Food & Beverage Opinion Articles

October 22, 2019

How Changes in Hotel Revenues Suggest Changes in Guest Preferences

From the high-tech preferences of Generation Z, to the experiential fondness of Millennials, to the health and wellness realities facing Baby Boomers, hotels continually adjust the amenities and services they offer to satisfy their guests. These adjustments are based on extensive consumer research, much of which has been published in the lodging industry trade publications.

By Robert Mandelbaum, Director of Research Information Services, CBRE Hotels

United States

Opinion Article

October 16, 2019

Technology Disruption and The Future of Hospitality F&B

There has been such rapid growth in the hotel food and beverage industry that it calls for a shift in what hotel restaurants and similar food and beverage establishments do in the next one to two years. These shifts are reshaping the industry as it transitions from outdated to modern - even pioneering. The future is promising indeed and among the critical success factors will be the convenience and quality of guest service with alternative menu options that have traceable origins and a fusion appeal. Technology innovation is at the very center of it all.

By Sridhar Laveti, Vice President of Products and Customer Support, Agilysys

Opinion Article

September 30, 2019

Hospitality Financial Leadership - Global Food Cost vs Tracking Individual Outlet – Pros and Cons

What is really important to realize is the food cost calculation in your hotel will always come back to the cost of goods formula. Any attempt to track and individualize the outlet food cost that I have ever seen is a big waste of time. It is a waste of time because it always comes back to the fact that the food cost is calculated by adding the opening inventory to the purchases and then subtracting the closing inventory - as well as any legitimate credits at month end - to calculate the food cost. This is never done in hotels by outlet simply because it is completely inefficient to do so.

By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund

Opinion Article

September 24, 2019

How To Navigate A Wine List Like A Pro

In today's flourishing wine climate, more grape varieties and excellent wines have been made available. However, where there is choice there can be confusion and the world of wine can be overwhelming, intimidating and complex. Whilst we all can't be sommelier's trained to specialize in all aspects of wine, there is a method to appear trained so you can navigate a restaurants wine list like a pro. Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, head of fine wine at Cult Wines, has created a helpful guide with five tips to help you choose from any wine list with ease.

By Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, Head of fine wine, Cult Wines

Opinion Article

September 4, 2019

Food As A Reason To Visit

Rewind half a century and you'll find that the best hotels always had the best restaurants. Everyone knew that fine dining could be found at the luxury downtown properties. Typically, a hotel would have at least two outlets - haute cuisine and a café. That age-old formula seemed to work well, until it didn't.

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Opinion Article

August 30, 2019

What Will Be On Your Plate Next? The Latest Culinary Trends.

As a chef, I spend a lot of time trying different foods. Caviar with potatoes, oysters, shrimp and salmon in New York — it was delicious! Portuguese beignets with salted caramel and passion fruit curd in Lisbon — ditto. And that tamal with chipilín and local cheese made a superb breakfast in Chiapas, Mexico.

By Gerardo Rivera, Corporate Chef, Newlink Group

Opinion Article

August 30, 2019

Wine’s Alcohol Levels Explained

It's wine education week! Whilst wine does contain alcohol, every wine - be it red or white, still or sparkling - is the unique product of an individual recipe and set of processes. Just like the grape content, the alcohol levels vary from wine to wine. Speaking to senior portfolio manager at Cult Wines, Jack Chapman, he explains how alcohol content is created, measured and may vary.

By Jack Chapman, Senior Portfolio Manager, Cult Wines

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Opinion Article

August 22, 2019

Facilitating Healthy Eating or Dietary Restrictions Requests At Hotels Can Be Much Simpler

Gluten free? Nut allergies? Vegan? Keto? Whole 30? … According to Forbes, a whopping 18% of surveyed consumers say they follow a specialty diet. Food producers, restaurants, and investors have all taken note of the growth in food sensitivities with specialty products and programs. The wellness industry is now worth $4.2T - more than global travel - and the segment growth is especially robust amongst the coveted millennial segment.

By Kenneth Purcell, Founder and CEO, iSeatz

Opinion Article

August 21, 2019

Are Restaurateurs Ready for 2030?

As young restaurateurs pave the way for the future of the restaurant sector, they are keen to adapt to their customers' and markets' needs and are ready to make F&B an innovative and experience-centered industry. How ready are they to take on tomorrow's challenges, such as adapting their business models to new delivery channels, digitalization or engaging in sustainability practices?

