A Pragmatico AI Cultural Adoption Case Study
How Prime Hospitality & Ruth's Chris Steak House Built an AI-Native Leadership Team in 14 Weeks
Challenge
A multi-concept hospitality company known for exceptional guest experiences across steakhouses, boutique hotels, and cafes had a CEO with a clear vision for AI but no structure to scale adoption beyond individual experiments. Usage was scattered. Confidence was low. The barrier wasn't desire, it was direction.
Outcome
In 14 weeks, PHG moved 21 senior leaders from an average AI proficiency of 4.7/10 to 7.0/10. These leaders now save a combined 252 hours per week, representing ~$900K/year in productivity recaptured. Phase 2 expanded to all 55+ knowledge workers with zero Phase 1 dropoff.
HEADQUARTERS
Indianapolis, Indiana
INDUSTRY
Multi-Concept Hospitality
EMPLOYEES
~1,500
TIMELINE
14 Weeks
The Results
The transformation was both dramatic and measurable.
After 14 weeks:
88%
Using Multiple Times Daily
~$900K
Productivity Recaptured
21 leaders
100%
Monthly Retention
Zero Phase I dropoff
252 hrs
Saved Per Week
21 leaders
8.8x
Message Volume Growth
797 to 7,009 in 4 months
7.0/10
AI Proficiency
Up from 4.7/10
Adoption & Usage: Before and After
METRIC
BEFORE (Oct 2025)
AFTER (Feb 2026)
Daily AI Usage (multiple times/day)
62%
88%
AI Proficiency (self-rated 1-10)
4.7
7.0 (+49%)
Hours Saved Per Week (per person)
~6
~12 (doubled)
AI Part of Daily Routine
10%
56%
Confident in AI Ability
24%
81% (+57pp)
Know Where to Get AI Help
38%
100% (+62pp)
AI Positively Impacted Business Outcomes
Mixed
100% agree
Monthly ChatGPT Messages
797 (Oct)
7,009 (Feb) - 8.8x
Productivity Recaptured (annualized)
$0
~$900K/year
How it Started
Ryan Rans, CEO of Prime Hospitality Group, saw something most hospitality CEOs hadn't yet: that the same leadership team delivering world-class guest experiences across his portfolio could multiply their impact with AI. He'd been pushing his team on it for months before finding Pragmatico, opening every weekly meeting with 'how have you used AI this week?' He had the conviction before he had the structure.
The introduction came through a Pragmatico client in Ryan's CEO peer group. Ryan didn't want a training vendor. He wanted a culture shift. On the discovery call, he said it directly:
"I'm looking to create a culture of AI to dial into how we leverage time, intellect and the team we already have vs. hiring more people."
Ryan Rans
CEO, Prime Hospitality Group
The Challenge:
Desire Without Direction
PHG's leadership team was experimenting with AI, but with no common framework, no policy, and no structured development path. Pre-program survey data from 21 respondents told the story:
- Average self-rated AI proficiency: 4.7 out of 10
- Only 62% using AI daily (most with basic prompts)
- 57% said their biggest challenge was being unsure about potential use cases
- Multiple leaders rated themselves 1/5 on customizing outputs and troubleshooting
- One leader wrote: 'I don't want my history of queries to be seen as a crutch for my job'
Tools existed. Enthusiasm existed. But structured adoption, organizational support, and a common language around AI use did not.
The Solution:
Cultural Transformation First, Technology Second
Pragmatico's approach treated AI adoption as a change management challenge. The solution unfolded across three phases over 14 weeks.
PHASE 1.1
Align & Architect (Weeks 1-3)
Pragmatico worked with Ryan to build the cultural foundation before any training began: CEO messaging that framed AI as a business priority, a baseline AI proficiency survey, ChatGPT Enterprise deployment, and a dedicated Teams channel for ongoing support and coaching. By the time 21 leaders gathered for the first session, the ground was prepared.
PHASE 1.2
Activate Behaviors (Weeks 4-13)
Pragmatico delivered a structured program across six sessions: three training levels and three use-case sharing sessions. Each level built on the last, progressing from foundational prompting skills through advanced AI projects to custom tool building and automation workflows.
