FALL 2015
The Official Magazine of the World Class Beverage Program
Caliterra Wines Award-winning, modern pioneer offers the best of Chilean winemaking.
Talking F&B with Joel Eisemann The Chief Development Officer for the Americas talks about his love of California Pinot Noir and Kansas City barbecue.
IN THIS ISSUE
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10
15
4
12
16-17
Talking F&B with Joel Eisemann
Wine Promotions : Hotel Indigo & InterContinental Hotels
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13
18
8
14
CORE: Supporting Children of Restaurant Employees
Property Spotlight: Holiday Inn Anaheim and Burger Theory
2015 World Class Beverage Program Partners Meeting
Partner Profile : Caliterra Wines
IHG F&B Website : Your One-Stop Shop
Ice Skating at the InterContinental Miami
Pour-Fect & Wine Temperature Guide : Doing Wine the Right Way
New Coffee Standards for Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express
InterContinental Hotels and Penfolds Promotional Partnership
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Generating F&B C.A.S.H.
2015 all2015 ffall
Celebrating the Year-End in Style As we head into the final weeks of the fourth quarter,
a new promotional program for InterContinental Hotels
everyone is making that last, important push to reach
with Penfolds Wine to an outstanding enhancement to the
our goals for the year and enjoy a well-deserved holiday
coffee program for our Holiday Inn Brand Family.
celebration. This has been a watershed year for food and beverage in the Americas, with the introduction of a number
Here’s wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy,
of key initiatives, concepts and promotional efforts. We’ve
healthy, successful New Year!
kept the momentum going this fall by launching several exciting new programs and promotions that will ensure we close out the year on a high note and hit the ground running in 2016. You can read about some of these in this issue, from
Cheers! —
Jp
To learn more about CORE, become a supporting member or refer a child or family, visit www.COREgives.org.
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Providing a Lifeline to Hospitality Industry Families in Need
hen the apartment building where Eric Montesinos and his family lived burned down this spring, they lost everything.
Montesinos is a member of the kitchen team at the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta, and the hotel arranged to set up a Go Fund Me account to help the family replace their losses. But Director of Human Resources Christopher Fullagar and Food & Beverage Director Jason Deville knew of another resource: they contacted CORE.
Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) is a nonprofit organization that supports the children and families of hospitality industry workforce employees who are experiencing a significant life-altering circumstance. Founded in 2004 by a handful of operators and suppliers looking for a way to give back to their own, the organization is funded by donations from food and beverage operators, suppliers and distributors, as well as individual contributions.
We’ve been able to help more than 100 children and over 60 families since we started.” Fundraising for CORE is primarily through a membership program for corporations in the hospitality industry, together with a host of golf tournaments and other charity events throughout each year. CORE is also the official charity of the annual VIBE (Very Important Beverage Executives) conference. “Our communications effort is largely through word-of-mouth and social media,” says LaViola. “We urge General Managers, F&B Directors and Restaurant Managers to become ambassadors of our mission and help spread the word among their colleagues in the supplier, hotel, restaurant and bar communities, so that we can continue to give back to our own.”
One of the CORE founders was IMI Agency, the beverage marketing agency that manages the World Class Beverage Program. IMI took the fledgling charity under its wing, providing staffing and offices for its first few years until the organization became established. A generous donation from CORE helped the Montesinos family get back on their feet. “We met Eric and his family at a shopping mall near the hotel and spent almost three hours getting the items they needed—clothes, formula, diapers, books, school supplies, toys, a TV and some furniture,” says Fullagar. “Eric’s son, who is six, got a bike. We filled up seven shopping baskets and one flat-bed cart. It was like Christmas in May.” “We learn about need situations through grassroots communications from restaurants and hotels,” says Lauren LaViola, Executive Director of CORE. “Our Board evaluates the requests on a case-by-case basis. Support can range from assisting a family with a child who has a chronic condition like autism or Down Syndrome, or a life-threatening illness such as cancer, to providing support for the young children of a restaurant employee who dies or is disabled or helping out in emergency or life-altering situations, as with the Montesinos.
The Montesinos family received support from CORE to replace their belongings that were destroyed in a fire. Eric (left) is a colleague at the InterContinental Buckhead; Jason Deville (right) is the hotel’s F&B Director.
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Joel Eisemann has lived on both sides of the globe in his 35-year hotel development career, from Bethesda and Atlanta to Hong Kong, and has honed his food and beverage preferences in all the travel in between. In a recent interview, the Chief Development Officer for the Americas shared his love of discovering extraordinary, off-the-beatentrack eateries in Asia as well as his passion for great barbecue—anywhere.
