In our conversations on our Every Other Thursday podcast, we ask industry subject matter experts to join us and ask them straightforward questions. We are always inspired with their responses and our recent conversation with global food & beverage expert Rainer Zinngrebe was no different. Here’s how Rainer responded when we asked him:
Where does food and beverage in hotels go from here?
Here’s what Rainer had to say……
“It’s going, in what should be going exactly the same way it was starting to go before COVID, meaning the approach to food and beverage needs to continue to evolve into an independent mindset and to be locally relevant in the local food and beverage scene, competing with local independent restaurants.
And we created a motto for our brands that we looked after, in a particular Ritz Carlton brand, which was called ‘80% local’ it meant for us that we put everything through a filter of 80% local from supply chain to guest that we’re looking for offerings of wine and stuff like this, and telling a story to the local guests that made it attractive to the local guest to come to our restaurants rather than focusing on hotel guests, because the hotel guest will eventually go and ask the concierge ‘Where’s a good restaurant?’
And the answer should always be here.
This is the best choice. This is the best restaurant in this bar. And when a place is busy and hopping, there’s an automatic draw, right? The hotel guest don’t need to wander outside to go somewhere else.
Obviously, that implies that you have to make sure that your pricing strategy is right, that you’re offering is right. That you tell the story right.
And, also that you tell the story not just through the menu. In the old days, sometimes the GM would say ‘Change the concept’ meaning change the menu.
Well, that’s no longer enough, right? It’s a experiential experience at every level. From the menu to the interior design ….to the glassware, to the flatware, to the plateware ….. to the menu, to the uniform and to the story and all the layers of the story that are in there. Right?
So, all of this is important.”
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rianer Zinngrebe by visiting here: https://www.everyotherthursdaypodcast.com/episodes/91720-conversations-rainer-zinngrebehkb-designs
And, you can discover more about Rainer and his new team’s current food & beverage journey by visiting: https://hotelkitchenandbardesigns.com/
