The Hyatt Regency Atlanta and its Executive Chef know how to satisfy Meeting Planners hungry for innovative breakout ideas. The hotel offers over 180,000 square feet of meeting space is embracing its Southern roots and allowing its experts to run the show with interactive and learning-based breakouts. According to information provided by Elizabeth Mann, Sales Manager for an Atlanta Destination Management and Corporate Event Planning Company, Juice Studios, there is an increase in demand for meeting breaks that not only incorporate refreshments for attendees but also an interactive learning experience. She also said planners are presenting the challenge to keep corporate groups entertained and enlightened between breaks in meetings while integrating the current and evolving food trends. READ MORE

A restaurant can be a great asset to a hotel - it presents an additional source of revenue, adds to the bottom line, and is an attractive feature for guests. Operating a restaurant from within a hotel ensures a certain amount of business will be coming your way. Over the years, however, hotel restaurants have gotten a bad reputation for putting out subpar food. With the right marketing, within the hotel and outside of it, restaurateurs can influence the amount of business coming in beyond hotel guests. READ MORE

From the guest's experience to the food delivery, in-room-dining can often be challenging for hotel chefs. Every step of the in-room-dining process should be considered because even if the menu is designed to perfection, poor execution often comes at the cost of an unsatisfied guest. Guest needs, seasonality of the ingredients and food quality at the time of delivery can individually or collectively jeopardize a happy returning guest. Using some of my own experiences, this article provides best practices that I have implemented to create a flawless execution for in-room-dining. READ MORE

How can it be possible for an existing hotel, like the Marriott West Loop, by the Galleria, in Houston, to operate Food and Business as a venture enterprise? It seems, at this point, a bit counter intuitive. The hotel has been around since the mid-70s and has had a kitchen, restaurant, catering, bar and room service all that time. How, then, could it still be considered a venture enterprise? First, let's consider the definition of a couple of the terms. An enterprise is a business that is providing some good or service. A venture is something that is speculative or uncertain. A venture enterprise is a business that is operating “with some risk in expectation of gain.” Food and Beverage operations for hoteliers are, in fact, risky propositions every single day. READ MORE

Trimming expenses is a critical concern to most businesses in a tough economy, but efforts to cut payroll costs can present legal pitfalls. The use of independent contractors is such an example. Some employers consider using independent contractors as a cost savings measure, but misclassification of workers is illegal under federal law and also under many state laws. Federal and state governments are cracking down on these and other cost saving practices, including improper use of tip credits and fluctuating workweek payment methods. It is important to know and avoid these pitfalls. READ MORE