GlobeSt.com Interviews Jeff Sime of Legacy Ventures on Hotel F&B Operations

10.17.16

ATLANTA—Food and beverage service was once a nice-have, but not a must-have. Today’s hoteliers are discovering food and beverage offerings can be a true competitive differentiator.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Jeff Sime, vice president of operations, restaurants at Legacy Ventures, to get some insights in part two of this exclusive interview. You can still read part one: How Hoteliers Can Elevate the Guest Experience.

GlobeSt.com: What have today’s customers come to expect?

Sime: Guests today expect a high level of continuity both with the hotel and the F & B operations as well as the hotel and its environment. Local integration and knowledge is paramount to the experience of guests who want to experience the city and the hotel. If we do our jobs well, we can accomplish both at the same time.

We are an experience-driven culture now more than ever. When you add the prevalence of social media, you have guests sharing, comparing, and rating their experiences, often in real-time, which means it is more important than ever for hotels to exceed expectations and take each guest interaction and touch point up a notch.

GlobeSt.com: What are some ways Legacy uses F&B in order to do so?

Sime: Legacy has become highly integrated into our environment by hiring local chefs and partnering with local restaurateurs to run our operations. They are able to take the best ingredients and style of the city and place it into the food and beverage environment.

We source locally to create a food and drink profile that is both unique and comfortable. We create a scene that blends with the environment and hire and train local staff to create a space where the guest can feel part of city.

GlobeSt.com: How has the rise of local/chef-driven restaurants impacted F&B offerings at hotels?

Sime: Having local chefs at the helm of our food & beverage offerings has greatly elevated the experience we provide our guests. We are able to make menu changes daily and incorporate seasonal components to offer our guests the best ingredients and taste profiles possible.