The last few years have brought significant changes to the lodging sector, and we’ve seen consumer spending on travel be incredibly resilient in the face of inflation. Even knowing that, we were unprepared for the significant changes we tracked in the most recent survey for the Mise Conference, the lodging segment’s premier food-forward event.
What we found is that consumers are placing a significantly greater level of importance on the food and beverage offerings at hotels and resorts. The emphasis here is not just on any foodservice, or even the cheapest options like free breakfasts. Rather, consumers are looking for the high touch, high impact, experiential or hospitality-centric options.
Why should this matter to operators within and beyond lodging? Over the past few years, consumers have pulled back on their visits to restaurants and are preparing foods and beverages at home more often than has been the case in recent years. As a result, occasions away from home regardless of the segment need to offer something more, something different, and something worth spending time and money. This is a much more dynamic value proposition. Foodservice operators – now more than ever before – need to give consumers a compelling reason to leave their homes. Additionally, operators need to offer consumers something they can’t easily replicate at home. If you can do it at home, why pay more for the same thing away from home?
To become more competitive and more compelling for consumers, foodservice operators across all segments need to consider how and whether they are offering something higher end than what consumers can make at home, something more challenging or that requires more skill, something difficult to acquire, something that makes consumers’ lives easier or better, or something experiential in a way that helps consumers escape their every day. In other words, consumers want to be taken care of and foodservice is better positioned than any other segment to do that not just for special occasions but every day.
Editor’s Note:
Versatile, available Aussie proteins make a great tool for operators to address this challenge across all segments of foodservice. Lamb is a change of pace and something less likely to be made at home, whether it’s in a plate of pasta or a fine dining rack. Aussie Wagyu delivers that special, luxury experience from burgers to steak flights. And we know from Menu Matters’ Consumer Needs report earlier this year that consumers won’t compromise on steak! Add in the consistent quality and availability of Aussie meats, and you have a winner…