Grab ‘n’ go is a well-defined concept in the hotel industry: Guests grab prepared food at a lobby kiosk and take it to eat after they go. But at Element’s 24-hour Restore pantry, there’s a twist. Guests can grab uncooked or semi-prepared ingredients and go back to their room to make a meal in an in-suite kitchen.

“We joke that it’s our mini Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s,” says Christopher Hartzell, general manager of Element Lexington in Lexington, Massachusetts. The success of the concept is no joke though. Hartzell says 70 percent of his guests use Restore at least once during their stay, and they’re as likely to buy items to cook in their rooms as they are to eat on the run.

“We refer to our Element guests as ‘healthy actives.’ They’re concerned about what they’re consuming, and they think of life on the road the same as when they’re at home,” says Jeremy Cooper, divisional director of F&B, North America Division, Starwood. “Restore is a compelling option for our longer-stay guests, especially when you look at the in-suite kitchens.”

SELF ROOM SERVICE
It’s those in-suite kitchens that turn Restore into more than a simple grab ‘n’ go option, morphing into a source for self room service. At the guest’s disposal are a glass top stove, microwave, refrigerator, cutting board, knives, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, mixing bowls, tableware for four, and more. As for food, Restore sells two types of items for in-room preparation: Ready-Set-Eat and Ready-Set-Cook. Ready-Set-Eat meals are frozen entrées that can be microwaved, while Ready-Set-Cook meals are ingredients such as boxed pasta, raw beef patties, hot dogs, premium lunchmeat, gourmet cheeses, and sauces.

Cooper says target customers are more inclined to use the in-suite kitchens if they’re cooking with high-end brands. Guests who shop at Whole Foods, for example, will instantly recognize Amy’s pesto tortellini, Annie’s macaroni and cheese, and Ciao Bella gelato among the items at Restore.

“It really doubles as self room service,” Cooper says. “Guests are able to cater to themselves with snacks or a full meal. I think people are looking to save money, whether they’re traveling for leisure or business. The ability to self cater becomes a way for our guests to do that.”

Because Restore does not sell fresh produce, bread, or many other perishables, the hotel connects the dots through a partnership with a grocery delivery service. Guests can request what they need through the hotel’s online portal page and have it delivered to their rooms.

At Element Lexington, management goes further, providing a shuttle three times a week to the local farmers’ market, where guests can shop for ingredients to complete an in-suite menu. “We saw that the competition wasn’t offering an all-natural, organic approach to connecting with local vendors or the opportunity to use an online grocery service,” Cooper says.

LOCALLY SOURCED SUCCESS
Local vendors are important to Restore in Lexington, the flagship property in the Element portfolio. Hartzell says about 50 percent of his inventory comes from artisans in the New England area, including organic dog biscuits, salsa, chocolates, and syrup.

As for labor, the 40-square-foot Restore is located right behind the welcome desk, which allows for around-the-clock hours with an employee always present to handle transactions.

Overall, the regionality and flexibility of Lexington’s Restore has been a big hit with guests, and it’s a formula that Starwood aims to repeat across the Element brand, which launched in July 2008 and is expected to have seven locations open by the end of 2009.

“We want to allow the properties to start reaching out to local vendors,” says Cooper. “We get a lot of great feedback, and it’s a young brand headed in the right direction with a unique space in the marketplace.”

Michael Costa is industry relations editor for HOTEL F&B. He worked for several years in the kitchen and in F&B purchasing at a large convention hotel in Chicago, as well as having attended culinary school.