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Restaurants Over the Years…
When I was a child the only time we ever went to a restaurant was for a special occasion, mostly birthdays, because really special occasions like holidays were family gatherings where aunts and grandmothers brought part of the meal for 15 to 20 people. Meals in those days, the '50s and '60s, were family occasions where men generally did not cook, and where mothers usually had a hot meal on the table for dinner every evening.
Our lives have changed considerably since then: family size is shrinking; mothers are now working too; everyone is working later; and food often goes to waste in refrigerators since the cost of dining out versus eating in is comparable. During my childhood, there were three network TV stations; now there are countless stations, and many of them about food and style.
Restaurants have changed too: they were once primarily a place to eat; now they are a place to be seen. Restaurants are places to get away from an ordinary life and be a part of an “experience”. The idea of an “experience” today has become as fashionable as clothing. In the '50s there were only a few models of cars; most people never had more than one anyway. Today the world demands, and gets, cars, clothing, furniture, and every imaginable commodity, especially designer commodities, in every imaginable color, style, and size.
Restaurants still sell food and beverage, but the food component has changed a little. Recently, Michael Bauer, the restaurant reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, gave 3 overall stars to a new restaurant. What was notable was that the restaurant received only 2 ½ stars each for food and service. Décor earned 4 stars and thus gained a 3 star review. I must say, in San Francisco Michael is known for his rigorous reviews, and this is the first time I have seen ambience trump food. I don’t think this is a trend; I think it is remarkable that it has taken so long for a reviewer to acknowledge what has been long term in reality.
Food and beverage sales in the United States have grown from about $65 billion in 1960 to $560 billion in 2005 according to the National Restaurant Association. Now this number includes $2 lattes as well as meals eaten out in restaurants with white table cloths, but the bottom line is that as competition has forced today’s restaurants to evolve, competition has also moved restaurants from being an eating place to being substitutes for all sorts of occasions that used to be celebrated at home and substitutes for all sorts of entertainment alternatives. Competition is not just among other restaurants, but competition is an entertainment alternative with movies, theme parks, shopping centers and the common household flat screen TV.
Interestingly enough, hotel food and beverage sales have not grown considerably during this same span of years. I think this is mostly because of three things which one day will need to change, and are changing, if hotels want to compete at all for the food and beverage dollar. Firstly, breakfast is not the only and most important meal that hotel restaurants serve these days. Secondly, you should not ignore the local consumer; your guest is not just in the tower but in the community around you. Lastly, more and more as room amenities become blurred by the best mattress, the biggest flat screen, and the downiest comforters, restaurants are becoming the jewelry of hotels which defines their quality and style of the hotel as much as the brand.
Restaurants Over the Years…
March 31, 2008
When I was a child the only time we ever went to a restaurant was for a special occasion, mostly birthdays, because really special occasions like holidays were family gatherings where aunts and grandmothers brought part of the meal for 15 to 20 people. Meals in those days, the '50s and '60s, were family occasions where men generally did not cook, and where mothers usually had a hot meal on the table for dinner every evening.Our lives have changed considerably since then: family size is shrinking; mothers are now working too; everyone is working later; and food often goes to waste in refrigerators since the cost of dining out versus eating in is comparable. During my childhood, there were three network TV stations; now there are countless stations, and many of them about food and style.
Restaurants have changed too: they were once primarily a place to eat; now they are a place to be seen. Restaurants are places to get away from an ordinary life and be a part of an “experience”. The idea of an “experience” today has become as fashionable as clothing. In the '50s there were only a few models of cars; most people never had more than one anyway. Today the world demands, and gets, cars, clothing, furniture, and every imaginable commodity, especially designer commodities, in every imaginable color, style, and size.
Restaurants still sell food and beverage, but the food component has changed a little. Recently, Michael Bauer, the restaurant reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, gave 3 overall stars to a new restaurant. What was notable was that the restaurant received only 2 ½ stars each for food and service. Décor earned 4 stars and thus gained a 3 star review. I must say, in San Francisco Michael is known for his rigorous reviews, and this is the first time I have seen ambience trump food. I don’t think this is a trend; I think it is remarkable that it has taken so long for a reviewer to acknowledge what has been long term in reality.
Food and beverage sales in the United States have grown from about $65 billion in 1960 to $560 billion in 2005 according to the National Restaurant Association. Now this number includes $2 lattes as well as meals eaten out in restaurants with white table cloths, but the bottom line is that as competition has forced today’s restaurants to evolve, competition has also moved restaurants from being an eating place to being substitutes for all sorts of occasions that used to be celebrated at home and substitutes for all sorts of entertainment alternatives. Competition is not just among other restaurants, but competition is an entertainment alternative with movies, theme parks, shopping centers and the common household flat screen TV.
Interestingly enough, hotel food and beverage sales have not grown considerably during this same span of years. I think this is mostly because of three things which one day will need to change, and are changing, if hotels want to compete at all for the food and beverage dollar. Firstly, breakfast is not the only and most important meal that hotel restaurants serve these days. Secondly, you should not ignore the local consumer; your guest is not just in the tower but in the community around you. Lastly, more and more as room amenities become blurred by the best mattress, the biggest flat screen, and the downiest comforters, restaurants are becoming the jewelry of hotels which defines their quality and style of the hotel as much as the brand.
Posted by Bob Puccini on March 31, 2008 | Comments (0)
Industries: Food & Beverage
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