F & B
RESTAURANT
RESET
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
The Front Yard at The Garland Hotel in North Hollywood , California , installed shield glass with metal frames between booths and at the bar .
As hotels begin welcoming back guests , revamped health and safety procedures have changed the look and operations of F & B spaces .
“ Safety is the new luxury ,” says Olivia Richli , general manager of Heckfield Place in Hampshire , Great Britain . At the newly opened hotel , guests can eat dinner next to an open hearth or at barbecues inside walled gardens , and breakfast on the terrace or elsewhere on the expansive grounds .
“ Our dining will utilize all our dining spaces with a moveable feast of locations , depending on the weather , and moving outside wherever possible ,” Richli says . “ We felt that what people wanted more than ever now is to get outside and breathe in nature , to experience a sense of space and a connection with the outside world .”
At The Rooftop by JG in the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills , centerpieces have been replaced by single-use linen placemats , says Jacob Musyt , F & B director . The restaurant likely will go through at least 10,000 per month , at a cost of about 80 cents each . “ It is an additional expense , but we all have agreed it ’ s a needed expense ,” Musyt says . “ At the end of the day , we can ’ t compromise on that experience .” Bills are brought to the table on electronic devices that are cleaned after each use .
The Front Yard at The Garland Hotel in North Hollywood , California , installed shield glass with metal frames between booths . The frames have the macramé pattern that has appeared on décor within the restaurant over the years . “ The restaurant was designed to have a comfortable , residential feel , so any modifications were aimed to maintain that energy ,” GM Scott Mills says . “ By using this existing pattern , it made these safety measures feel familiar to our returning guests .”
Roberto Wirth , GM and fourth-generation owner of the Hotel Hassler Roma , needed to relocate the hotel ’ s Michelinstarred — but small — Imàgo restaurant , so he put it on the seventh-floor terrace of the penthouse suite , with views of Rome ’ s skyline . The setting allows six parties in two different nightly seatings .
TRAINING IS KEY Changes to safety standards necessitates training and regulation . At the Elewana Collection of 16 luxury hotels , boutique lodges and safari camps in Kenya and Tanzania , each property is being certified for health and sanitation measures by SGS , a Swiss company .
The collection is giving its internal auditor , services and standards manager Sjani Cuyler , new responsibilities : “ Her new job is to certify each property so that not only will it have an SGS certification , but it will have our own certification as well ,” says Heath Dhana , director of operations . “ She has about 20 different tabs on her Excel spreadsheet that she examines on each property ” to ensure compliance with cleanliness standards , Dhana says .
At Dan Hotels , employees wear face shields and masks , says Haim Spiegel , F & B director . “ We ’ ve had to train our employees to speak slowly and say something more than once to a guest because sometimes they can ’ t hear them because of the masks ,” he says . Staff have also
50 hotelsmag . com July / August 2020