Using high-quality products to maximize your hotel breakfast offerings at your operation can be a huge revenue generator. Cooking with name brand ingredients your customers know and love can keep your loyal guests returning and new customers choosing your location over others.

Hotel breakfasts can either be the best start to your guests’ day or an underwhelming experience that leaves them wishing they ate at the breakfast diner around the corner. This includes both room service and dine-in.

There is increasing pressure on hotel operators to provide high-quality service and offer more than just free pastries at breakfast. With guests returning to travel and seeking luxury properties to stay at, stand out from other businesses by including premium breakfast options with their stay.

Let’s look at some food and beverage solutions that increase your profits and keep guests returning to your property.

That First Morning Cup of Joe Counts

Nothing says “good morning, it’s going to be a good day” like that first sip of your morning coffee. It’s important to offer high-quality coffee options to your guests. It can set the mood for the rest of their stay. These days, guests have high expectations around freshness and the availability of flavor options.

Don’t be an average Joe hotel operation. Offer premium coffee that will caffeinate and rejuvenate your guests. For that boldly crafted timeless taste, 1850 by Folgers delivers a smooth lineup of fire roasted delight for the distinguished coffee consumer. Deja vue? More like Deja-brew! 1850’s carefully crafted steel-cut size results in more consistent brewing experiences. Give the gift of a brew-tiful day with 1850 by Folgers.

Not Your Basic Sausage and Eggs: Turnkey Breakfast Solutions

According to Conagra, 60% of hotel operators expect food and beverage revenue to grow over the next 3-5 years. That means it’s time to offer more than just the breakfast basics.

These labor saving solutions cut prep time, are cost effective and be used to create innovative menu offerings.

No need for extra cooler space. Idahoan Hash Browns are fully cooked so you can go from shelf to grill in 10 minutes flat. Simply brown or crisp on one side and heat through before serving crispy side up – in less than half the time of frozen or refrigerated. With unbeatable flavor and perfect texture, Idahoan Hash Browns are real potatoes that are real fast and real efficient.

“Protein” mentions on menus have risen nearly 77% over the last four years. Capitalize on the surge in protein mentions and say goodbye to the cooking and hassle of egg prep. With Sunny Fresh egg products, your kitchen staff can focus on innovative new ways to using eggs. Sunny Fresh egg products eliminate cracking, cooking and heavy clean-up, making them just right for your operation. Expand the appeal of your breakfast menu with dishes such as omelets, scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos or even grab-n-go sandwiches.

Don’t Forget Meatless Eaters

One-third of Americans are actively reducing their meat consumption. Help your plant-based eaters rise and shine with meatless breakfast options. Having a plant-based menu available for your meatless guests is imperative these days because your guests want it and your competitors are probably offering it.

Beyond Breakfast Sausage has arrived. These hearty patties are easy-to-cook, deliciously juicy, season to perfection and packed with 100% plant-based protein. You can power the day for your flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan guests by offering so many different breakfast items using Beyond Breakfast Sausage such as breakfast sandwiches, frittata’s, and other breakfast staples.

Source1 Solutions

Not only is breakfast the most important meal of the day, it is also an important amenity when staying at a hotel. A good breakfast brings many benefits to guests that accommodation providers may not realize. A satisfying breakfast can add comfort to a guest’s stay, making it a far more pleasant experience overall.

As a member of Source1 Purchasing, hotel operators get exclusive access to savings and discounts on all the products and solutions mentioned above and more!

Contact us today so we can get your hotel operation on its way to cutting food cost and labor.

 

Looking for ways to decrease hotel operational costs without decreasing the quality of service?

Hotel operators focus on occupancy rates, average daily rates, and revenue per available room, which are three metrics used to determine success. In today’s current environment, where these three benchmarks have been drastically reduced, hoteliers are looking to increase each guest’s spend while reducing costs.

Think of technology as its own employee. Someone who can work 24/7 without you having to pay overtime. You don’t need to hire more staff – you just need the right tools. With things like data processing, extensive manufacturer and distributor relationships, compliance analysis, line item matching, billing and allocation, technology can be a solution to assist with the complex work of running a business.