After each level, a dedicated use-case sharing session required participants to demonstrate their homework and present how they applied AI in their actual work. This cycle of skill building, applied practice, and peer accountability is what turns new capabilities into daily habits.
In parallel, Pragmatico guided the creation of PHG's AI Manifesto and AI Governance Policy, connecting AI adoption to the company's core values of Demand for Excellence, Passion for Hospitality, and Hunger to Grow.
A usage leaderboard ignited organic competitive energy. Ryan monitored the dashboard daily. Nobody mandated the adoption levels that followed - leaders saw their peers leveling up and didn't want to be left behind.
"I can see it daily. I'm watching all the engagement of everybody at PHG with ChatGPT. Engagement. Engagement. Engagement."
Ryan Rans
CEO, Prime Hospitality Group
PHASE 1.3
Operationalize & Sustain (Weeks 13+)
- Phase I leaders became team-level AI champions for Phase II
- Phase II launched to 55+ employees across 7 states
- AI Governance Policy finalized and deployed organization-wide
Where the Time Went Back
PHG was already delivering standout hospitality. The question was never whether the team was performing - it was whether AI could free them to be even better. Across 21 leaders saving an average of 12 hours per week, the recaptured time went back into what PHG does best:
- Deeper operations analysis that elevates the guest experience, completed in hours instead of weeks
- Financial modeling and forecasting processes rebuilt to run continuously instead of monthly
- Custom AI tools built by leaders for their own teams: onboarding resources, quality coaching systems, operational playbooks
- HR processes redesigned with AI-assisted candidate screening, compensation analysis, and performance documentation
- Executive workflows transformed: board preparation, internal communications, and strategic planning compressed from days to hours
Every use case kept the human in the decision seat. AI handled the first draft, the data synthesis, the research. Leaders reviewed, refined, and decided.
Testimonials
The People Who Changed
Bretton Lammi
Bretton started the program worried that using AI would signal weakness. His baseline survey included the note: 'I don't want my history of queries to be seen as a crutch for my job.' His proficiency: 4 out of 10. By February, he was the most active user in the organization, saving 30 hours per week, and rated himself 9 out of 10.
"I wish we had more than 3 levels with you!"
Bretton Lammi
Hotel Operations
Kristy Rans
Kristy rated herself a 6 at baseline but was 'not confident at all' in customizing outputs or troubleshooting. By the end of Phase I, she had built multiple custom AI tools for executive workflows and team communication.
"Creating my own GPTs was really empowering. I've never been a technical person, but I know this type of work will be considered basic quickly."
Kristy Rans
President, Prime Hospitality Group
Why This Worked
The Critical Insights
The CEO treated AI like a business metric.
Ryan checked the dashboard daily, called out usage by name, and told Phase II participants 'I am watching.' When a CEO treats AI proficiency with the same seriousness as revenue and guest satisfaction, the culture follows.
Peer pressure outperformed mandates.
The leaderboard and use-case sharing sessions created organic competitive dynamics. Social recognition in front of peers drove adoption faster than any incentive program could.
Existing values became the adoption framework.
PHG's core values - Demand for Excellence, Passion for Hospitality, Hunger to Grow - mapped directly onto AI adoption. The manifesto didn't manufacture new values. It connected AI to values that already ran deep.
The training didn't end at training.
Every session had homework with deadlines. The ceiling kept rising across three levels. By the end, participants weren't just using AI - they were building AI tools for their teams.
What's Next:
With Phase I and II complete, PHG moved from 'will people use this?' to 'how fast can we scale it?' Phase 2 launched in February 2026 with 55+ employees across seven states. Phase 1 leaders are serving as team-level AI champions. By March, 50 users were active on the platform.
Phase 1 generated ~$900K in productivity recaptured from 21 leaders alone. Phase II is scaling that impact across the full organization.
"The holiday tracking process has had a complete overhaul thanks to AI. Overall I feel AI has significantly changed the way I approach and execute my work."
Haley Shelton,
Cafe Operations, who built an AI-powered
onsite operations encyclopedia for her team
Ryan's bet was that AI could elevate an already high-performing hospitality team. Four months later, 55+ people across seven states are proving him right - building tools nobody asked them to build, reclaiming time that goes straight back into the guest experience.
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