- What are some of the latest trends in the F&B domain?
One of the latest trend is food and beverage popups with internationally renowned mixologists/Michelin starred chefs.
Innovative cocktails have made to the scene again and so have fancy glassware. Many bars and restaurants are being launched as ‘insta’ ready to ride on the marketing opportunities presented by the social media apps.
- What untapped opportunities can hotels explore by utilizing their existing F&B infrastructure?
F&B retail sale of popular products, B2B set-ups for food supplies (e.g. baked goods) to smaller businesses and regular consumers who do not have their own set-up would be a good example here.
- How is the hotel handling food wastage?
At The St. Regis Mumbai, we track our wastage on a daily basis across various sections in our kitchens and other areas. We use smaller chaffers in order to limit the amount of food wastage, keeping the variety and spread interesting. We keep auditing and reiterating the importance of food wastage in our briefings and trainings on a regular basis.
- Should hotels consider leasing kitchens for cloud kitchen requirements during non-peak hours? What about hotels leasing their F&B spaces to standalone marquee restaurant brands on a revenue-share model?
Leasing kitchen during non-peak hours may not still be a possibility for the operational hindrance it may potentially present. However, some hotels have adopted to leasing out their unutilized/ or one of their F&B spaces to restaurant chains or popular outlets to add to their bottom-line.
- How are training and development being taken up by the hotel for its F&B division?
With the pent up demand of travel coming back and the current manpower challenges in the industry, training and development will differentiate the good and great hotels. A consistent F&B experience will benefit both, boosting ADR and increasing popularity among the local clientele.
