Hospitality Mindset – A sales & service maximiser approach (Part 2)

Zoobibi in Hawthorn, Melbourne
Image via A chronicle of Gastronomy

Hospitality Mindset - A sales & service maximiser approach (Part 2)

In part one of this article, I spoke about the customer’s timeless desire and appreciation of quality food and service and how this is the platform from which to drive food and hospitality sales.

 Let us be clear from the outset, it is all about sales. Why? because Food+Design+Service =Sales=Rent=Profit=Asset Growth.  

In a post-corona world, (at least in Australia and New Zealand,) we have new expectations of our cafes, restaurants, pubs, roof-top bars and food halls, as we all strive to regain daily routine and a comfort-level in the next-normal.

“A Hospitality Mindset must be the foundation for every Food Strategy in order to maximise the success, sales and a point of difference for the asset.”

Francis Loughran – MD. Future Food

What’s Changed?

Covid-19 and the subsequent closure of cafes, pubs and restaurants, quickly reminded us that cooking good food is not that hard and it adds so much more to the quality of the dining experience at home, than a food delivery ever can achieve.

Rocketing sales in kitchen appliances plus wine & beer deliveries confirmed ‘hometainment” has risen to a new level. Dark kitchens offer rent and sales opportunities, but a lot of work needs to be done on delivery and presentation standards before it can be considered a true dining experience. Whilst it offers a short-term food-fix, it lacks the emotional enjoyment of a true hospitality experience. 

What’s Changed?

Covid-19 has made food operators across a full spectrum of this wide-ranging industry, rethink the viability of their food and beverage services and adapt for the future in ways they may never have anticipated.

The result is a transformation of short-term food & beverage strategies to provide unique experiences while increasing sales. Some of the food operators have reduced, menus and sitting times, increased prices, adjusted reservation processes and service procedures.

Some customers consider the temporary measures challenging and clumsy, if not darn-right annoying.  “All I want is a latte and the six steps required to do this in a sit-down café is just too hard.”

But let’s not blame Covid-19, rather think back to pre-pandemic and we will see that there were many badly presented cafes and restaurants selling poor-quality food and providing B-team service; where choice means, take-it or leave it.

What’s Changed?

The whole food, hospitality and retail landscape has changed; let’s look at it through the eyes of the customer.

The customer’s expectations of food and hospitality in our local neighbourhoods, high streets, shopping centres, waterfront destinations, corporate tower cafés, signature restaurants, pubs and roof-top bars has not changed that much.  It is about making the customer feel welcome and delivering on the promise of great food and excellent service, time and time again, at a reasonable price.

High-margin menu items are easy to sell when the quality is good – chef created specials, coffee and cocktails lead the way. 

Enjoy the views of the Botanical Garden with Entrecote Picnic Table hire and Picnic Hamper.

Image via Good Food

Entrecote Steakhouse and Café Menu offering the finest in French Cuisine.

Nothing’s Changed 

Creating positive-experience food and hospitality places is simple. Place the customer at the centre of the planning process, add the first principles of hospitality and passion. It’s all about people enjoying one of life’s pleasures – eating & drinking.

The Promise

Let me take a minute to explain what I believe first-principles are when it comes to food and hospitality in commercial venues. 

It all starts with a dream, a passion and the development of a socially responsible, home grown F&B concept that forms the platform for delicious food and drink created from sustainable, locally-grown fresh produce.  

It is great service, a fair price and a win-win for owners, staff, customers and the community in which the business thrives.

All of these criteria must be enveloped in a human-centric design.  Never before has the design philosophy of a restaurant, food hall, dining terrace or waterfront precinct been so important. Beautiful eating and drinking spaces are magnets for people to come and spend. 

Architects and designers have a new starting point for human-centric design in food and beverage venues by adopting the principles of a Hospitality Mindset. This approach is truly hospitable with a human connection to “cared-for” environments that are beautiful, interesting and offer elements of pleasure and surprise. From the customer’s meet, greet and seat, to their farewell, each layer of the design and the service environment must deliver a positive, safe, fun experience. 

Too often we are exposed to stacks of unused chairs, cleaning materials, mountains of soft drink boxes dominating our sightlines and dirty toilets that go unnoticed by staff and owners.

There is no finishing line when it to presentation in food and hospitality.

The Customer “Give me a café or restaurant that I will come back to time and time again.”

It all starts with that great morning coffee, perfect temperature, great aroma, visually stimulating and delicious café food that keeps customers coming back for more, happy to spend money time and time again.

The Future is Bright 

We’ve now entered an era of opportunity for the food and hospitality sector to re-brand itself across retail, leisure and dining destinations. When coupled with entertainment, the result is frequently a positive and profitable partnership.

Discretionary-spend destinations of the future will focus on experiences and mixed-use offers rather than being corralled into the Shopping Centre or Mall label. Mixed-use projects of the future will embrace contemporary lifestyle influences (such as apartment living or fewer cars) and allow the local community to work, live, shop, eat and play in a new living lifestyle precinct.

Mixed-use developers globally recognise the increasing demand for housing, hotels, offices, transport-hubs and personal services to be close to the traditional shopping centres; this has resulted in mixed-use projects becoming increasingly prevalent with unprecedented demand for food and beverage venues, hotels and fresh food stores of all kinds.   

The concept of the “mixed-use development” is nothing new especially in South East Asia, but what is new is the opportunity for Australia’s traditional shopping centres (i.e. Chadstone, The Glen and Victoria Gardens) to become living, working, visiting, socialising, shopping, dining and drinking  - mega living lifestyle precincts. Hungry people 24/7 needing to be fed and entertained.

We all know that when we combine great food, hospitality and amazing on-trend entertainment (digital and traditional,) people flock to destinations. Today’s re-energised and creative food operators can deliver new, positive eating and drinking experiences which will win the customer back time and time again.

Eating out and socialising is what we yearn for, we should eat to live, but we live to eat and socialise and if the offer is consistently good; We return time and time again to spend, “I would go back there again.”

Destination Dining at Arc Dining& Wine Bar - Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane Australia

Image via The weekend Edition

In summary, the future of food and hospitality is bright. 

The unprecedented growth of online shopping, data base-personalisation, digital technology have all contributed to create the experience-economy.

When it comes to food and hospitality spending, the greatest revenue is generated by a recipe of dreams, passion, emotions, physical beauty, safety, social responsibility, delicious food and customer-connection. The perfect eating and drinking experience is all about people.

Terra Eataly L.A – Rooftop Dining in Los Angeles, USA

Image via Destination Fab

The Rooftop by JG with Panoramic Views of Beverly Hills.

Image via Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Ormeggio at the spit – Italian Dining Concept transformed in June 2020 to offer a casual yet refined experience.

Image via AGFG

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Cover Images Destination Dining at Arc Dining & Wine Bar - Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane Australia
Image via Indulge Magazin