Seeking F&B Experiences that Surprise and Delight 4
TALKING F&B WITH
JOEL EISEMANN
ANY FOODSERVICE EXPERIENCE IN YOUR BACKGROUND? “Being from Kansas City, I’m a barbecue fanatic. When I was an undergraduate at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, I was frustrated that I couldn’t find an authentic barbecue restaurant in the Bay Area, so I decided to open one. My due diligence was working as a bus boy and waiter at a steakhouse near campus, and I realized I had a lot to learn. “I decided to go to Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration for graduate school. One summer I had an internship that included a food and beverage rotation at the Alameda Plaza in Kansas City, which is now an InterContinental® Hotel. Each week, I worked in a different area within F&B. The next summer, I worked as maître d’ at what was then the Continental Plaza hotel on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Those experiences, combined with the broader exposure to the hotel industry that I received at Cornell, resulted in my decision to go into hotel real estate development when I graduated. I was with Marriott for 29 years before joining IHG four years ago.”
WHAT DOES A GREAT DINING EXPERIENCE LOOK LIKE? “Of course, a great dining experience always starts with great food. Service is important, too, and can look different depending on where you are—from the engaging personality of a server in a cafeteria line to a knowledgeable, helpful wine steward in a five-star restaurant. Some of my best dining experiences have been the most casual, including barbecue places where you stand in line to get your food or from street vendors and hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Hong Kong. Specialty items of exceptional quality are the kinds of things you remember and that make you want to go back to a particular restaurant again and again.”
FAVORITE FOOD? “I love Thai food. My family and I lived in Hong Kong for nine years when I led the Asia/Pacific development team for Marriott, and I spent a lot of time in Thailand. Much of the food is simple—like noodle dishes—but it’s healthy, has terrific flavors and typically has great presentation. And there are so many great Thai restaurants.”
FAVORITE BEVERAGE? “For a nonalcoholic beverage, I like sparkling water with lime. I’m a California Pinot Noir person when it comes to alcoholic beverages. I’m not a wine snob—we don’t have a cellar with 1,500 bottles. But I do enjoy a great bottle of a more full-bodied Pinot Noir. My wife, Maggie, and I have been to Napa Valley in California several times, and we belong to three or four wine clubs. A growing number of restaurants in the cities where we’ve lived or visit often, like Washington, D.C., and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, allow diners to bring their own wine. So when we go out with friends who also enjoy wine, we bring along our favorites and don’t even have to look at the wine list. “
“My other favorite is a Thai restaurant in Hong Kong called the Chili Club. It was in kind of a grungy area on Hong Kong Island, on the second floor over a shop, and it had no real decor. But the food was consistently excellent. When friends and family came to visit, we usually took them there, and everyone loved it. It’s just one of those great food places.”
ANY RECENT STANDOUT MEALS AT AN IHG PROPERTY? “My Development team hosted a luncheon for 60 of our top owners at the InterContinental® San Francisco during the recent IHG Americas Owners conference. The hotel did a terrific job—both the food and service were outstanding. It was a banquet-style function with a set menu, and the meal had to be completed in one hour flat. The food was hot, tasty and plated nicely. That’s not easy to deliver in such a setting.”
ANY F&B “PET PEEVES?” “Slow service—or a server who is not attentive to the pace at which you’re dining. Are you in a hurry, or dining leisurely and not concerned about the time? It’s important for the server to pay attention and pick up on those cues.”
DO YOU COOK, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR SPECIALTIES? “I used to cook occasionally, but now I hardly ever do. Maggie and I are empty nesters, and we like to eat healthy in the evening, but we just don’t want to take the time to cook. So, we often enjoy prepared meals from an upscale food store in our neighborhood, and we eat out a lot with friends on the weekends. When I did cook more often, I focused on what I was good at—barbecuing and grilling steaks and chicken. ”
WHAT ROLE DOES FOOD AND BEVERAGE PLAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR IHG? “F&B plays an important part, since each of our IHG hotel brands offers some form of foodservice, from buffets included in the price of the room to graband-go markets to casual and fine dining. “Our Development team finds that owners tend to think differently about food and beverage depending on the tier in which their particular hotel brand operates. For our upscale brands, owners want the F&B concepts to be unique to the market and sometimes to reflect their personal preferences. For our core Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands, the focus is more on staffing, quality/choice and cost per occupied room. “For each of our brands, it’s key that the food and beverage operation be profitable and contribute to the guest’s overall positive experience at the hotel.”
FAVORITE NON-IHG RESTAURANT? “I have two—one is Gates Bar-B-Q in Kansas City. When I was in high school, I ate there as many as 12 or 14 times in a week. We started taking our children there when they were about 8 or 9. Whenever we went to Kansas City to visit my parents, the kids would ask if we could go to Gates before we headed to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s.
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Dessert treats, from Key Lime Pie to S’mores, are served in Mason jars.
Burger Theory’s design features casual comfort with a focus on the bar.
