THE NEWS THAT`S FIT TO CONSUME Volume 16 SEP

A LL T H E N EW S T H A T’ S F I T T O C ON S U M E
V ol um e 1 6
S E P 2011
We have accomplished many key initiatives this year to keep Food &
Beverage moving forward in North America including driving top-line
F&B revenues growth and F&B margins improvement versus same
time last year. What is even more exciting for us as leaders is to see
the global focus on Food & Beverage starting to be communicated and
realized throughout Starwood. In fact, Food & Beverage was a major
focus at the recent L100/L300 meeting held in New York City, where
Starwood‘s Senior Leadership Team discussed how F&B is a key
component of our Path to Peak, driving both the top and bottom line.
Starwood is one of the largest, and the most global, F&B operators
in the world. F&B accounts for more than a third of Starwood‘s total
revenue and continues to grow rapidly. We have over 1,300 restaurants
and 930 bars operating in 100 countries with 50,000+ F&B associates.
As the world‘s most innovative operator of lifestyle hotel brands, we see
hotel F&B as ripe for reinvention and Starwood is committed to
innovating, investing and intensifying its F&B efforts. F&B is key to
how we position our nine Hotel Brands, is becoming a bigger focus as
we re-design our hotels, is highly impactful to our SPG program, and our
internal signature concepts are attracting new guests and owners.
Looking ahead, F&B will play an outsized role in the hotel experience
as the guest has greater expectations for F&B that demands a global
perspective. Starwood‘s global footprint and lifestyle approach
provides the perfect platform for us to gain a competitive advantage in
Food & Beverage. Over the past year, Starwood formed a Global F&B
Council to help align the company on our Global F&B Strategy. You
will continue to hear more about this strategy over the next few months.
This edition of the F&B Newsletter provides information about both our
Global Strategy and how we will continue to execute key F&B
initiatives for the North America Division. You will find updates on the
key initiatives around Driving B&C Profitability and the latest On Site
Specialty Events. In addition, there are updates on the StarBev Fall/
Winter Promotions, great insights to controlling costs through our F&B
Procurement Programs, and various programs we are rolling out to
promote F&B in our Brands such as Sheraton Socials and w xyz menu
programming and seasonal cocktails.
Most importantly, I am excited to announce the 2012 Starwood North
America F&B Leadership Conference. This is a first in North
America which further demonstrates Starwood‘s focus on Food &
Beverage and its importance on our Path to Peak and on elevating our
World Class Brands.
With this great focus, comes great responsibility. As F&B Leaders,
please communicate our F&B message with your teams….and stay
focused on ending the year strong!
Brian Abel
VP, North America Food & Beverage
Mac Gregory
Director of Food & Beverage, Franchise Full Service Brands
Jeremy Cooper
Director of Food & Beverage, Franchise Specialty Select Brands
The Starwood Hotels & Resorts Food and Beverage Franchise Advisory Council will be meeting on November 7 th and 8th in Memphis at
the Westin Beale Street. The Council will discuss current trends we have seen this year as well as discuss our collective initiatives as we
move forward into 2012. Most importantly, we share best practices that we are able to utilize in our entire Starwood Food and Beverage
franchise community. We will have the opportunity to introduce our two newest council members Jennifer Wallace and Bruce Fairchild as
two great additions to the Council. The Advisory Council consists of 10 members that give us perspective on franchise food and beverage
as well as insight to daily operations inclusive of market trends and competition. I am very proud to work with our 2011 Council and we
look forward to a great end of year as prepare for an excellent 2012. A special thank you to our Council for their valuable time.
STARWOOD F&B FRANCHISE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS 2011
Please contact Mac Gregory at [email protected] with any questions.
As we enter the fourth quarter, it‘s a good time to take a look at your
compliance with the North America Coca-Cola contract and ensure
that your hotel will receive the maximum case rebates to get the full
benefit of this strategic partnership.
