F & B : BAR BUSINESS
always love a good deal .”
Optimizing food ’ s potential contribution to the bar business need not always involve specific pairings , either . “ Our bar menus do not typically have preselected pairing recommendations ,” says Charlie Palmer , CEO of New York City-based Charlie Palmer Group , which has projects including the new Mystic Hotel in San Francisco featuring the Burritt Room & Tavern . “ However , our wines and beers are chosen with food in mind , and we always have a beverage director available to make smart pairing suggestions . I think having a knowledgeable expert on hand allows guests to relax a bit more and leave the work up to us
Guests at Le Bar at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris can play a slot machine-style , tablet-based game to win complimentary cocktails and snacks .
Hotel Sorella in Houston keeps the food offerings at its Monnalisa lounge relatively simple .
— which typically results in them trying something new .”
Food pairings can extend beyond wine as well . The Brew at Kerry Hotel Pudong , Shanghai , brews six craft beers and a cider in house and has even created a beer degustation menu to showcase dishes specially created to match the hotel ’ s homemade brews . “ About 35 % of our revenue at The Brew comes from food sales ,” says Michael Huang , director of food and beverage at the hotel . “ Having a balanced menu will ensure that our customers not only order food with their beverages , but will also keep coming back .”
For some hotels , however , the food part of the bar business equation remains relatively simple . Trent Freeman , director of food and beverage at Hotel Sorella in Houston , notes that his bar bites don ’ t get too creative , with offerings at the property ’ s Monnalisa lounge including onion rings with a black pepper buttermilk sauce for US $ 6 . “ When people go to a bar , they want to eat something that ’ s going to fill them up ,” Freeman says . “ We don ’ t want it to be boring , but we want them to experience something that they expect when they go to a bar .”
The technology question One area where Hotel Sorella is taking a less conventional approach is its heavy reliance on social media to drive bar business . Freeman estimates at least 90 % of the hotel ’ s marketing in that area centers on social media and broader word of mouth .
The importance of Facebook , Twitter and other social media clearly is growing , but Bare Global ’ s Wilkings warns it must be used with care . “ Social media is a great reinforcement for advertising , but Twitter by itself will not bring people flocking to your bar ,” he says . “ There is also a significant downside risk to social media : It provides an instant complaints forum . If you give your customers a reason to be unhappy , that message will get broadcast faster than light speed .”
Sometimes the use of technology extends to actual hardware in the bar . Tablet-based wine lists are becoming increasingly common , but Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris has taken that idea even further at its Le Bar , which now features a drinks list on a tablet with an app designed for the bar . Patrons also can play a slot machine-style game to win a complimentary cocktail or snack . Thierry Hernandez , director of Le Bar , created the game with Hôtel Plaza Athénée Artistic Director Julien Lambert and Paris-based app design firm Emergence , and notes that since the game debuted last October , more than 1,300 guests have played .
Some hotels , meanwhile , still regard technology ’ s role with skepticism . Strategic ’ s Moreau notes his company ’ s hotels do not employ gadgets such as tablets on site at bars , believing they detract from the guest experience .
Jean-Pierre St . Claire , director of beverage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas , agrees . He says his team instead is placing increased emphasis on service in the bar — not just for new hires , but also for long-time employees . “ All these technological advances are great , but there needs to be that personal touch ,” St . Claire says . “ I ’ ve seen some technology that goes too far , and it starts to take out that personal service . Once we lose that , what ’ s the point ? Technology is a tool , but it can ’ t replace good service . I will certainly never take an iPad over a well-trained sommelier .”
50 HOTELS May 2012 www . hotelsmag . com