Coffee Program and Standards for Hotel RL Properties
Program Summary: Coffee consumers are more educated than ever and are expecting higher quality coffee. In response, RLHC has partnered with VIBE Coffee Group, who roasts and distributes both Whidbey Coffee and Victrola Coffee. Hotel RL properties will incorporate Victrola Coffee products. This brand partnership will make our coffee offering relevant to your audience and we have committed to making our coffee experience a priority. Victrola Coffee is roasted weekly and will be ground fresh at the property level to provide a memorable guest coffee experience.
Objective: Hotel RL will feature a prominent coffee bar within the lobby space, inviting hotel guests and those in the neighborhood to drop in for a premium coffee experience. This bar will require certified baristas who will be trained by VIBE coffee. Drip coffee and espresso drinks will be available in a variety of formats. We will source drip coffee products and espresso coffee products from our partner, Victrola Coffee Roasters. Contacts:
Amanda Marcello, VP of Food & Beverage at RLHC | 415-231-4988 | [email protected]
Jay Lijewski, Brand Manager for Vibe Coffee Group | 415-990-2556 | [email protected]
Procedure: Please review the following pages for more detailed information regarding the coffee program changes at your property. Including setup, equipment specifications, products, training, and staffing.
Victrola Coffee started in 2000 and has been a key player in a long and proud Seattle coffee history. We have coffee bars in four Seattle neighborhoods including our flagship Roastery-Cafe in Capitol Hill. Through our relationships within the coffee industry we are connected to the bleeding edge of coffee as well as the most well respected longstanding players in the game. Victrola is known for excellent high-scoring coffees focused on a seasonal approach to coffee quality and expert-level education. Our connections, both stateside and abroad, provides us with a global perspective on what coffee is and what it can be. We have great people and a great product and we can’t wait to get started.
The coffee consumer has come to understand that coffee is more than a cup of joe. It’s no wonder meetings, mornings, studying, conversation, afternoon pick-me-ups and road trips all contain coffee. We now expect more from coffee—not just quality roasts brewed with pride in the cup, but also an understanding of the connection to the global story of coffee. Our coffees have stood out in the crowd, scoring 90+ on Coffee Review and roast it to highlight the naturally present qualities that make that coffee special. Check this video out for more about our partner: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jd41xnaxqa7or7p/Whidbey%20Wholesale%20video.mov?dl=0
Guest Coffee Offerings
Hotel RL will remove in-room coffee makers* and offer a daily, complimentary cup of premium drip coffee or an espresso-based beverage, available in the lobby for a four hour period. Based on the business at your property, you may decide to start this at 4:30 a.m., 5:00 a.m., or 5:30 a.m. Branded coffee collateral will be placed in each guest room, outlining the offerings and hours. Drip coffee should be prominently displayed with clear visibility in order to encourage guests in a hurry to grab drip coffee as well as to avoid confusion and bottlenecks in the lobby area. If a guest should ask about complimentary coffee outside of the hours planned, property staff and management should use customer service common sense to serve them.
For tracking complimentary espresso drinks at Hotel RL – This may vary by property, but we suggest printing out rooms report nightly and checking off the guests name as they order their specialty espresso beverage.
We require keeping in-room coffee makers in handicap accessible rooms and require single-serve machines featuring Whidbey Coffee single-serve coffee pods. Perm and Contract Business may also require these in-room, single-serve coffee makers. Hours of Operation – Hours of Operation Hotel RL Coffee Bar hours of operation can vary based on the property, but we suggest running the café from 5:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Some properties may want to expand hours to further increase their opportunity for sales. Baristas will need to be scheduled 30 minutes prior opening to warm up espresso machine, brew coffee, etc.
Hotel RL Coffee Bar • A full coffee bar is mandatory for Hotel RL properties • Requires full barista staff with approximately five days of training and certification • It is highly critical that you share your design plans for the coffee bar with us, so that we can review
carefully and share feedback for better flow and ease of use during high volume periods. The following prices are subject to change and are for budgetary purposes only.