A few key triggers that could put your rebates at risk:
 Ensure that NO Pepsi product is being advertised, displayed or sold
at your hotel
 Such product should only be made available by specific guest
request
 Offering of Pepsi and competing products will place your hotel at
risk of forfeiting 100% of annual case rebates
 At a minimum, you should offer the following (case volume of this
and all other Coke purchases will contribute to your rebates; failure
to purchase these minimum categories puts total rebate at risk):
–Coca-Cola
–Diet Coke
–Sprite
–Coke Zero
–Vitamin Water (minimum 1 variety)
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For questions specific to Coca-Cola, please contact Allyson
Young at [email protected] and Mac Gregory at
[email protected] (Full Service Brands) or
Jeremy Cooper at [email protected]
(Specialty Select Brands) for F&B questions or needs.
If you are interested in converting an existing coffee concept
into our Sheraton Link Café or if you are looking at upgrading
your Link opportunity please contact Mac Gregory
[email protected] for assistance and direction
on moving forward. We are looking to expand this very
successful concept and we are looking at all opportunities for
rebranding as well as full build outs.
As part of the Starbev program, NAD F&B is rolling out the Westin and Sheraton Beverage
Promotions for implementation in NAD for the fall and winter.
Westin’s Eco-Friendly Sips of the Season
As the weather gets brisk, Westin guests will be invited to enjoy a selection of seasonally-inspired drinks bursting with
fall and winter notes and spiced with eco-sensible ingredients.
This promotion, which will run October 10 through February, is centered around sustainable beverages highlighting
seasonal ingredients and flavors. The menus will feature two cocktails made with USDA certified organic spirits paired
with seasonal ingredients (such as pumpkins, apples, pears, and cinnamon), two wines (a Chardonnay and a Cabernet
Sauvignon) to be chosen from a selection of organic or sustainable options all displaying hints of the season, and two local
seasonal craft beers to further reduce the carbon footprint.
As with all Starbev promotions, this promotion is totally turn-key and free of charge. This program is
mandatory for all owned and managed properties in NAD, and is highly recommended for franchise. For
more information, please visit the Beverage page on Starwood ONE.
Look for an announcement on the Sheraton seasonal beverage promotion shortly.
Raise your glass to the season!
For more information, please visit the Beverage page on Starwood ONE. Contact:
[email protected]
Since the original rollout of Planner‘s Edge in June 2009, we have
gained tremendous momentum around this initiative which has
resulted in increased F&B revenues. Over the last year we have
revised the name of the original product to the current new name, ―On
Site Specialty Events,‖ to better capture what the program is all about.
We have also expanded the number of events offered and encourage
you to sell these events not just for receptions but for breakfasts,
breaks and lunches. Finally, On-Site Specialty Events are now
becoming a Global Starwood F&B program with the other three
divisions rolling out their version by the end of this year.
As our teams have continued to focus on selling On Site Specialty
Events, the number of events sold having tripled compared to same
time last year. This selling pace puts us on target to hit our revenue
goals. However, we feel there is much more potential to increase both
revenues and the number of events sold. In an effort to have an
increased sales focus on On-Site Specialty Events, we have adjusted
the number of mandatory minimum offerings at our hotels. Please
review the recent MEMO from David Dvorak, Vice President of
Catering and Convention Services, regarding revised requirements for
On Site Specialty Events.
Lastly, we have made some recent additions to the program and have
introduced three new events:
Highly interactive team building event
replicating the old ―Field Day‖ activities popular
at schools and picnics.
Providing children and adults with sandwiches
either for a school in need or a shelter.
The goal of this event is to prepare
holiday-themed piñatas stuffed with toys, games and gift cards to
donate to children who are enduring hospital stays or extended
treatment for illness.
For complete details on each of these new events, visit the OSSE
Toolbox
on StarwoodOne. Please contact [email protected]
with any questions.
In looking at the chart below, it is clear how widely pricing can change depending on time of year products are purchased. Similar swings in
cost are most often found among wild caught seafood and fresh produce. With certain predictability, each year brings seasonal pricing trends,
when supply increases or demand weakens and as a result prices start to drop.
