20 Dec 2021
Words
Ben Hall Informer Issue 101
Food, Glorious Food
Guest expectations are changing. They’re looking for uniqueness. They’re looking for variety. They’re looking for a form of creative tourism.
And as Ben Hall finds out, outside of a good night’s sleep, they’re also looking for authentic experiences that deliver localised character and this includes the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences.
It wasn’t that long ago that the concept of a hotel or motel restaurant was a routine offering with a basic dining room, or delivery for breakfast, in the smaller properties and a standard restaurant doing lunch and dinner in the larger ones, including the chain hotels.
For a long time, this worked fine. Everyone knew what they were going to get and were happy with that.
But then a new type of person, and culture, emerged – the foodie. That term was first used in the 1980s by the UK publication Harper’s and Queen who popularised it as a reference to someone who is not a gourmand, nor a snob.
A foodie is a regular person who, according to Harper’s and Queen, “eats to meet the demands of their body from the neck up, not the neck down. Mind, mouth, soul: This is where the foodie lives”.
Soon after, the foodie brigade numbers rose in numbers in Australia in the 1990s and especially the 2000s. The internet is now crammed with food media from viral videos for making lasagne to how to do the perfect scrambled eggs. This movement has prompted many accommodation operators to rethink and revamp their food offerings.
Differentiation was the key and F&B trends changed radically. Signature restaurant concepts became social hubs for the surrounding community, thereby mitigating their reliance on inhouse guest patronage.
Bold, targeted menus that reflect customers’ desire for more experiential dining options, renowned celebrity chefs and a more relaxed, subtly themed atmosphere all have become the norm. These signature restaurants, sometimes co-branded and outsourced, have helped put some hotels on the map.
Bangalay Luxury Villas at Shoalhaven Heads on the NSW south coast has developed a high-end restaurant with the theme “Inspired Dining”, and owner Michelle Bishop says it’s vital that her business provides a unique food experience.
“It has been essential in being able to define Bangalay as a luxury offering. It has also allowed us to diversify our income which has proven to be important during the extended Covid lockdown periods when travel was not permitted,” says Michelle.
“Our restaurant revenue breaks down to approximately 40 percent accommodation guests, 30 percent people visiting the area but not staying with us, and 30 percent locals from a 30 kilometre radius,” she says
The restaurant at Bangalay Villas has received rave reviews from highly respected national food and news publications including Financial Review, NZ Herald, Vogue, Gourmet Traveller, Marie Claire, goodfood, Delicious and Broadsheet, among others.
So what are the essentials to building a successful restaurant business? Michelle Bishop says it’s a combination of key factors.
“Being client-centric and authentic to your location and target market. We took a lot of time to think through the guests’ experience when visiting Bangalay.
“We have curated a food and beverage offering which includes a full à la carte breakfast, picnic hampers, grab and go style pastries, sandwiches and salads for taking with you for day trips, lunch and dinner services featuring local south coast and native Australian ingredients.
“Also a chef-prepared meal in your holiday house or villa, happy hour bar snacks and a large mini bar.
“It’s also important to consider how the accommodation guests and restaurant patrons from outside the accommodation will interact. This has been a constant balance for our business, particularly in the mornings.”
Bangalay is a classic example of creating a property which is not just a hotel where people can sleep. Guests are increasingly demanding an experience and dining can provide that.
The business potential in this space has been spotted by a growing line of Rich Listers including Justin Hemmes, famous for developing the mega-storey venue The Ivy in Sydney’s CBD. He has spent an estimated $30 million on a suite of assets in Narooma on the NSW south coast.
Among the assets are a seafood restaurant, the Quarterdeck pub and cocktail bar and the 17 room Whale Inn, where his company Merivale is planning to establish one of the region’s finest eateries.
“I love Narooma with a deep passion; I adore the people, and just about all my city staff I’ve sent down here on secondments end up calling me saying they want to move here permanently,” Hemmes told the Financial Review.
“It’s all about developing these venues in line with the feel of the town and giving both locals and travellers more choice in the venues they can enjoy.”
One of the benefits of having an on-site restaurant that guests stick around for dinner, drinks, and dessert which obviously drives additional revenue. Also, no one has to worry about how they’ll get to and from a local eatery or bar. Instead, they can safely eat and imbibe, then head back to their rooms without getting behind the wheel of a car. Even without drinking involved, it can be a hassle for guests to drive around, find somewhere to eat, come back, park, and go to their rooms.
Experienced hotel operators also say that for food and beverage, you must match the right restaurant concept with the right guest, instead of following the traditional ‘template’ of fitting a hotel with whatever restaurant a corporate team thinks will drive the most revenue.
“Understanding the demographic is essential, it’s also important to see how it changes throughout the seasons and change your offering to reflect it,” says Michelle Bishop.
“For example, we have gone out of our way to accommodate children under five which has become a large market segment for us.”
The reality is you don’t have to be a Justin Hemmes to create a F&B offering which drives value for your business. Done right, you’ll create a complete experience which will have guests coming back for more.
