F & B
Puccini Group redid a designer-driven restaurant at San
Francisco ’ s Marker
Hotel to rustic Italian ( and more casual ) Tratto , increasing weekend bookings to 250 per night from about 40 .
Attracting locals “ starts with the mindset ,” says Alex Taylor , Kimpton Hotels & Resorts ’ senior vice president of restaurants and bars . “ We think , act and behave like any other great independent restaurant company .” Kimpton ’ s F & B team compares notes with the hotel development team well before the drywall is hung , offering input on layout and concept .
It ’ s common to carry the hotel theme over to restaurant and bar spaces , but that ’ s not necessarily good . “ You want to go into a space that feels different when you walk into it . You want it to feel like a restaurant ,” Rigby says . An outside entrance and custom signage help .
“ We want ( our restaurants ) to be seen as great neighborhood restaurants that just happen to be in hotels ,” says Lana Trevisan , vice president of restaurants , bars and events at Two Roads Hospitality , Denver .
CRAVEABLE CONCEPTS One way to appeal to local tastes is to hire well-regarded local guns to operate the F & B spaces ; their knowledge of what works and what doesn ’ t , and their following , give an out-of-town hotel management company a leg up and a restaurant instant cred .
Tratto ’ s more casual approach included new uniforms for wait staff .
“ We definitely love to have someone who is well-known in the community , has some buzz and is trusted and respected ,” Trevisan says . Bringing chefs to Thompson hotel restaurants , such as Pedro Abascal at Playa Del Carmen and Josh Henderson in Seattle , brought cachet and a fan base . Having partners that match Two Roads ’ values on sustainability and sourcing helps , she adds .
Other approaches : Discover what locals love and duplicate it , or find gaps and fill them . The Godfrey Hotel in Boston relied on its partnership with a locally popular restaurateur to create Ruka Restobar , a Peruvian-Asian , or Chifa , concept that closes a gap in the city ’ s culinary scene and riffs off the hotel ’ s location on the edge of Chinatown . Partnering with a local is a common practice for Chicago ’ s Oxford Hotels and Resorts , which runs the hotel .
“ WE ’ RE NOT TRYING TO BE CLICHÉ IN ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS — WE WANT SOMETHING THERE IS A DEMAND FOR BY THE LOCALS .”
PAUL SAUCEDA , CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING , OXFORD HOTELS AND RESORTS
36 hotelsmag . com January / February 2018