While hands-on hoteliers understand the ins and outs of running their properties, food and beverage operations often fall into uncharted territory. Understanding the business of beverages can be especially daunting.
According to food and beverage expert Michael Green, hoteliers have endless opportunities to improve their beverage programs and turn a greater profit from their on-site bars and restaurants. While there are many ways for hotels to revamp their programs, Green says any new initiative should keep one particular fact in mind—today, more people than ever before care whether their meal gives them an experience.
“They care what brewery the beer comes from, they want to know why you chose to feature a certain wine, and they want to hear the story behind the cocktail you’re serving them,” says Green, who spent 20 years as a wine consultant for Gourmet magazine.
One of the most effective ways to create a memorable guest experience is to offer locally inspired fare, giving it a unique-to-the-area flavor. “I call this concept ‘somewhereness,’” Green explains. “The idea is that you can generally taste, even if you might not have a word for it, when a product comes from somewhere specific.” Green says this concept can apply to a bar’s drink menu by highlighting local beer, wine, and spirits with a few descriptive lines about the featured brewery, winery, or distillery. “It really gives the impression of, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in this special place and I’m immersing myself in the culture.’”
By going local, Portland, Ore.-based Provenance Hotels, a hotel and hospitality management company, was able to refocus its properties’ bar offerings and create spaces that appealed to both hotel guests and locals. Earlier this year, Provenance announced that many of its properties would be turning away from big brand liquors to pursue partnerships with local, independent distilleries. Bashar Wali, president of Provenance Hotels, says the company set a goal to bring “destination experiences” into its properties. “Over the past several years, we’ve been incorporating more and more local products into our guestroom experience,” Wali says. “Leisure travelers want to see, taste, and experience the destination. We aim to make it easier and more fun for our guests to do that at our hotels than anywhere else in our markets.”
Moving from big brands to local ones was a smart strategy, he says. Provenance’s year-over-year bar sales have increased and its restaurants are beating their budgets. “We find guests are consuming more of our bar offerings since we’ve started incorporating interesting, locally sourced items into the mix,” Wali says.
Beyond the hard numbers, guest response at Provenance properties has been stellar. “We have heard nothing but positive feedback. It’s been a home run for everyone concerned,” Wali says.
Per Green, positive guest response is pretty much guaranteed in a situation like Provenance’s. “Turning the lodging experience into a passport for people to really experience the local culture—even if they never leave their hotel—will help keep guests and locals coming through your doors.”
Michael Green has more to say about the business of beverage. For more tips on how to optimize your food and beverage program, click here.
Photo caption: The Driftwood Room at Hotel deLuxe, a Provenance Hotel, serves artisan-inspired cocktails that highlight ingredients made in Portland.