Espresso Synesso Hydra 2 Group Custom $15,109.00 plus shipping and tax Mahlkonig Peak Espresso Grinder $2,081.25 plus shipping and tax Mazzer Mini E Espresso Grinder (Decaf) $1,137.50 plus shipping and tax Bulk Brewing Bunn ICB Twin Tall Brewer $1,348.73 plus shipping and tax Bunn TF DSG2 Digital Server 1 Gal (4 qty) $1,127.00 plus shipping and tax Bunn MHG Grinder $1,297.28 plus shipping and tax Pour Over Bar Bunn H5X Water Tower $808.50 plus shipping and tax Mahlkoenig Kenia Bulk Grinder -Pour Over $1,378.13 plus shipping and tax
*Please note this doesn’t include the cost for drip brewing equipment to support lobby, restaurant, banquet, and BOH brewing needs. Cost can range from $3,500 - $6,500.
Single Serve Coffee Pots
• Required for handicap accessible rooms and for permanent/contract business that require in-room coffee in their rooms.
• Approximately $18 each. This number may decrease based on quantity purchased. • Available for purchase through:
BUNN is our recommended brew system. Vibe Coffee Company has a great relationship with them and we recommend BUNN-installed solutions for all equipment to be collected by Royal Cup as well as any incompatible equipment. Approved Water Filtration is required to uphold factory warranty on all coffee equipment. Vibe Coffee Company will work with each property directly to understand the specifics of your coffee program and equipment needs.
Branded Wraps for Coffee Urns
• Required by all brands • New coffee urn wraps will be used throughout lobby as well as meeting and catering services • For ordering information on the coffee urn wraps, visit redlion.sharepoint.com (Office365>Purchasing>
Approved Specs & Product Info.)
How equipment orders will be placed?
Contact Jay Lijewski to schedule a site evaluation in-person or via FaceTime/video call. This is crucial to understanding the nuances of your property and making the proper designs and recommendations.
• Hotel RL espresso bar equipment o Eight weeks prior to install, contact Jay Lijewski to place order o 50% deposit required to place this order
• Back of House Batch Brew coffee equipment for banquet, restaurant, etc.
o Eight weeks prior to install, contact Jay Lijewksi to confirm coffee equipment needs and place order
o 50% deposit required to place this order
• Single Serve Coffee Machines for Select Rooms o Six weeks prior to install, contact Erik Keyes at BarGreen Ellingson ([email protected]) to
place your order
Service Help
When something goes wrong, the first step is to contact Jay Lijewski to help and diagnose over the phone. If a technician visit is required, Jay will provide contact information for a qualified tech in your area.
Many issues can be resolved quickly if your property is using our recommended equipment from BUNN. However, we understand you may have other manufacturers for your coffee equipment and are willing and able to assist and recommend help and solutions.
Coffee Products-
Coffee Products
Which coffees need to be ordered and offered? • For espresso: Streamline Blend • For batch brew/drip: Empire Blend • For decaf: Deco Decaf Blend can be used for both decaf espresso
and decaf drip • For single origin option: this seasonal rotating option will be used
for higher-priced single-cup pour-over coffee. What paper products are required?
• Victrola Branded 8 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz hot cups • Black lids • Clear 12 oz and 16 oz. cold cups with matching lids (generic) • Victrola branded sleeves
How to order coffee and coffee products?
Coffee has shelf life like any other produce. We want you serve your customers amazing coffee and freshness does matter.
Coffee Brand Hotel Brand Ordering Lifecycle
Victrola Hotel RL Weekly ordering required to ensure fresh rotation of coffee.
• Retail displayed coffee should be rotated weekly. Pulled retail coffee should be used for pour-over. We advise coffee is used no more than 14 days from roast date.
• Batch brew coffee – No more than 14 days past roast date.
• Streamline espresso – No more than 14 days past roast date.
• Expired coffee can be used for cold brew up to 21 days past roast date.
Whidbey (Single Serve Cups)
Hotel RL Handicap Accessible Rooms and Perm/Contract Rooms
Determined by the property based on volume.
• Expiration date will be on the box, these are good up to 1 year after packing date.
