TECHNOLOGY : F & B
The Tampa Waterside Marriott Hotel & Marina uses a hydroponic garden for fresh produce .
quality , source and pedigree of that bottle . This data can then flow into a hotel ’ s digital wine list application . “ It acts as a real wine list that connects you as the buyer with the producer or the seller , and connects your stock and your front-of-house device ,” Kopera says . ” Once a bottle comes into your store , the data loads automatically into your wine list — the description of the wine , the vintage , etc . — and it ’ s automatically inventoried . When the stock falls below a minimum , it would automatically reorder .”
Cooking , reinvented While the newest gadgets for the back of the house may not always seem as flashy as those intended to wow guests , they are often vital to a well-run kitchen . Whether it ’ s to produce a more consistent product , to have greater independence over ingredients or to more efficiently manage inventory , it is technology driving innovation .
For some hotels , that means a
massive logistical undertaking , like at the Bellagio in Las Vegas , which purpose-built a massive cook / chill system . To save on time , labor and space , large quantities of storable foods like soup are prepared in massive digital steam kettles , then rapidly cooled in bags inside a tumble chiller so the food can be immediately stored afterward .
“ We save time on production , reduce waste and it ’ s much more efficient ,” says Edmund Wong , executive chef at Bellagio . “ I can put eight different bags of soup into one kettle and reheat it . In the old days , I ’ d need eight different pots sitting on the stove and one guy constantly monitoring and stirring it .”
Other kitchens are finding that the best way to obtain the freshest ingredients , like produce , is often by growing it on-site . But instead of planting outdoor gardens , hotels can use advanced hydroponic growing systems to raise crops indoors . Nelson points to the 717- room Tampa Waterside Marriott Hotel & Marina in Florida , where Executive
Chef Kevin Randles maintains a flourishing hydroponic garden that supplies much of the restaurant ’ s produce .
“ I ’ m really excited about the use of hydroponics ,” Nelson says . “ The idea of bringing in production of produce , and not shipping lettuce across the country , is very interesting . At the Tampa Waterside , they ’ re growing a lot of product . That is one area we ’ re pursuing really hard .”
Looking ahead , other technologies show promise , but still need time before larger operators take the plunge . Rapidcooking appliances , including Turbo Chef ovens and various devices that use radiant heat , promise perfect pizzas and panini in a flash , coming on the heels of advances like induction cooking .
“ It ’ s the continuation of the question of how fast can we cook something to consistency ,” says Corey Nyman , president of the Nyman Group , Las Vegas . “ Radiant heat is going to keep driving speed . Speed is what it ’ s all about . And if we have the ability to keep something fresh , and hot or cold , for longer periods of time , we ’ ll look at that .”
But despite all the advances , there ’ s more work ahead . As much as bars and restaurants are enhanced by the latest F & B technology , there are still fundamental , nagging adversaries in the quest to run a successful F & B operation . Sometimes it ’ s something as simple as providing a clean glass .
“ In fine dining , anybody who offers wine , they spend hours and hours just polishing glasses . It ’ s very tedious work ,” Kopera says . “ If anyone would be able to create the perfect dishwasher — one that gives you cold , dry , perfectly polished glasses — that would be nice . This would be something I ’ d wish for .”
“ TABLETS ARE GOOD FOR ROOM SERVICE BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS ELIMINATED ; YOU CAN MAKE IT IN TWO OR THREE LANGUAGES , PEOPLE CAN PLAY AROUND , CHANGE THEIR ORDERS AND THEN GET WHAT THEY ORDERED .” – GERT KOPERA , JUMEIRAH GROUP
62 HOTELS July / August 2013 www . hotelsmag . com