Hotel Operations

🍣 Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, after being a single-location, Michelin-recommended eatery in Flushing, Queens for 16 years, has expanded to 11 locations, including markets outside New York City like Boston and Philadelphia. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, they adapted their soup dumpling recipe for freezing and distribution. The brand offers full-service and express restaurants, with sizes of 1,200-1,500 square feet for express outlets. They launched an app for ordering and promotions, and have begun franchising, with the first franchise in Boston and others underway in Houston and North Carolina. They aim to reach every major U.S. city. A commissary in New Jersey was established to maintain dumpling quality for all locations.

🍗 In New York City, Pat and Bret attended a pig roast at Back Bar, Eventi Hotel, where Chef Laurent Tourondel's team cooked pigs from noon to 6 p.m. using a charcoal-fired "caja chino." At Heritage Grand Bakery, owner Lou Ramirez bakes with "population wheat," a mix of 17 grains. Perkins, renamed to Perkins American Food Co., focuses on bakery items, while Huddle House emphasizes its core menu, avoiding too much flavor innovation. Both chains form part of family-dining chains reinventing their menus.

📝 Homebase survey shows 62% of small business owners and 64% of hourly workers value coworker relationships. Poor team communication can hinder collaboration and lead to job dissatisfaction, particularly during seasonal demand. Flexibility is crucial for preventing burnout and improving job satisfaction. Streamlining communication through a single app for scheduling and timekeeping is recommended for small businesses to enhance flexibility and reduce back-office work.

🍚 U.S. per capita annual consumption of lamb is less than 1 pound vs. over 13 pounds in Australia. Lamb consumers in the U.S. typically have annual incomes over $150,000, tend to be millennials, male, and white. Technomic reports a 0.5% increase in lamb menu mentions over the past year. Fine-dining restaurants (47.2%) and upscale casual-dining restaurants (31.8%) often feature lamb. Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, with its 97th location in Johns Creek, Ga., attributes 10% of sales to lamb dishes. Butchr Bar in Los Angeles offers lamb salami with macadamia nuts and Australian pepper berry.

🏡 Hospitality industry innovators seek hyper-personalization to meet elevated consumer expectations and navigate data challenges. Hotels and restaurants are leveraging first-party data and identity solutions for personalized experiences to boost summer sales. Marriott's co-branding with United Airlines highlights the potential of partnerships and privacy-enhancing technologies for growth, with only 12% of leaders capable of delivering on these strategies using current resources. Data collaboration technologies enable brands to build richer customer profiles, using events like National French Fries Day on July 12 to tailor offerings. The industry aims to intertwine various data sources for comprehensive customer insights, ensuring success in the busy season and beyond.

💰 Only 28% of Americans strongly agree that they receive relevant communications from hotel loyalty programs. In contrast, 46% of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts guests feel specially recognized by brand representatives, despite the chain not having a formal loyalty program. Human connection remains critical, with 22% of hotel program members feeling recognized by program representatives in 2024, a 1% increase from 2023. Personalization and human-centered experiences are key to fostering loyalty and retaining guests.

🌊 Costa Rica's Marina Bahia Golfito, powered 99% by hydroelectricity, demonstrates luxury and environmental stewardship coexisting, reducing carbon footprint with renewables. Guests contribute to sustainability, using fewer towels and reef-friendly sunscreen. It offers regenerative experiences like catch and release fishing, supporting local conservation. The Enjoy Group and SeaKeepers signed an MOU for sustainability efforts. An Autograph Collection hotel development will create 300 jobs, boosting Golfito's economy and promoting conservation. A Booking.com survey shows 80% of travelers value sustainability, potentially increasing RevPAR by 4%.

🍻 The Bloody Maria, a variation of the Bloody Mary with tequila instead of vodka, is becoming popular in U.S. restaurants. This over 100-year-old drink has gained traction among Hispanic consumers, flexitarians, pescatarians, and Generation X, partly due to the broader trend of global flavors and the rise of agave-based spirits. Datassential highlights its growing recognition in contemporary culture.