Great Ideas and News That Hoteliers Can Use

Editorial: Breakfast is for Real, So Prepare for it!

It's been 10 years since hoteliers concluded that their guests really dig a free continental breakfast. Offering breakfast has become a "necessity", meaning that…you really can't do without it. What once was a perk or an "amenity" offered by better hotel managers looking for an "edge", has become part of the guest experience, no less important than a great bed. Paul Glen, who just completed his business book entitled, How to Lead People Who Deliver Technology, states that "You can never underestimate the power of free food." He says that he can't explain it with any rationale, but today's business travelers, even those making a sizable income, look at free food such as continental breakfast as a motivator. It literally helps drive the decision making process as to where to stay.

That being said, not all hoteliers serve a breakfast to be proud of. These are the same managers who have taken 10 years to finally offer a bed equal to one that travelers sleep in at home. For some reason, they simply don't get it! Guest comment scores regarding breakfast across the brands don't average much more than 67% positive and that's sad. Looking at it another way, about 33% of the guests you feed don't like your breakfast, yet you give it to them…free! Try that on when you think about gaining repeat business. Breakfast service, which for years has been "just a pain" for many managers has now become a serious ingredient of a successful hotel experience. The bottom line is that managers (and owners) must do a better job in the years to come if they want to maintain their occupancy and satisfy their guests.

What franchisors must do is get tough on hoteliers who are operating hotels with failing breakfast presentations. And when I say "get tough", I don't mean to just fail them and give ultimatums, but to offer guidance and help them improve the breakfast being served. Here lies the failing of most franchise companies because too many of the quality control folks are not F&B trained or understand the importance of breakfast in relationship to the total guest experience. There is little or no food and beverage training anywhere for limited facility hotel managers either. Yet, in many states, managers and their attendants must earn a food handler's license and that should be proof enough that breakfast is a food and beverage function. Until franchisers begin to train managers how and what breakfast is all about, scores will rarely be north of 70%. That being said, here is some guidance to get you started and when followed, will result in a breakfast your guests will appreciate.

The Pantry…More Important than You Realize

For what it's worth, the pantry is where you must start if you want your hotel to have any chance of serving a breakfast worth your guests' kudos. Most limited facility hotels design inadequate pantries, which puts them behind the eight ball before they serve their first guest. Just recently a beautiful Holiday Inn Express was built close to our company that had a pantry without a three compartment sink or hand sink. To not understand that requirement is beyond naive. The owner, whose other hotels are located in other states can be excused for the oversight, but the Holiday Inn Express execs who approved the design plans can't be. The day before the hotel was to open, the owner was told he couldn't…all because his pantry was not in compliance. It happens way too often. If I bought a franchise, I would expect that quality of advice and information.

Pantries in limited facility hotels should be at least the size of a sleeping room. Bigger is better! You must have a three-compartment sink (and I don't mean a bar sink) and a hand sink. If your county regulations don't require this now, it's only a matter of time, otherwise you'll be regulated to serving product that must be individually wrapped. And, in some cases, that even applies to fresh fruit! When this occurs, kiss your comment scores good bye because a "saran-wrapped" breakfast will not be accepted. Save your money! To serve breakfast means to serve it right. Once you have the sinks, you'll need a two-door freezer and a two-door refrigerator. Depending on what your serve and if you buy fresh, you may be able to eliminate the freezer, but that's doubtful. Most of you will need a freezer for the pastries you buy and the frozen juice concentrate you use. The pastry alone can take up much of your freezer space.

Last, you will need counter space for preparation and shelves for storage. One common mistake owners make is to put doors on the shelves, which makes them cabinets. Cabinets you don't need! Shelves you do. As a food and beverage trained executive, I want to see what is being stored, how much is being stored and if what's stored is proper and efficient…without opening doors. When you decide to buy Otis Spunkmeyer or Sara Lee frozen pastries, you need a staging area for the pastries to thaw since pastry should be served at room temperature, not cold. Generally, you should take pastry from the freezer the day before they are to be served to thaw. When you follow this procedure, you eliminate the need for a microwave on your breakfast counter. (It's primarily used to warm up cold pastry) Every pantry should have a microwave to service guest requests, consequently, when you serve pastry properly, one microwave located in your pantry is sufficient. Depending on the number of guests you serve each day and the variety of pastry you offer, you may need as much as six linear feet of shelf space to accommodate pastry. When you serve "fresh" pastry baked for you at your local super market, then the requirements change…and the quality improves.

Next Page>