From reducing food and beverage costs and saving money on linens and chemicals, to contract management and data cleaning, there are many areas in a hotel operation where technology can be utilized to help you find substantial savings and decrease hotel operational costs.

Use Technology to Decrease Hotel Operational Costs

The use of technology has many benefits and can help you increase efficiency, save time, reduce labor costs, and identify areas of savings. When you have so much time and money invested into something you love, such as your business, it’s hard to hand off responsibilities or lean on solutions such as technology. You want to be hands on in every aspect that goes into running your operation. Unfortunately, there is only one of you – and you only have two hands.

Running areas of your hotel operation such as the kitchen and managing inventory are time consuming and require paying attention to details such as price trends, counting supplies and placing orders. Taking advantage of tools such as a food cost management software can be the second pair of eyes and arms you need to take some of the burden off you and your team. You can automate processes and free up employees to do other things needed to keep your operation running.

With the use of technology and automation, comes a whole lot of data. Data is generated from so many different places such as manufacturers, distributors and vendors that it can be messy and hard to organize. Your purchasing department alone generates a tremendous amount of data. Having access to technology such as spend management tools can help you track spend in real-time and provides customized reporting to help you make quicker more accurate business decisions.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone – Join a GPO!

A tremendous opportunity to decrease hotel costs lies in working with a group purchasing organization (GPO). While the basic principle, leveraging the collective buying power of its members, holds true for all GPOs, the purchasing power varies. The purchasing power of Source1 Purchasing is $20 billion, making it one of the largest GPOs serving the hospitality sector.

This means when you become a member, your buying power has drastically increased, leading to better pricing and bigger rebates. Smaller hotel chains and independent operators can then compete with the big brands in terms of purchasing power. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Start saving today!

Remember the days when “customer service” was the keyword in the hospitality industry? Hotels, casinos, and restaurants spent days training staff on the many intricacies involved in ensuring their brand and business was noted for going the extra mile. Now, that same staff is learning the intricacies of hygiene. Making small changes such as replacing air dryers with paper hand towel solutions can make a big difference.

The Seattle Times reported the sad statistic that, at the end of 2020, U.S. hotels neared 1 billion in unsold rooms. That number accounts for approximately $46 billion in lost revenue. As COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures begin lifting, hotels and casinos are left to determine how they can attract the consumers that are slowly emerging from lockdown.

Increasing Sanitation Practices

A recent survey revealed that improvement in the sanitation practices at hotels would have a considerable impact on their customers’ comfort level. These practices included face coverings for employees, suspending daily housekeeping, using technology to reduce contact, adding transparent barriers, and signage for washing hands.

In an attempt to increase sanitation practices, some hotels have replaced paper towels with air dryers. Unfortunately, this misguided, though good-intention act, is not recommended by scientists nor appreciated by guests. Did you know that *33% of hospitality users surveyed in North America feel unsafe when entering a restroom with air dryers and *70% of hospitality respondents surveyed agree with the statement “I wish more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers”.

Let’s look at what the latest reports tell us.

Studies Promote Paper Hand Towels

A study reported in Harvard Health Publishing found that hand dryers in public restrooms draw in bacteria from the air that then falls onto the hands of guests using the dryers.

When Petri dishes were set in bathrooms without the use of hand dryers, one colony of bacteria, at the most, grew on the dishes. When Petri dishes were exposed to air from a hand dryer, up to 254 colonies emerged.

The report concluded that the most hygienic way to wash your hands is using paper hand towels.

Scientific data also reports that jet air dryers can spread up to 10 times more germs in the environment. A study conducted by U.K.-based researchers revealed that paper hand towels were more effective than hand air dryers for removing viruses left behind after hands are washed.

