Our hotel operators in Canada need some love.
According to STR, in year-over-year measurements for the week ending October 8th, 2011, the Canadian hotel industry’s occupancy fell 0.1 percent to 69.6 percent, its average daily rate was down 0.7 percent to CAD$127.92, and its revenue per available room decreased 0.8 percent to CAD$89.07.
Talk about injury to injury. It's hard to watch the painful trudging of hotels trying to get ahead of this thug of an economic downturn the last few years, especially since they're the first hit and last to recover.
It's safe to say PEI's trudging has lead them into cardiac arrest with double-digit RevPAR decreases: 21.7 percent to CAD$46.46 and with the closest neighbour having to drive across the long bridge, I'm not sure they're going to make it. Besides, NS is stilled miffed at having to share a phone prefix with the slouches. BC is having palpatations with a -17.8 to CAD$79.21. Nothing a medical marijuana card won't fix. The best performer continues to be Alberta, with RevPAR rising 9.1% to CAD$89.19. Congrats! Oil really does makes the world go round.
Anyone who can, should show their nearest hotel some love this Christmas season: why not book a staff meeting there this Christmas? Or book it for a family Christmas get-together and save Mom all the work? Or just take a weekend away in your own Province and stay in a hotel new to you and explore?
At the very least, stop and give the GM a hug. Anything to stop the trudging, please!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Fast Casual is NOT Fast Food
In proper preparation for the Fast Casual Executive Summit coming up in Chicago this month, fastcasual.com has put together a list of the top 10 fast casual restaurants in the US based on 2010 sales.
But first, let's be clear about how they define fast casual: the price is approximately 15.00 or less per cheque AND the decor is modern and upscale AND the service does not include wait staff AND, finally, the food is fresh and made to order. That narrows down the list but I think to be clearer, it needs to be stated that fast casual promises a higher quality food and atmosphere than fast food. Fast casual is NOT our traditional idea of fast food.
A couple of the Top 10 are already familiar here in Canada: Five Guys and Chipotle Miexcan Grill. What's noteworthy is that of the Top 10, three are Mexican restaurants. Surely demographics have an impact on this stat and therefore it makes me wonder would Mexican fare be so prominant in a Canadian Top 10 Fast Casual? Would Asian food? Chipotle, by the way, was one of the first fast casual restaurants on the scene and McDonald's had a majority share in Chipotle until 2006!
If you're wondering if fast casual is simply a fad that will pass, or a quick spash in the pan (pun intended), think again. Fast casual has had a huge impact on the food industry and growing. It appeals to people's interest for a more healthy option, it's quick for a busier and busier lives, and it offers varied food choices. The numbers speak for themselves as shown in the chart below.
It's little wonder that fast food operations are looking to upscale their decors and offer healthier options or that casual dining operations are looking to move towards "smaller footprint" stores with a smaller menu. It will be interesting to see what our restaurant scene looks like even as little as two years from now with the big impact of fast casual operations.
But first, let's be clear about how they define fast casual: the price is approximately 15.00 or less per cheque AND the decor is modern and upscale AND the service does not include wait staff AND, finally, the food is fresh and made to order. That narrows down the list but I think to be clearer, it needs to be stated that fast casual promises a higher quality food and atmosphere than fast food. Fast casual is NOT our traditional idea of fast food.
A couple of the Top 10 are already familiar here in Canada: Five Guys and Chipotle Miexcan Grill. What's noteworthy is that of the Top 10, three are Mexican restaurants. Surely demographics have an impact on this stat and therefore it makes me wonder would Mexican fare be so prominant in a Canadian Top 10 Fast Casual? Would Asian food? Chipotle, by the way, was one of the first fast casual restaurants on the scene and McDonald's had a majority share in Chipotle until 2006!
If you're wondering if fast casual is simply a fad that will pass, or a quick spash in the pan (pun intended), think again. Fast casual has had a huge impact on the food industry and growing. It appeals to people's interest for a more healthy option, it's quick for a busier and busier lives, and it offers varied food choices. The numbers speak for themselves as shown in the chart below.
It's little wonder that fast food operations are looking to upscale their decors and offer healthier options or that casual dining operations are looking to move towards "smaller footprint" stores with a smaller menu. It will be interesting to see what our restaurant scene looks like even as little as two years from now with the big impact of fast casual operations.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Restaurant Trend Toward Breakfast
Many restaurant organizations in Canada looking for new ways to increase their bottom line have discovered breakfast and hope it will save the day.
