THE OPPORTUNITY
As one of the most diverse foodservice channels, Travel & Leisure offers significant opportunity for growth across all segments as customers consider food and beverage to be a key part of their overall T&L experience. Craveability is a key driver, especially in the Lodging segment, while following restaurant trends and going local can help to boost Stadium sales. In the expansive Entertainment Venue segment (amusement parks, movie theaters, etc.), increasing the variety and quality of menu offerings can help operators make customers happy by exceeding their expectations.
LODGING
Encompassing everything from high-end resorts to budget motels, the Lodging segment is seeing changes driven by outside competition and the emphasis on food as a deciding factor in lodging choice. Operators are moving toward more diverse options, including freshly prepared foods, better-for-you choices and customizable meals and snacks. While offerings should cater to millennials and men, the highest growth drivers across lodging types, your food and beverage program should appeal to everyone. Lower participation from other age groups and women may stem from lack of targeted choices, so a thoughtful program can translate to valuable opportunities for your property.
lodging trends in action
HIGH-END HOTELS/RESORTS
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68% of guests at high-end hotels and resorts say they love to order food and beverages that they never eat anywhere else, so craft a menu that reflects the local flavors that make your location special. If you'd rather go global, Custom Culinary® Global Flavors offer a quick and easy shortcut to trendy international flavors that might surprise your diners.
MID-RANGE & SUITS HOTELS
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Visitors cite “kid-friendly menus” and “kid-friendly areas” as one of the biggest components lacking in both Mid-Range and Suites hotels. Don't think of your kids' menu as an afterthought. Instead, go beyond the chicken fingers and pizza to offer more modern options like fusion quesadillas crafted with Master’s Touch® Flavor Concentrates.
BUDGET HOTELS & MOTELS
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Budget hotels and motels score lowest in the channel when it comes to overall perceptions about food, so there's an incredible opportunity for growth. Capitalize on current trends by partnering with local vendors or add fresh, healthy grab-and-go food to the menu to impress guests. Use True Foundations® Stock Concentrates as part of your marinade for proteins for better-for-you wraps that appeal to hungry business travelers on the go.
STADIUMS
Everyone may be familiar with peanuts and Cracker Jack when they go to a ballgame, but the stadiums and arenas you represent are bringing the action to the stands and concourses by keeping up with the latest trends. Those trends include teaming up with local restaurants and food trucks to offer fan favorites and creating craveable, Instagram-worthy foods while also meeting the demand for freshly prepared, better-for-you foods that make on-site dining just as exciting as a game-winning goal.
Stadium Trends in Action
DOG DAYS
“Dog it” for the 'Gram with a full roster of monster hot dog creations. Instead of ketchup, mustard and other traditional toppings, turn to Custom Culinary® for creative options like Jalapeno Relish and Bacon Onion Marmalade to wow fans with over-the-top hot dogs that will get people talking in the stands and on social media.
STREET FOOD 'CHOS
Nachos are a classic stadium food, but prepackaged chips and gloppy cheese alone won't turn heads. Appeal to millennial men with an ultra-craveable lineup of street food-inspired nachos by using Master's Touch® Instant Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix in combination with a tantalizing new flavor like Custom Culinary® Indian-Style Butter Sauce for attention-grabbing Butter Chicken Nachos.
SALAD-TO-GO
Salads aren't the easiest thing to eat in a stadium seat, so put that garden-fresh food into a fresh new format by turning salads into wraps. Use Custom Culinary® Latin-Style Citrus Chili and Tomatillo Serrano sauces as the speed-scratch way to create delectably spicy salad dressings and artisan spreads that turn simple handhelds into premium meals and put a health halo around stadium food.
RECREATION VENUES
Today's entertainment venues run the gamut from amusement parks to movie theaters to bowling alleys and everywhere else people go to have a good time. Concessions have traditionally fallen into the category of convenience and prepackaged snacks, but savvy venue operators are finding ways to appeal to the new attitudes of customers looking for an elevated dining experience along with their entertainment. Healthy choices, enticing worldly flavors and upscale options are just a few ways that venues are drawing in customers willing to part with more of their entertainment budget than ever before.
Recreation Trends in Action
AMUSEMENT/THEME PARKS
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Quality perception is a major issue with amusement park food, so adding more “restaurant quality” offerings could make a big difference in overall sales. Use Gold Label Craft ToppingsTM to incorporate high-end flavors that elevate handhelds and wraps. Impress your guests with a spin on a traditional calzone that features Bacon Onion Marmalade spooned onto gooey pepper jack and provolone cheeses with crispy bacon lardons and fresh seasonal vegetables.
MOVIE THEATERS
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Upscale food has become a regular part of the moviegoing experience with in-seat dining, on-site cocktail bars and specialty snacks supplementing the traditional popcorn, candy and soda. Create excitement around appetizers and entrées with on-trend dipping sauces crafted with Master’s Touch® Flavor Concentrates. Roasted garlic aioli serves as the perfect house-made complement to a top-selling appetizer like fried zucchini sticks or coins.
EATERTAINMENT
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This new wave of entertainment facilities transforms traditional activities like bowling and golf into a more engaging social experience. That adventurous spirit can translate to your menu, too. Instead of serving French fries by themselves, try experimenting with a hearty poutine by topping fries with PanRoast® Brown Gravy Mix and cheese for a savory favorite that’s sure to please.