Tom Conran, principal at Greenwood Hospitality, discusses how his company has applied food tourism trends to its sizable portfolio, which includes brands such as Aloft, Homewood Suites, Hyatt Place, Renaissance, and Embassy Suites.
Bring Something New to the Table
“Differentiation is so important. No two restaurants should be alike, especially in the same, or even similar, marketplace. When we build a new restaurant, we look at the competitive landscape in a marketplace and attempt to ascertain where there’s a void and start building our food and beverage concepts to fill that hole.”
Create Communal
Spaces “We’ve seen a change in special dynamics as we watch diners enter our hotels. Today, they are looking for a more congregational type approach to dining. The advent of communal tables and the addition of more bar seating all bolster the notion that travelers are looking to be surrounded by activity, and so we try to provide that.”
Offer Shareable Meals “Dining is no
longer a segregated space—guests want to take a little taste of everything at the table. As such, a number of the menu items across our portfolio are meant to be shared by two or more guests. We’ve had great success with that, and we’re seeing restaurants across the country moving in that direction.”