TESTING TESTING THE THE BURGER BURGER THEORY THEORY
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hen Aaron Crosson was recruited for the position of Restaurant Manager at the new Burger Theory in the Holiday Inn Anaheim Resort, he expected it to be “just another burger joint.” He was surprised. “I have a background in hotel foodservice, and I fell in love with the concept and the space,” he says. “It’s fresh and innovative. The quality of the design and menu are outstanding.” Crosson took the job, coming onboard in June of this year to open the restaurant, which was one of eight U.S. pilot locations for the concept. Burger Theory replaced a higher-priced brasserie as the property’s main restaurant in the first phase of a major renovation of the hotel. “We started with the food and beverage outlets and banquet areas, and now have the rooms under renovation,” says Complex General Manager Carolyn Stoops, who oversees operations of both the Holiday 6
Burger Theory Restaurant Manager Aaron Crosson
Inn and the nearby Staybridge Suites Anaheim Resort. “The entire project will be completed by the end of this year. Based on the positive initial response from our in-house guests, we expect Burger Theory to really take off when our hotel is back up to full operations in January.”
Extraordinary Burgers and Brews As with all Burger Theory locations, the Anaheim restaurant has a separate, exterior entrance as well as access from within the hotel, both highlighted by the stylish Burger Theory signage. The design is sleek and modern, warmed by stone and dark wood finishes. Multiple television flat screens that anchor the perimeter and freestanding media center between the bar and seating area are tuned to the Disney Channel as often as ESPN, Crosson notes.
A wide range of beers on tap are the star of the bar.
The Burger Theory proprietary blend is 75 percent chuck, 15 percent brisket and 10 percent short rib.
“We are located about a mile from Disneyland® within the perimeter of the Anaheim Resort, so the familyfriendly aspects of the Burger Theory concept play very well,” he says. “Our hotel business mix is about 85 percent leisure travelers. Morning and evening, the guests at almost every table are either families or couples who are headed out to the theme park or coming back from a day there.”
The restaurant also holds daily happy hour from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and offers promotional lunch and snack specials on the weekends during football season (though lunch is not regularly served weekdays or weekends).
The menu’s centerpiece is the signature, gourmet “Build Your Own Burger,” for which guests can choose meats, size and toppings. The burgers feature a proprietary grind of Certified Angus Beef developed specifically for the Holiday Inn brand and Burger Theory.
Training on the Burger Theory menu and concept is ongoing and rigorous, notes Crosson, who also manages the hotel’s room service function and the grab-and-go market adjacent to the restaurant.
“The beef blend is done just right, and people love our burger product,” Crosson says. “I’ve never worked in a restaurant where we received such great guest reviews and comments, both in-person and online.” The menu also offers non-burger items, sides and an impressive, 12-tap array of beers on draft as well as a deep bottle selection. “We have a fantastic base program of World Class Beverage Program beers and craft beers to which we can add a changing selection of a few outstanding local craft brews,” Crosson says.
Building a Brand
“We have a great team, and we are all still learning,” he says. “I’m excited about the future. We’re making a great impression on our in-house guests, and our Q1 focus will be on attracting a greater local clientele.” “As more Burger Theory locations open across the country and travelers experience the consistency of the product, concept and service, the brand’s reputation will grow. People will know they can count on enjoying an amazing burger when they stay at a Holiday Inn featuring Burger Theory.” 7
WORLD CLASS BEVERAGE PROGRAM 2015 PARTNERS MEETING
Building a Winning A I
nsights and education, collaborative opportunities and celebration of a long and successful partnership formed the cornerstones of the World Class Beverage Program Partners Meeting 2015 that took place in October.
More than 30 Program supplier partners joined members of the IHG Corporate F&B team for the two-day conference, held at the newly renovated Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach and Marina, California. The Crowne Plaza was selected in part because its makeover centered around a decidedly bar-centric theme— featuring a fantastic, U-shaped lobby bar—that aligned well with the meeting’s objectives.
While the Partners meeting is held annually, the purpose of the gathering alternates year to year. “In selection years, as was the case last year, our partners present the products they are proposing for inclusion in the upcoming, two-year edition of the World Class Beverage Program,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food and Beverage, Americas. “The following year, we turn the tables and update our partners on what’s under way and planned with regard to food and beverage for our brands, from concepts to promotional programs and training.”
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Fellowship, Business and Fun The corporate F&B team kicked off the activities by volunteering at a pre-conference community service event, in keeping with IHG’s commitment to operating as a Responsible Business. Team members dressed in costume and hosted a Halloween party for young students at Pediatric Therapy Network (PTN), a Torrance, California-based non-profit organization that provides therapy services and resources to children with special needs and their families. The Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach is an ongoing supporter of PTN; General Manager Michael Payton and Joe Navarro, Area Director of Human Resources, also participated in the fun, which included decorating pumpkins and cupcakes, manning craft stations and a bean bag toss, and administering temporary Halloween tattoos. The conference itself began with a “State of the World Class Beverage Program” presentation by Etcheberrigaray, followed by a reception featuring the traditional “leader’s toast,” this year given by Meigan Kelly, Director, National Accounts On-Premise for Moët Hennessy USA, representing the partners. The next day’s business sessions focused on industry trends, IHG brands and their beverage philosophies, new programs and concepts such as Burger Theory and the C.A.S.H. program (see the articles on Pages 6 and 19, respectively), and merchandising and training in a digital and social media world. The group also heard presentations
Recognizing Leadership and Contributions An outdoor reception at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach capped the first day of the meeting.
