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A2 F&B outlet for a real world or particular hotel…
A2 F&B outlet for a real world or particular hotel settingConsider the following Scenario
One of the hotels featured on the Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) website (www.virtualfieldtrips.edu.au) is the Sofitel Brisbane Central in Brisbane, Australia. It is a 5-star hotel in Brisbane CBD offering 416 luxury rooms and suites which blend contemporary design with French elegance. Guest feedback is almost always favourable operation is reported to be highly profitable.
The board of directors (BOD) have developed a strategy to compete with some of the finest hotel and restaurants in the city and allocated a multimillion-dollar budget for the introduction of an additional F&B outlet.
The Facilities Manager of the hotel has advised that there is a vacant part of the hotel, that could be used for a new F&B outlet. The available space is located on one of the high floors, and due to the unique architecture and position of the building, potentially allows for a 270-degree view over Brisbane city.
In this scenario, you and your TEAM are an executive team in Venue Management at the Sofitel Brisbane Central, and you have been asked to submit a concept design for the additional F&B outlet. More specifically, you and your TEAM are required to develop a restaurant design concept report with (2500_)words (+/-10%) that will focus on an “Indigenous Australians theme”. This concept design project is particularly important to you, as it will contribute to your career portfolio and if successful, will put you in the running for future promotion opportunities.
In keeping up with national and international trends, particularly the aspects of sustainable practices and an unfulfilled gap in the marked, the proposed F&B outlet should reflect an up-market, modern, international and innovative concept.
Recent market research indicates that the hotel has an unmet demand for a significantly different dining experience for its guests. The BOD strongly believes that providing an additional F&B outlet would give them a competitive advantage.
Note: For the purpose of this assessment, students should assume a ‘blank canvas’ situation, where the (raw) shape of the available space is rectangular, and has an estimated total floor area of 360sqm, made up of a 15m x 20m (= 300sqm) main indoor area with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, and a 4m x 15m (= 60sqm) ‘open sky’ outdoor area, similar to the simplified outline below.
As guests will be arriving from the hallway (via the lifts), the entrance to the new F&B outlet must be somewhere on that side. Other than that, students are given a high degree of freedom in designing their new F&B concept but are reminded to consider the theories related to food production and service area design. A detailed layout (including flows) forms part of this assessment.
How to get started?
It is envisaged that a systematic analysis of the hotel’s F&B operation through the VFTs website will improve students’ understanding of the existing operation and help them better contextualise the assessment task. More specifically, students should undertake the following steps in researching for the development of the new outlet’s F&B concept:
Critically examine the ‘Sofitel Brisbane Central’ featured on the VFTs website, paying close attention to the style of the restaurants and cuisine, design and layout, and other operational features.
Undertake a competitor analysis to establish the possible gap in the market, and to justify your concept development and design (consider what they have done well, what could they improve, who are their competitors, what are the major threats to their target markets etc.).
Consult appropriate published literature and reports to reflect future trends and sustainable practices.
Use your innovative skills to develop a unique concept for the new F&B outlet. Important: Do not duplicate one of the already existing F&B operations (e.g., style, cuisine etc.).
Format requirements for the concept report
Students are required to develop a restaurant design concept report with 2500 words (+/-10%) that will focus on “Indigenous Australians theme”. There are two parts of the report which will consist of an individual component (Part I: point 1 to point 4 with approx.1000 words) and a group component (Part II: point 5 to point 8 with approx.1500 words). The following key points should be included in this concept report:
Introduce the F&B operation based on the required theme above, pay close attention to the style of restaurant, cuisine, design and layout, and other operational features.
Introduce the potential competitors to this F&B operation.
Plan an a la carte menu and suitable wine list, discussing the reasons for your choice of dishes and wines.
Discuss and demonstrate how you would provide a suitable ambience to offer your diners a memorable experience.
Observing the flow of customers, staff and information principles, plan and design the layout of the F&B service area.
Develop a product and service quality system, and service recovery strategies.
Discuss how suitable sustainable / green practices can be implemented in all facets of the proposed F&B outlet and what wider benefits to the hotel and the wider society are likely to result.
Using concepts and theories discussed in class, include any recommendations you have to the successful operation of this F&B outlet.
A complete report would include the following parts:
A brief introduction of the proposed F&B operation – paying close attention to the concept and style of the restaurant, cuisine, design and layout, and other operational features. You should also include a justification, as to why this proposed F&B operation would fill the gap in the market.
A brief overview (including justification) of your newly created F&B operation’s potential competitors
Your proposed a-la-carte menu, wine and beverage list, discussing the reasons for your choices of design and layout, dishes, wines and beverages, as well as pricing.
A brief discussion on how you would provide a suitable ambience to offer your guests a memorable experience (e.g., through background music, lighting, décor etc.).
A layout of the food and beverage service areas of your proposed F&B outlet, including flow patterns of customers, staff and materials, and information on how to avoid ‘bottlenecks’ and queues. Bathrooms, storage areas and food production areas etc. should also be considered in the planning. Students are encouraged to make their layout visually appealing to the BOD.
A recommendation of a product and service quality system to be implemented, including service recovery strategies. The quality system should emphasize how the proposed F&B operation can maintain a high standard of quality, based on a variety of techniques discussed throughout the course.
Discussion on how suitable sustainable/green practices can be implemented in all facets of the proposed F&B outlet, and what wider benefits to the hotel and the wider society are likely to result.
Any final recommendations you may have for a successful operation of your proposed F&B concept (in line with concepts and theories discussed throughout the course).
