A hotel’s F&B outlet that has been meticulously planned and expertly carried out has the ability to develop its own unique personality and become a brand ambassador for the hospitality business. It should come as no surprise that a hotel’s reputation and income are directly tied to the quality of its F&B outlets because they are the primary source of customer traffic.
This is something that can be experienced to the fullest at Jamavar, one of the specialty restaurants at The Leela Hotels & Resorts. Dinesh Nair, the group’s co-chairman and managing director, and Samyukta Nair, Dinesh’s daughter, transported the restaurant to the upscale Mayfair Street in London in the year 2016. This was the first time that an Indian restaurant from a luxury hotel was establishing its independent identity outside India, especially in a city and neighbourhood considered the Mecca of restaurants and fine dining.
“ITC’s Bukhara had been its own brand for years, attracting both connoisseurs and aficionados of exquisite dining. The appropriate F&B selections and their flawless management can generate a great deal of buzz and desire and are the most effective marketing tools for hotels. If executed well, they can also be significant revenue generators. However, it is essential that hotels set and maintain consistent high-quality standards across all F&B outlets.”
Modern diners favour restaurants with intriguing concept menus. Either the notion might be soaked in nostalgia or it could adhere to current trends, which may not be an easy task. The F&B industry is continuously evolving and adapting. The industry strives for healthy, organic, vegan, progressive, Instagrammable, and solo dining on both a micro and a macro scale. The rate of change is significantly quicker than it was a decade ago.
Understanding trends from a broader viewpoint is a crucial, yet often missed, tactical technique when creating F&B concepts. Ultimately, what counts is how they are adapted for hotels’ flagship restaurants. The F&B outlets of a hotel must have a realistic awareness of which trends are sustainable and appropriate.
Hotels are experimenting with many novel F&B models. Such as regional cuisine prepared in novel ways. Having food and drink options sourced from and inspired by what the local community provides is consistent with the worldwide farm-to-table trend that has swept the globe. Consumers are frequently eager to test foods that have evolved from regional delicacies.
In addition, the frequency of strategy meetings reveals how involved the teams and chefs are in determining a hotel’s F&B strategy. There is little doubt that successful F&B businesses attract guests and increase hotel income. In a win-win scenario, around 40 to 50 percent of hotels’ revenue comes from food and beverage. In addition, the profitability of any food and beverage operation can be boosted by better planning and pricing in order to promote sales of items with larger profit margins. Hotels are putting the customer first, especially when it comes to providing innovative F&B options that generate additional money. Shenoy says that the F&B experiences are what consumers take with them when they depart.
Ultimately, F&B trends impact a hotel’s revenue. It has also been observed that popular freestanding restaurant franchises have been integrated inside hotels to increase their success.