Keys To Presenting A Great Breakfast
Editorial: Breakfast is for Real, So Prepare for it!
Finally, hoteliers realize that their guests "expect" a free continental breakfast. Offering breakfast has become a "necessity", meaning that...you really can't do without it. What once was a "perk" or an "amenity" offered by more astute hotel managers looking for an edge, is now part of the guest experience, no less important than a great bed. Paul Glen, said in his business book entitled, How to Lead People Who Deliver Technology, states that "You can never underestimate the power of free food." He says that he can't explain it with any rationale, but today's business travelers, even those making a sizable income, look at free food like continental breakfast as a motivator. It literally helps drive the decision making process as to where to stay.
That being said, not all hoteliers serve a breakfast to be proud of. These are the same managers who have taken 10 years to finally offer a bed equal to one that travelers sleep in at home. For some reason, they simply don't get it! Guest comment scores regarding breakfast across the brands don't average much more than 67% positive and that's sad. Looking at it another way, about 33% of the guests you feed don't like your breakfast, yet you give it to them...free! Try that on when you think about gaining repeat business. Breakfast service, which for years has been "just a pain" for many managers has now become a serious ingredient of a successful hotel experience. The bottom line is that managers (and owners) must do a better job in the years to come if they want to maintain their occupancy and satisfy their guests.
What franchisers must do is get tough on hoteliers who are operating hotels with failing breakfast presentations. And when I say "get tough", I don't mean to just fail them and give ultimatums, but to offer guidance and help them improve the breakfast being served. Here lies the failing of most franchise companies because too many of the quality control folks are not F&B trained or understand the importance of breakfast in relationship to the total guest experience. There is little or no food and beverage training anywhere for limited facility hotel managers either. Yet, in many states, managers and their attendants must earn a food handler's license and that should be proof enough that breakfast is a food and beverage function. Until franchisers begin to train managers how and what breakfast is all about, scores will rarely be north of 70%. That being said, here is some guidance to get you started and when followed, will result in a breakfast your guests will appreciate.
The Pantry...More Important than You Realize
For what it's worth, the pantry is where you must start if you want your hotel to have any chance of serving a breakfast worth your guests' kudos. Most limited facility hotels design inadequate pantries, which puts them behind the eight ball before they serve their first guest. Just recently a beautiful Holiday Inn Express was built close to our company that had a pantry without a three compartment sink or hand sink. To not understand that requirement is beyond naive. The owner, whose other hotels are located in other states can be excused for the oversight, but the Holiday Inn Express execs who approved the design plans can't be. The day before the hotel was to open, the owner was told he couldn't...all because his pantry was not in compliance. It happens way too often. If I bought a franchise, I would expect that quality of advice and information.
Pantries in limited facility hotels should be at least the size of a sleeping room. Bigger is better! You must have a three-compartment sink (and I don't mean a bar sink) and a hand sink. If your county regulations don't require this now, it's only a matter of time, otherwise you'll be regulated to serving product that must be individually wrapped. And, in some cases, that even applies to fresh fruit! When this occurs, kiss your comment scores good bye because a 'saran-wrapped" breakfast will not be accepted. Save your money! To serve breakfast means to serve it properly. Once you have the sinks, you'll need a two-door freezer and a two-door refrigerator. Depending on what your serve and if you buy fresh, you may be able to eliminate the freezer, but that's doubtful. Most of you will need a freezer for the pastries you buy and the frozen juice concentrate you use. The pastry alone can take up much of your freezer space.
Last, you will need counter space for preparation and shelves for storage. One common mistake owners make is to put doors on the shelves, which makes them cabinets. Cabinets you don't need! Shelves you do. As a food and beverage trained executive, I want to see what is being stored, how much is being stored and if what's stored is proper and efficient...without opening doors. When you decide to buy Otis Spunkmeyer or Sara Lee frozen pastries, you need a staging area for the pastries to thaw since pastry should be served at room temperature, not cold. Generally, you should take pastry from the freezer the day before they are to be served to thaw. When you follow this procedure, you eliminate the need for a microwave on your breakfast counter. (It's primarily used to warm up cold pastry) Every pantry should have a microwave to service guest requests, consequently, when you serve pastry properly, one microwave located in your pantry is sufficient. Depending on the number of guests you serve each day and the variety of pastry you offer, you may need as much as six linear feet of shelf space to accommodate pastry. When you serve "fresh" pastry baked for you at your local super market, then the requirements change...and the quality improves.
