lifestyles on road . We care about their health and nutrition and want to provide products that meet their needs .”
Hyatt started down this path ahead of the program launch , committing to carrying items such as cage-free eggs and a natural , organic beef for its hamburgers across its North American , full-service network . The company has “ dipped its toe ” into offering more sustainable seafood and now plans to “ go after it with a vengeance ,” according to Santiago . Natural chicken will also become more prevalent on Hyatt menus , with supply dictating how much it is integrated . “ There will be at least one option , if not more , on full-service menus and in-room and banquet dining ,” Santiago says .
While items like the grass-fed hamburger and natural sweeteners will become mandates in North America , Terry says there are no products identified for global use due to distribution issues .
Breakfast is another big area of focus for the new program , with cage-free liquid eggs being added to last year ’ s rollout of cage-free shelled eggs . Hyatt plans to launch a natural bacon product this spring and is working to replace pork sausage with a chicken or turkey version .
While these new products are being introduced , Terry also insists hoteliers will be able to maintain their entrepreneurial approaches to F & B . “ We are not dictating percentages , but we do expect that about 30 % of the menu will have some element of the program ,” she says . “ Guidelines will be provided . For example , we expect them to have five locally sourced ingredients on the menu . While five is the mandate , we are not going to tell them which five .”
One of the biggest challenges going forward is educating staff about the new philosophy so they can , in turn , educate consumers about its benefits . “ We must do this in a deliberate way so
Vice President of Culinary Operations Susan Terry
Vice President of Food & Beverage Susan Santiago it becomes part of our culture ,” Santiago says . “ Teams must know this is not going away . They must understand its core goals , where we are today and why it is important so they can give customers concrete facts .”
At the end of the day , Hyatt wants to make sure whatever it is saying here is real to customers , something they can identify and Hyatt can qualify . “ Honest , truthful , real is the key to us ,” Terry says . “ It is encouraging and exciting to be first , but it must be honest and truthful to customers .” www . hotelsmag . com May 2012 HOTELS 11