I used to be with RockResorts, This is a great idea.
As part of “Water on the Rocks,” two pre-filled glass bottles are placed in each guest room daily and refreshed as needed during daily housekeeping or by request. These bottles are sanitized and replaced each night with filtered water as needed. Guests on the go will also have the option to purchase stylish, reusable RockResorts logoed water bottles (BPA-free plastic or stainless steel) for $4 at hotel front desks or spas that can be refilled at water refilling locations around each property. In many resort locations, guests will be treated to filtered flavored water (such as cucumber or lemon).
The program was designed by the RockResorts “Tap Force” to eliminate 99 percent of plastic water bottles in both guest rooms and food and beverage operations. “Water on the Rocks” is part of RockResorts Echo, which is the company’s corporate stewardship program and also includes employee volunteerism, charitable giving and other environmental initiatives, such as:
• A companywide sustainable cuisine program called Appetite for Life
• A green guest rooms program
• A voluntary guest donation program that benefits local conservation efforts
• The introduction of green weddings and meetings.
• Plus, other initiatives like energy conservation and one of the country’s largest forest health restoration project with the Forest Service and volunteer groups.
(Click on the link for more information.)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Is Fine Dining Embracing the Changes Or Extinct
Dale Dyck wrote about Restaurant failure, and I wanted to agree with him and give s similar viewpoint. Today’s restaurants faces the “perfect storm” of economic factors, which they have been unable to overcome. I use some of his points and inflect some of my own.
Recognizing that the profit margins in restaurants are low, and in particular if your restaurant’s food to liquor ratio is quite high. At least if you are serving higher percentages of liquor, beer and wine, you have the benefit of higher yield from beverage sales to at least somewhat offset the low profit margins from food sales. I believe that this goes to Menu Engineering and P & L management.
The other friend of the successful restaurant is volume. If you can turn the restaurant over two or three times an evening, the majority of the days that you are open, and assuming a decent average check as well, you are doing well. Or a higher check average and take the tables longer on a 2hour turn.
No place should be doomed to fail, what are the parameters? Is a failure a failure to adapt from what is considered “fine dining” or what a truly memorable dining experience has become? The intersection of the three circles, great product, great service, and exceptional experience is the elusive Holy Grail.
Are people no longer looking for white table clothes and fine linen napkins as the be all end all fine dining experience? In fact, Is the sight of an overly formal “dining room” can be enough for people to turn around and promptly exit stage left in search of an alternative location? Highly Doubtful, Is finding themselves in an overly formal room, where you need to be in a suit and tie and that whispering is the only form of acceptable conversation over dinner. Who cares that the serving staff that looks like they have just come from the opera and everything about the restaurant screams pretentious. It is what true service with taste is. There are ways to meld the two and do both.
I agree that what people lately are looking for are any one of a number of variations of a simple common theme; good, fresh local ingredients, prepared and presented in a unique and captivating manner by knowledgeable and friendly staff, highlighting and celebrating the region where the restaurant is located. Sure, the setting plays a role, but not one of pretentiousness, but rather a clean, warm and inviting room where people feel truly welcome and comfortable to settle in for a while, to enjoy the company of their friends and family in an environment where the food is the star, not the room. It’s about the experience.
Dale writes, That’s the formula for sustainable success in the restaurant business today. The time for table clothes and stuffy rooms where you feel like you need to pass a social status test in order to enter is over. I think he is right and wrong. Special occasion restaurants, as many of these tend to be, are sustainable. It shouldn’t take an anniversary or other special occasion, to feel the need to dress up to go out for dinner, true it won’t be enough to keep people coming through the doors in large numbers, and your days and nights will need some marketing and I agree that if you fail to adapt and change it will be a long road.
Having been a Maitre’d in two 5 star restaurants within luxury properties the game is the same and rules may have changed but in the end it turns back into the Menu and the Service in which it was delivered. Times are still tough and those that have learned to flex and modify without giving up quality and to not compromise their standards in the essence of maintaining consistency will endure.