By Stéphanie Buri, Clémence Cornuz, and Morgane Voumard

Opinion Article

August 13, 2019

5 Ways your Menu Pricing Strategy is Hurting your Profit

Your menu pricing strategy is directly tied to your bottom line. Which makes me wonder why so many restaurants overlook this important profit center.

By Jim Lopolito, Owner of Lopolito Hospitality Consultants, Corp. (LHC), Cayuga Hospitality Consultants

Opinion Article

July 24, 2019

How Wineries Build Their Reputation

In the world of wine, it is important to differentiate between individual reputation and collective reputation. Disassociating the two is crucial because it helps wine drinkers understand the price differences between two wineries that share the same appellation.

By Gildas L'Hostis, Senior Lecturer Practical Arts delivering courses in oenology (the knowledge of wine, wine service, production, economics, and tasting), EHL

Opinion Article

July 10, 2019

Designing Attractive Food Tourism Experiences

As it's not dependent on the natural attributes of a destination such as sun, sea and sand, food tourism can be an important tool for hospitality and tourism businesses, allowing them to attract tourists during off-peak times.

By Barry O’Mahony, Professor and Chief Academic Officer, EHL

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Opinion Article

July 5, 2019

What Influences our Perception of Wine Flavors and Aromas?

Winemakers seek to create 'balanced' and 'harmonious' wines, defined mainly by flavors which, when combined, produce the wine's complexity or 'structure', as well as 'roundness'. When appreciating wine, those flavors interact with each other and modify the way they are perceived. This effect could have an impact on the wine's balance itself.

By Gildas L'Hostis, Senior Lecturer Practical Arts delivering courses in oenology (the knowledge of wine, wine service, production, economics, and tasting), EHL

Opinion Article

June 25, 2019

Five Food and Beverage Personalization Trends to Watch

There is currently a growing demand from customers for customization in various aspects of the food and beverage industry. Not only the product or service offered, but also the customer experience needs to be unique and feel personal.

By William-Alexandre François, F&B Management Expert, EHL

Opinion Article

June 13, 2019

As Restaurants Evolve, The Core Experience Remains

Up until the hospitality industry started to change over half a century ago, everyone was accustomed to believing that a city's best restaurant would be found at a luxury hotel downtown. Such a property's premier restaurant would often serve as a perennial draw for both out-of-towners as well as locals, with reservations coveted and those seated immediately bestowing status upon their patrons.

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Opinion Article

May 27, 2019

In Vino Veritas LXXII – Summer Wine Starts Now

While most wines can be enjoyed any time of year and ostensibly anywhere within sight of a corkscrew, the hot summer months present an opportunity to expand your beverage selection with great seasonal offerings, all in the pursuit of greater awareness and revenues.

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Opinion Article

May 23, 2019

Making Food and Beverage a Focal Point in the Hotel Industry

Ever since Fred Harvey opened his first "eating house-hotel" establishment along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) tracks in Kansas in 1878, food and beverage has become an integral part of the hospitality business in the U.S. Harvey's invention was a more formalized approach to what was served to guests of the grand hotels and smaller inns that dotted the landscape from Europe to Asia throughout eras before.

By David Eisen, Content Director, Media, Questex

Opinion Article

May 3, 2019

Restaurant Concepts: How to Select a Restaurant Theme

Opening a restaurant involves some heavy decision-making, and one thing that must be given a great deal of time and thought is the theme. It will have a major influence on how successful your restaurant becomes. Your chosen theme will attract or drive away customers and even change what foods you can put on your menu.

By Kacey Bradley, Lifestyle Blogger, The Drifter Collective

Opinion Article

April 23, 2019

Your Wine List Needs Branding Too

What does your wine list stand for? What's its elevator pitch? Is it meaningful for customers? Does it fit with the theme and business plan for the parent restaurant?

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Opinion Article

April 5, 2019

AETHOS Takes a Deep Look at Leadership in The (US and UK) Restaurant Sectors

The tech era has highlighted the importance of data mining and has made this process critical when it comes to decision-making and even tactical execution. It is easy to assume that evidenced-based insights and models would only apply to business metrics and issues, but the burgeoning science of Human Resources shows that "big" data can help in "big" ways as it pertains to hiring the right talent for the right positions for optimally effective organizations. And in the restaurant sector, a high-performing operations leader is necessary for the success of the business and operation.