Food & Beverage Director Jonathan Wood served as host for the group dinner at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City.
Approach from strategic partners Coca-Cola and Royal Cup and discussed ideas for future innovations and concepts.
A Glimpse of the Future The conference concluded with an evening site tour of the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, which is under construction and set to open in 2017. Chris Park, Senior Vice President, Hanjin International Corporation, and Christopher King, Design Principal of AC Martin, gave presentations on plans for the new property, including the five restaurant and bar concepts as well meeting space and common areas. The group then departed for dinner at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City, where the program showcased announcement of the winners of the first annual World Class Beverage Program “Great Shepherds of the Honorable Tradition of Food and Beverage Awards” (see the sidebar on this page). “The meeting provided an opportunity for us to express our appreciation for our partners’ continued support of the World Class Beverage Program, as well as to share ideas and vision,” says Etcheberrigaray. “The opportunities for the future are tremendous, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners to fulfill on the Program’s promise and potential.”
On the final evening of the Partners Meeting, Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food and Beverage, Americas, launched the inaugural Great Shepherds of the Honorable Tradition of Food & Beverage Awards, presented to four individuals who have had a powerful positive impact on the World Class Beverage Program since its inception.
The winners were: Visionary Award: Larry McGinn, President, IMI Agency—For his leadership and ongoing guidance in evolving and improving the World Class Beverage Program. With A Twist Award: Brittany Chardin, President, Movers & Shakers Beverage Consultants—For her professional and technical consulting that enhances the level of bartending and training at our hotels. Supplier Partner of the Year: Kristin Wilson, Senior Sales Executive, Strategic Partnership Marketing, Coca-Cola—For continued support in growing and expanding the horizons of the World Class Beverage Program. Ally Award: Ned Barker, CEO, Grill Ventures International—For working side-by-side with our F&B team to create concepts, processes and tools that help keep our program world class. 9
Unique e Wines: niquCaliterra
Details ails Det Unique
Perfect t fec Per Perfect Harmony rmony Ha Harmony
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C
hile’s picturesque Colchagua Valley is situated about 100 miles south of the capital city of Santiago. Beginning at the foothills of the Andes Mountains and reaching west to the Pacific Ocean, the valley has become one of the most recognized venues in the global wine market over the past decade.
Nestled in the heart of the Colchagua Valley is Caliterra Estate, home to Viña Caliterra, a leader in Chile’s modern wine industry. This award-winning winery produces the three World Class Beverage Program house wines introduced in the 2015-2016 program for the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo brands: Caliterra Reserva Chardonnay, Caliterra Reserva Merlot and Caliterra Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon . “Chile has a unique terroir. It’s a viticultural paradise, with a variety of sun exposures and diversity of soils,” says Rodrigo Rodero, Vice President of Operations, North America, for Caliterra’s parent, Chadwick Wines. “Caliterra has the perfect Mediterranean microclimate within the Colchagua Valley; cool nights and gentle breezes coming in from the Pacific Ocean temper the sun’s energy and allow us to develop distinctive, balanced wines of exceptional quality.” Caliterra was born in 1996 as a joint venture between the Chadwick family of Chile’s Viña Errázuriz and Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi Winery. The partners’ leaders, wine industry giants Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi, recognized the tremendous potential of the Chilean nature and terroir and set out to realize their shared dream of producing top-quality wines from what they knew would become one of the world’s most important wine-growing regions. They chose the name “Caliterra”—a fusion of the Spanish words for “quality” (“calidad”) and “land” (“tierra”)—and adopted a philosophy that incorporates Chilean roots, Colchaguan traditions and a passion for precision wine-growing. Viña Caliterra also pioneered in sustainable vineyard management, becoming one of the first wineries in Chile to obtain sustainability certification. The
enterprise thrived, and in early 2004, Viña Errázuriz acquired the Mondavi family’s 50 percent share. Caliterra Reserva wines are made from estate-grown grapes specially selected to enhance flavors and aromas. The distinguished red wines are crafted with grapes from the Caliterra Vineyard in the Colchagua Valley, aged in French and American oak barrels to achieve a more complex and elegant finish. Grapes for the zesty, fresh white wines come from the winemaker’s vineyards in the Curichó, Maipo and Casablanca Valleys. “Our Reserva wines provide what the customers of IHG’s upscale brands have come to expect—the ultimate in quality, at a fair price,” Rodero says. “We believe we are an excellent fit.” Matthew Sharp, who represents Seaview Imports, LLC, Caliterra’s American wine importer, agrees. “Offering wine that has been aged in French barrels at these prices represents a strong value proposition and a great match for these brands. We are thrilled to partner with IHG to bring this outstanding product to the U.S.” Caliterra’s overriding goal for participation in the World Class Beverage Program is customer satisfaction, Rodero says. “We’re out to ensure that the three key shareholder groups are completely satisfied with their experience with Caliterra. We want consumers to love the quality of our wines; the ‘gatekeepers,’ such as sommeliers and bar managers, to appreciate and recommend our products, and the food and beverage directors and managers to be pleased with our contribution to their operation’s profitability.” 11
Seeing Reds
THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS AND HOTEL INDIGO BRANDS EACH IS FEATURING A STANDOUT CABERNET SAUVIGNON FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER BEVERAGE PROMOTION.
