FOOD FOR THOUGHT

After banishing the buffet, many hotels introspected on their F&B strategies, unearthing ways to curtail overall food cost

COVID-19 had a ripple effect globally; travel paused and hotel occupancy rates plummeted. This led hotels to streamline operations and a major area that came under the scanner was food cost, and inevitably, food wastage.

Many hoteliers thought that removing buffets, for example, would lead to huge savings. While, the main purpose for taking away buffet counters was limiting the spread of COVID-19, it also reduced food wastage significantly.

Environment conservationists have long targeted full-scale buffets in hotels for their extravagance. They might not be off the mark; one study found that less than half of the food in a hotel buffet is actually consumed.