The following is a press release written by Matt Lettelleir for the The Open Door book.
Matt Lettelleir credits a Bloomington restaurant owner's simple question with reshaping how he thinks about hospitality and leadership.
Matt Lettelleir, a graduate of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business now working in Government Affairs for Orlando Health, today announced the release of his debut book, The Open Door: A Philosophy of Welcome for Leaders, Cities, and Everyone Who Opens a Door, published through his independent imprint, Theodore Foley Press. The book's foundation traces back to a lunch at Nick's English Hut in Bloomington a few weeks after Lettelleir's father died, when Nick's owner, Rags, noticed him stricken with grief and asked if he was okay. That conversation, and Rags's genuine care and concern for a stranger, became the basis for the book.
In The Open Door, Lettelleir builds on that experience and three generations of his own family's hospitality background to develop a framework he calls All-In Hospitality, organized around five pillars: Radical Welcome, Generosity Beyond Expectation, Personal Connection, Community Creation, and Stewardship of Place. The book argues that leadership, whether in a restaurant, a city government, or a boardroom, comes down to a single repeatable decision: how you treat the person in front of you.
"Rags didn't know me. He just saw someone who needed something more than a Stromboli and beer that day, and he gave it," Lettelleir said. "That's the whole book in one sentence. How you make someone feel matters more than what you serve them."
The book is aimed at hospitality professionals, civic and business leaders, and IU alumni who carry their own memories of Bloomington institutions like Nick's. It offers a practical, structured approach to leadership rooted in hospitality rather than authority, arguing that real welcome begins long before someone walks through the door.
About the Author
Matt Lettelleir is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington and works in Government Affairs for Orlando Health in the Tampa Bay region. He previously served as President and CEO of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of Advocacy for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He lives in St. Petersburg, FL with his wife and children.
About the Book
The Open Door: A Philosophy of Welcome for Leaders, Cities, and Everyone Who Opens a Door is a leadership and hospitality title published by Theodore Foley Press. It is available in ebook format on Kindle for $7.99, with paperback available through IngramSpark. (176 pages, ISBN: 9898996616169)
Availability
The Open Door releases August 25, 2026 and is available at theopendoorbook.com and on Amazon.