From Napa with Love
Wine to the Nines
Combine an epic grape harvest with one of the world’s most esteemed winemakers, and what do you get? A Cabernet Sauvignon not to be missed. That’s the message of the Hotel Indigo® fourth quarter beverage promotion, which features Robert Mondavi 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
InterContinental Hotels in the U.S. and Canada are inviting guests to cap off the night in style with a glass of remarkable Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon. The offer is available any time after 9 p.m. for just $9 a glass.
A rich blend of Cabernet with just a bit of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this big wine offers silky tannins, deep aromas and the flavors of blackberries, dark plums, dried herbs and violets, with a subtle hint of leather. The complex texture pairs well with grilled meats, steak or a juicy burger. The promotion began October 1 and runs through December 31, 2015, at all Hotel Indigo hotels in the United States. Properties received marketing materials, including a Program Execution Guide, table tent inserts and coasters, that promote the cab as “Wine Perfected.” Hotel F&B teams may participate in a sales incentive program with the chance to win one of three Apple Watch™ Sport watches or a Robert Mondavi gift pack including a half-case of Robert Mondavi luxury wines and a set of four Riedel stemware glasses.
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The featured 2012 Bin 9 Cabernet is from the celebrated Bin Series of legendary Australian winemaker Penfolds. Sourced from vineyards across South Australia, this cab offers aromatic, pure blackcurrant and herb garden aromas with espresso notes. Its ripe, bold flavors highlight the art of multi-regional blending for which Penfolds is famous. The Penfolds Bin 9 @ 9 for $9 promotional materials are designed to encourage guests to return to the hotel bar and enjoy a glass of wine post-dinner. The offer extends from November 1, 2015, through January 31, 2016, and is one of the first joint promotional efforts under a new alliance between the World Class Beverage Program and Penfolds (see the related article on Page 14).
Miami On Ice
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or those who love the idea of a wintry holiday season but hate cold weather, the InterContinental® Miami has the perfect solution.
The hotel’s food and beverage team is bringing back its holiday ice skating rink after a four-year absence. In 2011, the Miami property created considerable seasonal buzz in the Magic City by icing over a large, outdoor concrete space on the roof of its parking garage. The 3,000-square-foot, terrace-like area is situated on the front of the hotel and offers a breathtaking view of Biscayne Bay. The original promotion was a hit, but the 2015 version of the ice rink will showcase a hotel that today looks and feels very different. A $30 million renovation, completed in 2012, included the food and beverage outlets, adding the high-profile, Latinthemed Toro Toro restaurant and bar. The overhaul also introduced Miami to a spectacular, 19-story LED digital canvas on the hotel’s 19-story tower that features local art and culture scenes, the most famous of which is the silhouette of a “Dancing Lady” that can be seen all over the downtown area.
“We’re much more of a destination hotel now for Miami residents,” says Food & Beverage Director Danny Estevez. “The ice rink attraction is being co-sponsored by Coca-Cola and the IHG World Class Beverage Program. We’ll feature tie-ins with the restaurant, but we’re also focusing on rink-side year-end catering events and a number of individual packages.” These range from a basic Skating by the Bay package to pancake breakfast with Santa and New Year’s Eve room and dinner packages. One of these is Dinner on Ice, a special evening at the ice rink for a maximum of 60 people, who will enjoy a five-course meal overlooking the city and toasting the New Year with various Moët & Chandon Champagnes. The rink will be open December 4 through January 10. “The hotel PR team has developed a comprehensive promotional program that includes social media support, live local weather broadcasts and a host of charity events,” Danny says. “We were out to create something bigger and better with the ice rink this time. The response we’ve received so far indicates we’re well on our way.” 13
A Pair of Icons THE INTERCONTINENTAL® HOTELS BRAND’S NEW PROMOTIONAL ALLIANCE WITH PENFOLDS WINERY
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n 1949, the first InterContinental Hotel opened in Belem, Brazil, as the initial link in a chain of upscale properties in global cities served by Pan American World Airways. The international hotel company was the vision of Juan T. Trippe, Pan Am’s chairman and founder, who anticipated the need for additional hotel accommodations to serve crews and passengers as civilian air travel became accessible to millions of people following World War II. A little over a hundred years earlier and half a world away, Dr. Christopher Penfold, an English physician who had migrated with his family to Australia, founded Penfolds winery in Adelaide. The winery went on to figure prominently in global winemaking, taking Australian wine to the world on a grand stage and forging a peerless reputation for quality.