Editorial: Breakfast is for Real, So Prepare for it!
Then there is produce. The more varieties of fresh fruit you serve, the more fridge space you need. All the produce you buy, except bananas, must be refrigerated. I can't tell you how often I've seen cases of apples sitting on the floor of the pantry at room temperature, spoiling by the minute. Have you ever thought about why you choose to serve apples at all? Who eats an apple for breakfast? In most cases, apples are taken along as a snack later in the day. That's not your purpose, unless it's to offer apples in a bowl on your front desk...which isn't a bad idea by the way. Speaking of produce, part of the problem is how you must buy. The secret in the restaurant business is to buy in small amounts frequently. Because of "dollar minimums", most of you are forced to buy more product than you need at the time. It's one reason why your waste factor hovers around 20%. If you have sufficient refrigeration space and dry storage area, then you have a fighting chance to keep spoilage and waste to a minimum. Unfortunately, that's seldom the case. When you think of the amount of product and supplies required to serve a great breakfast, you wonder how the powers to be approve such inadequate pantries. Juice, milk, yogurt, eggs, butter, cream cheese, produce, creamers and compote all require refrigeration. Figure it out. You need a lot of fridge space.
Every box opened, be they supplies or food, must have the top flaps removed. Therefore, a very important tool for your breakfast hostess is a utility knife for cutting cardboard. Inventory mistakes are made when flaps are not removed from any box opened. This is a very important aspect of pantry management. An institutional roll of saran wrap, food handling gloves, a garbage can with disposable bags, a bottle of Joy and soft cloths for drying acrylics are other important items necessary for good pantry operation.
Then there is the coffee brewing operation. For 70% of your guests, breakfast begins (and sometimes ends) with a great cup of coffee. Unfortunately, a good cup of coffee and limited facility hotels are never mentioned in the same conversation. That doesn't have to be the case. You can serve a great cup of coffee, but you must know how to make it. The urn must be kept clean, you must use filters (stranger things have happened) and you must brew coffee using properly measured coffee and water. Always make small amounts of coffee frequently. Once brewed, coffee only remains at high quality for about twenty minutes. After that, it begins to go south.
Underneath the pantry counter should be shelves for your supplies, including, sugar, Sweet 'n Low packets, and all paper and plastic products. These supplies should never be kept in the guest area since they will be difficult for your breakfast attendant to get to during a busy breakfast. It's a chore better done behind the scene (in the pantry) than on stage in front of or between guests. Again, remember to cut the lids off every box as they are opened. A large covered Rubbermaid garbage can and liners is mandatory as well as a sponge-mop and bucket to address spills in both the pantry and guest serving area. When your pantry is properly set up and organized, you have a better than even chance of serving a great breakfast.
The Breakfast Counter and Breakfast Area
Now, let me comment on the breakfast serving area. There are a few cardinal rules for presentation that are seldom addressed. You must wonder what design teams are thinking when they put the specs together. The length and width of your serving counter seems to get no more thought than the space that remains between two support columns. The experience gained from designing hundreds of breakfast presentations, tells us that a typical 100 room hotel, one that averages 1.75 guests per occupied room and operates at 70% occupancy, would need a minimum 18 linear feet of counter space. Twenty feet would be better but between 18'-20' acceptable. When your hotel has 150-200 rooms, 20-25 linear feet is imperative. If your guests-per-occupied-room is high or you consistently have 80% occupancy or better, the counters "width" takes on added importance. For reasons that make your builders life easy, breakfast counters are usually no more than 22"-24" wide. Try setting up a continental breakfast that is efficient and looks good in that space! 30" is the preferred width for a counter, (27"is the minimum) that will give you a fighting chance to stage a breakfast that provides you the space necessary to present food, supplies and the decorative items to make your breakfast look as good as it will hopefully taste. School lunch counters should be in schools! Hotels located in busy destination areas and average 4 guests per room (or more), require custom designed areas that address the specific market...families or conventioneers for example. Some hotels build areas that feature "island counters", which are fine as long as they are thought out as to what is to be served from them. The need for electric, etc. Generally, it's an island for an island's sake without too much thought as to its purpose.
