Raising the Bar As Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts expands its F&B portfolio, the group’s new Global Head of Restaurants & Bars and Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage Kimberly Grant discusses the importance of creativity, creating opportunities and social media. Words: Shanna McGoldrick
PROFILE Kimberly Grant Global Head of Restaurants & Bars, Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Kimberly Grant’s extensive hospitality industry experience includes everything from front-of-house positions to a stint as COO. In her new role as Global Head of Restaurants & Bars at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, she is charged with leading the worldwide food and beverage operations, working across the group’s 550+ restaurant and bar outlets in properties across 47 countries. With more than 50 projects currently under development, she is constantly seeking out new trends and opportunities to strenghten the group’s culinary portfolio. Upcoming Openings: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo (2022); Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Cartagena (2023); Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel, Belize (2024); Hotel Danieli, Venice (2025)
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Hospitality group Four Seasons Hotels &
companies to strive constantly for excellence.
Resorts is expanding its extensive F&B offering
“For many of our guests, their first experience
with renewed focus and investment. This
with Four Seasons is dining,” she reveals. “Our
year, the brand underlined its commitment to
job is to try to transform those first transactions
strengthening its presence in the domain by
into lifetime connections.”
appointing Kimberly Grant to the newly-created
Out-of-town travellers aren’t the only
position of Global Head of Restaurants & Bars
demographic seeking out compelling F&B
and Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage.
experiences. In many of Four Seasons’ urban
Grant also helms the Four Seasons Restaurant
locations, non-hotel guests and locals typically
& Bar Group, where she has been tasked with
make up a large portion of the covers –
pushing the envelope on innovative concepts,
sometimes accounting for as much as 60% or
elevating existing outlets, attracting top talent
70% of the tables. “We actually view ourselves as
and unifying the operations process across the
independent restaurants within the communities
brand’s portfolio worldwide.
that we serve,” says Grant, citing diners who say
THE F&B GATEWAY
they’re going to eat at Le George rather than at the Four Seasons when they’re in Paris. “We view
Four Seasons’ luxurious legacy has inspired a
it as flipping the script on the hotel restaurant.”
loyal following among well-travelled guests – but
She adds: “We just happen to be a restaurant
as Grant points out, it’s the F&B pillar that often
that is located within a hotel – we’re not a hotel
serves as the entry point for those discovering
restaurant. If we think of it from that perspective,
the brand for the first time. Its portfolio of more
then appealing to local consumers is mission
than 550 outlets runs the gamut from coffee
critical in every way.”
shops to Michelin-starred venues, and staying ahead of the curve is critical. “We’re mavericks
CREATING CELEBRITIES
in what we do – we always have been,” says
The Four Seasons portfolio currently holds
Grant, who believes that the core principles of the
28 Michelin stars globally, spread across 21
Four Seasons F&B policy are rooted in creativity,
restaurants in 16 hotels. The group’s emphasis on
innovation and open-mindedness. Guests are
culinary leadership has attracted an impressive
more discenring in the post-pandemic era, she
roster of pioneering, high-profile chefs and
believes, underscoring the need for hospitality
prestigious gastronomic talents; among them
