When it comes to food and beverage, there are several moving parts to keep operations afloat. Lara Latture, principal and chief operating officer of Washington state-based The Hotel Group, gives six quick tips on how management companies can help hotels’ food and beverage programs run as efficiently and successfully as possible.
Location, location, location. When first developing a hotel restaurant or bar, Latture says it is essential to consider not only what travelers, but also locals are looking for. “What makes this something that the city will want to be a part of? If you want to be successful with your revenues, you really need local buy-in from the community. You need a reason for people other than guests to come over to your hotel. You can’t simply rely on your overnight guest,” she says. In order to capture the local flavor, she suggests partnering with establishments in the area.
Craft a flexible menu. Building a menu with healthy offerings and sleek presentation is key, but Latture also stresses how important it is for eats to work in all areas of the hotel, from the bar to catering. “Make sure the menu is something you can roll over,” she says. “Don’t ignore the group sector.”
Choose the right people. “You want to go have a couple of drinks locally and find the best bartenders out there, and try to entice them to come work for you,” Latture suggests. “And bartenders aren’t bartenders anymore—they’re mixologists. They’re the person who’s going to come up with a cocktail that people will want to try. Hiring staff who will create a true experience for customers is the way to draw in business.”
Take advantage of common areas. In more traditional hotels, the main food and beverage draw is the restaurant, which may or may not be off the beaten path for guests. Today, hoteliers can take full advantage of lobby and lounge spaces to entice guests for a quick bite, Latture says. “Someone might sit down in your lobby while waiting for a ride or for an event and as long as you’re prepared and have staff, you can service them right there. The way hotel common areas are being designed now are very conducive to allow someone to sit down and have a beverage, eat an appetizer, or grab lunch.”
Follow the leaders. Which brands are making the most cutting-edge decisions or studying your key
demographics? Latture says it is crucial to stay on top of the trends and not be afraid to take cues from bigger, more powerful peers.
Overhire in leadership positions. Finding talent who will create fun, fresh experiences for customers and fellow employees is important, and such inspiration starts at the top. Hiring an innovative executive chef or food and beverage director can make morale—and profits—soar. Latture says that even though premier chefs in high demand may be hard to come by, there are usually well-trained experts who can help take the program to the next level. “It’s one of the most important hires you can make at a hotel when you have a full-service food and beverage program.”
Great tips for operations!
From a marketing point of view the first step is to tell visitors to your website THAT you have dining options, and then to tell them in detail WHAT you offer.
Describe your venues, display photos, provide opening hours.
Include up to date menus with prices for all restaurants, bars, in room dining, meetings, etc. on your website – if possible avoiding PDFs.
There are some plug-ins available which help you manage menus efficiently, and display them better than PDFs, without additional effort.
Make sure you pick one that makes it easy to publish all menus, including special events (think Easter, Mother’s Day) easily.
If you have more than one website (hotel, brand, restaurant) make sure the information is consistent across all channels.
Potential guests might also visit your Facebook Pages – some menu plug-ins have apps that can be included there.
These simple steps help keep visitors on your website longer, and can generate incremental revenues not only for your F&B venues, but can also help convert lookers to bookers.
You will also be competing more effectively with local restaurants, who are likely to have websites with all of the required content, information and menus.