By Triana O'Keefe, editor Australian Hotelier
With the rise of the discerning customer, hoteliers are forced to up the ante on entertainment offerings. It is no longer adequate to host a trivia night once a week or offer a happy hour from 4-6pm.
Australia’s best pub operators know that successful business design doesn’t just stop at the furniture or the kitchen. Over the last five years the onsite evolution of the Australian hospitality industry has gone through its fastest change ever. But the revolution has only just begun.
To ensure customers keep coming back time after time, pub operators are looking at how technology can help make it smoother and more engaging.
“Competition is fierce, with reinvestment and regular venue updates crucial, especially for metropolitan venues,” said Ferrier Hodgson’s Morgan Kelly.
“Reinvestment doesn’t just mean refurbishment. Spending on point-of-sale technology, social media campaigns, or new entertainment concepts are all keeping venues fresh and interesting, and drawing customers in.”
Kelly explains that in a market with a relatively constant consumer base, revenue growth can only occur by taking another operators’ customer spend which progressively increases the divide between the A-Grade and B-Grade operators.
“The level of innovation in the sector has been extraordinary over the last 18 months with the best operators leading the way,” he said.
“The hotel of the future will need to be more engaging and a relevant destination to meet consumers’ drinking, dining and entertainment expectations.”
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