Recognizing that the profit margins in restaurants are low, and in particular if your restaurant’s food to liquor ratio is quite high. At least if you are serving higher percentages of liquor, beer and wine, you have the benefit of higher yield from beverage sales to at least somewhat offset the low profit margins from food sales. I believe that this goes to Menu Engineering and P & L management.
The other friend of the successful restaurant is volume. If you can turn the restaurant over two or three times an evening, the majority of the days that you are open, and assuming a decent average check as well, you are doing well. Or a higher check average and take the tables longer on a 2hour turn.
No place should be doomed to fail, what are the parameters? Is a failure a failure to adapt from what is considered “fine dining” or what a truly memorable dining experience has become? The intersection of the three circles, great product, great service, and exceptional experience is the elusive Holy Grail.
Are people no longer looking for white table clothes and fine linen napkins as the be all end all fine dining experience? In fact, Is the sight of an overly formal “dining room” can be enough for people to turn around and promptly exit stage left in search of an alternative location? Highly Doubtful, Is finding themselves in an overly formal room, where you need to be in a suit and tie and that whispering is the only form of acceptable conversation over dinner. Who cares that the serving staff that looks like they have just come from the opera and everything about the restaurant screams pretentious. It is what true service with taste is. There are ways to meld the two and do both.
I agree that what people lately are looking for are any one of a number of variations of a simple common theme; good, fresh local ingredients, prepared and presented in a unique and captivating manner by knowledgeable and friendly staff, highlighting and celebrating the region where the restaurant is located. Sure, the setting plays a role, but not one of pretentiousness, but rather a clean, warm and inviting room where people feel truly welcome and comfortable to settle in for a while, to enjoy the company of their friends and family in an environment where the food is the star, not the room. It’s about the experience.
Dale writes, That’s the formula for sustainable success in the restaurant business today. The time for table clothes and stuffy rooms where you feel like you need to pass a social status test in order to enter is over. I think he is right and wrong. Special occasion restaurants, as many of these tend to be, are sustainable. It shouldn’t take an anniversary or other special occasion, to feel the need to dress up to go out for dinner, true it won’t be enough to keep people coming through the doors in large numbers, and your days and nights will need some marketing and I agree that if you fail to adapt and change it will be a long road.
Having been a Maitre’d in two 5 star restaurants within luxury properties the game is the same and rules may have changed but in the end it turns back into the Menu and the Service in which it was delivered. Times are still tough and those that have learned to flex and modify without giving up quality and to not compromise their standards in the essence of maintaining consistency will endure.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Lessons From The Field
(As I hae previously stated, I studied under John years ago, and He is a great Instructor, and He brings valid points to the front.)
Lessons From the Field®: Common Sense Approaches in Hotel Sales It should take two to say NO
How do you decide if a piece of group business is a good or poor financial decision for the hotel? Is it better or worse to have the “bird in hand”, a discounted piece of business or to wait, in revenue management terms, for what could (but is not guaranteed to) be better?
In the mid-1980s, downtown Nashville was a very tough marketplace. While the city numbers were reasonably strong, but most of the group and higher rated markets were near the airport or the beautiful Opryland Hotel, Grand Old Opry and Opryland USA. The 300 rooms Sheraton Nashville would best be described as a “pleasant, business class, middle-aged hotel.” It had two restaurants, a quiet lounge and meeting space that could handle several hundred attendees.
This hotel had a change of owners and sales team. The new team, comprised of an assortment of sophisticated to “down-home” sales styles, decided to embrace a balance of revenue management with survivor tactics. They had a goal of X rooms for groups for each day of the year that was based on history, foreseeable changes in the marketplace and advanced bookings. They did not have the authority on their own to exceed the group targets, but they had both team and individual bonus potentials IF the rules were followed.
