HotelsMag November 2017 | Page 46

F & B
of the offering ,” says Steven Dominguez , vice president of global brands , Hyatt Place and Hyatt House .
Ingredients in the bowls rotate daily and feature elements like quinoa and arugula , which also show up afternoon menu sandwiches and salads .
Previously Hyatt Place offered breakfast sandwiches . The switch to bowls requires less prep time than sandwiches but more time to replenish and make sure the buffet is operating smoothly .
“ That ’ s a good thing , we think , because it encourages our hotel staff to better interact with our guests , which is exactly what we want to do ,” Dominguez says . “ Being there front-ofhouse and being able to answer questions and check in on guests is something important to us as well ."
FROM BUZZ TO BREWS Three years ago ,
Fairfax , Virginia-based Crescent Hospitality launched an F & B operations team due to growing demand . A major focus ? The daytime coffee bar that transitions into evening cocktails .
“ We ’ re seeing a lot of sales moving that way and for us , we ’ re designing that right into the spaces ,” says Crescent senior vice president of food and beverage , Greg Griffie .
“ We see the iced coffee and the cold brew and even pourover coffees continue to gain in popularity ," he adds . The good news is with the cold brew — it ' s a really fast speed of service , just like drip coffee was years ago ."
For Crescent that means spaces with built-in cold drip machines that can double as cocktail infusers . It also means designing a cocktail or two with a coffee element to do double duty .
“ We have a lot of small footprint
operations , so one of the questions is : How do you focus on taking no more than one or two steps in a direction or a simple reach ?” Griffie says .
The answer is mindful planning around space . Dairy gets stored directly underneath the espresso machine , with the wash station and POS close by . The check-out area for guests should have
Holiday Inn Express ' Express Start Breakfast Bar
a few impulse buys , but not enough where it clutters the area and slows down the person behind the counter .
For Puccini ’ s Rob Polacek , factoring labor costs are just another component when considering how well these types of spaces will work for your property .
“ Is that an extra four hours of a union employee ’ s time to
take the space from a coffee bar to a liquor bar ? That adds up every day ,” Polacek says . “ It ’ s those factors that really need to be understood to make sure that the idea is feasible . Most of the time that ’ s what our clients are looking for : efficiency , reduced labor , reduced costs and also to keep that guest experience as strong as you can .”
The Market coffee bar and grab & go at the Horseshoe
Bay Resort in Texas
“ NOT TO CRITICIZE SOME OF OUR COMPETITION , BUT THE DAYS OF THE BIG , OVERBLOWN ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT , PACK IT IN BUFFET ARE OVER .”
— HYATT REGENCY ORLANDO EXECUTIVE CHEF LAWRENCE EELLS
44 hotelsmag . com November 2017