Bacteriophages, a virus that kills bacteria, were applied to participants’ hands before being dried by paper towels or a jet air dryer. Not only did more remain on the hands that used air dryers, but the participant’s clothing also held five times more virus and surfaces carried ten times more. This means that not only can the virus be transferred by the person’s hands, but the jet air dry also increases contamination by blowing the virus around. The researchers’ conclusion, “Paper towels should be the preferred way to dry hands after washing and so reduce the risk of contamination and spread.”

One of the keys to the importance of using paper towels lies in the increased risk of transmitting bacteria when hands are not dried entirely before leaving a restroom. One study found that wet hands can spread up to 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands. Unfortunately, *62% of air dry users say they stop using the device before their hands are completely dry because it takes too long to complete.

Yet another study sprayed participants’ hands with a harmless strain of E.coli. After washing and then drying with either an air dryer or paper towels, researchers determined that dryers removed only 23% of the bacteria while paper towels wiped out *71%. They concluded that the friction caused by drying with paper towels dislodged bacteria from the skin’s surface.

Customers Request Paper Towels

Science has spoken, but what about your guests and their comfort level? According to an international study conducted by United Minds in cooperation with CINT, *70% of respondents wished more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers, and 75% use these same paper towels to avoid touching other surfaces in the restroom. Surprisingly, *33% said they felt unsafe entering a restroom equipped with air dryers.

The most notable statistic was this: *41% of respondents said they were less likely to go to places that did not offer paper hand towels as a drying alternative. This means that over one-third of consumers may not return if a business does not offer paper towels for hand drying.

Some brands note the increased difficulty in maintaining clean facilities when using paper towels, or the ongoing need to keep them stocked. Checking and refilling put extra pressure and demands on busy staff.

The answer to this issue is the Tork PeakServe^® continuous hand towel dispenser. This high-capacity, touch-free hand towel solution is fast and easy to refill and top up, freeing up staff for other activities. Watch this video to see how simple it is to refill.

It’s clear that the pandemic has brought hygiene to the forefront of consumers’ minds. It’s also clear that switching from air dryers to paper towels should be a part of your hygiene procedures. This one simple act can help your guests feel safer and reduce the risk of germ spread.

Hand Towel Solutions

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution. Help your guests feel safer by using Tork PeakServe® Continuous hand towel systems. It’s a hygienic, fast-dispensing, touch-free system that uses 50% compressed bundles to offer the highest capacity on the market, ensuring that hand towels are always available to your guests.

Learn how you can save on safe paper hand towel solutions when you become a Source1 Purchasing member! Contact us today!

 

2020 April Survey conducted by United Minds in cooperation with CINT using web-panels. The survey covered the US, with a total of 1012 respondents

Looking to lower hotel food costs?

Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) started in the healthcare industry and quickly spread to education, electronics, manufacturing, agriculture, and hospitality. While their services have expanded since their birth in 1910, most operate under one important premise—the diffused purchasing power of a group of businesses, when combined and leveraged, produces a powerful collective buying power. As Aristotle said over 2,300 years ago, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

Hotels leverage this buying power to lower food costs, increase quality, and manage their inventory and supplies. Let’s take a look at just how a GPO can lower hotel food costs.

Imagine that you’re the operator or owner of a large-scale hotel with thousands of locations. Think Marriott International with over 7,000 properties in 131 countries. You can be assured that when you contact a supplier, you’re going to get the best possible price. The competitive advantage is palpable.

At Source1 Purchasing, we have 60,000 locations, more than 350 manufacturer contracts, 165,000 rebated line items, and $12 billion in purchasing power.

Not bad. Now imagine that we’ve become a part of your team, finding the right suppliers for your needs and ensuring you’re receiving the best possible price. Move over Marriott.

At Source1 Purchasing, we specialize in hospitality and food service.

This means that we do more than simply lower food costs. We’ll also take a look at your menu, plating costs, and inventory controls to look for potential savings. In today’s environment, it’s important to search for every business-building and cost-saving strategy.

Even though room revenue is considered the heart of hotel profitability, food and beverage sales can impact direct sales as well as occupancy rate. If guests are staying in a specific area, and they have a choice of one hotel that offers stand-out food and cocktails at reasonable rates, or another that puts little attention into their food and beverage program, which one will they choose?