Additional benefits to the lower cost of in-season products are quality, taste and flavor. Using products during peak season often brings higher
yield by avoiding the need for extended storage in temperature and atmospheric controlled environments. Whenever possible, use products
grown and harvested nearby to forgo long distance travel that impacts quality negatively.
Offering seasonal products throughout menus plays a key role in effective food cost management. To best control that important factor in our
business, advanced menu planning around seasonal foods is a must. To help you navigate through the many different products and their
primary season, as a tool please use the Starwood Produce and Seafood Purchasing Guides which can be found on StarwoodOne.
The monthly USFS Contracted Item Report is a tool that helps you identify which line items your hotel purchased over
the past month that were either: Contracted (CMP), Non-Contracted or Non-Compliant. We ask you to focus on the
high Non-Contracted items first and check if there are like contracted items stocked in your USFS distribution center by
taking a look at the monthly ―CMP Reports by Division.‖ Both reports can be found on StarwoodOne.
Please change out like CMP items as we can monitor those products to ensure that USFS is charging us the correct price. With
non-CMP items, this cannot be done. Consider looking at non-exact like items as well and see if they will fit your application; if
they work, change them to CMP products.
If there isn‘t a like CMP item in your distribution center that you are purchasing high volumes of for your specific application, please bring it
to the attention of your Regional Director of Procurement. It could be that we have a deal on those items but they aren‘t stocked in your USFS
distribution center and we therefore need to go back to USFS and ask them to stock it. In implementing a CMP change, please update your
USFS shopping list and your inventory sheet.
Since the roll out of R.E.C.E.I.V.E. and S.T.O.R.E. training, over 1,300 associates have successfully completed both training modules. This is
an impressive number and arms our F&B teams with fundamental knowledge to strengthen receive and store practices.
Both trainings provide guidance and list the tools necessary for our receivers to best meet the requirements of their position. To fulfill their
role and act with authority on the dock, (ensuring that only the highest quality products are accepted into the hotel) essential knowledge is
required which is found in the training programs. Due to this program, our receivers are better equipped to reject sub-par quality products and
sign invoices for only the correct weights, amounts, price and quality of F&B goods. This not only sends a clear message to our vendors, it
also ensures that our first point of quality and cost control is intact.
We have identified continued opportunity for improvement around cross referencing product weight received with what is listed on the invoice
or Produce Purchasing Guide. Inconsistent labeling of goods received with the delivery date and having no more than two delivery dates of
like items in storage are also more areas to focus on. Good communication amongst receiving, storage and purchasing teams can further
reduce waste when over ordering and/or poor rotation exists within a hotel.
Please share the preferred product specifications with your receiving team, so they in turn can identify short comings and promptly address
potential issues with vendors. Ideal pack size and seasonality of over 300 produce items can be found in the Starwood Produce Purchasing
Guide, on StarwoodOne. To sign up for R.E.C.E.I.V.E and S.T.O.R.E training, visit the Development Center.
In 2007, Sheraton launched a fitness partnership with Core Performance™ to make it easier for guests to stay healthy while
on the road by focusing on four areas: mindset, movement, nutrition and recovery. We are excited to introduce healthy
dining options as our newest integration of Sheraton Fitness programmed by Core Performance through a program called
Color Your Plate™ by Sheraton Fitness.
Color Your Plate is a simple approach to healthy eating that encourages guest to eat colorful, nutrient-dense foods as part of a
well-balanced meal to increase energy and performance. Color Your Plate dishes must include a minimum of three colors,
use lean proteins and whole grains, not be fried and should aim to be less than 500 calories.
Effective February 2, 2012, hotels must select a minimum of 5 Color Your Plate options for breakfast and a minimum of 6 Color Your Plate
options for lunch and dinner. These include: 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 2 salads/sandwiches and 1 dessert.
Hotels will choose from a selection of recipes provided by each division. All recipes, along with accompanying program guidelines, will be
shared in Q4 2011. For additional details, review the memo on StarwoodOne or reach out to your Regional Director of F&B with any
questions.
