Hotels Can Kick Ass in F&B

This was going to be another rant about chefs—which, given the kitchen is where I began, I feel I have every right to do. You might well disagree, but surely the embarrassingly yawning gap between what chefs want to cook and what guests actually want to eat is worth discussing. And maybe we will. It’s just that a recent conversation with a client friend—the one I haven’t pissed off yet—got me thinking about something else entirely.

We were discussing collaborating on a potential project: a gorgeously reborn hotel in an A+ location in one of the world’s great cities. Just to be clear, this is a neighbourhood thats lively, buzzing, and bursting with independent cafés, delis, and restaurants.  Sure, it’s creeping upmarket as it benefits from gentrification—if that’s a benefit—but it’s also comfortable in its own skin, thank you very much. This means that the local F&B scene is, as my 26-year-old son would say, ram-dingo. And smack bang in the middle of all this, boasting the best spaces and location, is our hotel. Which, as you’ve probably guessed, is simultaneously killing it in rooms and being killed in F&B. Just to avoid any confusion, that means haemorrhaging cash, with actual profit a long-abandoned dream. And oh my, how they’ve tried.  Multiple attempts to reposition, rebrand, and reboot have, despite huge effort and the very best of intentions, failed to catch light. It’s been both disappointing and painfully costly for the owner, who—understandably—has had enough

This got me thinking: if this were my problem, which it might become, what would I do? If I’m going to sit down with the owner, look them in the eye, and convince them to invest even more, what’s the answer? To be clear, I’m not claiming I’m any cleverer than those who tried before. In fact, even the briefest look at my chaotic, unplanned career, high-profile failures, and a few unfortunate missteps would show that’s not the case. But a lifetime of mistakes also means a lifetime of learning, Does that make me an expert? Well, if Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr was right when he said, “An expert is an idiot who has made all the mistakes that can be made”, then I’d say I’m getting close. While I fear I’ll forever be, at least in part, an idiot, I’ve made enough mistakes and been responsible for enough wrong calls to have moved quite a distance along the scale from idiot to expert. Far enough to know that so many hotels, this stunner included, have their own super-power hiding in plain sight.  A USP that all those annoyingly competitive and successful independents just can’t touch. It’s something that used to belong to us hotel people, and it’s time we took it back. We’ll kill it, too. And that seismic, game-changing step to F&B success? Since you’re asking—it’s the bar. I hope the owner is going to be more impressed than you are right now. If not, this will be a story without an ending. But since you’ve stuck with me thus far, I owe you some elaboration.

The challenges for hotel F&B have been well-documented by people far cleverer than me. But, to recap: hotels are glorious, yet from an F&B perspective, they’re complicated and messy. Our outlets are often inextricably tied up with other elements—meetings, events, room service, outside catering, and a huge range of guest expectations. What we do is rarely as singular or straightforward as a stand-alone restaurant. Despite countless efforts and occasional noteworthy successes, the battle rages on. But here’s the thing: the bar is different. The bar has always been the beating heart of a great hotel. It’s where the magic happens—a social, atmospheric, and operational sweet spot that every stand-alone restaurant wishes it had. A brilliant hotel bar isn’t just an add-on; it’s a destination in its own right, a profit-spinning machine that can transform a hotel’s entire F&B outlook. Let me break it down for you:

1. Everyone Loves A Bar: Nobody books a table at a bar because nobody needs to. Bars are gloriously noncommittal—no seven-course odyssey, no awkward moments pretending to understand the wine list, and absolutely no deciphering which fork is meant for the amuse-bouche. Bars are the Switzerland of F&B: neutral, welcoming, and completely stress-free. Whether you’re popping in for a quick pint, a drawn-out date night, or just some artisanal chips to soak up the week’s drama, bars have you covered. And unlike restaurants, nobody gets turned away for not booking ahead. “Sorry, we’re fully committed” isn’t in the vocabulary. Bars are come-as-you-are money-makers, just saying.