It wasn’t easy and it took several months for them to figure out a system that worked. The team of David Livingston, Charlotte Martin, Alton Kelly, Charlotte Scheffer and J.R. Davis discovered that requiring a second opinion on all potential bookings was not the administrative chore they feared. They found this second opinion usually lent an insight that was more profitable for the hotel and met the needs of the clients, while usually qualifying for their bonus potential.
The second opinion was invaluable because it regularly reminded the team of options, which could be considering other dates, creative meeting room set-ups or packaging with other companies. Each of these sales professionals continued their careers in sales, with each rising to the director (or higher) level with different chains and management groups.
The lessons learned included:
■team trust
■learning revenue management is multi-faceted
■better prospecting that led to better group sales
■creativity is very enriching and a growing experience
Sheraton Hotels with Worldwide Awards of Excellence in both Marketing and Public Relations acknowledged the team efforts for their innovative approaches in very challenging economic times several years in a row.
Lessons From the Field®: Common Sense Approaches in Hotel Sales It should take two to say NO
How do you decide if a piece of group business is a good or poor financial decision for the hotel? Is it better or worse to have the “bird in hand”, a discounted piece of business or to wait, in revenue management terms, for what could (but is not guaranteed to) be better?
In the mid-1980s, downtown Nashville was a very tough marketplace. While the city numbers were reasonably strong, but most of the group and higher rated markets were near the airport or the beautiful Opryland Hotel, Grand Old Opry and Opryland USA. The 300 rooms Sheraton Nashville would best be described as a “pleasant, business class, middle-aged hotel.” It had two restaurants, a quiet lounge and meeting space that could handle several hundred attendees.
This hotel had a change of owners and sales team. The new team, comprised of an assortment of sophisticated to “down-home” sales styles, decided to embrace a balance of revenue management with survivor tactics. They had a goal of X rooms for groups for each day of the year that was based on history, foreseeable changes in the marketplace and advanced bookings. They did not have the authority on their own to exceed the group targets, but they had both team and individual bonus potentials IF the rules were followed.
It wasn’t easy and it took several months for them to figure out a system that worked. The team of David Livingston, Charlotte Martin, Alton Kelly, Charlotte Scheffer and J.R. Davis discovered that requiring a second opinion on all potential bookings was not the administrative chore they feared. They found this second opinion usually lent an insight that was more profitable for the hotel and met the needs of the clients, while usually qualifying for their bonus potential.
The second opinion was invaluable because it regularly reminded the team of options, which could be considering other dates, creative meeting room set-ups or packaging with other companies. Each of these sales professionals continued their careers in sales, with each rising to the director (or higher) level with different chains and management groups.
The lessons learned included:
■team trust
■learning revenue management is multi-faceted
■better prospecting that led to better group sales
■creativity is very enriching and a growing experience
Sheraton Hotels with Worldwide Awards of Excellence in both Marketing and Public Relations acknowledged the team efforts for their innovative approaches in very challenging economic times several years in a row.
Monday, March 7, 2011
An Outstanding Dining Experience…. All the Way Around
Recently I had a fantastic Dinner at a Restaurant in Northern California. It is away from the Big City lights, but definitely was a cut above. I have spent the better part of my career Managing and being associated with some of the finest restaurants in the world.
This stop of mine, which was a look at their operation for a couple of days, surely was one for the books. They play it so casually it catches you off guard.
From the greeting to the seating, the Water service, the bread was done very well. I had the Filet Mignon and there was no room for dessert. I actually opened with a crab cake appetizer from the bar menu which was so good…I will say that over and over…The server I had was impeccable, I have operated 5 Star restaurants and with Four Seasons, I was hard pressed to find flaw with the service both the night as a customer mystery shopping, and the next observing the floor operations. I had a Pinot Noir to accompany my dinner and it was very good. The things that make this operation set apart from anything else, they use local wines, and locally grown organic vegetables and have agreements with local farmers and adjust their menus on what is available in regards to the vegetables and the COP. They have a great local following within their region.
