Bookings cancelled and plans changed as ‘chilling talk of Plan B’ hits hospitality sector

Restaurants and bars desperately need to have a good festive period after a “lost” Christmas last year – but now there are fears that mixed messaging and nervousness among customers could have a catastrophic impact.

Business owners across the hospitality industry say COVID rule changes are already having a “chilling” impact on bookings.

Many who have survived 20 months of lockdowns and restrictions as well as a “lost” Christmas last year, say a strong festive period this year is essential to their survival.

Data from reservations website OpenTable also suggests that diners became more cautious over the weekend after news of the Omicron variant came to light.

New restrictions came into place at 4am on Tuesday morning, including mandatory mask wearing on public transport, in shops, museums and other locations. Advertisement

While the hospitality sector is, thus far, exempt from these rules, many fear a nervousness setting in amongst customers.

Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, is one voice already sounding the alarm.

“Every restaurant I’ve spoken to today, is now experiencing Xmas party cancellations.” he said on Twitter.

“Most of these businesses desperately needed a good December.

“The knock on effect will be catastrophic. Businesses, jobs, supply chain. A blow to a devastating year.”

OpenTable’s figures suggest that the level of people opting to eat out did fall in relative terms this weekend compared to the previous weekend.

On Saturday 20 November the number of seated diners was up 31% on the level seen two years ago – but by Saturday 27 November this had fallen to 20%.

There is concern that a lack of clarity from the government and those who advise it is not helping.

On Tuesday Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK’s Health Security Agency, said that “not socialising when we don’t particularly need to” would “help keep the virus at bay”.

The inference seemed to be that people should reduce contacts over the festive period and potentially cancel Christmas parties.

This was rejected by Prime Minister Boris Johnson who insisted he has implemented a package of “balanced and proportionate measures”.

The health secretary Sajid Javid reiterated that stance by suggesting people do not need to cancel parties but should consider taking a test before attending.

But many in hospitality fear the damage is already done.

“The chilling talk of Plan B is already being felt across hospitality as bookings are cancelled and plans changed,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UK Hospitality.

“There is no doubt that this will have a damaging effect on businesses, just as they head into their key trading period.

“This all comes at a critical time for the sector, as costs are rising across the board, supply chain issues continue, chronic labour shortages show no sign of easing and next year will see a return of 20% VAT rate.”

The importance of this period and customer confidence is being echoed by those in retail.

Many are very aware that real disposable income is falling due to the steep rises in petrol and energy costs as well as inflation more generally.

Footfall has also struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

While it has improved in recent months, last week it was still 17% lower than during the same week in 2019.

Shop owners such as Sam Haq, who owns SWAG in Reading, say they need customers to remain confident.

“I believe the most important thing is not to lose customers now,” he said.

“This is where a lot of the shopkeepers and owners are going to have a problem.

“Do they worry about customers wearing masks or do they say nothing and welcome the trade? And I think 90% of them will just welcome the trade because they need the sales.

“To be honest if we have another lockdown it could put a lot of businesses down to the bottom and close.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/bookings-cancelled-and-plans-changed-as-chilling-talk-of-plan-b-hits-hospitality-sector-12483797

Austria in lockdown: Hotels set to open just 12 days before Christmas

Austria’s tourism sector was plunged back into lockdown this week – for the fourth time since the pandemic began.

It’s the first country to take the drastic measure, despite spiralling COVID-19 infection rates across Europe. The hotels, restaurants, bars and cultural attractions forced to shut on Monday are unlikely to be able to reopen until 13 December – leaving just 12 days until Christmas.

From the traditional Christmas markets of Vienna, to the ski slopes of the Alps, there’s plenty of reasons why tourists flock to Austria over the festive season. Businesses were no doubt hoping the Yuletide spirit would work some magic on their finances, after a tough two years. So how are they faring now?

The luxury hotel still open for a lucky few

Inside Vienna’s historic Sacher Hotel, Christmas has already arrived. The lobby is decked out in its finery, though only a few fortunate business travellers are there to see it.

One told owner and managing director Matthias Winkler that “he feels like a king, because he has the whole building to himself”, which is quite something, given the hotel’s 152 luxury rooms.

Though he remains sanguine, Winkler says it was emotional to see an increase of guests coming to Austria – with visits approaching 70 per cent of 2019 levels – before his growing confidence was cut short by the lockdown announcement.

Practice makes perfect, however, and one thing Sacher Hotel has learnt over previous lockdowns is how to keep bringing its world-famous chocolate cake to the world.

Having observed that McDonald’s drive-thu was one of the few places open in the city last year, the concierge began selling ‘Sacher Torte’ on a little stand outside the hotel.

“We expected this to make a nice Instagram story but probably not more,” says Winkler.

“Completely wrong, people were loving it.”

This time they’re even doing home deliveries, with other Viennese specialities such as Wiener Schnitzel on the take-away menu. Some of the 16 to 18-year-old staff also had the idea to make Christmas sweets in the kitchens and sell them for charity.

