The concept of “wellness” is becoming increasingly prominent throughout the hotel landscape, so it is not surprising that IHG’s wellness-focused brand, Even Hotels, is planning to debut a fast-casual food and beverage platform focused on what it calls “simple, natural and good ingredients.”
Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group, developers of the Washington, D.C.-based Founding Farmers restaurant and Farmers Restaurant Group, and SPE Certified culinary nutritional consultants collaborated with IHG to develop and provide nutritional analysis for the Cork & Kale menu. Morning selections will include the Salmon Board (US$9.28) featuring a toasted multigrain bagel with smoked salmon, sliced hard-boiled egg and classic accompaniments.
Afternoon offerings will include the Kale and 4-Cheese Flatbread (US$11.98) with a blend of asiago, blue and mozzarella cheeses topped with kale salad, drizzled with balsamic glaze.
Cork & Kale also will serve cocktails made with fresh herbs, natural mixers and organic spirits in addition to beer and wine. The Cork & Kale Market will sell pre-packaged grab-and-go items as well as retail-style products.
Cork & Kale will be available at all Even properties, the first of which are slated to open later this month in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Rockville, Maryland.
“We created Cork & Kale based on the idea that whether guests are fueling up for a long day of meetings, hitting the gym or just trying to relax with a great cocktail or delicious smoothie, they should have access to good-for-you choices made with simple and natural ingredients that also taste great,” said Adam Glickman, head of Even Hotels. “Additionally, they should be able to expect those same healthy options — morning to night — at every one of our hotels. We designed our food and beverage offering to better meet the needs of wellness-minded travelers by consistently offering them tastes and products they are familiar with and trust in a slightly more elevated way than they might enjoy at home.”