Success is measured by the ability to maximize revenues while containing costs in all departments.

It’s not uncommon for hotels to leave the responsibility of purchasing, costing, inventory control, and menu design in the hands of the chef or food and beverage manager. These responsibilities, along with scheduling, food preparation, and ensuring guest satisfaction can leave little in the way for supply assessment.

For this reason, many in the hotel industry simply go along with their favorite suppliers year after year. Chefs may talk with their distributors if there’s a menu change, ask about specials, or simply establish a regular delivery schedule that rarely deviates.

Working with a GPO changes all of that.

At Source1 Purchasing, we work with both broadline distributors and specialty suppliers. This ensures a reliable, cost-effective supply chain. We’ll find the highest quality and best costs for each product and ensure contracts are up-to-date. Now, the hotel is working with one supplier that provides all-inclusive inventory and cost management solutions. Group Purchasing, that’s personal!

Chefs and operators get to do what they do best—create memorable meals and guest experiences that keep clients coming back for more and telling their friends.

As with all businesses, no two are usually ever quite alike. The same is true for GPOs. At Source1 Purchasing, we pride ourselves on becoming members of our client’s team. We’re committed to helping our customers increase their bottom line while providing their guests with high-quality products and exceptional service.

To this end, we take a deep dive into analytics. This data provides us with the information we need to ensure you are buying from the right suppliers, have the right contracts in place, experience the benefits of a solid supply chain, and have instituted the proper inventory controls.

Our supply-chain experts and their individual attention to a savings analysis of each product ensure you’re getting the best price for top quality.

In addition to food and beverage supplies, we procure everyday operating supplies and products. In fact, we work with some of the top manufacturers in the hotel industry, including American Hotel Register Company, World Amenities, and Chef Works, to name a few.

Like a cog in a wheel, while seemingly insignificant, it is vital to the momentum. One broken cog, and the wheel simply stops. A hotel has many moving parts and each part plays into the success of the business. At Source1 Purchasing, we’re here to help you keep your wheel turning toward maximum profitability.

As the hotel industry slowly climbs out of the cavernous vacancies left by the pandemic, “breakeven” has become the operator’s current goal, a means of hanging on until some sense of normalcy returns. Like most other businesses, hospitality has been hard hit with occupancy rates ranging anywhere from 48% to 50% from mid-July through October. While these rates typically decline into the new year, the second week of December saw rates drop to 37.8%, a tough decline given the present climate. According to Hotstats, just to breakeven, a hotel requires an average occupancy rate just over 37%. With the current state of the industry, hoteliers are looking to maximize hotel convenience store sales from every guest. One of the revenue streams that may need some revision in order to compete is the hotel convenience store.

With restaurants opening their doors only to close again as COVID-19 cases surge, hotel guests are looking for convenient grab-and-go snacks that will sustain them throughout the day. Guests are already comfortable with the level of hygiene that the hotel demands, as well as expects, and they – and you – will benefit from having them spend more of their time on the property and less visiting local retail locations.

Keep in mind that the current guest looks for more than soda and chips. Today’s conscientious consumer is searching out healthy, unusual, sustainable, and locally sourced products, and they’re willing to pay for it.

Half of all Millennials surveyed, those born between 1981 and 1996, reported they would pay more for food that offered added benefits.

The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute (KHNI) reported on the 10 key trends in food, nutrition, and health for 2020. The major drivers for the food and beverage industry was sustainability and naturally functional. Functional foods refer to products that supply additional health benefits. Naturally functional means that the added benefits are derived from nature and do not come from processed additives.

Superfoods or food as medicine fall into this latter group and include foods rich in immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory antioxidants, and other healthy compounds. Common products in this category include berries, nuts, seeds, herbs, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and various teas and natural beverages.

Consumers are also turning to plant-based, whole grain, high protein, energy-producing snacks. Instead of chips and crackers, these guests are looking for nuts, dried fruit, and other wholesome snacks.

