting operations but doing so with a reduced staff. With restrictions in place and fewer employees available, maintaining the quality and service their restaurants were known for became an even greater challenge. Fine dining had never been designed for takeout, but they adapted to the circumstances, ensuring that guests could still enjoy a high-level experience even outside the restaurant setting.

Beyond business, Pisor remained focused on supporting his employees during a time of uncertainty. One of his team members, an immigrant who had recently become a father, had not seen his mother in four years. With travel restrictions making a reunion difficult, Pisor stepped in and covered the cost of a plane ticket for the man’s mother to come to the U.S., allowing them to be together at an important time for their family.

Whether leading his teams through unexpected industry changes or helping those around him in personal ways, David Pisor has shown that he cares not only about business, but valuing the people around him.

Looking Ahead

For much of his career, Pisor’s definition of success meant building category-defining brands and executing ideas at the highest level, which equated to having lots of money. Though he refers to himself as a serial entrepreneur, as his life has evolved, so has his perspective. Now, success to him means having time—the freedom to focus on what matters most, like exploring new opportunities and spending more time with his wife and four children.

Pisor has always been ahead of the curve, recognizing where industries are headed before they get there. Whether through hotels or restaurants, his work focuses on raising the bar, pushing boundaries, and creating something better than what currently exists. As the hospitality industry watches to see what’s coming next, Pisor is already making it happen.