The Industry
Beverage operations in the hotel industry can account for up to 70% of the F&B department's profits. It is crucial, therefore, to focus efforts on four key areas: a well-established beverage program, enhanced customer experience, increased revenue, and more effective control over operational costs.
Often overlooked, the beverage program forms the foundation of an optimal customer experience. It boosts revenue and improves cost efficiency. A clear definition of standards is essential to reflect the image and ensure the sustainability of a business.
Auberge St-Antoine and Relais & Châteaux
Founded in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is an association of 580 distinctive hotels and restaurants worldwide, led by independent entrepreneurs dedicated to their craft and fostering lasting connections with customers. Alfred Technologies is proud to serve prestigious clients such as Auberge Saint-Antoine, Manoir Hovey, Stonehaven Le Manoir, and Le restaurant Tanière, all distinguished members of Relais & Châteaux.
Nestled in UNESCO's World Heritage site in Quebec City, Auberge Saint-Antoine transcends the typical boutique hotel experience, blending timeless elegance, modern comfort, and unparalleled convenience in the heart of Canada's historically richest district. In 2023, Auberge Saint-Antoine was named the best hotel in Quebec and has been recognized with the Wine Spectator's Best Award of Excellence since 2022.
Challenges
Due to recent turnover in sommelier staff, the Auberge team faced operational challenges. This change necessitated a review of their beverage program, optimization of wine cellar management, and improvement of organizational structure to enhance the overall ROI of the program.
Challenges in operational coordination and task performance highlighted the need for solutions to stabilize and support staff, optimize processes, and solidify their long-term vision through program redesign.
"We underestimate how much managing our cellar impacts us financially and our clients," explains Roxane Reynaud, CFO at Auberge Saint-Antoine.
Solution
In addition to offering AI-supported tools, Alfred Technologies provides outstanding expertise. Our VP of Expertise, Ian Purtell, a three-time Wine Spectator Grand Award winner, guided Auberge Saint-Antoine in this project, having led a 20,000-bottle program himself.
In addition to refining their existing beverage program to utilize the full potential of their current and future inventory, Mr. Purtell recommended implementing SOPs to highlight variances and protect the owner's assets.
Concrete actions proposed included leveraging optimal tasting periods and market values to uncover hidden opportunities. Topics such as pricing strategies, sales techniques for staff, food and wine pairings, automated withdrawals, implementation of financial and operational dashboards, PAR stock management, and more were addressed.
By automating routine tasks like inventory management and optimizing wine cellar operations, Alfred enabled staff to focus more on improving customer service and overall guest experience—critical priorities aligned with Auberge Saint-Antoine's vision. This support not only improved their operational efficiency but also strengthened their ability to deliver exceptional service, crucial for maintaining their high hospitality standards.
"I appreciated Ian's approach. He first studied our needs and then suggested the best way forward. Some aspects of managing our cellar were unclear, and his advice put us on a more structured and organized path that's easier to manage day-to-day," says Alexandre Kassatly, General Manager of Auberge Saint-Antoine.
Despite initial apprehensions about change, the project progressed gradually, ensuring team training at each stage. They were able to participate in implementing Alfred's solution, addressing issues such as the challenging location of wine bottles within a collection of over 6,000 bottles.
"Our employees are now convinced that these changes are here to stay and realize that their work has become easier," shared Jean-François Bédard, Director of Food & Beverage. He adds, "Even someone with little experience can easily find their way thanks to the framework established in Alfred. We've gone from 15 minutes to 1 minute to locate a product in our cellar." Direct impact on customer experience.
Results
As recommendations have been recently implemented, it is still too early to provide the full extent of results, but Auberge Saint-Antoine already perceives several positive changes. This includes selling dormant products to introduce diversified offerings aligned with their brand image, aiming to enhance customer appeal and satisfaction. Efficient sorting based on bottle expiration dates minimizes potential losses, while smart stock management optimizes rotation to ensure constant availability of preferred items. Ultimately, satisfied employees have regained enthusiasm for offering specialty products.
"We achieved the results we were looking for with his intervention. We are now capable of doing much more than before. For example, targeting wines to sell first, knowing the values of our products… We now use the full potential of technology to help us make better decisions in our daily operations. Ian's intervention wasn't just about showing us how technology works, but rather how we should manage our beverage program, which adds enormous value," shares Mr. Price, owner of Auberge Saint-Antoine.
Long-term, AI will refine its models and offer a wide range of offerings contributing to revenue growth of up to 20%. These changes reflect a more comprehensive operational vision that not only streamlines operations but also enhances the overall customer experience, reinforcing sales growth and profitability goals.
"Our priority is the customer, and today, it is the customer who will benefit," concludes Roxane Reynaud.
