The 20% Problem: Why Hotel Restaurants Sit Empty | Kenneth Scharlatt

Fewer than 1 in 5 hotel guests eats at the hotel restaurant beyond breakfast, according to hospitality consultant Kenneth Scharlatt, who cites an American Hotel & Lodging Association statistic. In this episode of Behind the Tab, Kenneth returns as the show's first repeat guest to explain why hotel restaurants often run on a skeleton crew, and how operators can build something locals want to visit.

Kenneth is the founder and executive director of Savage Orchid Hospitality, a consultancy that helps hotels and independent operators run their restaurants like community businesses, not amenities. He and host Patricia Mejia talk about partnering with local farms, schools, and chambers of commerce, using college interns to run a restaurant's marketing, adding lunch and brunch, keeping the bar open later for the nightcap crowd, and whether self-pour and food-hall concepts fit in a hotel.

They also cover why independent hotels are winning guests, how ancillary revenue is changing hotel food and beverage, using AI to send guests messages that fit them, and Kenneth's upcoming book, Stop Calling It an Amenity. This episode is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.

Follow Kenneth Scharlatt on LinkedIn and learn more about Savage Orchid Hospitality.

Get a summary of the interview on the GoTab blog at The 20% Problem: Why Hotel Restaurants Sit Empty (and How to Fix It).