While many skip the most important meal of the day, restaurants seek to capitalize on the approximate 1 in 5 people that eat breakfast both at home and at restaurants. According to NPD's most recent report, for the majority of Americans who do eat breakfast, 14% said they typically eat breakfast at restaurants. The report surveyed 27,179 participants.
When approaching the breakfast market, restaurants should be mindful of the study's detailed finding that suggest that of consumers 18 - 34 years old, 28% of men and 18% of women skip breakfast, while 18% of men 35 - 54 years old and 13% of women in that age group go without a morning meal. And apparently, we do get wiser as we age, at least when it comes to eating: older consumers are the least likely to skip breakfast, with 11% of men 55 and older and 10% of women in that age group going without.
While many skip the most important meal of the day, restaurants seek to capitalize on the approximate 1 in 5 people that eat breakfast both at home and at restaurants. According to NPD's most recent report, for the majority of Americans who do eat breakfast, 14% said they typically eat breakfast at restaurants. The report surveyed 27,179 participants.
When approaching the breakfast market, restaurants should be mindful of the study's detailed finding that suggest that of consumers 18 - 34 years old, 28% of men and 18% of women skip breakfast, while 18% of men 35 - 54 years old and 13% of women in that age group go without a morning meal. And apparently, we do get wiser as we age, at least when it comes to eating: older consumers are the least likely to skip breakfast, with 11% of men 55 and older and 10% of women in that age group going without.
Monday, October 10, 2011
What's Your Restaurants' Yelp Rating?
We all by now are aware that social media online plays a major role in restaurant and hotel - any hospitality service - financial gains. Smaller, independent operators in Canada don't always have the resources of corporate restaurants or corporate hotels to create savvy online buzz. Enter Yelp.ca to the rescue.
According to a recent Harvard Business School study by Michael Luca,just and additional one star rating for a restaurant, for instance, garners a revenue bump of 5% to 9%. Luca's research of government data reported revenues of Seattle restaurants between 2003 and 2009, as well as Seattle restaurant reviews on Yelp.
The findings suggest that as Yelp's penetration of the market increased, so too did independent restaurants' share of the market. "The introduction of Yelp then begins to shift revenue away from chains and toward independent restaurants," Luca concluded, adding that this "suggests that online consumer reviews substitute for more traditional forms of reputation." Hooray for the little guys out there running a small QSR or casual dining restaurant in tough markets or boutique hotels looking for greater exposure!
According to a recent Harvard Business School study by Michael Luca,just and additional one star rating for a restaurant, for instance, garners a revenue bump of 5% to 9%. Luca's research of government data reported revenues of Seattle restaurants between 2003 and 2009, as well as Seattle restaurant reviews on Yelp.
The findings suggest that as Yelp's penetration of the market increased, so too did independent restaurants' share of the market. "The introduction of Yelp then begins to shift revenue away from chains and toward independent restaurants," Luca concluded, adding that this "suggests that online consumer reviews substitute for more traditional forms of reputation." Hooray for the little guys out there running a small QSR or casual dining restaurant in tough markets or boutique hotels looking for greater exposure!
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Ikea Strongarming McD's?
In the latest Foodservice Digest a startling revelation regarding QSR leaders in Germany; Ikea beats out McDonald's and Burger King there for service quality. Amazing. Not that the food at Ikea here in Coquitlam, BC isn't fantastic AND cheap, but I wouldn't have expected this trend. Will the craze hit here? Read on for the full article....
How Did Ikea Beat Out McDonalds for Germany's Most Popular Fast Food?
THEATLANTIC.COM 10/05
German newspaper Die Welt reports that in a study by the German Institute for Service Quality, Ikea comes ahead of McDonald's in the fast food realm. In the resulting ranking of points (1 - 100), Mövenpick Marché is at the top, with 78.7 points. In 2nd comes Ikea at 77.6, and then McDonald's at 72.8 and Burger King at 70.0.
Why is a furniture store doing food so well? According to another story by the Deutsche Press-Agentur, breakfast at furniture stores is all the rage. "Whoever wants to breakfast in the furniture store must often hurry if he wants to get a seat at all--[it's] now a nationwide phenomenon," notes the agency.
