Clifftop dining by design in Muscat , Oman at the Shangri-La Al Husn
FOOD & BEVERAGE
THE NECESSITY OF
Outdoor Dining
COVID HAS FAST-TRACKED THE NEED FOR HOTELIERS TO CREATE MORE OUTDOOR SPACES FOR F & B SERVICE . THE PAYOFF KEEPS GROWING .
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit , outdoor dining has grown exponentially more popular at hotels and resorts , and smart hoteliers have capitalized on this trend .
“ We are more focused on outdoor spaces than we ever have been ,” says Steve Palmer , founder of the Indigo Road Hospitality Group , which develops F & B concepts for hotels . “ I used to jokingly say that I never would develop a hotel without a rooftop bar , but that ’ s true more than ever before . Everybody wanted to be outside ( because of COVID ), and we started putting more energy , emphasis and spatial development toward outside , and we ’ ve turned them into the best seats in the house . Customers are going to want them today , tomorrow and further down the road .” “ Although all of our restaurants have indoor and outdoor dining options , most of our guests prefer dining outdoors with a view ,” says Rene Egle , area general manager for the Shangri-La Al Husn , Muscat and Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah , Muscat in Oman . “ The pandemic has definitely fasttracked the shift to outdoor dining for a
80 hotelsmag . com March / April 2022