Relationships Drive Culture at City Club of Baton Rouge

At City Club of Baton Rouge (La.), hospitality is built around familiarity. Members are greeted by name. Staff often know regular orders before guests sit down. Many employees have been with the club for decades.

Zafer “Z” Goncu, General Manager

General Manager Zafer “Z” Goncu has spent nearly 20 years at the club himself, first as a restaurant captain, later in catering management, and eventually as General Manager. Over that time, he has watched the role of the modern city club evolve alongside changing work patterns, member expectations, and workplace culture.

Below, Goncu discusses the club’s relationship-driven service model, leadership philosophy, employee retention, and why he believes hospitality today is less about amenities and more about people.

Club + Resort Business (C+RB): You have been at City Club of Baton Rouge for nearly 20 years. What originally drew you to this style of hospitality?

Zafer “Z” Goncu (ZG): I studied hospitality in Turkey and started my career in hotels, but I realized pretty quickly I did not love large hotels. I liked smaller environments. I liked boutique hospitality where you could actually know people and build relationships.

When I moved to the United States, I started here as basically a restaurant captain. Then I moved into catering management for about 10 years before stepping into the General Manager role. Catering taught me a lot because so much of this club revolves around private events and member relationships.

Club + Resort Business (C+RB): What makes the culture at City Club distinctive?

ZG: The relationships. That is the biggest thing.

We know our members. We know their families. Starting from valet to the front desk to the dining room, people know members personally. Some of our staff members have been here 40-plus years. A lot of our breakfast and lunch staff have been here nearly as long as I have.

Members walk in and servers already know what they want before they order. That only happens when people stay long enough to build real relationships.

Club + Resort Business (C+RB): Long employee tenure is increasingly rare in the hospitality industry. How do you approach leadership?

ZG: I try to lead the same way I try to raise my kids. I listen more than I give advice.

I want people around me to grow professionally and personally. If every single person surpasses me one day, then I think I succeeded as a leader.

I also think workplace happiness matters. Hospitality used to be extremely rigid. When I first started, kitchens were silent. Everything was strict. Today, our staff listens to music, they laugh, they dance a little while they work. It creates energy. People want to be here.

Club + Resort Business (C+RB): How has the role of a city club changed in recent years?

ZG: I think clubs realized after 2020 that hospitality is not about the golf course or the building. It is about people and relationships.

Members want places where they feel comfortable and known. For us, food and beverage became even more important because it creates interaction every single day. The breakfast program helped with that, but really it is about creating consistent touchpoints with members.

Club + Resort Business (C+RB): Your philosophy around member service seems heavily focused on flexibility rather than rules.

ZG: I do not like leading with “no.”

I always tell the staff to say yes first and figure out the best way to make something happen. Communicate honestly. Be open. Members usually understand when they see genuine effort.

People remember how you made them feel. That is hospitality to me.