Focus:Food&Beverage
TheCasino
Restaurant
Under-ratedandexposedthecasinorestaurant
isakeyassetinanylocation’smarketing
arsenal-anditcanbeaprofitcentretoo
Thestoryisalwaysthesame.Alocal “Mentiontheword restaurant/scanbespiedfromthe
newsreporteristreatedtoafreemealin casinoandformany entrancecanbecountedononehand.
acasinoandstepsfootinsideforthefirst peopleitimmediately
time.Inthearticlethereporterexpresses conjuresupimages SpeaktocasinomanagersandF&B
theirin-grainedpreconceptions,their eitherofamillionaires directorsandtheyexplainthatcustomers
surpriseandthendelightand,finally, playground(thesort areenthusiasticallywelcometovisitthe
givesaheartyrecommendation. seeninaJamesBond casinopurelytoeatattherestaurant.
film)oradingy There'snorequirementtogamblein
InAugust,theHuddersfieldDaily gamblingden theselocations.
Examinerranthefollowingstory,of frequentedby
whichthisisanextract:"Mentionthe hardeneddrinkers. Walkintoacinemaandyouseetheticket
wordcasinoandformanypeopleit Therealityisthat counter,thefoodanddrinkssection,the
immediatelyconjuresupimageseitherof nothingcouldbe ridiculouslyexpensivepick'n'mixsweets
amillionairesplayground(thesortseen furtherfromthe areaandtheattendantwaitingforyour
inaJamesBondfilm)oradingy truth.Tucked ticket.Whatstrikesthefirst-timevisitorto
gamblingdenfrequentedbyhardened discreetlyawayinto acasinoisthedominatingpresenceofthe
drinkers.Therealityisthatnothingcould onecornerofthe gamingfloor.Huntingforsome
befurtherfromthetruth. generously-large semblanceoffamiliarity,first-timerswill
gamingfloor,The alwaysheadtoabar.Butwhatgetsthem
“Tuckeddiscreetlyawayintoonecorner ‘DiningRoom'isableto throughthedoorinthefirstplace?What
ofthegenerously-largegamingfloor,The caterforabout32 offerbeyondthegamingmixdoyou
'DiningRoom'isabletocaterforabout coversandistasteful promotetothemassmarket?
32coversandistastefulwithoutbeing withoutbeing
ostentatious." ostentatious." AnoftenquotedstatisticintheUKisthat
TheHuddersfield ofthepopulation,onlyaroundthreeper
Theformulaisalwaysthesame.Notion- Examiner centhaveeversteppedfootinacasino.
surprise-compliment.However,one Comparethiswithover60percentof
thingstandsoutmorethananythingelse Americansandthegulflooksratherstark,
aboutthiscommentandthat's"tucked especiallyasthisfigurehasonly
away."Forsuchanintegralaspectofa marginallychangedinthelastdecade.
casinoenvironment,manyrestaurantsare Beyondthisoftenrecountedstatistic
exactlythat,hiddenbeyondthegaming anotherisequallydisturbingone-most
floor.Foranindustrythat'sextremely peopledon'tevenknowthatacasino
consciousaboutcreatinglocationsthat providesF&B.
satisfytheentertainment,gamingand
F&Bneedsofthecustomer,thenumber THEHARDSELL
ofEuropeancasinosinwhichthe Foodandbeverageposesadilemmafor
G3 l December2009 l Page40
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