2. The Margins Are Beautiful: The bar is where F&B’s profit margins shine. A single expertly mixed cocktail can retail at £14 or more, with a cost base of £3-£5 if done well. Add in some artisan snacks or bar bites—think triple-cooked chips, olives, or sliders—and you’ve got a lucrative food-and-drink pairing. There’s no need for a full kitchen brigade, no sous chef in a strop because the microgreens are wilting. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it’s lucrative. If ever there was an argument for serving profits on the rocks, this is it.

3. Bars Thrive on Personality, Not Just Product: A great bartender is worth more than your weight in truffle oil. They’re part mixologist, part stand-up comedian, part therapist, and entirely magnetic. They don’t just serve drinks—they craft moments, start conversations, and keep people coming back for more. They remember names, favourite drinks, and even that embarrassing story you told after your third Negroni. They’re the beating heart of the bar and, let’s be honest, far more likely to go viral on Instagram than your meticulously plated duck confit. A charismatic bartender is your brand ambassador, your mood setter, and, frankly, your secret weapon.

4. Bars Are Flexible, Adaptable Spaces: Morning coffees and pastries, afternoon meetings with mocktails, and lively evening scenes of cocktails and conversation—bars can effortlessly evolve throughout the day. A good bar is a chameleon, always relevant, always earning, and never locked into a single identity. That versatility means it appeals to guests and locals alike, keeping the space buzzing and profitable.

5. Bars Are Memory Makers: While guests might forget their room number or the finer details of their dinner, they’ll remember the cocktail they sipped at sunset, the laughter over late-night drinks, or the bartender who made them feel at home. That’s the stuff of loyalty, repeat business and glowing reviews. And when the bar becomes a destination, guests will go out of their way to visit—whether they’re staying in your rooms or not.

6. Bars Are Relatable: The best bars don’t need to reinvent the wheel—or the cocktail shaker, for that matter. They lean into the classics, elevate the essentials, and keep the pretension out of it. No one wants a dissertation on where the lime in their mojito was grown; they just want it to taste amazing. Get the basics right, throw in a bit of flair, and you’ve hit the jackpot. Guests aren’t looking for some avant-garde experiment in mixology—they just want to feel like they belong. Nail that, and they’ll stay for hours. And then they’ll come back.

7. Bars Are Local: Here’s where it gets interesting: bars don’t just bring in your guests—they bring in everyone else, too. A killer bar can become a local institution, the kind of place where residents happily rub shoulders with tourists. Think about it: locals bring a built-in buzz and authenticity to your space, while their friends, dates, and colleagues bring extra wallets. Before you know it, your hotel is no longer just “that place with rooms”—it’s a community hub. And let’s not forget, locals love a place that feels like theirs, which means they’ll keep the bar busy and revenue flowing faster than the conversations.

A great hotel bar isn’t trying to be the next big thing—it’s about being consistently excellent, approachable, and just a little bit special. Invest in design that tells a story, hire a team that loves what they do, and create a menu that’s easy to love, easier to deliver but hard to forget. And, crucially, make it welcoming. Forget the days of bars hidden away like a guilty secret or trying too hard to be exclusive. Throw open the doors, invite the world in, and let the bar become what it was always meant to be: the lifeblood of the hotel. A hotel bar is more than just a watering hole—it’s a vibe, a profit engine, and your hotel’s chance to connect with people in a way that rooms, restaurants, and meeting spaces never can. It’s a USP that independent operators can’t replicate, a place where the lines between guest and local blur, and an opportunity to create unforgettable experiences that also happen to be ridiculously lucrative. So yes, maybe the restaurant needs rethinking. But if you’re asking me where the money is, where the magic is, and where the opportunity for real, lasting success is? It’s right there, behind the bar. Cheers to that.

If I’m wrong about this, then I’ve wasted seven minutes of your time, which is annoying—but not as annoying as if I’m right. In which case, the owner could just read this, skip hiring me, and be on their way. Either way, I think I need to work on my sales pitch. Fancy a drink anyone?