According to the U.S. Census Bureau, demand for food-and-beverage services has grown by 50% since 2021.

This exponential spike in consumer preferences suggests that a quality food-and-beverage program is more essential to the guest experience than ever. But as global inflation pressures continue to drive staple commodity costs on the heels of record highs across the Consumer Price Index, owners and operators are seeking to keep their market basket costs neutral without compromising the in-house dining experience.

Worldwide, property operators have made adjustments to everything from menu offerings — substituting scarce or high-dollar items, for example, with more cost-effective, readily sourced options — to hours of food service operations, as hotels work to keep pace amid ongoing labor shortages. Many hotels are also reexamining their own supply chains in terms of relationships with local suppliers, fueling increasing momentum in the “think global, source local” vein.

Whether your property is under the flag of an international hospitality brand or you operate a mom-and-pop boutique shop, you may want to explore these proven strategies to practice smarter food and beverage at your hotel while delivering an exceptional dining experience to your guests.

Minimizing the use of individually portioned products is a win for the environment and your bottom line. Whether serving yogurt in bulk, rather than from individually packaged containers, or using dispensers to distribute condiments such as ketchup or syrup, you can cut or significantly reduce product costs while appealing to guests’ rising preference for sustainable travel. Bulk-buying cost-effective ingredients to feature across outlets and/or in differing dishes can also reduce inventory risk by decreasing SKUs.

Rather than relying on cooking methods that often result in overproduction and waste, look to prep methods such as sous vide, which better enables your kitchen crew to heat and serve portions “on demand,” and chill unused servings for a future sitting. In instances where excess prep is unavoidable, properties can also partner with area nonprofits to redistribute remaining food to local charitable groups combating hunger.

Many wholesale distributors, from local suppliers to global giants, will offer special BOGO or volume-driven promotions to drive sales while helping properties offset the rising cost of consumables. Some distributors have also begun offering deeper discounts for larger drop sizes, making it advantageous to order more goods in a single sitting. Larger drop sizes also reduce delivery frequency, resulting in lower freight expenses, a reduced carbon footprint and improved operational efficiency for staff.

By engineering food-and-beverage outlet menus to reflect the current season, you can take advantage of optimal product pricing and availability — all while showcasing fresh, seasonally inspired fare designed to keep guests dining in. Consider teaming up with area growers to further streamline distribution while upping your commitment to local sourcing.

Third-party procurement providers can help properties greatly expand their reach by leveraging global scope and economies of scale. From volume discounts and wider product access to expedited freight and enhanced supply-chain solutions, these partners can help hotels innovate touchless service systems and mitigate risk associated with food-and-beverage operations.

Contemporary travelers are seeking greater choice, control and convenience than ever before, which means now is an optimal time to upgrade your property’s food-and-beverage offerings to reflect those cost-effective strategies that best align with your market. By putting proven practices into place to streamline food-and-beverage operations and stand out within your comp set, you can elevate the guest experience while lowering risk against your bottom line.

Anu Saxena is the president and global head of Hilton Supply Management.

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.

Read more news on Hotel News Now.