When successfully managed, on-site food and beverage venues and offerings can drive significant revenue for hotels in the right markets. However, it’s important that properties establish and sustain high-quality standards that are consistent across their F&B outlets. LODGING caught up with Emily Farella, brand communications manager at Charlestowne Hotels, to discuss how hoteliers can develop an F&B management strategy that drives a steady revenue stream.
How can a hotel position its F&B offerings to adapt quickly to changing consumer preferences?
One of the most crucial—and perhaps overlooked—strategic components of F&B planning is understanding trends from a broader perspective. While food trends are important and the culinary revolution is real, ultimately, the key to success lies in knowing not just how to adapt to trends, but when. There needs to be a savvy understanding of which trends will be a flash in the pan and which are long-term and appropriate for a hotel’s F&B outlets.
Having a solidified brand provides an F&B outlet with a center of gravity that helps determine what trends do and do not align with the brand’s promise. This allows restaurants to selectively participate in and profit from consumer trends without pulling themselves from their brand’s orbit.
For example, a study by the National Restaurant Association found that 70 percent of restaurant guests are looking for healthy menu options and most millennials expect products to be sustainable. That doesn’t mean you need to get rid of all dishes that exceed an arbitrary calorie count on your menu. However, having dishes with a range of nutritious vegetables and smaller portions of protein are healthier and easier on the planet. Next step is to find a way to communicate those initiatives with diners. Let your customers know. Engage with them about what you’re doing and share any changes you make.
What are some ways that management can stay abreast of these trends?
Trends can now be easily monitored on social media and review sites, giving hotels access to customer feedback that had not previously existed outside of email surveys. The key to a hotel’s success is leveraging this data to provide a customized service and adapting operations to suit changing customer preferences.