The World Class Beverage Program has now brought these two legendary brands together in an exciting new promotional partnership. “The Penfolds commitment to quality, innovation and leadership is a perfect fit with our InterContinental Hotels brand and led us to develop this 2015-2016 promotional arrangement,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food and Beverage, Americas. “Together we will create a series of promotions and programs that feature various Penfolds wines at our InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in North America.” The first of these was a special offering of three standout Penfolds wines—Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon and Koonunga Hills Shiraz Cabernet—at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City in conjunction with the September Emmy Awards. Currently, a “Bin 9 at 9 for $9” 14
offering is under way at all InterContinental Hotels in North America (see the story on Page 12).
Penfolds’ collection of benchmark wines was established in a spirit of innovation and the endless pursuit of quality, as evidenced from the secret bottling of the winery’s Grange vintage in 1951 and the unbroken line of succeeding vintages of what is now Australia’s most iconic wine. Penfolds today is a heritage-listed wine protected by the National Trust of South Australia. The collection continues to display the distinctive and consistently recognizable Penfolds ‘House Style’: the ultimate expression of Penfolds’ time-honored tradition of sourcing the best fruit from the best regions. In October, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco was selected to host a dinner in its elegant Nob Hill Club celebrating Penfolds’ making the Top 100 Best Wineries for 2015 from Wine & Spirits magazine (the producer’s 25th time to received the honor). Other concepts in development under the new promotional agreement range from chef’s table promotions to hosting Bin series tasting parties in key cities as the new vintages become available. “Through the World Class Beverage Program agreement, we are able to access highly allocated Penfolds wines that individual hotels might not be able to obtain,” says Mark Greenhalgh, Account Manager for IMI, the agency that manages the World Class Beverage Program. “We are certain our InterContinental Hotels food and beverage directors will be pleased with the caliber of both the Penfolds products and the promotions. All will be designed to bring excitement to our hotels’ F&B programs, to generate revenue and to delight our guests.”
All Things F&B Through IHGFBAmericas.com, F&B directors and managers have access to
G
ot a question about a food and beverage program, promotion or training offering? Need to solve a F&B problem but not sure what steps to take? Or who to contact for support?
There is an easy-access, one-stop resource for hotel food and beverage teams that provides answers, information, solutions and best practices: the IHG F&B Americas website (ihgfbamericas.com). Launched a year ago, the website pulls together all the various F&B tools and information into one place. The portal includes links to Hotel Solutions and other Merlin-based resources and is updated regularly, making it the first place hotel teams should look for whatever they need. Here’s a snapshot of the material contained in the F&B website, along with some of its key features:
What’s included: •W orld Class Beverage Program—how the program works, core products by brand, non-alcoholic beverages/waters, supplier partners/contacts. •P romotions—downloadable materials for proven promotions that can be incorporated into hotels’ F&B programs. •T ools—programs, guidelines, worksheets and other materials addressing breakfast, bar, catering, dinner, profitability/ management, marketing, service.
•T raining—links to MyLearning and IHG Frontline; information about TIPs. •R esources—who’s who, including the Corporate F&B team, F&B Commandos, Culinary Commandos, F&B supplier partners and IHG food and beverage consultants. •C ommunity—awards and news about the Americas F&B community, including photos of recent activities and events. •B rands—links to relevant sections of the website according to brand.
Who can access: Food and beverage teams at franchised and CMH hotels in the Americas via their Merlin credentials. Supplier partners and other non-hotel entities can apply for access via the login page.
How to access: Direct access at www.ihgfbamericas.com and then through your Merlin Single Sign-On or via Merlin, through the Applications or Departments sections or individual Hotel Solutions applications. The site is mobile-optimized, making it easy to view on any handheld device.
What’s new: A major update of the F&B Performance Cards, a series of downloadable, F&B problem/resolution at-a-glance guides on these topics: Improve Service, Manage Costs, Enhance Revenue, Marketing. For questions or submissions of new content requests for the F&B Americas website, contact our IHG Food & Beverage team at AMERFandB@ihg.com.
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Two new World Class Beverage Program resources will help ensure a superior guest experience.
WINE TEMPERATURE GUIDELINES
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sk any wine-lover—even a novice—what drives them crazy when ordering wine in a restaurant, and most will answer that it’s having their selection served at the wrong temperature.
They’re not just being picky—temperature is a critical factor in taste. While that’s the case for nearly all food and beverages in order to maximize flavor balance and make them enjoyable to consume, it’s particularly true with wine. Serving white wine too cold masks its flavor; too warm and it will be flat and dull. Over-chilled red wines will taste too acidic and tannic, but serve them at room temperature and the taste will be dominated by alcohol and lacking in fruit flavor. While IHG hotels feature some of the best wine lists available anywhere, F&B teams don’t always have the equipment, training and procedures in place to ensure an exceptional experience for the guest.
