n 2004, InterContinental Hotels Group, parent company of Holiday Inn, introduced Kemm’s Café, a turnkey restaurant and menu concept named after founder Kemmons Wilson. Kemm’s was adopted by seven Holiday Inns nationwide. A year ago, InterContinental redesigned Kemm’s décor and menu, says Sue Morgan, VP of food and beverage for InterContinental, “to turn it into the perfect food and beverage solution for the new Holiday Inn prototype.”

Using a Kemm’s at the Holiday Inn Gwinnett- Civic Center in Duluth, Georgia, Kemm’s made several modifications to reposition the restaurant and menu to better meet guest expectations. The first change was the name, now Kem’s Restaurant.

For nearly a year, the company analyzed the financial implications of its changes as it sought a “quantifiable guest response relating to pre and post décor package and positioning.” Morgan wanted to ensure that Kem’s was “on trend but not trendy.” After determining that the concept was “extremely well received,” the company presented it before its franchise community as a “viable option.”

One of the most striking things about the original concept that has endured through the new incarnation is its adoption of cutting-edge technology. Fourteen-inch LCD television sets are on the wall at every booth, and a large plasma screen is behind the bar.

Diners seated at booths control each television, and Morgan claims that the cacophony of so many televisions isn’t a problem.

“Ostensibly, the business traveler watches CNN in the morning and sports in the evening. The plasma screen behind the bar is routinely tuned to sports, and it’s a great way—whether alone, meeting business colleagues, or traveling with family—to drift in and participate. It’s a nice social connection.” She also says it is perceived as a courtesy for solo travelers who might feel more comfortable dining with a television to keep them company. “It gives guests an opportunity for control … they have the options to engage at the bar or sit alone and do what they do at home, which is watch TV.”

A WHOLE NEW LOOK
The entire décor package was redefined. “Kemm’s was a nice restaurant,” admits Morgan, “but it was very neutral.” Kem’s new décor, developed by the Atlanta-based Sky design firm, has been jazzed up. “I wanted the color combination to evoke texture and appetite appeal,” says Morgan. “The colors are cinnamon and cayenne, accented with pops of lime.”

Stand-out design elements include a brushed aluminum and frosted acrylic bar soffit. Featuring silhouettes of beer mugs and wine and martini glasses, it is backlit with LED lighting.

Great attention was paid to lighting. “Lighting can work magic,” says Morgan. Many areas of the restaurant are defined through lighting, ranging from pendant lights above each booth to the backlit bar soffit “emphasizing a unique gathering area.”

Chair fabrics went from a staid blue to an abstract pattern incorporating swirls of orange, lime, and blue. Quotes from Kemmons Wilson such as “the secret of happiness is not doing what one likes, but liking what one does” are stenciled on the walls. “They’re conversation starters and grounding in a positive but contemporary statement of Holiday Inn,” Morgan says.

MENU SALIVATORS
The menu was revamped with an eye toward trends in casual dining, with grilled and fresh foods being major drivers. From internal and external research, the company knew “grilled” and “fresh” were key buzzwords that get customers salivating.

The company jettisoned menu items that were slow sellers and made changes where it felt it could substitute a better grilled item. That means meatloaf and fried chicken are gone, but salmon plays a more prominent role. A separate soups and salads section was created, and a veggie platter was introduced. “We know the vegetarian community is not huge, but they need a viable option for dinner,” she explains. Another new element is a “pizza platform” that lends itself well to room service.

Bone-in fried chicken was taken off the menu, but chicken tenders remain. “They are mainstays in casual dining,” says Morgan. “They’re great bar food, a popular kids’ food, a good snack occasion.” And the menu allows modifications for regional specialties. “For example, a property in South Carolina can offer a Low Country boil or grilled shrimp and cheese grits.”

What wasn’t changed is breakfast. All Holiday Inn restaurants use the company’s “Best-4- Breakfast” program, which Morgan claims has been perfected to the point where there is little to improve. That being said, Holiday Inn recently introduced Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee “as a great quality and selection within our coffee and breakfast programs.”

As enticing as Kem’s menu might sound, Morgan emphasizes it is not meant to be adopted on its own without the rest of the package. The Kem’s concept is mostly intended for new builds but can be employed in a retrofit. Two Kem’s are slated to open soon, one outside Las Vegas and the other in Batesville, Mississippi.

There will be continuing innovation in Kem’s menu items, but Morgan expects this version of Kem’s to be here to stay: “I feel very comfortable about the core design relative to the physical attributes of the restaurant.”