One of the ways that Westin has made it easy for guests to maintain a healthy lifestyle is through our
SuperFoodsRx™ menu for breakfast and meeting breaks. It is a key differentiator that brings our brand
positioning to life. In an effort to enhance the impact of this program, we are expanding SuperFoodsRx offerings
to lunch and dinner for in-room dining as well as refreshing the current breakfast options.
In partnership with each divisional F&B team, the Westin global brand team has developed a global portfolio of
dishes which hotels can select from. The new program requirements are listed below and will become a brand
standard on February 1, 2012.
For inclusion on the in-room dining menu, hotels must select a minimum of 6 SuperFoodsRx lunch menu
options and a minimum of 6 SuperFoodsRx dinner menu options. These include: 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 2
salads/sandwiches and 1 dessert.
There will be no change to the minimum number of 5 SuperFoodsRx dishes required for breakfast in restaurants and in-room dining. The new
SuperFoodsRx dishes and recipes, along with accompanying program guidelines, will be shared with hotels in Q4 2011. For additional details,
review the memo on StarwoodOne or reach out to your Regional Director of F&B with any questions.
In our continued efforts to drive F&B composite GSI scores at Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element hotels,
we‘ve launched a number of initiatives, with more on the way. Thank you for your continued support and feedback
as we grow the brands!
Visit the F&B page for your brand on StarwoodONE to ensure your hotel is executing the following programs to
standard:
 Best Brews
 w xyz enhanced menu program
 What‘s For Breakfast
 Fall/Winter Seasonal Cocktails
 Rainforest Alliance
 Re:fuel breakfast and grab & go
Certified Coffee
 Rainforest Alliance Certified
 Rise, Relax and Restore
 Rainforest Alliance
Certified Coffee
Checking out a StarHOT rate at an Aloft hotel somewhere in the world this Fall/Winter? If so, stop by w xyz bar and try our seasonal cocktail
refresh ―rewind.‖ In NAD, we are featuring cocktails by master mixologist, Elayne Duke, celebrating the resurgence of TV pop culture from
the ‗70s with The Southfork (Dallas), Good Evening Angels (Charlie‘s Angels), Mile High (Pan Am) and The Dan no-no (Hawaii Five-O) - a
tropical tiki-inspired scorpion bowl for two!
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
We would like to highlight the hotels that have received the top GSI scores in the F&B composite category YTD July 2011. Congratulations!
Sheraton
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Aloft
Sheraton Erie Bayfront
8.70
Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne
8.38
Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention
Center
8.67
Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the EpiCentre
8.36
Sheraton Roanoke Hotel & Conference Center
8.66
Aloft Austin at the Domain
8.32
Westin
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Sunset Key Guest Cottages, A Westin Resort
9.03
The Westin Poinsett, Greenville
8.92
The Westin Austin at the Domain
8.72
Le Meridien
Element Dallas, Fort Worth Air-
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Le Meridien San Francisco
8.36
Le Meridien Philadelphia
8.12
Le Meridien Dallas North
7.96
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Element
Element Dallas Fort Worth Airport North
8.81
Element Denver Park Meadows
8.69
Element Las Vegas Summerlin
8.61
The Chatwal
Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach
The Luxury Collection
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
Four Points
Top YTD July
2011
F&B Composite
The Chatwal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, New
York
8.95
Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach
8.95
The Ballantyne, a Luxury Collection Hotel,
Charlotte
8.89
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites San
Francisco Airport
8.86
The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland
8.72
Four Points by Sheraton BWI Airport
8.84
Congratulations to Colin Hazama and
Darren Demaya from Sheraton Waikiki
and Jon Matsubara from The Royal
Hawaiian who showcased their culinary
talents and innovation with ―A Taste of
Hawaii‖ at the James House in New York
City on September 14th. Representing two
of Waikiki‘s iconic hotels, Demaya,
Hazama and Matsubara designed a
complex, refined menu that highlighted
Hawaii‘s ever-evolving cuisine and
showcase the state‘s signature hospitality.