Another item to address is lighting and electrical outlets. When possible, a soffet should be built above every counter that contains dimmer-controlled flood-lights (every 3') so that the food you serve can be high-lighted. It makes all the difference in the world! Since what you serve may change as well as how you choose to present your food, electrical outlets should be placed every 3' in the wall 2" above the counter top. You may not need them all, but it's an inexpensive option that gives your manager flexibility as future demands dictate. Holes should not be drilled in counter tops for appliance cords to be strung through in order to plug them into hidden outlets. Believe me, it's not worth the hassle, managers lose presentation flexibility, and the overall appearance of your breakfast presentation will be compromised. Your breakfast attendant will also thank you...profusely!
And there is the wall behind the counter! I can't believe how that one single area is so neglected from an interior design point of view. Few owners make the decision, but a mirrored wall can add a dramatic effect to the presentation. A mirror is simply one option (and a good one), but at the very least there must be attractive wall art hung behind the counter that is appropriate for the occasion. In most cases, there is none or some awful Wal-Mart quality print that's simply embarrassing. Appropriate wall art that is chosen to blend in with the breakfast presentation makes all the sense in the world. Wingate does a pretty good job of that and so do some entrepreneurs (regardless of brand), but too many hotel designers simply ignore the back wall.
I don't think the make-up of the counter top is as important as most owners give it because few realize that colorful runners should be placed on every counter...from end to end! Why? Because all chosen surfaces, be they granite, marble, Corian or Formica are just too hard. And hard means loud, which means noise and some occasional breakage. Washable or wipe clean runners soften the appearance, eliminate the noise factor and serve as the "matting" to a piece of art, "your breakfast". Runners "frame" your presentation. Therefore, what you choose as your counter top is not as important as you may think, but if the funds are available, granite or marble is certainly better than Corian or Formica. And for those hoteliers who use banquet tables to serve their breakfast...get with it. You're out of touch. You must convince your owner to build a real counter, hopefully one as just described.
If you choose to build cabinets above your counter because it is fitting for your decor, it's OK with me, but don't expect them to serve any function. Even though they may serve as storage for supplies, it isn't very appropriate since it may mean having to open them smack in the middle of a line of people helping themselves to your breakfast. Above counter cabinets (if you have them or are contemplating adding them) should be for appearance only. Cabinets below the counter should be used for storage of the presentation pieces that you choose not to leave on the counter from morning to morning. Leaving a nice presentation (sans food) after breakfast is over looks better than just an empty counter. And it cuts the set-up time in the morning big time. If it takes your breakfast attendant more than 30 minutes to setup a complete breakfast, something is wrong and you have work to do.
In every breakfast area you must have a container for guests to dispose of what they haven't eaten and their paper products. The fast food industry (bless their hearts) has taught us to clean up after ourselves...which we will gladly do if it's made convenient for us. If not, we just leave our tables for someone else to clean. Do not place the cans at either end of the breakfast counter. You need to learn from the fast food guys to build an area by the breakfast area's exit for soiled trays and a disguised can for waste to be disposed of.
How many tables you place in the area dedicated for breakfast is pretty much dictated by the franchisers. When you have a choice, fight for more space and tables, not less. Error on the side of being aggressive. One choice to help improve the attractiveness of your breakfast area is to choose table florals. Don't choose fresh, but quality silks in acrylic that look as good as fresh flowers in water.
