A new report claims that new health restrictions could signal an end to the much loved Hotel Buffet.
In the past guests have been known to crowd in front of the trays to help themselves to a huge variety of food.
But, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, some hotels are considering banning customers from helping themselves and having hotel employees dish up instead.
According to the Post-Covid-19 Buffet report, hotel guests, suppliers and hotel staff will be forced to adopt extreme hygienic and sanitary measures.
More than 30 professionals and experts from the Hotel Industry, Industrialists, Suppliers and Technology & Risk Prevention Companies were interviewed for the Post-Covid-19 buffet report.
Expert
Josep Moré is one of the leading experts in Buffet Breakfasts and an Advisor to numerous hotels conducts annual specialised courses.
"The transformation that take place will not be just from a business point of view, we are also noting how customers feel and now more than ever it’s necessary, super necessary, to listen to customers,” said Moré. "It's an interesting challenge, but I would put money on the hot buffet disappearing and a move towards customers being served more local produce with fewer choices.”
Moré also says it’s important that customers can see that everything is clean and hygienic and admits that it’s impossible to assess how long people’s worry over fear of coronavirus infection will last.
“Not only about the confinement, but the insecurity that will remain in our minds, I think it will take a year or so for everything to be ‘normalised’ but there will always be embers of doubt in everyone's mind and we just hope that the virus won’t come back in the autumn,” he said.
A la Carte Service
The Post-Covid-19 buffet report suggets that it could be time for the Hotel Buffet Service to disappear altogether.
“Hotels could replace the traditional buffet with an A la Carte Service where possible and promote Room Service,” it states.