Food is the gateway to a life in hospitality. I have the luxury of being able to connect with young, aspiring culinarians and food fashionistas every day, and if they all have one thing in common, it's that they were hooked by food at a very young age. "I actually fell in love with food when I was 7 when I first tasted clam and raw scallop crudo" as was told to me recently by a 23 year old chef de partie. She was full of energy, incredibly talented, and truly the example of next generation of chef…and all I could think of was "Seriously, you ate raw clams at 7? Not chicken fingers?" This generation is changing how we all eat, and we are better for it…. READ MORE

In the following article, EMPLOYERS Western Regional Loss Manager Raul Chacon, a workplace safety expert, will discuss the common workplace injuries in hotel food and beverage operations settings. These risks for employee injuries include slips, trips, and falls; cuts and lacerations; burns; musculoskeletal strains; and acts of workplace violence. He addresses how to mitigate each of these risks by identifying their common causes in hotel restaurants and bars, as well as specific tactics employees can take to prevent them. Hotel owners and managers will also learn from this article best practices for training staff on safety policies in order to ensure they are remembered and implemented. READ MORE

As a hotel operating department, food and beverage plays a secondary role to rooms. That's how it's always been, but recent trends in guest tastes and experience have pushed F&B into a more compelling position, one, with the right management, can also be a profit producer rather than a hope-to-break-even enterprise. But maximizing F&B revenues and impeding costs takes forethought and creativity. An inspection of 2018 and historical European F&B data paints a varying picture from city to city, as expenses, from cost of sales to payroll, fluctuate and revenue generation is localized and benefits from canny operational strategies and methods. READ MORE

Time was that knowing one's customer was as easy as standing in the lobby and interacting with guests as they came and went. "Welcome to the hotel." "Is there anything we can do to make your visit more enjoyable?" "How was your stay?" No more. In today's world, travelers are increasingly self-directing their contact with hotels, before, during and after their stay. So much of the traveler's journey is accomplished without any human interaction. So, how does one optimize the hotel operation from a guest services standpoint? By using the same thing that has created the distance – technology. Read on. READ MORE

Bill Kimpton formed Kimpton Hotels in the 1980s with the intent to create smaller guest-centric urban properties in older and historic buildings. Conceptually, the company took a three pronged approach with property development, hospitality management and on-property restaurant management. Over the next three decades, the brand expanded nationally and internationally while holding on to its roots. In 2015, IHG acquired the hotel and restaurant management operations, while the development arm became independent. The intent is that the strength of IHG would facilitate expansion of the Kimpton brand, while independence would foster greater returns for the property investors. READ MORE