Silver Spring, Maryland-based Choice Hotels International has begun beta testing for a new proprietary restaurant concept called Bistro C for its Clarion brand. The concept is part of the brand’s broader strategy to reposition Clarion as the place to “Get Together” for corporate travelers and groups.
Designed to address the operational challenges of midscale hotels, especially conversions, Bistro C employs one multi-use room, a 14-ft-by-18-ft (4.3-m-by-5.5-m) kitchen and two hourly employees to deliver hot breakfast, lunch, dinner, carry-out, retail, lounge and basic catering. It features vent-less pre-programmed cooking technology and a menu of just 27 items optimized for minimal inventories and waste.
The first Bistro C installation debuted last April at the Clarion Waterford Inn & Conference Center in Elmhurst, Illinois, and Choice said the property has already received positive guest comments as well as increased commitments from local corporate accounts, increased room rates and incremental catering revenue.
Prior to the Bistro C launch, Clarion also introduced a new online eMenu for corporate catering and weddings that is customized, branded and search-engine-optimized. Free of charge to franchisees, it also includes functionality to email it as a PDF, upload it to Facebook and Twitter and view it on smartphones without an app.