Getting locals into your hotel restaurant

GETTING LOCALS INTO

A couple of decades ago, hotel restaurants were often viewed as a pass-through for hotel guests. Today, brands are investing heavily in their F&B offerings to attract tourists and locals, as consultant Chirine Salha reveals.

Previously, the general perception was that restaurants located within hotels were conservative, overpriced and geared toward travelers who didn’t want to go out. Restaurants were little more than an afterthought for hotels, seen as a necessary amenity for qualifying in a star-rating system. But as food becomes a bigger factor in hospitality, this stigma is disappearing, with restaurants now being acknowledged as an important dimension in the overall hotel experience. In Asia, India and the Gulf, for example, F&B generates as much as 40 percent of all revenues and can make a hotel really stand out. While in-house guests might make up the majority of a hotel’s breakfast clientele, by lunchtime and dinnertime those guests have, by and large, ventured off to absorb the local flavors of the city. Hotel restaurants must therefore attract outside customers, and that vital, untapped pool is none other than the locals. If locals are in your restaurant, then hotel guests will feel like you offer something special. However, it is much harder to connect with the non-hotel guest than in-house guests. So what is involved in marketing the hotel restaurant as a competitive differentiator to drive unique and memorable guest experiences for outside customers? Autonomy It is best to run and market the restaurant as an independent space that just happens to be in a hotel. For the restaurant to be a successful venture, it must operate as a separate entity, especially if it is to go up against the local competition. This can be achieved by investing in an external entrance if need be, with the concept standing on its own as a chef-centered outlet, given its own pool of marketing funds, its own website and its own social media accounts. Managing the restaurant autonomously also ensures that it doesn’t suffer from lengthy hotel decision-making processes in areas such as recruitment and procurement. Strategic alliances and gastronomic branding Lately, an effective way hotel restaurants have succeeded is by partnering with wellknown restaurant operators or celebrity chefs. There’s no denying that gastronomic branding raises the attractiveness of a hotel, its restaurants and the broader destination; it also adds to the Instragram appeal. Develop strong local roots Differentiation, experiential yet local multicuisine restaurants in hotels are the latest trend. Working with local producers means getting closer to customers and, if done well, these venues can draw from the locale and become the go-to place for people to hold celebratory events. Such initiatives could, for instance, involve inviting suppliers to sell their products in your hotel. Be an active part of the community If you want to reach the locals, communicate with them. Take an active role in the community, not just through social media channels. Developing strong local roots can be achieved through special events, such as a lottery prize draw or exhibitions held at the restaurant.

Take advantage of the hotel’s services and amenities By utilizing the existing hotel structure, the restaurant can develop a range of packages aimed at customers outside of the hotel. Give the customer a real added value by offering packages that include amenities and services of the hotel, such as pool and gym access, discounts at the spa, free parking or one-hour laundry service while they enjoy their meal.

The meal period transition challenge Hotel restaurants have their own unique features, and one of those is the meal period transition challenge — to find a formula that allows the restaurant to successfully transition through three meal periods a day and ensure every aspect of the restaurant is unique. Finding ways to create distinctions between the different meal periods is crucial, essentially creating three restaurants under one roof. You do not want to be labeled the office cafeteria of the neighborhood, only to struggle to fill your seats at night. With the exception of traditional areas such as minibars and room service, which are being toned down in many hotels, judiciously selected and managed food concepts in hotels can play an increasingly important role. The most obvious way to improve your repeat visitor rate is by attracting locals, because a restaurant will benefit from their patronage and word of mouth all year round.