Ikea has competition, too: "Other furniture companies like Dodenhof, Kraft, and Höffner also attract with breakfast offerings."
How Did Ikea Beat Out McDonalds for Germany's Most Popular Fast Food?
THEATLANTIC.COM 10/05
German newspaper Die Welt reports that in a study by the German Institute for Service Quality, Ikea comes ahead of McDonald's in the fast food realm. In the resulting ranking of points (1 - 100), Mövenpick Marché is at the top, with 78.7 points. In 2nd comes Ikea at 77.6, and then McDonald's at 72.8 and Burger King at 70.0.
Why is a furniture store doing food so well? According to another story by the Deutsche Press-Agentur, breakfast at furniture stores is all the rage. "Whoever wants to breakfast in the furniture store must often hurry if he wants to get a seat at all--[it's] now a nationwide phenomenon," notes the agency.
Ikea has competition, too: "Other furniture companies like Dodenhof, Kraft, and Höffner also attract with breakfast offerings."
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Work Prductivity and Exercise Link
If you exercise, you'll be happy to hear your level of work productivity can go up as a result. Read on, another interesting topic for candidate discussion in that next interview? As we all know, hospitality professionals often have positions that require physical stamina....
Exercise and Productivity Link Confirmed
New Australian research has discovered that employees who walk 10,000 steps a day, and work out in the gym three times a week can give their employer up to $2,500 in added productivity per year compared to non-active colleagues.
A clinical trial run by the Body-Brain Performance Institute, in association with Swinburne University’s Brain Sciences Institute, monitored 40 employees from Melbourne software company SAP earlier this year.
The trial, which ran from April to June, found a direct link between physical fitness and work participation, with productivity increases calculated at $2,500 per year per employee.
Monitored over an 8-week period, the employees were divided into two groups and given pedometers. One group was instructed to walk 10,000 steps a day and head to the gym for three resistance training sessions per week, and the other asked to walk the daily average for an office worker, just 2,000-3,000 steps.
Professor Paul Taylor, who led the research, said “The research showed that there is a very clear link between physical fitness and brain function, and reduced stress levels at work.” He added that there was a marked improvement in the employees’ mood and cognition from the exercise group, with the exercising group showing a 4% increase in overall brain function.
Elements of brain function, including the ability to plan, remember, make decisions, stay alert, as well as stress and anger levels were measured using new neuropsychological tests developed by the Swinburne institute.
Taylor said the findings confirmed previous studies which showed vigorous exercise significantly increases happiness, productivity and cognition, and employers should be harnessing the advantages of exercise more in the workplace.
Professor Taylor has conducted Neuroscience of Leadership workshops with various company leadership teams, which focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, good nutrition, stress optimisation, rest and regular exercise, all leading to an improvement in individual and team performance.
[Source: www.hcamag.com]
Exercise and Productivity Link Confirmed
New Australian research has discovered that employees who walk 10,000 steps a day, and work out in the gym three times a week can give their employer up to $2,500 in added productivity per year compared to non-active colleagues.
A clinical trial run by the Body-Brain Performance Institute, in association with Swinburne University’s Brain Sciences Institute, monitored 40 employees from Melbourne software company SAP earlier this year.
The trial, which ran from April to June, found a direct link between physical fitness and work participation, with productivity increases calculated at $2,500 per year per employee.
Monitored over an 8-week period, the employees were divided into two groups and given pedometers. One group was instructed to walk 10,000 steps a day and head to the gym for three resistance training sessions per week, and the other asked to walk the daily average for an office worker, just 2,000-3,000 steps.
Professor Paul Taylor, who led the research, said “The research showed that there is a very clear link between physical fitness and brain function, and reduced stress levels at work.” He added that there was a marked improvement in the employees’ mood and cognition from the exercise group, with the exercising group showing a 4% increase in overall brain function.
Elements of brain function, including the ability to plan, remember, make decisions, stay alert, as well as stress and anger levels were measured using new neuropsychological tests developed by the Swinburne institute.
Taylor said the findings confirmed previous studies which showed vigorous exercise significantly increases happiness, productivity and cognition, and employers should be harnessing the advantages of exercise more in the workplace.
Professor Taylor has conducted Neuroscience of Leadership workshops with various company leadership teams, which focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, good nutrition, stress optimisation, rest and regular exercise, all leading to an improvement in individual and team performance.
[Source: www.hcamag.com]
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