One of the cities I’m lucky enough to travel to for work on a regular basis is Los Angeles, where style meets substance and innovation abounds, especially where it concerns places frequented by whimsical celebrities or any other shiny-new-toy chaser.

During a previous visit to the Montage Beverly Hills – an opulent five-star property in this uber-chic of chic neighborhoods – I sat down with the general manager, Todd Orlich, to discuss the choice to convert their premier and perennially successful restaurant, Scarpetta, into a whole new venture called Georgie. To sum up the rationale in a nutshell, when you are market leader in the luxury segment, sometimes you have to predict (and often create!) new trends in consumer behavior.

Georgie is the result of anticipating a turn in the tide and acting before revenues or reputation suffered. On my most recent return to the sprawling metropolis, I finally had a chance to experience this new iteration and see firsthand how the paradigm for modern casual luxury dining is shifting.

A caveat: this is not a restaurant review nor is it intended to provide a commentary on any dish in particular. Rather, let’s talk about what you can learn and adopt for your own venues. First a leading F&B hub like LA…then the world. That’s how trends generally work. Take these two key insights to heart so you can implement them on your property before everyone else catches on.

Sharing Plates Are Commonplace

I have not seen your dinner menu, but I suspect that it splits into the obligatory divisions of appetizers, mains and desserts with a separate cocktails or wine list. This time-honored approach forms the basis of menu development and helps to focus many chefs’ thinking (as well as the ingredient costs for F&B directors).

At Georgie, they have added a new category to the mix called ‘snacks’ and given it the same prominence as the mains. Otherwise known as ‘tapas’ at nouveau Spanish restaurants or ‘sharing plates’ to everyone else, this concept hasn’t really breached the more traditional luxury segment. High-end eateries have long strived to maintain an air of prestige with more sophisticated cuisine, better service and loftier prices than your average greasy spoon. But this often marks them as special occasion venues, which reduces the number of patrons who can afford to be habitués.

Whether it’s spurred by the peculiarities of the millennials or not, the introduction of snacks at Georgie helps to confirm that luxury dining is moving towards an ‘everyday indulgence’ model. Flexibility is key in this new archetype – sample a couple dishes over late afternoon drinks, grab a quick meal at a great place without the pomp and ceremony or share a bunch of different plates with your friends without the pressure of too much money down or time spent.

By adding this new tier, guests can personalize their dining experiences to meet their own styles and needs. Furthermore, with sharing plates in the range of $12 to $18 USD, diners won’t get any sticker shock from viewing the menu – the addition of the snack category provides a psychologically lower entry price point to boost overall meal enjoyment.

Sommelier By The Glass

Fine dining is typically accompanied by fine wines that are tailored to the dish based upon a recommendation by the server or the sommelier. The challenge has always been that the good wines are sold only by the bottle, with the by-the-glass wine selection limited to a few bestsellers or ‘economical’ options. The implication at many high-end eateries, though, has always been that ordering a bottle is expected while going glass-by-glass relegates you to the steerage section. That can quite intimidating for those on a budget.

As always, new technology has come to the rescue. No doubt you’ve seen the Wineemotion machines in action, most of which are prominently displayed at bars. The device that Georgie has deployed is the portable Coravin Wine Bottle System. Through a clever combination of polymers and pneumatics, Coravan extends the by-the-glass selection to labels far beyond the price range of thrifty guests. With offerings in both three and five ounce pours, these systems allow patrons to sample wines usually reserved for special occasions or sommelier courses.

Moreover, imbibing with a full bottle is a binary affair that many will reject because they have to watch their alcohol consumption (especially in a drive-or-die city like LA). Coravin or Wineemotion systems let guests have a little taste without impairing their reflexes, ultimately resulting in more liquor sales and greater meal satisfaction. On Amazon.com, the Coravin opener is listed at less than $300 USD, so capital requirements will not preclude you from entertaining this concept at your outlet.

(Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in Hotel Interactive on September 20, 2016)