“You would be surprised how much Christmas you would find,” Winkler says of the hotel’s interior.

With New Year also around the corner, they’re hoping to host a large number of guests for the renowned New Year’s Day Concert, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic just down the road. No one yet knows if it will go ahead.

A clear signal is needed from the government in the next few days, says Winkler, to stem the tide of cancellations in the city.

‘Another catastrophe’ for some businesses

Not all businesses are feeling so optimistic. One leading Viennese restaurant, whose owners did not want to be named, said “there is not much to say other than it is a catastrophe for our industry for the fourth time now.”

There’s an acknowledgement among others that while the lockdown is a blow to business, it shows that health is an important issue in Austria.

“This lockdown is epidemiologically necessary,” the Vienna Tourist Board tells Euronews Travel.

“At the same time, it means a frustrating situation for Vienna as a tourist destination, where efforts were made throughout the year to prepare for the important winter business by also taking all necessary measures according to scientific standards.

“The booking situation before Christmas this year was promising, the recovery tendencies were clearly visible.

“However, the increasing demand of the last months has proven that Vienna’s international attractiveness is unbroken. We hope that international travel will be possible again from 13 December.”

Source: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/11/25/austria-in-lockdown-hotels-set-to-open-just-12-days-before-christmas

Olive Garden Is Offering 7 Weeks Of Unlimited Pasta For $100

Olive Garden is trying a new tactic for drawing in customers.

The struggling Italian chain is offering a “Never Ending Pasta Pass” for $100 that buys seven weeks of unlimited pasta, breadsticks, salad and Coca-Cola beverages, USA Today reports.

There are only 1,000 passes and they will be sold on the company’s website beginning at 3 p.m. If a customer uses the pass once every day for the 49-day period, they would effectively be paying about $2 per meal.

The chain’s pasta dishes average around 1,000 calories for a single serving.

“What we’re trying to do is get some attention,” Jay Spenchian, Olive Garden’s executive vice president of marketing, told USA Today. “It’s sure to provoke a reaction.”

Olive Garden’s same-store sales dropped 1.3% in the most recent quarter.

The new promotion is running at the same time as its “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” offer, which lets customers eat unlimited pasta for $9.99.

This is the latest in a string of promotions offering unlimited food by struggling casual dining restaurants.

TGIFridays launched a $10 “Endless Appetizers” deal in July and Red Lobster is currently offering “Endless Shrimp” for $15.99.

Visit Florida launches hospitality training program

With officials expecting Florida’s tourism number projections to grow to 127 million visitors by 2020, the state’s chief tourism marketing agency is launching a new training and certification program aimed at the state’s hospitality employees.

Visit Florida says the new training curriculum is aimed at strengthening and growing guest satisfaction in all Florida markets and driving repeat visits through a variety of industry-specific topics. Executives estimate an additional 315,000 hospitality jobs will be added in the next six years to support the tourism industry.

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association will present the online curriculum modules starting Nov. 1.

Topics will focus on increasing employees’ knowledge of tourism in Florida, understanding visitor diversity and differences in communications, creating positive personal interactions with guests, and the reinforcing the importance of tourism to Florida’s economy.

Restaurant Secrets Get Diners To Spend And Eat More

Whether it is the delicious smells or the fun atmosphere, we often spend more than we plan at a restaurant. There are more factors than we realize jump-starting our appetites.

Earl’s Kitchen+Bar at Assembly Square is one of the area’s new hot spots, and a constant stream of diners stop to check out the menu. Regional Chef Cam Armstrong knows the menu is more than just a list of food options. He said there is psychology involved in the layout and the marketing of the menu, in terms of how items are strategically placed on it. This is common in the restaurant industry, as a way to highlight special dishes and items with a higher profit margin.

Diners like Chris Clark like to think they are controlling their choices when they peruse a menu. “It’s really the mood of the day. Do I want fish or do I want steak?”

Brian Wansink, a hospitality expert at Cornell University, said that all of us are influenced by how a restaurant presents their items, whether we realize it or not. “We are not masters and commander of what we choose when we go to a restaurant,” Wansink says.

Marketing techniques can be as simple as circling or boxing a selection on a menu. Chef Armstrong added, “That really draws people in, and gives them this focal point.”

Using high quality pictures is another tool. “We see sometimes a 25%-30% boost on that item, just based on a picture,” explained Armstrong.

The description of an item is also important. Research shows that the use of words like succulent or creamy can really impact diners. “They’re willing to pay about 15% more for the item. They’re 27% more likely to take the item, and they also end up rating the item as actually being tastier after they finish dinner,” said Wansink.

Lighting can also impact how much a guest ends up spending. “If it’s dark and quiet, you will also eat a whole lot, because you stick around longer and you end up eating more,” added Wansink.

At Earl’s, they know presentation is key, but the food has to be king. That how’s to develop a loyal customer base. “When one of our guests is drawn to it, and given the opportunity try one of these dishes, they are going to be blown away,” said Armstrong.