Hotel restaurants are leaning into local cuisine and creating experiences with their dishes more than ever before, in part to make up for the rising costs of food.
Greater personalization and shared plates are among the leading trends at food-and-beverage outlets this year, according to experts in the field.
Steve Palmer, founder, managing partner and chief vision officer of Charleston, South Carolina-based The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, said personalized guest experiences are a continuing trend in hotel food and beverage.
"The more intentional F&B operators are about recognizing those special guests, the greater the return on investment," he said.
On the culinary side, food-and-beverage directors and chefs are leaning into smaller dishes to give guests the chance to try several different options without breaking the bank.
Adam Korbel, executive chef at the NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans, said instead of serving one entree that costs $30, the hotel is rolling out menus with small plates at about $10 each. These small plates include miniature po' boys, sliders and chicken sandwiches on a biscuit with country gravy.
This pays dividends down to the operations as well. The NOPSI has three food-and-beverage outlets, including the Public Service Restaurant and two bars. The small plates concept meshes with all three outlets so there's more synergy between the menu items.
"I have the one menu for all three of them now instead of doing three separate menus like we were doing before. That way, we're streamlining everything, and you're able to use everything on one menu completely," Korbel said.
Matt St. Amand, director of food and beverage at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk and San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk, said his outlets have also been tooling with the idea of rolling out smaller but elevated dishes.
"People are looking for value within items," he said. "You get a taste of something that's really high-end but the price point isn't there. It's more approachable because it's a smaller portion."
Erin Reisner, director of food and beverage at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, said in an email interview that creating customizable experiences is one of the main trends she's seen of late in hotel food and beverage.
"Guests want to try more items when they are dining out, so menus with more small or shareable options is a trend to stay," she said.
Not only does this increase the value for the guests, but it also appeals to more health-conscious patrons.
"People are eating smaller portions. They're being more conscious of what they're putting into their bodies," St. Amand said.
Another trend is bringing back classic recipes from eras of a foregone time. Korbel said stews and short ribs are making a comeback into the zeitgeist.
"There's a lot of using the older, classical dishes, and for lack of a better word, zhuzhing them up, making them look nicer and using the same techniques and putting our own spins on it," he said.
Local sourcing to circumvent cost spikes
Successful food-and-beverage outlets have always incorporated ingredients and menu items that reflect the location of the hotel, so it's no surprise that the experts say it's a focus for them this year. But it's also more practical and cost-effective, too.
St. Amand said rising costs have "impacted us tremendously." It's led to his San Antonio Marriott hotels raising the prices of their menu items, which he added is an opportunity to refine the experience in a meal. For example, they make their burgers with Texas beef and have their pastry team make the buns.
"When you can tell a story to a customer, they're willing to pay that price, but it has to be good at the end of the day," he said.
Buying items from local farmers and vendors is cheaper than sourcing elsewhere, he said, especially with rising prices pinching operations and consumers alike.
"In my opinion, it's better food. If you know the source, you know the farmer, you can tell a story. It creates an experience for a customer. I think that's a win all the way around," he said.
Increased costs cause restaurants to get more creative with their menus in order to maintain margins. Luckily for the NOPSI, most patrons are looking for seafood, which the Gulf Coast provides, Korbel said.
"We use all domestic seafood here, right out the Gulf. We're not using any foreign seafood at all, and I refuse to do that because I'm a Louisiana boy and I want to make sure our people are taken care of," he said.
Price hikes following the COVID-19 pandemic had more of an effect than tariffs imposed by the U.S. last year, Korbel said. The cost of eggs and chicken rose dramatically in price back then but have since gone down, while beef remains pricy.
No matter the price of goods, Korbel said the goal is to give the consumer a good deal for the finished product in hopes of gaining a repeat customer.
"Things change with times, and when you're making your menus, you have to change with the times, too, and you've got to roll with the punches and you have to either make portions smaller or you have to find new and creative ways to do things through the cooking methods ... to make a wonderful dish," he said.
Beverage and food
There's a common adage in the hotel industry that it should be referred to as "beverage and food" rather than "food and beverage" because beverages are what really drive profits in hospitality. Palmer said he agrees with the B&F nomenclature. There are signs and surveys pointing toward people consuming less alcohol these days, but he added that even if behaviors are changing, sales remain the same.
"They might not be drinking four drinks anymore, but they're drinking two quality drinks. Even though all the metrics say that people are drinking less, we haven't seen a significant decline in sales because I think people are choosing quality ingredients," he said.
This also aligns with a major trend in the industry, especially this month: mocktails. St. Amand said the Hugo spritz has been a popular drink at his properties.