The Filet came out to me just as I ordered it. Perfect, medium with whipped parsnips and yams. It reminded me of nouvelle cuisine we did back in the 80’s but on a larger scale. I didn’t have dessert, but what I observed the next night I wish I had. They did a Crème Burlee trio that was great. Coming from a BOH foundation, they say you go back to what you know, I observed the kitchen operations and they had it all together as well as the FOH. They seemed to have an issue during a rush with an order that sat in the window for less that a minute. It is refreshing to see a culinary team that has as much fun and puts a great emphasis on the product they put through to the guest.
From the greeting and seating to the preludes to the meal itself I saw teamwork not using the front and back waiter system but with a runner system working together, the hostess, the server assistant to the management. They seem to have a great rhythm and read each other like a book; it is a compliment to the owners and staff that they all have such a pride in what they do.
They always say if you know it works don’t mess with it. If you are traveling in Northern California, or have a hankering for an exquisite experience where they combine the three rings of product, service, and exceptional experience and seem to have found the sweet spot where all three intersect. Send me an email and I will send you a link to their website. “Flawless service is the cornerstone of an unforgettable meal,”
This stop of mine, which was a look at their operation for a couple of days, surely was one for the books. They play it so casually it catches you off guard.
From the greeting to the seating, the Water service, the bread was done very well. I had the Filet Mignon and there was no room for dessert. I actually opened with a crab cake appetizer from the bar menu which was so good…I will say that over and over…The server I had was impeccable, I have operated 5 Star restaurants and with Four Seasons, I was hard pressed to find flaw with the service both the night as a customer mystery shopping, and the next observing the floor operations. I had a Pinot Noir to accompany my dinner and it was very good. The things that make this operation set apart from anything else, they use local wines, and locally grown organic vegetables and have agreements with local farmers and adjust their menus on what is available in regards to the vegetables and the COP. They have a great local following within their region.
The Filet came out to me just as I ordered it. Perfect, medium with whipped parsnips and yams. It reminded me of nouvelle cuisine we did back in the 80’s but on a larger scale. I didn’t have dessert, but what I observed the next night I wish I had. They did a Crème Burlee trio that was great. Coming from a BOH foundation, they say you go back to what you know, I observed the kitchen operations and they had it all together as well as the FOH. They seemed to have an issue during a rush with an order that sat in the window for less that a minute. It is refreshing to see a culinary team that has as much fun and puts a great emphasis on the product they put through to the guest.
From the greeting and seating to the preludes to the meal itself I saw teamwork not using the front and back waiter system but with a runner system working together, the hostess, the server assistant to the management. They seem to have a great rhythm and read each other like a book; it is a compliment to the owners and staff that they all have such a pride in what they do.
They always say if you know it works don’t mess with it. If you are traveling in Northern California, or have a hankering for an exquisite experience where they combine the three rings of product, service, and exceptional experience and seem to have found the sweet spot where all three intersect. Send me an email and I will send you a link to their website. “Flawless service is the cornerstone of an unforgettable meal,”
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Principles for Success: No Nonsense Benchmarking for Hotels and Hospitality Businesses
(John Hogan writes of Benchmarking, I studied under John the is a great instructor)
Benchmarking1 is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and/or best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. Improvements from learning mean doing things better, faster, and cheaper.
Benchmarking involves management identifying the best firms in their industry, or any other industry where similar processes exist, and comparing the results and processes of those studied (the "targets") to one's own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how they do it.
In my career, I have had to prepare and provide reports over the years that have at times been meaningful. I also recall at other times reports that have been a total waste of time, as they had outlived their usefulness or were no longer relevant. As a consultant, one of the tasks I often recommend with a new client to allow me to work with select members of the team to establish the value of what is being measured and reported.
Some potential items for consideration, whether you are the "chief" officer in management, marketing, finances or human resources, might include:
1.When launching a new marketing program, how much research has been completed? By whom? Reviewed by whom? How will the success be evaluated?