The Food You Serve
When it comes to the foods you serve for breakfast, there is very little mystery. Yet, the quality of these choices is all over the lot. It's here where some food and beverage knowledge comes in handy. Let's discuss the basics, or what you must serve to comply with every brand standard as well as what your guests expect. Coffee is drunk by 70% of your guests and for most it's what wakes them up in the morning. A good cup means one thing, a lousy one, something else. Late night talk show hosts have joked about the coffee you get for breakfast since Johnny Carson's days. It doesn't have to be that way, but until managers learn how to work the brewing process and train their attendants to make quality coffee day after day, your comment scores will suffer. In most cases, I don't believe coffee should be brewed on the front counter, yet some hoteliers choose this route. Your breakfast counter should be used to 'serve coffee efficiently and attractively", not to make it. Many hotels insist that coffee be served in airpots (glass or stainless vacuum servers) that insure that the coffee is served in small quantities and remains hot. The 2.5 or 3.0 liter air pots dictate that your attendant fill them with fresh made coffee as required. It's also important to know that different regions of the U.S. prefer different strengths of coffee. The mistake that can be made is when general managers transfer from say the East coast to the West coast and attempt to serve brewed coffee as made in his previous region. Local coffee vendors know best, so take their advice.
Fresh juice is also consumed by approximately 70% of your guests. Fresh juice is best and a few brands are head and shoulders above the rest. Serving off-brand orange juice or choosing a system that makes juice from concentrate will affect your comment scores. There are no short cuts when choosing which juice to serve. In destination hotels that serve hundreds of guests daily, a juice machine is acceptable on your breakfast counter. Otherwise, the juice machine (if you need to have one) belongs in your pantry as storage for juice. The most accepted way to serve juice today is in Kool Kore pitchers. These pitchers contain a stainless tube that you can fill with water and freeze. They serve to keep the juice cold from within and eliminate the need for a sloppy and inappropriate ice-bath.
Orange juice is a must and in 60 room (or less) hotels, the only juice necessary to serve. When a second juice is required, apple is by far the best choice because it is universally liked and inexpensive. Cranberry, grape, grapefruit, pineapple, tomato, V-8 and exotics such as guava and passion fruit are other choices. To me, the less popular juice is a waste of time and money. You will satisfy 99% of your guests by serving orange and apple. It's the quality of the juice you buy that will make the real difference.
Cereal is another staple that all brands require and rightly so. Cereal is a popular guest choice and a healthy food to serve. Kelloggs' and General Mills are the most popular brands to serve, the others are not as well accepted. It's how you serve cereal that's important and your health department may have a say in that. All things being equal, serving cereal in bulk form is preferred because the presentation is the most attractive and the most economical. That being said, there are just two acceptable ways to serve cereal in bulk. For years it's been from 2-gallon glass canisters, but recently, manufacturers figured out 'twist and turn" dispensing systems that no longer grind into meal. These new units make serving bulk cereal a breeze. Just make sure you choose the ones that work!
Pre-portioned boxes is another popular choice, albeit more expensive. If you serve a lot of children, you'll find Mom filling her purse so that she will have inexpensive treats to give her kids throughout the day. Another problem is that one box is hardly enough for real cereal eaters. The "individual" box that you buy is more costly than the one-ounce (more or less) cereal contained in it...and it's why serving cereal in bulk form is superior when you have a choice. Serving cereal in bowl packs is simply being lazy or cheap. It just isn't an acceptable way to eat cereal in this day and age.
With cereal you need milk. Whether you choose to serve whole milk, 2% or skim is your choice, but let your guests dictate which they prefer (if it's not speced by your brand). Your guests will let you know...just be sure you listen. I'd serve 2% and skim myself. How you serve milk is very important and since it is the one item you serve for breakfast that's controlled by the Department of Agriculture, you best do it correctly. In some counties, milk must be served in its original container. This means bagged or boxed and dispensed from a machine or in half-pints. I would not allow a bulky commercial milk machine on my breakfast counter since its appearance and product replacement is unacceptable. A milk machine is great in the pantry when used to fill generally acceptable one and two liter vacuum servers that keep milk at 40 degrees for up to six hours. Although many of you use ice-tube pitchers for milk service, it's not your best choice. Milk served this way may not meet temperature requirements in late morning and looks bad if the pitcher isn't kept full. Ice tube pitchers are best used for juice service...period! From the guest's perspective, 1.5-2L stainless vacuum servers are the most efficient and acceptable ways to serve milk.
