How Death & Co. used EOS to scale from bar to hospitality brand

Executive overview

Running great bars doesn't mean you know how to run a complex company. When Gin & Luck formed as a parent company with 200+ employees, unclear roles and undefined responsibilities created friction even among co-founders and close friends.

EOS gave the leadership team the structure, clarity, and shared language to survive a pandemic and build a nationally recognised brand.

The problem: growth exposed structural gaps

• Founders stepped on each other's toes without realising it — not from conflict, but from lack of clarity
• Informal gut-instinct decisions replaced consistent criteria for hiring and culture
• No shared system meant no shared language during high-stakes moments

How EOS changed day-to-day operations

• Clear roles and responsibilities eliminated ambiguity across the leadership team
• Core values shifted hiring and performance conversations from subjective to criteria-based
• Easier conversations around fit — core values gave a neutral, shared reference point
• EOS adoption before COVID meant the team had the communication infrastructure ready when it was needed most

Retention and culture outcomes

• Staff retention remained strong through the pandemic — attributed directly to trust built by the EOS framework
• Employees felt buy-in and ownership; they stayed because they wanted to see the mission through
• The team credits EOS in their published book as the tool that made their current success possible

Working with an EOS implementer

• Their implementer, Josh, plays a dual role: stabilising element and productive agitator
• Challenges the team when they take the easy road; asks whether decisions reflect the organisation's best standard
• Non-judgmental approach created psychological safety — vulnerability in sessions is essential, and that requires trust