The Rise of the Grab-and-Go Trend
AUGUST 28, 2020
CONTRIBUTING EXPERT: CHARLES WELCH | MANAGER, HOSPITALITY
Grab-and-go options have been part of hotel design in various forms for quite some time. The prevalence of options is a function of whether the hotel is full-service or select-service. There is an incentive to have guests sit, eat, and drink at onsite restaurant(s) in the full-service segment rather than grabbing something on the go. But even that dynamic depends on both the spatial design and the brand.
Select-service segment growth has inspired a trend for expanding what was typically a small sundries area into offering a greater variety of grab-and-go items in a much more open space. Hampton Inn, an early leader in the category, is a great example. You can visit different generations of the brand and witness the evolution from a small, closed-in space to the now enlarged "Treats" area. Another example is Generation 4.5, the Springhill Suites prototype, where The Market is directly adjacent to the reception desk, allowing guests to select from craft beer and wine, among other options.
No longer are guests asked to enter enclosed drywall spaces with few options. Instead, they're enticed into prominently positioned, well-appointed areas that complement the lobby's overall design aesthetic. Not only can they see their options upon entering the hotel, but the open spaces invite guests to browse and shop, whether they entered with an expressed need to do so. And the offerings themselves have become more sophisticated, emphasizing fresh, local, healthy, and craft in many cases.
HOW DOES A PANDEMIC PLAY INTO THE GRAB-AND-GO MOVEMENT?
Like all aspects of hotel design, it remains to be seen how, in total, COVID-19 will play into the grab-and-go movement. By combining the needs for social distancing and guest perceptions of healthy environments, fewer hotel guests will likely crowd into lobbies for a drink and a meal in the near term.
We may see full-service brands decide to provide short-term measures and wait out the pandemic, choosing to keep their current food offerings like pre-COVID-19. Or, we may see more unique methods of offering freshly cooked meals from their existing offerings but with advanced delivery methods like warming bins or robots.
In the select-service segment, grab-and-go offerings are on the rise. For years, designs have trended in that direction, but we anticipate that trend to be enhanced by the current environment. In the near term, travelers are not as likely to drop in at restaurants for lunch or dinner upon arrival if the options around the hotel property are limited. They may opt for delivery service or grab whatever is available from the grab-and-go options. However, this is contingent on achieving the widespread distribution of a vaccine. Recently, feedback from many hotel owners is that while occupancy is low, the percentage of guests purchasing from these areas is higher than usual.
GETTING STARTED IN THE GRAB-AND-GO SPACE
We expect the grab-and-go trend to continue to expand and evolve over the upcoming years, both during the recovery from COVID and into the post-COVID-19 environment. It matches trends and melds with the feedback we continue to receive from the market.
Whether it is providing engineering solutions or translating a design concept to a local property, EIS has unique resources to help hoteliers maximize the effectiveness of the grab-and-go concept in their properties. At the very least, we enjoy sharing what we have learned over hundreds of installations and welcome conversations about various ways to implement the concept as the landscape continues to shift.