Authored article by Jocelyn Carvalho, General Manager, Deltin Suites, Goa

Discerning travellers enjoy world-class service amidst tranquil surroundings, coupled with awe-inspiring architecture and design, but what makes each stay truly memorable? A tasteful mixture of great service and amazing entertainment is surely a part of a truly memorable and remarkable stay. Eye-catching interiors and fancy menu items may bring in the hipsters by their hundreds but the true hallmark of a well-renowned establishment is the experience attached to them. Themed restaurants vie to do exactly that and they’re well equipped in this regard. People remember their experiences in themed establishments much more than in their generic counterparts.

The pandemic prevented most of us from going out and having a ball with our beloved family and friends. And like the tension in a bow string pulled taut, the release, i.e. relaxation of curfews has been quite a great one. More people are going out and living in the moment, just so they can. This phenomenon is observed in the number of private dining and special occasion arrangement requests. Moreover people are becoming more experimental in their tastes and they wish to try out whatever is the most popular dish or restaurant style on social media. In this regard, social media has become a game changer for restaurants that offer very unique experiences that stand out from the typical restaurant experience.

The most hip restaurants in town are trying new things in the way they serve their guests. While conventionally customers were expected to wait around after a course of meal for the upcoming course, restaurants are now perfecting their serving timings to synchronise each course of meal with the next one. This creates a sublime and fluid dining and makes for a highly distinguishable experience all in all. With small groups, multi-course degustation menus that immerse guests in a dining experience for two to three hours based on a particular theme are also popular with the more refined patrons. It can bring about a big change in the food and dining scene when more people start offering such services. Though it’s a niche crowd that wants to go in for such intimate experiences, the trend is here to stay.

These days the customers are aware of what quality of entertainment they want to experience, thus the entire industry must upgrade themselves in terms of infrastructure and service standards to serve the customer. This means keeping up with how the best establishments in the game are making themselves memorable. One of the best ways to go about achieving this is to incorporate entertainment elements such as live music, open mics, karaoke, poetry recitals, dance etc. Live music is definitely very popular among younger patrons and bringing in well known artists is a surefire tactic to boost an establishment’s footfall and brand value. Many of the most popular cafes and pubs are organising themed days such as comedy nights on a weekly basis that are very engaging and make for a very memorable experience. Such events and

activities when pulled off in the right way by the management team gain a following of their own and make their patrons loyal and regular.

Alternative diet preferences is the big elephant in the room at the moment in the hospitality industry. While the best hotels have been incorporating alternative dietary choices out of sheer utility, they have not yet come around to put their weight behind them fully. So what we have right now is that only a handful of restaurants in the city are available for people practising such diets. This is a domain that has not been fully recognised for the value it may conceal within itself. With the number of people devoted to cruelty-free, veganist and sustainable lifestyles growing by the thousands each year, the hospitality industry must pay heed and follow suit.

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