2.How many hours (or days) does it take for you to orient effectively a new management person? How does that differ from hourly positions? Are your new staff members prepared to serve your guests at the end of the on-boarding? How does your process compare with your competitive set?
3.What is the review and evaluation process for considering renovations and their impact on guests loyalty, ongoing costs and ROI? By whom? Reviewed by whom? How will the success be evaluated?
4.How much time is given to evaluating the energy consumption at your facility? Does anyone consider all elements of sustainability, such as waster, recycling, energy practices by areas not in the guest areas, etc.? Gasoline is now over $4 US again - is anyone looking at how this affects staff, the local shuttle costs, guest accessibility to our location, etc.?
5.How much time is measurably traceable relating to staff learning? To organizational leadership development?
6.How would your staff respond to a fire? To a bomb-threat? To the new computer system? Does anyone consider skill sets or competencies in training?
7.How much time is given to focused guest service training and improvements?
8.When was the last time management proactively and specifically interacted with guests, other than dealing with a problem?
9.How much does your staff understand about the overall financial viability of your hotel or hospitality businesses? I am not speaking of specific numbers, but of the trends and ongoing likelihood of continuing success.
10.Who makes sales calls for your businesses? Is all of your marketing tied to the brand, to online web sites, or does anyone benchmark results by area?
I could probably identify several dozen areas worth considering for smaller, rooms-only hotels and more than one hundred potential issues in larger, full-service hotels with meeting and F&B service. This would not be a "make-work" project, but points of discussion that could very well address the long term viability of almost every hospitality business today.
Benchmarking1 is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and/or best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. Improvements from learning mean doing things better, faster, and cheaper.
Benchmarking involves management identifying the best firms in their industry, or any other industry where similar processes exist, and comparing the results and processes of those studied (the "targets") to one's own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how they do it.
In my career, I have had to prepare and provide reports over the years that have at times been meaningful. I also recall at other times reports that have been a total waste of time, as they had outlived their usefulness or were no longer relevant. As a consultant, one of the tasks I often recommend with a new client to allow me to work with select members of the team to establish the value of what is being measured and reported.
Some potential items for consideration, whether you are the "chief" officer in management, marketing, finances or human resources, might include:
1.When launching a new marketing program, how much research has been completed? By whom? Reviewed by whom? How will the success be evaluated?
2.How many hours (or days) does it take for you to orient effectively a new management person? How does that differ from hourly positions? Are your new staff members prepared to serve your guests at the end of the on-boarding? How does your process compare with your competitive set?
3.What is the review and evaluation process for considering renovations and their impact on guests loyalty, ongoing costs and ROI? By whom? Reviewed by whom? How will the success be evaluated?
4.How much time is given to evaluating the energy consumption at your facility? Does anyone consider all elements of sustainability, such as waster, recycling, energy practices by areas not in the guest areas, etc.? Gasoline is now over $4 US again - is anyone looking at how this affects staff, the local shuttle costs, guest accessibility to our location, etc.?
5.How much time is measurably traceable relating to staff learning? To organizational leadership development?
6.How would your staff respond to a fire? To a bomb-threat? To the new computer system? Does anyone consider skill sets or competencies in training?
7.How much time is given to focused guest service training and improvements?
8.When was the last time management proactively and specifically interacted with guests, other than dealing with a problem?
9.How much does your staff understand about the overall financial viability of your hotel or hospitality businesses? I am not speaking of specific numbers, but of the trends and ongoing likelihood of continuing success.
10.Who makes sales calls for your businesses? Is all of your marketing tied to the brand, to online web sites, or does anyone benchmark results by area?
I could probably identify several dozen areas worth considering for smaller, rooms-only hotels and more than one hundred potential issues in larger, full-service hotels with meeting and F&B service. This would not be a "make-work" project, but points of discussion that could very well address the long term viability of almost every hospitality business today.
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