What is Hotel Restaurant Management? Tips for Streamlining Operations

Nowadays, it is difficult to disassociate a hotel from its food and beverage services. Many guests consider on-site dining options as one of the top two amenities when selecting a hotel. 

A recent survey found that 72% of respondents preferred staying at hotels, in no small part due to on-site dining options and bars.

However, simply having a restaurant on-site is not enough. Effective hotel restaurant management is key to ensuring that your operations are successful and profitable. 

In this article, we will explore what hotel restaurant management entails, why it is necessary, and tips for streamlining operations to enhance the customer experience.

What is hotel restaurant management?

Hotel restaurant management refers to the practice of overseeing the operations of a restaurant within a hotel’s premises and dining room. 

It is different from managing a standalone restaurant or pure hotel operations because it comes with the added challenge of maintaining a high level of service while balancing the needs of hotel guests and (external) restaurant guests. 

Hotel restaurant managers must also be familiar with the hotel’s culture and values to provide guests with a cohesive experience. 

Why is hotel restaurant management necessary?

Hotel restaurant management is an integral part of the guest experience, and a poorly managed restaurant can result in negative reviews and a decrease in revenue for the hotel. 

Moreover, an efficient hotel restaurant operation can increase revenue by attracting local visitors, hosting events, and promoting special dining experiences. With the rise of social media, hotel restaurants can leverage these platforms to showcase their unique offerings and attract new customers, whether they are tourists or locals. 

Hotel restaurant management is also necessary to maintain brand standards and values. In many cases, the hotel restaurant is an extension of the hotel’s brand, and it is crucial that the restaurant aligns with the hotel’s overall culture. 

Tips for running a successful hotel restaurant

Streamline your operations

Streamlining your restaurant operations is the key to ensuring that your staff can focus on providing excellent service instead of getting caught up in other kinds of tedious tasks. 

Here are some key ways of accomplishing this:

• By enabling direct reservations, which helps you avoid paying commission fees to third-party systems and gain more control over managing reservations. Direct reservations also give you the ability to customize your booking process and collect more data from your guests.
• Using a guest CRM system to track guest preferences, contact information, and reservation history. This information can be used to personalize the guest experience and offer tailored offers.
• Integrating your restaurant management system with your hotel’s Property Management System (PMS) can also save you time and contribute to reducing errors. Your reservations can be synced in real-time and guest information can get updated automatically. PMS integration also allows you to track room charges and offer room-service billing to guests.

Prioritize hotel guests

Hotel guests should always be your top priority when running a hotel restaurant. After all, they are your primary customers, and it’s important that they have the best dining experience possible during their hotel stay. 

Here are two easy ways to prioritize hotel guests:

• Waitlist management. Managing waitlists can be extra challenging for a hotel restaurant that must constantly balance the needs of hotel guests and external customers. One way to manage your waitlist efficiently is to use a digital waitlist management system that allows you to manage waitlists in real-time. A system like Eat App helps you keep track of wait times, monitor the status of tables, and notify guests when their table is ready.
  
  
• Mobile check-in. Offering mobile check-in allows guests to check in to their tables using their mobile devices, thus reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. Implementing a feature like this demonstrates that your guests’ time is valuable to you and that your restaurant prioritizes their convenience.

Target nearby visitors

Targeting nearby visitors is an effective strategy for hotel restaurants that want to attract more visitors. This can be easily done using location-based data, which will enable you to identify areas where there is a high concentration of potential customers. This way you can develop marketing campaigns that specifically target those areas.

Targeting nearby visitors can be efficiently done by offering location-based promotions and discounts. You can offer a discount to customers who check in at your restaurant using a social media platform or offer a coupon to people within a certain radius of your restaurant. 

Geo-targeted advertising through social media can be used to reach potential customers who are in the vicinity of your restaurant and offer them personalized ads and promotions.

Offer event planning and group bookings

Event planning and group bookings can range from small gatherings like birthday parties or family reunions to large-scale corporate events or weddings. Offering event planning services means that your restaurant takes care of all the details, from menu planning and decorations to audiovisual equipment and entertainment.

Group bookings are a great way to generate more revenue. Having group rates or special menus on offer can encourage larger groups of people to choose your restaurant for their dining needs. You can also offer special services, such as private dining rooms or customized menus.

Offer unique dining experiences

Offering unique dining experiences is a great way for hotel restaurants to stand out from the competition. A unique dining experience is something that will surely entice hotel guests to visit your restaurant rather than seek out other dining options in the area.

One way to do this is to create a themed dining experience. This can mean a special menu, decor, and entertainment that all revolve around a specific theme. As an example, you could offer a seafood night with live music and ocean-inspired decor or a wine-tasting dinner with a special selection of wines and food pairings.

Another way is to collaborate with local chefs or restaurants. Bringing in guest chefs or partnering with other restaurants can make for an impressive night out for guests who are looking for an original dining experience. 

A more conventional way is to always offer vegan or gluten-free menu options or create a menu that focuses on locally sourced ingredients or farm-to-table cuisine. Catering to specific dietary needs and preferences can help attract guests who may not have otherwise considered dining at your restaurant.

How Eat App helps you streamline your hotel restaurant operations

Running a hotel restaurant can sometimes be a headache, but with the help of Eat App, streamlining your operations turns into a breeze. Eat App is a top-notch restaurant management platform that makes venue operations fast and easy so you can focus on what truly matters — delighting your guests. 

One of Eat App’s major features is its seamless integration with your hotel’s PMS, which allows you to manage guest information and bookings with ease. Through this functionality, you can access guest data and booking information and even identify hotel guests from non-hotel guests.

With Eat App’s advanced Guest CRM, hotel restaurant managers can easily categorize and tag guests based on their needs and special requests, such as dietary restrictions or seating preferences. The feature also allows you to create targeted marketing campaigns, personalized offers, and special promotions to keep guests coming back again and again.

With real-time updates and notifications, you can easily manage your restaurant waitlists, optimize table turnover, and reduce wait times. Plus, with the ability to send automated messages to guests, you can keep them informed and engaged while they wait.

Finally, Eat App’s advanced shift and floor plan editor makes it easy to manage your restaurant staff and optimize your seating arrangements. 

With real-time updates and insights, restaurant and hospitality managers can quickly adjust staffing levels and key staff members, table configurations, and even menu offerings to ensure that you are providing the best possible experience for your hotel restaurant guests.

Whether you are a tech-savvy owner or an old pen-and-paper reservation type owner, Eat App is the perfect solution to streamline your hotel restaurant operations and build guest loyalty. 

Conclusion

Efficient hotel restaurant management is necessary for the success of your establishment, which is why we hope this article will give you a good head start to streamlining your operations. 

Eat App can make this process easier for you and your staff members. If you’re a restaurant owner or manager looking to improve your operations and enhance the customer experience, sign up for Eat App today and see the difference it can make!

What is the difference between hospitality management and hotel and restaurant management?

Hospitality management encompasses managing all aspects of the hospitality industry, including those within the hotel and restaurant industry and the overall hospitality and tourism industry. Hotel and restaurant management focus specifically on managing and operating hotels and restaurants.

What is a hotel restaurant manager?