The findings from Hotel Management’s inaugural Voice of the F&B Director survey reinforce what many hotel operators already know: Food and beverage is no longer viewed as a necessary amenity. It’s increasingly being expected to contribute meaningfully to a property’s financial performance. Respondents reported plans to expand offerings, invest in technology and equipment, and adapt menus to changing guest preferences, even as they navigate inflationary pressures and labor challenges.
Several findings from this year’s research point to an industry reevaluating how F&B contributes to overall hotel success:
- Eighty-three percent of respondents plan to increase their F&B offerings in 2026.
- Half plan significant investments in food products and technology.
- Inflation and rising costs remain the top operational challenge.
- Hotels continue experimenting with new menu concepts, premium offerings and evolving beverage programs.
These responses reflect operators looking for growth while remaining disciplined about costs and returns. The question is no longer whether hotels should invest in F&B. The question is how those investments create value.
Talking F&B
At The Hospitality Show, the “From Amenity to P&L Driver: Repositioning Hotel F&B for Profitability” panel will focus on format selection, service models, pricing discipline and capital deployment goes directly to the heart of the issues identified in our survey.
As owners and operators face rising expenses, many are reconsidering fundamental questions:
- Should a restaurant primarily generate profit or drive occupancy?
- When does an outlet serve as a marketing tool for the hotel?
- How should hotels measure success beyond four-wall restaurant revenue?
- Where should operators invest limited capital to maximize returns?
The session promises to tackle the very questions hotel F&B leaders are grappling with today and help define how the next generation of hotel dining concepts contributes to both guest experience and bottom-line performance. These are exactly the conversations hospitality leaders need to have as they rethink the role of F&B within the broader hotel business.
Robyn Long, director of food and beverage solutions at Datassential, will moderate the panel, which includes Jill Ziemba, vice president of food and beverage at Atrium Hospitality; Richard Garcia, senior vice president of food & beverage at Crescent Hotels & Resorts; and Mark Weiss, senior vice president of food & beverage and design at Loews Hotels & Co.
The message from our survey is clear: The question is no longer whether hotels should invest in F&B, but how those investments create value across the entire property.
For to read the full Voice of the F&D Director survey, click here, and stay tuned for an interview with Datassentiall's Long later this month.