26 November 2024 - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers

3 min

This salad concept grows its own lettuce through an on-site hydroponic farm

🌱 Neon Greens, a quick-service salad restaurant in St. Louis, Mo., features its own 400-square-foot vertical hydroponic farm, producing an equivalent yield of three acres of 80 lettuce varieties used in their salads. Founder Josh Smith emphasizes radical transparency in sourcing, highlighting that conventional lettuce is often two to three weeks old when it arrives from California and Arizona. The hydroponic farm requires substantial machinery maintenance and was installed using a 150-foot crane. Neon Greens focuses on lettuce due to its high yield and quick growth, avoiding crops like kale with longer maturation times. The restaurant makes an environmental impact by saving on water—using only 2,500 gallons annually per farm versus 900,000 gallons in six months for traditional farming—and practices recycling and composting. While currently less cost-efficient due to operating a single location, Smith aims to reduce lettuce costs through expansion and economies of scale.

6 min

Innovative reuse leads Aesop Diagonal to win best interior as Dezeen Awards 2024 winners revealed

🎯 Aesop Diagonal by Mesura, a retail space in Barcelona, crowned Dezeen Awards 2024's interiors project of the year at a London event. The awards celebrated interiors from nine countries. Mesura’s design utilized 78 repurposed local stone pieces, creating a circular approach praised for functionality and minimal aesthetic alteration. The project was commended for tackling contemporary issues and transforming raw materials into new, sustainable uses.

3 min

Some UX and UI best practices to drive up gift voucher uptake

💸 STAAH Vouchers provides a customizable platform for hoteliers to increase revenue and guest loyalty through gift vouchers. Best practices include creating a dedicated pathway and landing page, localizing content, cross-channel promotion, secure checkout processes, and making redemption seamless with features like QR codes and integration with loyalty programs or PMS. Platforms like STAAH Vouchers enable hotels to easily incorporate gift vouchers into their sales strategy.

4 min

People on the Move: Driftwood, Frenchman’s Reef, Preferred Travel Group, Pendry Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Granada

💸 Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM) promoted Bryan Postema to COO, Michael Buddemeyer to VP of operations focus service, and Michael Diaz to chief strategy officer; Frenchman's Reef appointed Martin Smith as managing director, Andrew Haas as VP of commercial services, and Maria Vilchez as general manager; Preferred Travel Group promoted Stephanie Calhoun, Christopher Ahlgrim, Renee Haddad, and Priscilla Haryadi to various VP and director positions; Katherine “Kati” Gregory joined Pendry Hotels as director of sales and marketing; Hotel Granada hired Lucits Dean as director of sales; The Chatwal, New York appointed Sebastian Gurevich as hotel manager; Sunriver Resort named Krista Miller VP of real estate and development and Megan Roe as general manager of Caldera Springs.

2 min

Virgil’s 30th anniversary, happy hour at Mermaid Inn, and Christmas decorations at Pete’s Tavern

🍽 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, previously wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), Asia Times, and Manager magazine in Thailand. He graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in 1990 and studied at Le Cordon Bleu in 1986. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, was president of IFEC in 2005, and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Contact: [email protected]

1 min

Sesame balls, a trending Chinese snack

🍜 Sesame balls, a Chinese snack with rice flour dough and sweet fillings, have increased in popularity on restaurant menus by 36% in the past four years. Datassential's Menucast predicts a further 25% growth over the next four years, as American consumers develop a taste for Asian-inspired treats like mochi and boba. The snack's appeal lies in its crispy, sesame-coated exterior and chewy interior.

5 min

Small chains and independents ramp up their catering programs

🍴 Restaurant catering has outpaced industry growth by 50%, with both large chains and independent establishments like Mario's Pizzeria and Porano augmenting their services. A report by Channel Media Group reveals 90% of businesses plan to cater from local restaurants during holidays. Killer Burger partnered with ezCater, presenting a "Killer Box" with 12 burgers, while Asian Box's catering, vital for profitability, returned to 2019 levels. Angry Chickz launched catering, seeing it as an opportunity for growth and brand loyalty. World Wrapps' early sales can reach $1,000-$5,000, significantly impacting ROI. Catering sales could increase by 30% with office occupancy rising from 33% to 50%.

2 min

Five Star Hospitality Management Names Kimberly Rowell Executive Vice President

🏥 Kimberly Rowell, with over 35 years in hospitality, joined Five Star Hospitality Management as Executive Vice President in February 2023. Dream Capital named Justin Patel as Senior Associate, who has experience with 20+ hotels and a finance degree from the University of Tennessee. Five Star pursues acquisitions with major brands like Hilton and Marriott in challenging markets.

1 min

Ashford Hospitality Trust Converts Le Pavillon Hotel to Tribute Portfolio

🌏 Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. converted the 226-room Le Pavillon Hotel in New Orleans to a Tribute Portfolio property. The hotel, built in 1907 and part of Historic Hotels of America, underwent a $19 million renovation. Upgrades included the hotel lobby bar, now Bar 1803, inspired by the city's French roots. Located near the French Quarter, it's positioned for Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras in 2025 to boost its profile.

2 min

Sage Hospitality Group Adds Hotel Alpenrock Breckenridge to Portfolio

🏠 In Denver, Colorado, Sage Hospitality Group has added Hotel Alpenrock Breckenridge, Curio Collection by Hilton, to its portfolio, located by Peak 9’s QuickSilver Super 6 Chairlift. The 205-key property has undergone a complete renovation. Daniel del Olmo, president of Sage Hospitality Group, aims to make the group America's favorite lifestyle hospitality company. Hotel Alpenrock offers year-round vacation activities, 205 rooms and suites, and a mountain lifestyle experience. Sage Restaurant Concepts will manage Edwin and Canary, two new outlets for the winter season at the hotel.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.