Visit the official James Beard House
Consort Bar at Le Royal Meridien King Edward has claimed the
number one spot for best martini in Toronto by blogTO! Check out
the full list of top 10 martini bars in Toronto.
Congratulations to Deseo at The Westin
Kierland Resort & Spa for the HUGE
accolade in Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s
“America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants‖
and it was the only restaurant in Arizona
listed! View the full the article.
The Bazaar by Jose Andres, at
the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills,
was listed among Wine
Enthusiast’s 100 Best Wine
Restaurants of 2011. The
wine list features the best of
Spain‘s premier wine regions,
through outstanding wines from
California and France are also represented. Additionally, Andres
just scored the coveted James Beard award for outstanding chef. At
this Philippe Starck-designed restaurant in Beverly Hills, Andres
serves up whimsical takes on tapas with a futuristic twist.
The following restaurants at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts have been
awarded the “Best of Award of Excellence” in Wine Spectator’s
2011 Restaurant Awards:
 Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort
 Adour at the St. Regis Washington D.C.
 Adour at the St. Regis New York
Additionally, the following restaurants were awarded Wine
Spectator’s “Award of Excellence:”
 Fern at the St. Regis Bahia Beach
 Kauai Grill at the St. Regis Princeville
Resort
Congratulations to Paul Carter, Executive Chef at The
Phoenician, Scottsdale, on being elected Chairman of the Advisory
Board for the Cordon Bleu College
of Culinary Arts! Along with Chef
Carter, Starwood is now well
represented with both Pete Lesser,
Regional Director of Food & Beverage, and Jeff Barba, Director
of Food & Beverage at The Westin Kierland, who are also
serving on the board.
Edible Austin featured a fantastic story on Trace at W Austin
and the importance of Valerie Broussard’s role as F&B Buyer
and Forager. Be sure to read the full article and watch the video
of Chef Paul Hargrove preparing a seasonal dish using local
melons, prosciutto and shrimp.
Special thanks to the 10 Four Points by Sheraton
hotels piloting a seasonal Best Brews activation
around Oktoberfest in September and
October. Based on the results of this pilot, plan to
see more seasonal programming in 2012 to grow
your beverage business and lift guest satisfaction!
Thank you to Matthew Giesbrecht and Matt Berge of Aloft Las
Colinas and Aimbridge Hospitality for their
participation in the Aloft/w xyz menu
development project at TurboChef test kitchens
in Dallas. You can see a short Flip video of the
process on StarwoodOne HERE . Of course,
all recipe files and program information are
available on StarwoodONE as well.
Congratulations to Dakota Weiss, Executive Chef at
NINETHIRTY and Backyard at W Los Angeles - Westwood,
who will be among the 29 contestants on the new season of Top
Chef: Texas! In what will prove to be the most challenging
season yet, some of the biggest names in food, music and
entertainment including Charlize Theron, Cat Cora, John Besh
and Tim Love will be featured this season. The winning chef will
receive $125,000 furnished by Healthy Choice, a feature in Food
& Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine
Classic in Aspen and will earn the title of "Top Chef." Tune in to
the season premiere on Wednesday, November 2nd on Bravo.
The Global F&B Council met on July 20-22 in New
York and then again on September 28th after the recent
L300 Meeting. Key accomplishments from the
meetings include:
 Met global HR leaders to carve a path forward for
HR and F&B and identified key focus areas
 Met with Global Learning and Development to
finalize programs for global F&B training
 Created a short list of key focus areas for Sustainable
F&B at a global level
 Reaffirmed F&B Communications and Activation
Plan; finalized F&B vision, reviewed F&B Message
Triangle and established F&B activation plan for
Starwood‘s Leadership300 meeting in New York in
September
 Kicked off Meetings Innovation process by
evaluating new ideas and those previously submitted
Global F&B Council participating in Spread the Good On-Site Specialty
 Identified ways to strengthen public space F&B
activation for Sheraton, Le Meridien and Westin
Jean Luc Barone has been appointed to the role of Vice President, Global Food & Beverage. In
his most recent role, Jean Luc was the General Manager of The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver. In
this newly developed role, Jean Luc will lead key F&B initiatives and programs that will be rolled
out across all four divisions. He will also work closely with each of the Divisional Vice Presidents
of Food & Beverage to share best practices and leverage the great work being done around the world
The six-week Sheraton Social Hour Pilot will test the sale of highly rated wines,
highlighting them through an evening tasting hour at least three times per week.
