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Sustainable Food Halls - Promoting Eco-Friendly Practices in Culinary Spaces

Food halls have transformed into vibrant destinations that cater to the desires of food lovers, social butterflies, and event-goers alike. These dynamic spaces offer a diverse range of culinary experiences and serve as a hub for socializing and enjoyment, all located under one roof. In recent years, these vibrant spaces have also been at the forefront of embracing sustainability practices. By implementing eco-friendly initiatives, food halls can make a positive impact on the environment and their operations. In this article, we explore some key sustainability practices that food halls can adopt to create a greener future.

Waste Reduction and Recycling:

Food waste is a significant concern in the industry, but food halls can take proactive steps to address this issue. Implementing practices like portion control, composting, and recycling can significantly reduce waste. Food halls can educate vendors and customers about the importance of responsible waste management, encouraging them to minimize food waste and recycle packaging materials. One effective way to do this is by making such disposal convenient, and accessible, with designated bins for different types of waste. 

Composting:

Implementing a composting program for food waste is another effective way for food halls to divert organic waste from landfills. By separating wasted items like fruit and vegetable peels, food halls can then turn the waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Furthermore, a composting program not only benefits the environment but also showcases a food hall's commitment to sustainability, which resonates with environmentally-conscious consumers. By incorporating such eco-friendly practices, food halls can position themselves as leaders in the industry, attracting a growing segment of environmentally-aware diners seeking businesses that align with their values. Beyond reducing their ecological footprint, food halls can also explore creative ways to incorporate the nutrient-rich compost into on-site gardens or local community projects, fostering a deeper sense of connection with the surrounding community.

Sustainable Sourcing: 

One of the pillars of sustainability is sourcing ingredients locally. Food halls can partner with local farmers and suppliers to ensure their menus feature fresh, locally-sourced, seasonal produce. By reducing transportation distances, food halls minimize carbon emissions associated with long-haul transportation. This commitment to local sourcing not only supports the community but also enhances the overall quality and taste of the food.

Containers:

Food halls can work with vendors to source compostable takeout containers made from plant-based materials, such as compostable plastics, paper, or bamboo. These containers are designed to break down into organic matter when properly composted. By offering compostable alternatives to traditional plastic containers, food halls can provide customers with convenient and eco-friendly options for their takeout meals.

Managing Inventory:

GoTab enables food halls to have better control over their inventory by providing real-time visibility into stock levels and demand patterns. This helps prevent over-ordering and reduces the risk of food waste. By accurately tracking inventory and optimizing ordering processes, food halls can ensure they only order what is needed, minimizing food spoilage and unnecessary waste, allowing operators to run your kitchen smarter.

By implementing eco-friendly practices such as waste reduction, composting, and the use of compostable and reusable packaging, food halls can make a significant impact on the environment and inspire change in the larger community. 

Experience how GoTab can empower your food hall to embrace sustainability and elevate guest experiences. Schedule a demo with us today and join us in creating a greener future. 

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Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.

The Situation

Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.

The Solution

Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience

Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.

“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.

The Benefits

Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.

Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.

Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

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