Product development Essay

The hospitality is an industry that never stops, which means it continuously grow in performance, the amount of services it offers, it is always innovating, and it is also a great career option since it is always looking for people to work in every of its sectors. If you think about it, in every step of our daily life you are surrounded by the business, such as buying a cup of coffee, from getting served at the restaurant and even getting a take-away food. On this assessment it was given two tasks to analyse, the first part of the project it will be analysed the products and services that offer food and/or beverage in 6 establishments in New Zealand and globally. In the second part, from those places, it will be analysed the benefits and problems of those products and services for the customer and the company in terms of productivity and profitability. Hospitality industry can be divided in four sectors: Accommodation, Food services, Beverage services and Casino. On this essay, it will be focused only food and beverage sectors, which includes, accordingly, restaurants, cafes, bars, fast food chains and catering services. (J. Jason, personal communication, February 2019). Firstly, what needs to be understood is the difference between product and service. Product is something tangible, basically someone needs to be there to receive it, it can be manufactured, stored, sold. Service, on the other hand, is intangible, is the action made by someone to someone else and it is always changing, is something you cannot take back to your home. With that in mind we can mention some examples, for instance, at a restaurant - when you walk in the place and you are received by the host, taken to your table and offered the food and drinks menu, that count as customer service, because you are receiving it at the exact moment by someone else. Now, when the drink comes, then the food, that is the product you are consuming, that is being sold by the establishment to you. Now, an analysing the beverage sector, bars and pubs for example, services provided can be the security, to prevent unwanted customers, and also live band to entertain and attract more customers. Product however is what you are paying for, such as cocktails, beers and snacks available on the menu. (J. Jason, personal communication, February 2019). The food and beverages department are the main sector of hospitality providing over 50% of profits to establishments and countries (P. Novak, 2017, Hospitality Net) and is an industry that will never stop growing. Statistics made in the US has shown that the beverage sector itself has been in constant grow since the 90’s in the US, not only in terms of sales or the increase of places to drink, but also the ratio of hiring staff has been increasing as well. (Statista, (n.d.)). For this assessment the establishment chosen for further explanation is ‘Bars’ and below follow the chosen establishments to discuss with more details about the products and services they offer. A. Establishments worldwide: A.1 The Blue Pub – Sao Paulo, Brazil Located only two blocks away from the Paulista Avenue, one of them main avenues in town, The Blue Pub is quite hidden at first sight, but once you get inside, you are amazed by the atmosphere the place is capable of holding. The venue offers separate rooms, so you enjoy a nice dinner with friends and family, a private room for functions or just have a drink at the smallest bar and also perhaps be more comfortable at the main room, where you can find a dance floor, plus a stage for live bands that happens ever weekly. Besides the live shows, the it also has a big screen when an important sports events in on, such as UFC, Super Bowl or World Cup. On holidays, such as St. Patricks, the bar presents the green beer, typical for the occasion, which attracts customers from all over town. A.2 Gibi Cultura Geek – Sao Paulo, Brazil As mention by the own owners on their website, “the bar was created not only to be just a bar, but also a place dedicated for the geek culture in all its aspects”. The bar located in Sao Paulo, does not disappoint in terms of products and services offered to their customers, it has a dedicated space for those who love video games and super-heroes. With hundreds of comic books, comic strips, toy models and exhibitions of action figures at display, the place also counts with a space for get-togethers, workshops, a small store, as well as, café and a bar. Another service to be considered is the programming on TV, which counts with series, such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, movies and events such as the Comic-Con in The United States, instead of sports matches. Their menu stands out for the customize food, unusual names and presentation of cocktails and for the variety of beers, including Brazilian and international craft beers, as it can be seen on the images below. A.3 Skye Bar & Restaurant – Sao Paulo, Brazil The place itself is an attraction not only for the residents in Sao Paulo, but also for those travelling around. Located on the top floor of the Hotel Unique, a reference for modern and original design, the bar has a red rooftop pool (available for hotel guest during the day) and a 360-view over the city skyline, which creates a relaxed environment through the afternoon and night time. The infrastructure is something to be amazed as well, wooden decked terrace, stylish furniture and an underwater sound system, so you can hear the music from the DJs that plays nightly. In addition to that, it also offers a snack menu with Brazilian food and a sushi bar, as well as, a great variety of fine drinks. A.4 Canon – Seattle, The United Stated of America Opened in 2011 it has been considered World’s 50 Best Bar since 2014. Canon has a vintage style, presenting over 4.000 labels, with a largest collection of American whiskey, the proud owner Jamie Boudreau, owns more bottles than the Bourbon Museum in Kentucky. Not just the wide collection, but the historic bottles is something to notice as well, such as the almost 80-years-old Chartreuse. (V. Allecia, 2017, Punch Drink). Besides the whiskey display, as seen on the picture above, which needs a library leader to have access to everything, the bar has a spirits list with 146 electronic pages, in which 118 of those are just whiskeys, with a range of prices starting from US$7 going over US$1500. A.5 Lar Mar – Sao Paulo, Brazil Is not because Sao Paulo does not have access to the beach that it will stop them from going to one and that is the reason of opening this bar. With a mixture of bar, restaurant, studio and surf shop, the place even has 16 tons of sand brought straight from the beach to create a summer vibe for those living in the concrete jungle. Felipe Arias, CEO, says that the business is a dream coming true, referring to the area as a place where he would like to spend most of his day, in fact he invites everyone to take off their shoes and ‘free your feet’ on the area where the sand is. The place has free wi-fi so is a perfect for those who want a different location to work or study. On the drinks menu you can find classic cocktails, as well as unique ones from the house and Fridays and Saturdays nights during summer is