“A hotel’s culinary staff may take great care to ensure that a $45 steak is cooked to the specific degree of doneness the guest has ordered and served at precisely the right temperature,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food & Beverage, Americas. “Yet the team may not exercise the same degree of care with a $45plus bottle of wine.” A new tool from the World Class Beverage Program aims to help remedy that. The “Wine Temperature Guidelines for Serving & Storing” brochure sets out the ideal, 16
“Goldilocks” temperature range—neither too warm nor too cold— for each of three categories: light, dry whites, rosé and sparkling wines; full-bodied whites and light, fruity reds, and full-bodied reds and Ports. The Guidelines also include general instructions for how to serve wine (the “Pour-Fect” brochure described on Page 17 provides more detailed directions). But serving wine at the optimal temperature is one thing; proper storage is quite another, the Guidelines point out. A hotel’s wine inventory value may reach well into the six-figure range, and improper storage temperature and humidity levels pose a serious risk to that valuation. The Guidelines provide proven rules of thumb for storing wines and recommend proper equipment for both storage and service, as well as for measuring wine temperature. To determine return on investment for these equipment purchases, the brochure includes step-by-step instructions for conducting an audit of the hotel’s inventory of wines in storage and those awaiting service. The audit form allows the user to estimate the monetary risk of storing/serving wines at an improper temperature that would be eliminated or mitigated through the purchase of the equipment. “Taking the necessary steps to both store and serve the wine inventory at the optimal temperature will not only protect this valuable asset but will also raise the level of professionalism of the hotel’s wine service and help guarantee
OPTIMAL SERVING TEMPERATURES
a consistently exceptional experience for guests who order wine,” Etcheberrigaray says. Food & Beverage Directors in the U.S. and Canada will receive a Wine Temperature Guidelines kit in early December that includes posters and other tools along with the Guidelines booklet. The Guidelines are also posted on the IHG Food & Beverage website under Tools > 3 B’s.
POUR-FECT: THE PROPER WAY TO PRESENT, OPEN & POUR
K
nowing how to open a bottle of wine is part of basic training for servers. But even the most experienced members of a hotel’s wait staff may be a little uncertain when it comes to the protocol surrounding presenting and serving a bottle of wine to a table.
The World Class Beverage Program’s new “Pour-fect Wine Instructions” brochure answers all the questions in a userfriendly, illustrated format. The guide breaks down the directions into four categories, by type of wine offering: • Wine with a cork
• Wine sold by the glass
• Screw-top wine
• Sparkling wine
The material covers those aspects of presentation and service that are uniform across all types of wine offerings, such as presenting the bottle label-side up to the host, repeating the name and vintage of the wine to confirm the order, providing the host a small amount (less than one ounce) to taste, who to serve first and last and how to move around the table to fill the guests’ glasses. Less-well-known steps also are clearly set out, including the appropriate size pour (six ounces), what to do with the foil capsule (put it in your pocket) and cork (remove it from the corkscrew and place it on an underliner to the host’s right), and remembering to wipe the top of the bottle before and after removing the cork. The guide devotes a separate section to the particular requirements of sparkling wine. One chapter addresses the correct and safe way to open the bottle, including tips for releasing the cork quietly and preventing overflow. Serving instructions comprise a second chapter, such as pouring in a single stream and filling glasses slightly more than half full. The Pour-Fect Wine Instructions are an ideal training resource and a ready reference for any server. The brochure can be downloaded from the Americas Food & Beverage website (ihgfbamericas.com, under Tools > 3 B’s) or by contacting Laura Luley at laura.luley@ihg.com.
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PROVIDING GUESTS A SUPERIOR COFFEE EXPERIENCE
H
aving a cup of coffee at a Holiday Inn® or Holiday Inn Express® hotel will never be the same. New agreements with Royal Cup Coffee and Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., for the Holiday Inn Brand Family are set to elevate the guest experience through the delivery of great coffee, while simultaneously driving operational efficiencies and brand perception.
The Holiday Inn brand is changing the coffee offering in its F&B outlets, banquets and catering to Royal Cup European Gourmet roast. Holiday Inn Express hotels have been using this blend for a year as the brand’s Smart Roast™ coffee on the Express Start™ Breakfast Bar, which has had a positive impact on guest experience. Holiday Inn Express in-room coffee will be Morning Edition Blend by Diedrich. “We conducted both blind and open testing of the European Gourmet blend against other leading brands such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, and the Royal Cup product won in every category,” says David Neves, Corporate Director, Food & Beverage, for the Holiday Inn Brand Family, 18
Extended-Stay Brands and Army Lodging. “Expanding the offering of this coffee as a standard across all 3,000 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in the Americas creates significant buying power, from a cost-savings and procurement standpoint.” Leveraging that purchasing clout led to another major enhancement: the introduction of Keurig® coffeemakers and K-Cup® coffee products as a standard for in-room use in all Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels. The Keurig K130 brewers will be provided to all hotels free of charge. “This puts us ahead of the competition—no one else in our category requires the Keurig coffeemakers in-room,” says Neves. “The Keurig brewers are favored by guests because they are easy to use and convenient. At the touch of a button, the guest can enjoy a fresh cup of great coffee with no mess or clean-up. The fact that there is no cost to the hotel for the brewers is an exciting bonus.” Holiday Inn Express hotels must have Keurig machines in place by March 31, 2016, and Holiday Inn hotels by August 31, 2016.
