Let’s face it ... F&b makes money
#MATTER
Hello every one,
My name is Cheila Gibbs, founder of Create Generate.
WE ... Create concepts and generate solutions
We are one stop shop
A hub of hospitality
NOW... I’m sure every one who went through an opening before must be asking, why, oh why, would someone have a job that causes so much stress, heart palpitations, headaches, makes you lose sleep and hair?
Seriously I’m not joking ... I’m going bold.
Because ... ladies and gentleman ... I’m addicted!! Yes ... addicted!!
I’m addicted to the drama,
to the stress,
to the thrill of something small such as waiting for the furniture to show up!
Addicted to the drama when you realise you ordered the wrong size bed linen (pillow cases and I don’t like each other).
Addicted to losing power on the launch night.
Fire alarms going off in middle of the night and the list goes on.
I’m sure you all have been there before in some way or another!!
But most importantly, I’m addicted to making your dreams become reality.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than welcoming our first guest through the doors.
THE 3 KEYWORDS
There are 3 key words you need to know about owing a hotel, restaurant or bar.
HOW
WHY
WHEN
They all have the same answer but it is how we connected it all.
How does it make money?
Look & Feel … It needs to be comfortable by day and by night. And how do you do that?
Let’s start with the basics...
Layout
:::
I mean, architects, designers and operators, what can I say, it’s a love hate relationship.
When designing a hotel, restaurant or bar always ensure your architects and designers understand your target demographics. Guest journeys can make or break your property.
You wont believe how many meetings I have been in with architects and designers that have built amazing properties with absolutely no BOH!
• Housekeepers with no storage for cleaning materials
• Bars without storage for glassware or stock
• Restaurants with no storage for crockery or cutlery
• Kitchens with no space for pot and pans
• Entire buildings with no cellars …
• again the list goes on…
Now ... You may be wondering how can BOH impact my ROI ??
WELL...
If it takes a housekeeper double the time to clean a room because she needs to go up and down to get equipment that will affect your labour costs.
If it takes 15m for your guest to get a drink because you have no storage and run out of stock that will impact your average spent and your guest journey.
When designing a hotel, restaurant or bar always think about how long will take from point A to B because that’s what will impact your ROI.
Always look at the floor plan and put yourself in the guest shoes.
• Is that table in front of a toilet where I really want to sit?
• How far is the bar from the terrace ?
• During the cold weather, tables next to the doors will they get a draft every time the door opens?
• Service stations where do you position them?
• Are the amazing expensive sofas and chairs comfortable?
• Wooden floor gaps - will I get my heel stuck in between the gaps?
“Think about the customer journey as a product in its own right – something that can be designed and managed to generate revenue.”
LIGHTING
:::
Ironically, lighting is one of the most underestimated design elements, but it has the greatest impact on customers’ experience.
Different light settings are a MUST
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Customers are now looking for a more emotional, social dining experience. Dining out should appeal to all senses, not just the taste of the food.
Proper light settings sets the ...
• Mood
• Increase sales
• Boost performance
• Differentiate the space
If there’s one piece of advice I can give you today it would be; please invest in a good light designer. It’s worth every penny!
Staff and light management is a recipe for disaster.