a perfect place to enjoy live music (Joao Rabay (n.d.) Hypeness). A.6 Unicorn – Seattle, The United States of America. Many reviews online seem to describe the Unicorn with the same words ‘Mystical, hyperactive carnival theme’, the place seems like it is part of a scenario of Willy Wonka factory (W. Fulton, 2018. Thrillist) with designed furniture’s and unique environment it also counts with a second bar on the ground floor with arcade games, a stage for performances and photo booth for a nostalgic moment. The menu has also a carnival style, consisting of affordable deep-fry food and cocktails, starting from US7 up to US$15. Interestingly, the American hip hop artist Macklemore & Ryan Lewis recorded part of his worldwide hit “Thrift Shop” at Unicorn. B. Establishments in New Zealand B.1 The Bramble – Onehunga, Auckland Located in Onehunga, between two Chinese take-away, it honestly does not look attractive from the outside, but once you get inside you feel a vibrant energy. The place is considered one of the best cocktail bars in Auckland and also with the best staff. As seen on picture two, the venue is an intimacy place, which offers beers, wine, light snacks, but that does not compare to range of cocktails presented by award-winners mixologists. When trying to find more online is not easy to get more details about the place, not even their own website has a schedule of events or special nights, but customers reviews does not disappoint in terms of satisfaction with the place and the beverages. They are so proud of the cocktail inventions that on their Instagram feed (@thecocktailco) you can find not only some of the drinks, but also the recipes, so people can venture themselves and try to recreate the drinks. B.2 Holey Moley – Auckland City The Holey Moley is a new bar located at the viaduct, with its inauguration in October 2018, it has been attracting many people due its unique style in town, a place you can not only have food and drinks, but also enjoy of a mini golf. Like some critics mentioned in articles online, is a playground created for grown-ups (Marilynn McLachlan, 2018, Urban List). The visual set does not count with the traditional mini golf set some people are used to be, but instead an alternative display that might remind some of their childhood, such as ‘The Flintstones’, ‘The Simpsons’, ‘ET’, ‘Jaws’ and many other different sets. The venue has with two floors, a food selection that includes vegetarian and vegan options, along with cocktail that are house signatures. B.3 Esplanade Bar – Devonport, Auckland The Esplanade Hotel is a historical place in Devonport. Built in 1902, it has been a landmark since its construction. The design resembles the Victorian age and today it gives a contract with the other establishments around the city. (Heritage New Zealand (n.d.). Referring to the bar, is a relaxed place, where the customer can enjoy from beers on tap, New Zealand wines, as well as friendly staff always prompt to help. The bar offers live jazz every Tuesday, with two bands that take turn every week, and on Wednesday for those who live in the neighbourhood, have the chance to enjoy the Quiz night, with voucher prizes to enjoy at the bar at anytime. The space also counts with a separate room for functions of all kinds, from private dinner, to conference rooms, birthdays and wedding celebrations. B.4 The Fiddler Irish Bar – City Centre, Auckland Like it is described on their own website, “Auckland’s small (but perfectly formed) Irish bar”, the two-floor establishment is located in the heart of the city, close to the Sky Tower. On the ground floor you will find the small bar, with a wide selection of beers and spirits, not only local ones, but from Ireland and around the world itself, also a live band performs every night to entertain the hundreds of people that go to the bar. On the second floor you will find a pool table that is available to anyone, just need to insert a $2 coin for every new game, which does not seem to be a problem for those customers that attend the place almost everyday just for that. Also, a balcony is available for those who like to have a fresh breeze and enjoy the view of Victoria Street, or maybe have a smoke without going outside the premises. B.5 The Bluestone Room – Auckland Central Situated in the oldest commercial building in Auckland, The Bluestone Room is what many considered a ‘hidden gem’, due the fact that is not exposed in the main streets of the city and there are no billboards to catch everyone’s attention, truly known only by the locals. Considered as a heritage building, the venue does not offer the typical ‘heritage look’, but instead a fusion of antique architect and modern trends, with craft beers, classic cocktails, as well as a contemporary restaurant. (Eventfinda (n.d.). The second floor is a separate area only for functions, with its own bar and music system, so the music from the first floor does not interfere with the second and vice-versa. The place is capable of holding private parties, weddings, business conferences and so on, accommodating comfortably over 200 seated guests. B.6 Tiny Triumphs – Devonport, Auckland One of the few bars in Devonport, also known as The Sawmill, but TT’s is how it is called by the locals, has a relaxed atmosphere with large wooden tables on the outside and a vintage environment on the inside. Who sees from the outside it seems a folk place, but once you get inside the environment changes for a vintage furniture with a TV that displays antique movies. Even with a small bar the experienced staff is always willing to help with suggestions of beers, wines and cocktails as well as one-on-one hint of mixology and special drinks or even just to have a nice chat. Great environment to enjoy the end of the day and through the night. As part of the second segment of this assessment, now it will be analysed four specific products and/or services offered by these establishments and the benefits and problems they bring for not only the customer but also the business, keeping in mind the productivity and profitability. Considering The Blue Pub, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, shall be considered the service off streaming sports events life for its customers. Sports is an important matter for Brazilians, so a place that can provide a big screen for life events has everything to boost its profit and expand its clientele. That is the benefit number one for customers and establishment, once people have the opportunity to gather with friends and enjoy the event outside their houses and for the establishment, where more people is equivalent to more profit. On the other hand, at the same time it is a benefit, it can also be considered as a problem both sides need to face. The manager on duty needs to make sure all their customers are on an adequate level of sobriety, otherwise drunk customers can cause misunderstandings with others, instigating unhappy clients that might believe that will not be good place to watch a future event. Some people may not like the idea of a large public at the same place cheering for something, once different arguments can lead to aggression, especially in cities like Sao Paulo, where (unfortunately) it can happen quite often.