Research Outline

Langham Hotel Buffet Options

Goals

To compile a list of questions to ideally ask the operator/owner of the hotel to help determine if a similar buffet concept would work in Pasadena.

Early Findings

Ideal Questions

  • Kitchens on Kent describes itself as being family-friendly. How do you make a buffet concept that is family-friendly successful?
  • Kitchens on Kent has recently had some revenue losses as indicated in previous findings. How do you offset revenue losses and still make the buffet concept profitable?
  • The open kitchen concept for a buffet is being utilized at Melba. What are the greatest advantages and disadvantages of the open kitchen concept for a buffet?
  • Melba was described in customer reviews as a restaurant where the quality of food significantly impacted customer expectations and enjoyment of their buffet experience. How do you manage and maintain the quality of the food being served on the buffet to meet and exceed customer expectations?
  • Capture rates from previous findings indicate that Melba has a capture rate for eating snacks at 30%, while Kitchens on Kent and Eight Restaurant have no significant capture rate for snacking at all. What attracts customers to want to snack at a buffet? What factors might discourage customers from wanting to snack at a buffet?