Additional trends include locally grown and authenticity. How does food become authentic? Usually, a story goes along with the product. This may be as simple as one of the ingredients with a rich history or how the founders came up with the recipe.

So, just how does a hotelier supply their guests with the latest food trends in a sometimes-small convenience store? Fortunately, packaged whole foods continue to expand providing operators some interesting options.

In addition to providing your guests with well-thought-out grab and go products, it’s important to consider how these items will be displayed. Prominent arrangements sharing the story behind a product, the producer’s sustainable practices, or the healthy, all-natural ingredients it contains are sure to catch your guest’s eye.

Here is a great example from Conagra showing how operators can display their grab and go items in their convenience store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consider the following companies that have created unique healthy natural foods with great stories behind the product.

• Sahale Snacks—After a hike on the challenging trails of Mount Rainier, founders of Sahale Snacks, Josh Schroeter and Edmond Sanctis, realized the basic trail mix blend they’d taken with them replenished their energy, but did little to satisfy their taste buds.Sahale Snacks was the answer—a nutritious and tasty snack. Today, the brand consists of 17 varieties of grab and go snack mixes. Glazed mixes include a blend of tangerine, vanilla, cashew, and macadamia, while a tasty trail mix might consist of berries, macaroons, and almonds.
• Angie’s Boomchickapop – What started in Angie and Dan Bastian’s Mankato, Minnesota garage as a way to teach their kids about healthy snack options, turned into Angie’s Boomchickapop, a healthy snack company centered around ready-to-eat and microwave popcorn. Products are whole grain, non-GMO, and gluten-free, and come in unique flavors such as Pumpkin Spice Drizzled Kettle Corn with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
• IBC Root Beer – This tasty soda makes a perfect accompaniment to delicious grab and go snacks and is made with all-natural ingredients like real cane sugar.
• Motts Juices – Samuel R. Mott started growing and packaging apples in 1842. Today, the company purchases more apples from New York farms than any other business. Their unsweetened single-serving applesauce packages and 100% non-GMO, no sugar added juices appeal to the health-conscious consumer.

Soure1 Purchasing, the largest Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) for the hospitality industry, offers a “one-stop shop” for locally sourced products as well as 1,000-plus suppliers that provide more than 9,000 high-quality products. With more than $12 billion in purchasing power, Source1 Purchasing members obtain direct access to suppliers, contracts, products, and detailed analytics. We reduce costs and streamline the procurement process. Contact us to find out more about our suppliers and the many benefits associated with a no-fee membership.

As is common knowledge in business, transaction costs are expenses incurred when buying or selling goods or services. These are associated with the work required to bring goods or services to market. Irrespective of the size of business every hotel must choose between “make or buy”. This means they must decide to produce the goods and services that they offer themselves or not.

The world generates a whopping 3.5 million tons of plastic and other solid wastes each day, and reducing that number is a primary part of protecting the environment. However, when it comes to heavy contributors, many hotels remain guilty of producing massive amounts of waste each year that can contribute to global warming and other environmental issues. For that reason, reducing waste within your hotel establishment is of utmost importance – whether it be related to food waste or other materials.

A purchasing audit provides managers insight into the processes used to order products, highlights what products are purchased, displays the selection criteria used for each product and vendor, and outlines the procedures followed at each step. In the fast-moving hospitality industry where most produce consumed is externally sourced, such audits allow for a review of vendors, products, costs, quality and wastage.

In the catering industry, you know there are many different expenses that can quickly cut into your budget. While there are some corners you should never cut, there are a few tips we can offer that should help with lowering food costs and add some breathing room to your budget. Continue reading today’s post to learn more about restaurant food costs and getting the most from your catering budget.

At Source1 Purchasing, we can offer the tools you need to propel your catering business to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits we offer, including access, control, and visibility. We look forward to being your dedicated procurement service company.

1. Track Food Prices

In the catering industry, you know that food prices are constantly shifting. It’s important to keep an eye on any increases or decreases as these could potentially have a dramatic impact on your overall food-purchasing costs. Tracking food prices will allow you to plan ahead with any necessary menu changes so that you can include more affordable options. If you choose to continue to use the same ingredients, then be sure to adjust the cost of your services accordingly.

