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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/28636
our restaurants,” he says. “T e management has a saying that ‘We’ve been around for almost 100 years and we plan to be around for another 100.’ We can’t sacrifi ce our business because of a downturn. We were told to do whatever we needed to keep up our top-notch service.” HAPPIER HOURS While some operators are seeing a decrease in foot traffi c due the economy, the one-location Heathman Restaurant and Bar in the approximately 150-room Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon, hasn’t noticed a change. “T ere are people still walking through the door—they are just spending less,” notes Garrett Peck, general manager. T e French-infl uenced restaurant features Pacifi c Northwest ingredients. To entice guests to spend a little more, while still spending The Broadmore has been reaching out to locals to draw more business to its restaurants, such as the Summit (pictured). less, the Heathman decided to expand the hours it serves its happy hour menu to all day long. “Now we are just happy all the time,” quips Peck. He notes that they were the fi rst restaurant in town to do a out the red carpet for local clientele. “On any given day, our restaurant mix is 95 to 5, with the larger portion coming from hotel guests.” T e goal was to build up this local clientele as a percentage to ensure more repeat customers. One program, promoted through a local paper, off ered discounted meals for Colorado Springs natives. “We had a ‘deal of the week’ featured in the local paper and on their website, where people would pay $20 and get $40 at our restaurants,” explains Baldwin. “It opened up the opportunity to bring in the community.” Once the locals were in, the staff was instructed to give them a little extra attention. “We try to establish relationships with the right people,” he says. “T e nice thing is it doesn’t really cost any money. We just instruct our managers to give out their business card to local guests and ask them to call if they are having any problems getting reservations.” T is attention to detail is what Baldwin calls old-fashioned hospitality and it has defi nitely worked to increase both sales and guest counts. T e Broadmoor also made the decision to not push increased supplier prices upon the guests. “Even though vendors were raising prices, we didn’t raise the costs to the consumer,” says Baldwin. “A lot of vendors felt the easy solution was raising prices, we didn’t.” To even out costs, the hotel challenged itself to rethink some vendor relationships. “We sourced out new products and looked for new vendors,” Baldwin explains. “In times like this, you have an eye for more value. You have to look around a bit to help keep your costs low.” Quality of services and products remain paramount. “We worked hard to make sure the value and quality remained in www.cheersonline.com promotion like this and the response has been positive. “We’re busier longer and people aren’t getting up and leaving at six, and that often transitions them to ordering another cocktail,” says Peck. T e previous happy hours were in eff ect from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until close. Wine sales have gone down at the Heathman, to which Peck attributes a decrease in high-end wine purchases. “People are very tuned in to the sweet spot wines: $38 to $68 a bottle,” he says. “People don’t even get the near the triple digit stuff .” Of the 900 selections on the Heathman wine list ($27 to $2,375), about 30 percent fall in that high-end category. T ere has been no eff ort to devalue those wines, but Peck does say that as the higher end-wines are consumed, they are replacing them with selections in the $38 to $68 range. “You can get wines of all values.” In addition, Peck is noticing that the restaurant’s dedication to supporting the local community is also paying off in these hard economic times. “We have always been philanthropic and found ways to give back to the community,” he explains. “It’s how we get our name out on the street. We don’t really do any advertising.” T e restaurant is regularly involved in school auctions and other charity events. Perhaps the most important focus, notes Peck, is retuning the hospitality experience. “Every table needs to be touched by a manager and thanked for coming out. You can go anywhere to get good food, but you can’t go anywhere to get real genuine heart and soul hospitality.” Peck’s comments refl ect one of the most important values in the restaurant and bar business. As the hospitality industry moves into a new decade in challenging times, the approach to service is continually being redefi ned. Part of this is the realization by operators that catering to their customer base involves much more than off ering accessible pricing. Michelle Paolillo Lockett is a food and wine writer based near New York. APRIL 2011 | 41