I ’ M HOPING OUR INDUSTRY CAN ALIGN ON ITS APPROACH TO BREAKFAST , KEEPING IN MIND WAYS TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE AND IMPROVE OPERATIONS , WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE .
RON POHL
Pohl adds .
“ Prior to the pandemic , breakfast buffets across many hotel chains had expanded to include a variety of offerings . While it ’ s important to cater to customer needs , it ’ s also sometimes wasteful when you have too many options that don ’ t end up getting eaten ,” he says .
Besides packaging specific amounts of food in grab-and-go bags , the implementation of à la carte and digital menus is also helping hotels in curbing food waste .
FUTURE OF BUFFETS Despite the new and innovative offerings , breakfast buffets are poised to make a comeback , albeit with some modifications .
Breakfast buffets will eventually return as they serve a necessary purpose for serving large numbers of people quickly with a variety of options , says IHG ’ s DeRamo . “ We are looking at using buffets when we have high occupancy or for events rather than for daily use .”
Buffet never completely went away , says Hilton ’ s Crocini . Hilton has resumed buffet services at most of their hotels , having adjusted their experience throughout the pandemic based on the market , space availability and local health guidance norms . Hilton ’ s buffet areas now feature additional sanitization stations , minimized buffet set ups , application of sneeze guards , cloches for displayed or exposed food items , disposable glove stations at the end of each buffet station and adjusted seating to enable physical distancing .
“ Breakfast remains a crucial element of the guest journey , and while our guests have largely been understanding of the new options , they increasingly expect the return of our breakfast experiences ,”
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