By Doug Baarman
We all know the culinary experience has become a big part of the meetings, events and individual hotel stay experience. We are all becoming ‘foodies’ thanks to celebrity chefs on TV, dining in their signature restaurants and the farm-to-table trend. This has also moved into the beverage area with bartenders becoming an important part of the experience and being referred to as mixologists.
I recently vacationed in Mexico with my family and had the opportunity to stay at a large beautiful resort. With three separate areas of guest rooms and food and beverage outlets, we found our way to the bar on the resort where one particular bartender was working – as he was a true mixologist. His specialty was drinks involving fresh fruits and vegetables. He was eager to share these unique beverages and he would learn our favorites putting his own twist on them. We were so impressed, we literally found out where he was going to be each night…and would go to that bar.
In your current role in the hospitality industry, have you taken the extra step to make yourself the expert at what you do? Do people know of you and want to do business with you because of this expertise or something special that you do? Do people seek you out?
I challenge all of us to be mixologists, to be seen as the experts in our own areas of this great industry. What is going to make you stand out?