Hoteliers have a unique opportunity to increase revenue through their hotel’s food and beverage program. However, if you make a mistake or treat the operation as an afterthought, it will lead to a rapid demise. F&B programs can be highly dynamic and fluctuate between becoming profitable or losing its way. Hotels that want to remain competitive in this area of the business must invest in human capital and program development. This investment is crucial in increasing overall asset value. Not only do F&B revenues rise, but hoteliers can also leverage F&B to position properties within their market and drive revenue in the rooms section.
What does an investment look like? It can be difficult to determine where and when to invest your money, given the limited resources available, low margins, and rapid changes in culinary trends. We’ve listed the top five F&B management tips to help you navigate this tricky terrain.
1. Do Not Hire Aimlessly
Although they may be tempted to hire people for F&B jobs, hoteliers are often just looking for warm-blooded employees. This is a risky move. To ensure that your F&B outlet thrives, you need to be as careful as with hiring the rest. Many hoteliers won’t hire an F&B director who has no experience in the kitchen or front-of-house. If a F&B director is to succeed, he or she must be proficient in all aspects of F&B operations.
2. Don’t let training slip
If you don’t plan to properly train your employees, hiring the right people won’t make a difference. Bad habits can be learned and become part the culture if proper training is not planned. It is not enough for new employees just to mirror the work of established employees. This is a bad practice as it doesn’t guarantee proper training. Lack of training can lead to increased turnover, lower operational costs, and a reduced guest experience.
3. Don’t Forget Stand-ups
These important daily meetings are often forgotten in F&B, but they are crucial so that everyone can communicate. During these meetings, communication about the menu, any changes or specials, as well as upselling opportunities should be discussed. Check uniform and appearance. To ensure that the team is fully informed about the day’s activities, it is important to review reservations, VIP’s and special groups.
4. Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Taste
Every menu item must be tasted by servers. Servers must be able answer any questions your guests may have about the menu. Servers can’t give honest answers without firsthand knowledge of the menu. They also can’t make upsell recommendations that will increase revenue.
5. Don’t ignore the financials
Waiting until the financial statements are available on the 15 th month is the best way to take notice of what’s happening. It’s too late. It is crucial that you have the opportunity to assess your month’s revenue and expenses and fix any problems. You are more profitable if you are proactive
1. Do listen to your guests
You can’t ask for and listen to your guests’ feedback if you don’t. They will take their business elsewhere. These guests are your customers. If something doesn’t work for them, listen to their feedback, and make changes.
2. Be true to your brand
However, you cannot please everyone. Keep the menu items simple, fresh, and inviting. A simple menu may not be appealing to everyone but it will appeal to many people and the F&B staff will do a better job. A simple menu doesn’t necessarily mean that it cannot be creative. Guests and locals will enjoy creative specials.
3. Keep it clean
Guests are not only looking for clean hotels rooms but also F&B outlets that are safe and clean. The GM must be certified in food safety, and should conduct routine inspections to ensure that all areas are safe.
4. Keep Quality Standards in Mind
Quality products are what today’s customers want. Quality food products can be more expensive, but skimping on this area will lead to unhappy customers not returning. Understanding that food prices can change daily is important. You should strategize to get the best price, but not reduce the quality of the product.
5. Be consistent
All team members should be familiar with the correct portion sizes and presentation. Make sure to take photos of the way the menu items should look when they are being served. Each menu item should have a recipe card with the ingredients and instructions. These two practices will ensure consistency in quality and presentation for all guests.
Bonus: Plan for room service
If done correctly, room service can be very profitable. But the days of three-meal room sitting are long gone. Room service should only be offered during meal times most guests prefer, such as breakfast and late-night meals. Never offer the entire restaurant menu. The room service menu should be simple to prepare, transport and maintain their temperature. A dedicated person should be available to answer the phones; this should not fall on an associate at the front desk. Same goes for food delivery. You don’t need to be available for room service 24/7. Also, the room service team must inspect hallways for any dirty trays. This can encourage pests and create a negative impression about a hotel.
Each F&B outlet will be unique, but if it is designed well from menu to team, it can succeed. Your hotel F&B should be a great place to be, in order to increase sales and substantiate your average rate.
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