Participating in the pilot are 11 hotels in NAD, 3 in LAD and 5 in AP. The pilot
will test both complimentary and paid tastings and success will be based on
F&B profit growth and increased guest satisfaction.
In North America, hotels will be serving wines that are rated 90+ by Wine
Spectator and other premium pours by notable wineries like Stag‘s Leap Wine
Cellars and Chateau Ste. Michelle. The program will be heavily promoted
through social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. Participating
hotels in Asia Pacific will be highlighting Wines of the World and in Latin
America, hotels will be featuring both domestic and international wines.
The pilot will conclude the week of October 25 th. Upon completion, we plan to
take best practices, both through operations and marketing, to define a global
program in 2012.
Reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
The TRACE team at Star Route
We are thrilled to announce that as of Monday, September 5, 2011, TRACE officially opened at W San Francisco. TRACE is committed to
creating a thoughtful culinary experience by fusing the vibrant, local personality of the Bay Area with a dedication to socially responsible
food. The high-quality cuisine is prepared from locally sourced and sustainable ingredients – or obtained through national partners with well
known sustainable practices. Diners will enjoy their meals knowing that each dish can be confidently traced back to its natural origins.
Staying true to this mission, the entire TRACE team visited Star Route Farms, Cowgirl Creamery and Equater Coffees and Teas to learn about
the local partnerships in place and get in touch with the source of TRACE‘s ingredients. TRACE San Francisco joins its sister location at the
W Austin. We also look forward to welcoming TRACE at W Seattle in Q1 2012.
The Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center
raised the brand flag on August 31st after an extensive
conversion of the former Comfort Suites. Joe Alberts,
General Manager, and John Mark, Assistant General
Manager, worked diligently with their team to lead an onbrand transformation of the hotel and establish a new presence
with the only Starwood Specialty Select Brand in
Washington—congratulations!
The St. Regis Aspen and Food & Wine will debut an innovative new restaurant concept that
will bring the pages of Food & Wine to life through the top culinary talent of the brand's
signature "Best New Chefs." Scheduled to open in March 2012, the restaurant will mark the
completion of the $30 million redesign of The St. Regis Aspen and is destined to set new
standards in five-star luxury, service and culinary excellence in Aspen. For the last 23 years,
Food and Wine‘s signature Best New Chefs issue has unveiled some of the visionary geniuses
who shape the epicurean world, including some of the most respected chefs in the industry like
Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio and Daniel Boulud. The restaurant will act as a venue to
showcase the 2011 (and previous years‘) winners of the Best New Chef award. Food and Wine
will select 6-8 Best New Chefs from recent years to consult and create menu items. Chefs will
work with the culinary team at The St. Regis Aspen to develop, source, execute and plate their
recipes. The goal is to create the best restaurant in Aspen for years to come. A place of ―casual
style,‖ devoted to the culinary arts.
ANNOUNCING THE 2012 STARWOOD
F&B LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming 2012 NAD Food & Beverage Leadership
Conference! This is a first in North America and further demonstrates our focus
on Food & Beverage and its importance on our Path to Peak as well as on
elevating our World Class Brands. This 3-day conference is optional for all
Franchise Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, and Luxury Collection Hotels.
Recommended attendees are Executive Chefs; Directors of Food
& Beverage; Directors of Operations; Directors of Catering or
Directors of Catering & Convention Services.
Program fee and registration details will be distributed in November.
Ideas & Feedback