Hotel Operations

💰 Aptech collaborates with Birchstreet Systems to enhance the procure-to-pay process, offering better control over POs, invoicing, budgeting, and financial review efficiency. Twenty Four Seven Hotels improved their operations by integrating Aptech's PVNG with BirchStreet's P2P, streamlining accounts payable and vendor relations. Aptech and BirchStreet's joint solution provides real-time budget management, automated invoice data entry, digital storage, and efficient P&L review.

🍕 Dallas-based Legendary Restaurant Brands revived the Steak and Ale brand as a franchise in Burnsville, Minnesota on July 8. The concept, created in 1966, had closed in 2008 due to parent company Metromedia Restaurant Group's Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The new franchised location at Wyndham Nicollet Inn encompasses 5,000 square feet, seats 225, and includes a patio. CEO Paul Mangiamele purchased the rights years ago and is now realizing the dream of its return, managed by franchisee Roy Arnold with a 15-store agreement in the Midwest.

🍴 Pat Cobe visited Blank Street for their summer matcha drinks and noted the $42 lobster rolls at Salavar’s in Montauk. Bret Thorn dined at Iron Hill Brewery in Philadelphia, enjoying spirit-free cocktails, and at Zahav, tasting the $85 prix-fixe menu. Both attended Electric Shuffle's debut in NYC. Dan Kluger, chef-partner of Greywind in New York, discussed his culinary journey and the restaurant's multiple venues, including a bakery and speakeasy-style bar.

🍕 Akbar and Sanobar, refugees from Uzbekistan, joined London's McCain Streets Ahead Programme by KERB+ in 2022, aiming to share their cuisine through Samarkand Palav. By June 2023, they received operational training and successfully pitched their food concept. In 2023, McCain invested £10,000 into their business, enabling equipment purchases for weekly market presence at locations like Cowcross Yards and Fleet Place. They plan to support societal causes, including education and women's empowerment, and envision opening a café. Over 18 months, Streets Ahead supported over 200 participants, with McCain investing over £146,000 into start-ups.

🏨 Coury Holdings introduces Concert Hospitality, targeting full-service and select-service hotels for personalized experiences and operational efficiency. The new entity starts with an initial portfolio of four hotels, including Marriott Westlake in Dallas/Fort Worth, and aims for 10-12 properties by year-end. Chris Charbonnet leads as regional vice president of operations, leveraging over 20 years of industry experience. Concert Hospitality will work closely with strategic partner NewcrestImage for expanding its branded and independent hotel portfolio.

🏦 Dusit Thani Bangkok, a Dusit International hotel, reopens on September 27 after a full rebuild, now featuring 257 rooms, down from 517. The hotel, designed by Andre Fu Studio and Architects 49 Ltd., includes 10 restaurants and bars, a sky lobby, spa, and over 5,000 square meters of meeting space. Small Luxury Hotels enters India via The MRS Group, adding three hotels. IHG expands in Spain with four new hotels, totaling over 500 rooms, set to open by spring 2026. Crescent Hotels & Resorts to manage Virginia's first JW Marriott, opening in 2025 with 243 rooms and 94 condos. Bob W expands into Austria with a 67-unit Vienna property, opening in 2025.

🏡 Miiro launched its first property, Le Grand Hôtel Cayré, in Paris' Saint-Germain-des-Prés in partnership with Michaelis Boyd. The hotel offers 123 rooms and suites, a signature Refresh Room, restaurant Annette, bar Officine Bac, and other amenities. Miiro, a venture by InterGlobal Enterprises, was established in December 2023. Future openings include Barcelona and London, targeting early 2025.

🍕 Toronto-based Lazeez Shawarma, established in 2013, partners with Revel Systems to implement a cloud-based POS across 61 locations. Presented at MURTEC Executive Summit Canada on June 20-21 at Sheraton Centre, Toronto, the partnership aims to support rapid growth and improve guest experience with features like a mobile management system, kitchen display system, and real-time customer display system, enhancing service speed and order accuracy while adapting to market shifts and technologies.

🍕 The food delivery industry, grappling with wage increases and inflation, is turning to robotics as a solution. The National Restaurant Association reported 110,000 restaurant closures in 2020, yet the sector keeps evolving. Robotics, offering operational efficiency and cost savings (cutting costs by 17.71% according to the Association for Advancing Automation), are gaining ground, with the food robotics market projected to grow from $2 billion in 2020 to $5 billion by 2030, as stated by Allied Market Research. Embracing innovation like robotics is crucial for the industry's sustainability and competitiveness.

🍴 A restaurant reservation app enhances efficiency, customer experience, and profitability. Small businesses gain market access while larger ones streamline operations and increase loyalty. Features include easy booking, loyalty rewards, and special promotions, accessible via mobile devices. Financial benefits include reduced fees from direct bookings. Development steps include market research, design, app-building, and leveraging EPOS integration. Launching an app involves using market research to attract users. Rohan, SVP of Engineering at Builder.ai, suggests these strategies.