Editorial: Breakfast is for Real, So Prepare for it!
Toast has been the neglected step-child on most breakfast presentations. For so many hotels, one $39 toaster, the same one you would buy for your home, is placed on the counter for 100 guests to use. Think about it...it's laughable. At the very least, you should have two toasters, and if you have the appropriate counter space and high occupancy, three would work very nicely. Although four-slice toasters are the most popular, they are only relevant in hotels where you cater to lots of families. It's been proven that most people (who don't know each other) don't share a toaster. Therefore, if your mix of guests is primarily business travelers, you'll find the less expensive two-slice toasters more than adequate. When you set up a 'toast station" that is self-sufficient and easy for guests to navigate, they'll use it. That's important since a slice of bread costs only $.04. Compare that with a piece of pastry that can cost from $.25 to $.40. That's the value of effectively serving toast at breakfast.
Fresh fruit is where many hoteliers get into trouble relative to quality and cost per occupied room. Face facts, you can't buy the best fruit through your typical all-purpose vendor. Few of you will go and pick out your produce as the best chefs do and you won't meet the minimums that the fresh fruit companies insist on to make a delivery. The bottom line is you're stuck! That being said...make the best of it. Bananas are one fruit you need to serve for breakfast. They are good individually or sliced on cereal. They're also the one fruit that doesn't require refrigeration. All other fresh fruit you serve at your own risk and "cost". Whatever you buy requires refrigeration, so do you have the fridge space? Fruit spoils...quickly! This makes it costly and nothing is less appealing than fruit spoiling during breakfast. There simply is no upside. So, I suggest that you reconsider the fresh fruit option, since it really doesn't make much sense...other than bananas.
What breakfast-concerned hoteliers are discovering is fresh fruit compote is a much better alternative than whole fruit. It's more costly to purchase but there is very little waste, which makes it a much better option...both from a cost and appearance point of view. Most important is that guests love it. Compote need to be served cold.
Pastry is one of the most abused breakfast fare options you offer. The Holiday Inn Express roll-out calls for each hotel to serve hot cinnamon buns. On the surface, one might say, "Good Idea". But, wait a minute! Will business travelers really opt for cholesterol laden, fattening, gooey cinnamon buns? Maybe so, but I think it's a stretch. The aroma is tough to stay away from, but other than in a destination hotel, I hardly think this choice is appropriate. Breakfast muffins are a better choice...and always buy the 2.5-ounce size. The large 4-ounce size looks great, but is costly and too big for most people. Serving mini-muffins is not a cost savings either. Your guests' eyes are bigger than their stomachs, take more than they can eat and create elevated food cost. And, they just don't taste as good as the recommended 2.5-ounce muffin. Danish is another popular choice, but most hotels attempt to serve too many varieties. Two selections are sufficient, apple and cheese for example. The secret to serving good pastry is to buy it fresh. That's not hard these days since almost every supermarket has a great bakery and most store managers will be happy to cut deals with you. When picking up fresh-made pastry is not easy for you, then Otis Spunkmeyer, in my opinion, is a great option. They are one of the largest bakers in the U.S. and have their own trucks to service your hotel. Since their product needs to be frozen, you'll need a good sized double-door freezer to keep the product in. Sara Lee is another decent choice in my opinion. There may be other brands that are OK, but I haven't experienced them. Lenders? Gasp!
The best choice when deciding which pastries to serve is to choose regional specialties. Your guests enjoy trying new things, especially if they are indigenous to your area. It's what helps to make your breakfast special.
All pastry should be served covered to maintain freshness. Health regulators everywhere are all over you to make sure your breakfast meets their requirements. What's most frustrating is that regulations differ from state to state and city to city and the inspection process is inconsistent relative to interpretation. But one requirement that's almost universal is that pastries must be covered. This means either a protective dome or a sneezeguard. In my mind, protective domes are better since they keep the pastry fresher. Unless you install custom made sneezeguards, many don't work as intended even though the health inspector will sign off on them.
