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Food and beverage (or F&B for short) is a key revenue driver for hotels, creating thousands of dollars in ancillary revenue per week. But the profitability of your F&B all comes down to your strategy, creativity, and of course, the quality of your food and drink.
F&B encompasses everything from in-room minibars to your on-site restaurants and bars. That means there’s a lot to work with when it comes to increasing revenue. However, if you’re stuck for ideas or need a bit of inspiration, here are 21 ideas for you to boost your F&B revenue.
F&B service at a hotel typically incorporates all the operations and services that are involved in providing food and beverages to hotel guests. These might include:
F&B offerings can differ significantly between different types of hotels, depending on the level of service and amenities offered.
Before guests arrive at your hotel, they’ll be planning their itineraries and finding ways to enrich their vacations. This is a great time to nudge them with various F&B offers.
At this stage in the guest journey, it’s the perfect time to use upsell technology to send special offers to guests via email and text message. You can also use hotel upsell software to include special food and beverage packages as add-ons for purchase during the check-in flow.
Your guest has arrived. They’ve had a long flight and no sleep. A warm welcome and a complimentary refreshment would go a long way. You could offer a cocktail, snack, fresh fruit juice, or a cup of coffee. This is a generous and kind way to let guests know about the fantastic beverage options you have to offer.
And don’t forget to take the opportunity to showcase your menu items, too!
According to The Vou, there are currently 88 million vegans in the world and that number is only growing. But it’s not just veganism. There are gluten-free, keto, low-carbohydrate, low-FODMAP, and paleolithic diets — just to name a few.
When you play out the probability, it’s more than likely that diet-restricted individuals are staying at your hotel at this very moment.
However, to accommodate these guests, you don’t need to revolutionize your menus. Many restaurants simply add a couple of vegan or vegetarian options sections to their existing menus or add more information about how their meals are prepared.
Room service robots could — believe it or not — save you a whole load of money. They are a new technology in the hospitality world, and hotels are beginning to see their value.
By automating things like room service, you can save on labor expenses and increase staff efficiency. This is because while the robots do the fetching and delivering, you can plan employee schedules more accurately.
A customizable minibar is a fun, creative way to increase your F&B revenue. Pack a minibar with the right stuff and guests could have a hard time keeping out of it.
Here’s how: Before guests arrive, ask them if they’d like a customized minibar. If they say yes, give them a range of options. Some of these minibar options could include:
Offering seasonal or limited-time menus shows guests that you are sustainable and dedicated to highlighting food that can be sourced in your immediate area. Eco-consciousness guests will appreciate the reduction in carbon footprint and will be more likely to recommend your hotel.
Group your accommodation and F&B offerings to provide a themed, exciting stay for your guests. You could offer:
We talked about sending offers to guests before their stay, but upsell technology also enables hoteliers to push offers throughout the entire guest journey. This can be done through the use of automated text message and emails, or even included in the checkout flow to provide guests with a sweet treat on their way out the door.
There are multiple ways to develop and implement a loyalty program at your hotel. For example, you could introduce a loyalty program for corporate clients including discounts on dining and catering services, or reward guests for dining at the hotel's restaurant or bar multiple times during their stay.
Hosting special events, such as wine and food tastings/pairings, cooking classes, or themed dinners, could help you attract guests and locals to your hotel. This is particularly helpful during periods of low occupancy.
You could also give paying guests a discount for partaking.
Happy hour is a popular concept for a reason. It works. Attract guests and locals during off-peak hours by introducing a happy hour in your bar or restaurant. Some bars offer two drinks for the price of one during this time.
Introduce a brunch menu or a Sunday roast option to get guests and locals in on the weekends.
A good social media presence is a marketing must-have. Posting images of your most popular food and beverages is a great way to attract diners and build brand awareness.
You could also encourage customers to tag you and use a special hashtag when posting photos of your food to their social media.
Adding a signature dish or cocktail to your menu is a great way to add to your brand’s personality and differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are a few best practices for creating a signature dish or cocktail:
Promote your hotel's dining offerings by partnering with local bloggers and social media influencers. They often post to thousands of followers who may not be aware of your property. Influencers can also help boost bookings by advertising promotions, packages, and special rates on their profiles.
Catering for weddings, corporate events, and other special occasions, could give you an additional revenue stream. It might also help you expand your customer base and increase your reach.
To close catering business quickly and easily, use digital credit card authorizations and digital contracts that are PCI compliant and mobile-friendly.
Food and beverage packages are a good way to make sure your guests have an enjoyable stay. If you haven’t already upsold a package before the guest’s arrival, check-in is a great time to walk guests through your options. Here are a few examples of packages you could offer:
Give guests the option to order at their tables from their mobile phones. While some guests will prefer giving their order to a waiter, more tech-savvy travelers may prefer the convenience of ordering and paying online.
Provide each table with a unique QR code. When guests scan the code, take them to a website where they’ll be able to input their order and confirm. Either they can pay at checkout or request the check at the end. You could also allow guests to order through a hotel app.
Whether it’s room service, restaurant service, or your minibar selection, ensure that you’re offering a broad range of F&B options, from fruit juice and Coca-Cola to champagne and whisky.
This will help you cater to the wide range of tastes, diets, and preferences of your guests and ensure there’s something for everyone.
A chef's table experience, where guests watch the chefs prepare their food can be a unique and upscale dining option that can increase F&B revenue at a hotel in several ways:
Partnering with local F&B businesses has plenty of benefits for your hotel. Firstly, it establishes you as part of the local community, allows you to provide guests with exciting, authentic culinary experiences, and decreases your carbon footprint. Here are a few ways you can partner with your local businesses:
Food and beverage is an essential aspect of your hotel’s operation, providing you with an opportunity to drive revenue and boost guest satisfaction.
Improving your F&B offerings takes a bit of creative thinking and guest knowledge. But once you get it right, guests will let you know.
Next up, discover seven guest welcome message templates to put to use straight away!
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