April 09, 2020
Hotel restaurants are no longer just an add-on service for guests. Think of them as their own entities, capable of increasing your hotel food and beverage sales. By implementing a few new strategies, you will discover an opportunity to grow your food and beverage revenue.
Tips on Promoting & Managing Your Hotel Restaurant
As a hotel restaurant owner or manager, you know how crucial it is to ensure profitability of your restaurant. Managing your hotel restaurant supply costs, cultivating a local client base, and partnering with a local restaurant supply warehouse are just a few ideas to increase profits. Here we share details on those strategies and more.
1. Focus on Customer Satisfaction
Negative guest experiences can hurt your reputation. In the world of online reviews, it’s crucial to be known for customer satisfaction. A good reputation will increase your customer base.
Devote time to reading through and responding to all your reviews, including the negative ones. Not only will this communicate to your customers that you value their experiences, you might learn ways to improve upon service. If a majority of your patrons give similar feedback or requests, consider implementing those changes.
2. Keep Staff Trained and Happy
Think of the front of house crew as the face of your hotel restaurant. They have face-to-face interaction with your clients and create the first impressions. Ensuring that they are trained on your policies and have exceptional customer service skills will promote excellent guest experiences.
It’s also crucial to make sure your employees are happy with their position. Providing competitive pay or small perks will help foster a healthy staff environment. When your employees are taken care of, they have a greater sense of pride and will translate their good vibes to your guests. Your patrons will definitely notice when servers go above and beyond their call of duty, which will translate into stellar reviews.
3. Offer Refreshments Throughout the Day
Does your hotel hold meetings and conferences? In addition to your regular restaurant hours, think about providing a continuous food and beverage package. Meeting planners and attendees appreciate snack and beverage stations because:
- Guests aren’t confined to their seats and can replenish their drinks as needed
- Offering a variety of beverages and snacks adds a layer of customization
- Continuous stations allow flexibility instead of fixed food and beverage
These types of stations offer hotels a unique way to cater to conference clients, while upselling food and beverage and increasing overall revenue.
4. Appeal to Your Local Clients
One of the most strategic ways hotels can increase their food and beverage sales is catering to locals. While hotel guests are a great client base, if your restaurant offers dynamic menus that draw in residents, you can grow your hotel’s restaurant business.
Do some market research in your area. Are people looking for vegan options? Do they want high-end cocktails? Think about your hotel restaurant as a culinary destination for visitors and locals alike.
Locals, or diners coming specifically to visit your restaurant, might expect a more elevated experience. Hotel guests might be looking for a quick and convenient meal. Examine your current menu(s) and consider updating it to strike a balance between ease and class.
5. Get Creative with Marketing
Hotel restaurants don’t have to solely rely on their internal marketing to draw clients to their restaurants. Think of some out-of-the-box ways to creatively market your dining establishment and increase positive reviews:
- Create a restaurant-specific website to foster more direct bookings.
- Post food specials on Facebook.
- Do a behind the scenes video of chefs in action and share on Instagram.
- Host a community event, like a musical performance or an art show, that appeals to your guests and locals.
- Offer unique food and beverage experiences. For example, are there local wineries that you feature as part of your beverage program? Plan a food pairing menu and cross-promote it with the vendor.
6. Engage in Food and Beverage Cost Saving Solutions
Periodically revisit your food and beverage distributors. Are they meeting your bottom line? While large food distributor companies might seem to be the best cost saving option, local wholesale restaurant suppliers can be a more feasible solution.
Large distributorships might not have consistent delivery times, and don’t allow you the chance to see or taste products before they arrive. This can affect your food costs if deliveries are late or the product isn’t up to quality standards. Restaurant and bulk food supply companies’ stock of high-quality fresh products are conveniently located in your area and can help answer your culinary questions.
Your Hotel Restaurant Supply Partner
US Foods CHEF'STORE provides exceptional products at competitive price points. In addition to fresh produce, quality meats, and all your pantry staples, we carry a variety of catering supplies, cleaning products, and beverage essentials.
Looking for ways to shrink your food costs and improve on profits? Stop by one of our many locations and check out our cost saving options. You can also set up an account, create shopping lists, and track your order history.