One item that has become popular on many breakfasts is peeled ready-to-eat hard-boiled eggs. You buy them that way; consequently, it's been an easy and popular choice. They must be served cold and CBC has available a 3-piece unit that keeps the eggs cold and protects them in accordance with most health regulations.
There are also lots of other food options...some appropriate, others a classic waste of time, effort and money. Make your own waffles has come on strong thanks to the waffle iron manufacturers who have simplified the process. Guests on leisure trips and kids love the idea. The downside is that making waffles can be sloppy, and each single waffle iron set-up eats up 3' of counter space, guests can burn themselves, and lines can form waiting to make your own breakfast. Waffles should be considered when planning the breakfast area so that sufficient space can be built that's dedicated to the process. This will help "flow" and not impede others who choose not to eat waffles. The typical business guest probably isn't that interested in waffles either because of the time it takes or it's not on his agenda. With leisure guests, waffles are a very viable option.
Biscuits and gravy, is a popular breakfast choice that many hotels feel important to serve. It's what guests want to eat and that has always been my secret in the hotel business. "Give guests what they want and eliminate what they don't want." How can you go wrong with that simple philosophy? Just remember, biscuits need to be kept in a protective container to keep them fresh and to contain the crumbs. The gravy needs to be served in a crock-pot that can maintain the temperature, even as the quantity becomes less.
Any item you place on your breakfast that requires heating in a microwave is hardly appropriate, other than instant oatmeal and grits. Owners seldom build enough counter space for all that has been mentioned, especially since many of you think "more is better". It's not! A microwave is out of place on breakfast counters especially since the primary reason you find them there is to heat up pastry that has been served cold. When pastry is served at room temperature, as it should, microwaves are generally useless. Should every hotel have a microwave? Sure...in the pantry!
The key to serving a great breakfast is to serve a few things well. That eliminates most hot items since you have no kitchen or a professionally trained cook to make quality food. So don't even try it unless you're confident you can do it well. Fresh products served attractively at proper temperature is the simple secret to serving a great breakfast that results in high comment scores and repeat business.
I would be remiss talking about breakfast if I didn't mention the breakfast attendant. A few of you have a great one, a few more a good one and most of you an ineffective one. I'm talking about the job they do, not the person. In most cases these mostly women mean well, but they get little or no training and are left on their own. For those of you who make breakfast service a housekeeping function...get real. It's not! Too many breakfast attendants spend their time in the pantry, actually hiding from the responsibilities they are hired to address. Mixing with the guests as they help themselves to breakfast is where your attendant should be. Helping and refilling. Assistant GM's, who should receive direction and training from their GM's, are the appropriate person to supervise breakfast attendants. The problem is that many GM's aren't trained sufficiently in breakfast service, consequently, direction is limited. They all sit through an hour or so of instruction but that's not training in the real sense. The bottom line is only Hampton has taken the breakfast business to the level it needs to be. Franchisers will have to engage the services of a food and beverage trained executive who has full authority over the breakfast process. Training of GMs, Assistant GMs and breakfast attendants must improve. It's become that important. The brand that addresses this important issue will scoot to the top of the list and in my opinion, increased occupancy will be the result.
Most franchise companies are addressing breakfast and trying hard to create some advantage that will give them that elusive competitive edge. That's what several flags are now doing. More is not necessarily better, "hot" isn't necessarily better (although cold winter months make something hot very attractive) and serving waffles is not necessarily a "cure-all". Training employees to serve what you serve well and with a high degree of good old fashion hospitality...that's what will drive guest comment scores and repeat business.
Most franchisers are entering an arena of responsibility that is new and different for them. In my opinion, the quality of breakfast and its presentation will become bigger than most imagine. And it probably won't stop there. Residence Inn, Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites have opened the door to afternoon snacks and managers' receptions, some of which are sufficient to pass for dinner. And, once again...the race is on. Who will serve what and how much choice will there be?