2. Streamline Inventory

Obviously there’s only so low you can go with inventory, but if you find that you regularly have more food on your shelves than you actually need, then it’s time to streamline your process. Reducing excess inventory is a critical step to lowering the amount of food that is wasted or spoiled. Additionally, make sure that you establish a daily inventory for key items in your catering business. It’s important to identify any gap between the actual usage and any point-of-sale usage, as this could indicate over portioning, theft, or another problem.

3. Monitor Trash Cans

At first glance, this tip might seem a little odd, but it could be one of the most invaluable tips for your catering business. Consider your kitchen area and the placement of trash cans. From training gaps and careless individuals to accidents and more, there are a variety of reasons why perfectly good food could accidentally end up in a trash can. When this happens, you are literally throwing away usable, and sometimes expensive, products. One option is to place clear plastic food boxes near each employee’s workstation so that the contents can be inspected at the end of each shift. If usable product is found in the bin, you can use that time for on-the-spot training and avoid losses, which directly impact your budget.

4. Utilize a Procurement Service Company

A group purchasing organization (GPO) can dramatically increase your purchasing power by utilizing their contacts to access the supplies you need. At Source1 Purchasing, we are proud to be the leading GPO, with more than $9.5 billion in purchasing power and contractual relationships with more than 1,000 suppliers. If you would like to achieve your goals while maintaining alignment with your brand standards, then contact us today to learn how we can help you control quality standards and strengthen your supplier networks. Contact us today to obtain your free supply chain analysis!

A smooth procurement system is essential to the operations of your company. When your procurement system runs seamlessly, you probably don’t even notice it, but when mistakes happen, nearly every aspect of your business can come grinding to a halt. To help you avoid this situation, we’ve gathered a list of the most common procurement mistakes made in procurement services.

At Source1 Purchasing, we help you enhance your purchasing power by giving you the control you need over products, contracts, and services you need to protect your brand standard. Contact our procurement services company today for a free supply-chain analysis and propel your business to the next level with Source1 Purchasing.

1. Spending Over Your Budget

Since most businesses work diligently to ensure that they stay within their budget, this is not a mistake that you might expect your own business to make. If your organization is observing an overspend, and can’t find the immediate answer, then it’s likely that you need to more closely observe your communication and coordination protocols, as a gap in one of these two areas is probably the source of your financial leak.

2. Rushing Orders

Typically, rushing a purchase order is more common in a new business. Established businesses, however, can also make this mistake if their procurement department is newly organized. One way that you can prevent anymore rush orders from happening is to work with a procurement service company like Source1 Purchasing. We have the experience and knowledge to help you get what you need in a timely manner.

3. Reinventing the Wheel

While there are many different programs that you can use to manage your supply chain, it’s important to make sure that your system is organized, efficient, and clearly communicates with everyone involved. Source1 Purchasing can offer you the dedicated team of professionals you need to enhance your purchasing power, control your orders, and increase your visibility to track your program performance.

4. Omitting Key Parties

When you make decisions that affect multiple parties or departments, it’s critical to make sure that everyone is looped into the conversation. While omitting someone is likely an accident, it can cause some major hangups in the overall flow of your procurement system. Try to remember that over-communicating is almost always better than under-communicating. Ask for feedback, verify the items on the order are accurate, and communicate all options before submitting orders.

5. Being Inflexible

Even in the most well-oiled machines, mistakes can happen, which means that you need to have alternative plans in place. Whether the items you need aren’t ready at the time you place your order or they arrive damaged, your willingness to be flexible and find other means of obtaining these necessities can help to ensure that you meet your own production deadlines.

At Source1 Purchasing, we are proud to be a leading group purchasing organization (GPO)  with more than $7 billion in purchasing power. We can provide you with a free supply-chain analysis, and show you how we can help you provide the services your clients demand at a savings that your business will love. Contact us today.