Generating I
F&B C.A.S.H.
ntroduce a program proven to reduce food and beverage costs, generate increased revenue and produce a healthy bump in F&B HeartBeat scores and you’re certain to get most owners’ attention.
The Americas Food & Beverage team, partnering with their Brand counterparts, has accomplished just that with the launch of the C.A.S.H. program (Consistency, Ambience, Service, Holiday Inn) for Holiday Inn hotels in the U.S. and
Co nsi n. sten y In a cy. Amb d i l ience. Service. Ho
Canada. The new program builds on the success of the E.A.T. (Evening Acceleration Toolkit) Bar and Dinner program that was tested in 2014 at 40-plus hotels with extremely positive results. “We realized the components of the E.A.T. program that were Powered by working for dinner could be effective across all meal periods,” says David Neves, Corporate Director, Food & Beverage, for the Holiday Inn Brand Family, Extended-Stay Brands and Army Lodging. “The program has been redesigned as the framework for running a successful F&B operation from A Co nsi n. n I s to Z. It’s the connected all the tenc‘chassis’ onto which we have y y. Ambien Holida ce. Service.operational key components—nuts-and-bolts tools, menu engineering and design, and service.” Hotels piloting the E.A.T. program have experienced impressive improvements versus the brand average over an 18-month period: 12 percent higher revenue per occupied
room, 10 percent reduction in costs and HeartBeat increases of 3 points for beverage, 5 points for dinner, 9 points for bar and 6 points overall.
That prompted creation of the expanded C.A.S.H. program, which was introduced as a new Holiday Inn brand standard at the 2015 Americas Owners Conference in October. The program is mandatory for hotels whose F&B HeartBeat scores are below 83; properties must enroll in the program by June 30, 2016. Hotels pay an annual subscription fee of $1,500, which Clean Version includes tools, training and materials. Participants have access to a menu portal where they select from a limited inventory of required items and choose one of six menu designs; one menu printing is included in the fee. Hotels in the program also must provide the required brand offerings of the World Class Beverage Program. Hotel General Managers are required to attend, and F&B Directors or Executive Chefs are strongly encouraged to participate as well. At the two-and-a-half-day, on-site workshop, which is offered regionally, participants are trained to use the portal and operational tools as well as sample all the menu offerings; if both executives attend, the hotel receives four training credits. Training for line team members Powered By Version is provided via IHG Frontline. The hotels also receive program collateral material, including elevator wraps, table tents, rooms service guides and employee posters. “Owners are pleased with and supportive of the program,” says Neves. “That’s testament to their confidence in the C.A.S.H. program’s potential to help minimize losses and increase profitability.” 19
The Official Magazine of the World Class Beverage Program
Thank you to all our World Class Beverage Program Partners! • Anheuser-Busch-InBev (ABI) • Bacardi, USA Inc. • Beam Global Spirits • Boston Beer Company • Brown Forman
Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray | Vice President, F&B Americas Laura (Hammer) Luley | Office Manager/Communications, F&B Americas Mark Greenhalgh | IMI Agency Ann Wilson | Writer & Editor Silvermoss | Creative Direction & Layout World Class Beverage Program Contact/Support:
770.604.8283 | laura.luley@ihg.com
• Constellation US • Constellation Brands - Beer Division
The World Class Beverage Program Family
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery • DFV Wines (Delicato Family Vineyards) • DIAGEO • Duckhorn Vineyards • E & J Gallo • Folio Wine Estates • Heineken USA
The World Class Beverage Program Family of Bra
FBamericas.com
FBamericas.com
The Official Website of the IHG F&B Community The Official Website of the IHG F&B Community IHGBeverage.com has been updated and expanded and is now at:
www. IHGFBamericas.com
• Hess Collection Family Estates
Wor
World C
• Miller Coors • Moët Hennessy • Patrón Spirits • Pernod Ricard USA • RÉMY COINTREAU USA, INC. • Ste. Michelle Wine Estates • Treasury Wine Estates • W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd. • Seaview Imports
SPIRITED SPIRITED
The Official Magazine of the World Cl
The Official Magazine of the World Class B www. fbconfitdential.com
• Jackson Family Estates • Copper Cane Wines • Wagner Family of Wine • One Hope • Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery • Stoli Group (USA), LLC • Davos Brands And a special Thank You to Three Ravinia Drive Suite 100 Atlanta, Georgia 30346 www.ihg.com