Your costs are climbing fast…but your budget isn’t quite keeping pace. At the same time, revenue per room is plateauing. These are a few of the major challenges hotel operators are facing today. 

With guests yearning for memorable experiences and locals seeking stronger community ties, it’s time to rethink how you operate, source and manage F&B. Could leveling up your hotel’s culinary program be the secret to unlocking stronger margins? 

Why F&B matters more than ever 

“F&B isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore,” says Lynn Hay, Entegra’s Head of Culinary. “It’s a powerful profit lever and it will set your hotel apart.” 

At the recent Hotel Business webinar, “Rethinking Hotel F&B: Smarter Strategies for Profit, Community, and Stability,” Chef Lynn joined a panel of expert hospitality operators to discuss the power of F&B — and what smart hotel operators are doing to build experiences that bring guests back again and again. 

Watch the replay>>

5 takeaways you can use to rethink your hotel F&B program 

From tightening execution and simplifying menus to building experiences people actually talk about, here are five expert strategies hotel operators can put to work right away. 
 

1. Win the basics first 

Before chasing big concepts, the panel stressed the importance of nailing fundamentals. This has an immediate impact on guest perception, which encourages additional spending at your hotel location and translates to stronger margins. 

Here’s what the experts recommend: 

• Set the vibe: “Imagine you’re checking in after a long day of travel,” says panelist Aaron Olsen, EVP of Operations at Crestline Hotels & Resorts. “There’s no music playing in the bar area, the lights are on at full brightness and the bartender is watching cartoons. Not the right vibe at all — but those elements are very much within our control.”
• Stock smart for late-night: “Don’t forget to have a freezer stocked with great sweet treats and easy bar add-ons,” says Greg Griffie, SVP of Food & Beverage Operations, Davidson Restaurant Group. “Whether you’re in select-service or full-service, when guests are getting in late at night, having easy treats and alcohol ready is going to drive incremental sales.”
• Maximize comfort: “When people are traveling, they’re often away from their families. It can be a very emotional thing,” says Ahmed Azizy, Executive Chef, GF Hotels & Resorts. “Our job is to minimize that loneliness and make them feel at home as much as possible with the right comfort food.” 

Takeaway: Treat winning the basics like a repeatable operating model and lean on a procurement partner to help standardize and source the non‑food essentials that shape the guest experience. 

Read more: F&B and hospitality trends: What today’s guests want in amenities 
 

2. Build solid SOPs to unlock customer loyalty 

Premium experiences at your hotel inspire repeat visits, social sharing and local demand — but “premium” doesn’t have to be expensive for your operation. Instead, Chef Lynn says, “When customers know what to expect, they’re going to come back again and again.” For example, travelers might seek out a national brand because it offers their favorite coffee and breakfast sandwich, no matter where they are in the country. 

Consistency is the secret to capitalizing on customer loyalty. “We need to create menus that are replicable,” says Chef Lynn. “Creating SOPs and easy-to-understand training brings a consistent quality menu to your guests. That’s what is going to help bring profitability into your F&B program.” 

Takeaway: When guests can count on excellence from your F&B program — no matter what they order — Upsells work best when the add‑on is easy to source, easy to portion and protected from volatility. Your procurement partner can help identify alternates, tighten specs and simplify ordering so “premium add-ons” don’t become operational headaches. 

Read more: Q&A: How to build your best menu with Entegra Culinary Consulting 
 

3. Create brag-worthy experiences 

Once thought of as margin-drainers, hotel restaurants are taking on a new role across the industry. According to Olsen, “One of the most exciting things we’re seeing is the shift from hotel restaurants being just an amenity that you have to have. Now they’re becoming core profit drivers.” 

But building a great hotel restaurant menu is just the first step. Olsen says, “Guests don’t just want to stay in a beige box, right? They want an experience they can post on their Instagram feed and maybe even make their friends jealous.” 

Takeaway: Many “braggable” experiences come from details operators can standardize — tabletop, smallwares, back‑bar, display, even the flow of service. It helps to treat experience design like a repeatable operating model, supported by reliable sourcing across the non-food categories that shape what guests see and share. 
 

4. Bake in simple upsells 

To create an immersive experience for hotel guests that is also a light lift for your team, Griffie says, “People always look for premium. In many of our signature restaurants and core restaurants, we look for simple upsells, like black truffles shaved on steak or on pasta, or caviar added to oysters. That enhances the guest experience, helps drive the social media world, and also drives up the check price.” 

To develop your own immersive experience, consider starting with easy-to-execute upsells, like premium add-ons to dishes. Then branch out to menu development, interior design updates and events to develop a social media-ready atmosphere that guests can’t wait to share with friends. 

Takeaway: Upsells work best when the add‑on is easy to source, easy to portion and protected from volatility. Your procurement partner can help identify alternates, tighten specs and simplify ordering so “premium add-ons” don’t become operational headaches. 
 

5. Cost control goes way beyond just purchasing smarter 

On the profitability side, the panel reinforced that “total cost of ownership” thinking beats chasing the lowest unit price. 

To control your costs, you can: 

• Look for easy wins: In high-volatility categories like coffee, a simple shift can make a huge impact. “Choosing the right product, right supplier, and right brewing method for your property can make a major difference to your bottom line,” says Chef Lynn. “And with the right digital procurement tools in your toolkit, you can monitor your spending, find cost savings and make smarter purchasing decisions.”
• Lean into partner expertise: Leveraging your GPO partnership and culinary advisory resources can unlock supplier relationships, product alternatives and smarter savings. For example, by partnering with the Entegra Performance Kitchen to help choose the right coffee supplier, “you leave the product cutting with a clear understanding of your bottom-line impact and know for sure that you’re creating a great beverage experience.”
• Reduce waste: To shore up profitability, Griffie recommends reducing your waste. “By going back to basics and making sure not to over-order, you can make your costs right.” 

Takeaway: F&B cost control is easier to sustain when it’s measured consistently, supported by culinary expertise and conscious of waste reduction. Your procurement partner can help you maximize your budget — and minimize your carbon footprint. 

Related: Put your data to work: How to boost your bottom line with procurement spend analytics 
 

How your hotel can reinvent F&B for profit and growth 

Hotel F&B is no longer just a guest expectation — it’s a competitive advantage when it’s intentional, well-executed and operationally aligned. But meaningful improvements to your F&B program don’t always require a massive overhaul. Instead, you can start with the right basics, the right procurement partners and a sharper focus on what guests actually want. 

Contact Entegra to learn how we support hotel operators with procurement strategy, culinary expertise and performance tools.