When creating new food and beverage concepts, hotels have a tricky situation on their hands. From market research and competitive set analysis to the type of operator and available resources—not to mention the ever-changing tastes of consumers—there are so many factors to weigh. Whether you’re launching a restaurant, marketplace, or retail outlet, consider these takeaways from F&B and design experts.
Branded hotels are moving away from restrictive menus to give chefs more creative freedom and encourage localization. “At Marriott, we have gotten to a place where we say, this is the infrastructure, but let’s be less prescriptive about it,” says Dana Pellicano, director of restaurant and bar concepts for the Americas at Marriott International. “Try to color within these lines a little bit, but other than that, the world is your oyster.”
Fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Panera Bread have changed the way people eat. “People want fresh food, they want it when they want it, and they don’t want to wait in line,” says Dino Michael, senior director of global restaurant development at Hilton Worldwide. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, branded hotels have to take bigger risks with F&B concepts. “If we want to be relevant, we’re going to have to make some decisions that make us incredibly uncomfortable,” Pellicano adds.
Grab-and-go markets meet increasing demand for healthy, more convenient food options. To make this investment pay off, hotels should present a variety of items in a thoughtful way without going overboard. Too many choices can overwhelm guests and deter them from making a purchase. “It’s about finding that balance between cost versus appeal,” Michael says. “I think if you display it naturally, simply and keep it very open, it speaks to the honesty of the food people are really wanting,” explains Bradley Barnett, whose design firm, Guild 13, helped conceive Hilton’s Herb N’ Kitchen restaurant concept.
Pop-up food and beverage concepts allow hotels to test products quickly and break away from brand standards. “It’s nice way to get consumer research real time, and it also helps activate space,” Barnett says. From the guest perspective, it adds an element of surprise. “It’s a real unexpected win for our guests and our communities to see there can be these incredible wow moments at the intersections of true creativity and fun food and beverage coming to life in lobbies,” Pellicano says.