• Victrola Coffee sells all Bulk coffee, hot and cold cups with lids that match and paper sleeves • Straws, stir-sticks, napkins, sugar, and syrups will be available for purchase through your food
distributor • Your weekly orders will be made by Tuesday at 12 p.m. PST using VIBE’s online system
(www.VibeCoffeeGroup.com). Work with Jay Lijewski to set up your property’s accounts. We encourage weekly orders to avoid unnecessary rush shipping costs to the property.
• Whidbey Single Serve Regular and Decaf Cups will be available through HD Supply starting October 1, 2016. Follow regular ordering procedures for HD Supply. Hot cups, sleeves and lids will be available through HD Supply starting October 1, 2016.
Coffee Pricing
The prices below DO NOT including shipping and handling charges and are subject to change every year in January. They are outlined below for budgetary planning purposes.
Coffee Brand Hotel Application Price
Streamline Espresso Victrola Espresso for Hotel RL $8 per lb
Empire Blend Victrola Regular Drip for Hotel RL $8 per lb.
Decco Decaf Victrola Espresso/Drip for Hotel RL $9 per lb.
Single Origin Victrola Pourover Bar for Hotel RL Market Price
Whidbey (Single Serve Cups)
Handicap Accesible Rooms and Contract/Perm Rooms at Red Lion Hotels
Determined by the property based on volume.
Expiration date will be on the box, these are good up to 1 year after packing date.
Coffee Menu
The below is a sample of the coffee and espresso drink offerings and pricing. This can be customized based on your clientele to include up to two more special drinks that fit your clientele. These should be displayed on chalkboard walls behind the barista station or on oversized chalkboards, written by a chalk artist with a creative touch for additional imagery.
Seasonal coffee drink recipes for Hotel RL (Four Seasons/Four Drinks)
Our goal is to provide a top-tier coffee program that provides consistency for travelers. We also want to keep it interesting for repeat guests. Victrola Coffee Roasters will provide seasonal drink recipes four times a year (spring, summer, winter, fall). These recipes should be available at each Hotel RL property.
Monin will be our vendor partner for flavor syrups and Ghirardelli for our chocolate and sauce products needed for the super automatic machines and coffee carts.
Which products to offer/stock?
• Monin Syrup core coffee flavors: o Vanilla o Caramel o Hazelnut
o Sugar Free Vanilla
• Ghirardelli Core Chocolate Products o Black Label Chocolate Sauce o Caramel Sauce
How to Purchase
These products are available through most broad liners including Sysco, US Foods, and some Cash and Carry locations.
Training and Certifying Staff-
The purpose for our efforts in upgrading our program is for RLHC to be known for our coffee. In order to accomplish this, we must exceed the expectations of an increasingly well-educated customer. Even the casual coffee consumer expects more now than just a few years ago. Things like latte art, proper coffee brewing and knowledgeable baristas are becoming commonplace and the high-level training from Victrola Coffee will ensure we keep pace with this moving target.
Hotel RL Coffee Cafe Training Timeline
• Initial trainings will occur just after installation and no more than one week before regular coffee service starts.
• Initial espresso training will be 4-5 days with member of VIBE Coffee
• This training is designed for the dedicated barista staff who will be using the equipment on a daily basis. It’s imperative that we use this limited training time solely for staff whose primary focus will be the coffee program. We suggest that the Director of Food & Beverage or another manager at the property participates in the training and becomes certified, so that they can retrain and train new staff as staffing changes occur. Training is setup for four participants.
• The team from VIBE will help identify a Barista Lead. This Barista Lead will be someone who is highly-motivated and committed to improving and upholding standards. VIBE will work with and through this person to be able to train new hires and other staff at your property.
• Jay Lijewski is our primary liaison with VIBE for ongoing training and support. He will be in regular contact with you and your Barista Lead and help coordinate and deliver supplemental training at regular intervals throughout the year.
Training Costs
The below table outlines the training costs per brand. All trainings and audits are a mandatory requirement of the Vibe Coffee Group license agreement.
Property Type Training Required Vibe Staff Rate
Hotel RL (Full Café) and BOH Batch Brewing 4 Days Training Onsite One Brand Trainer $3,500*
6 Month QC Audit (One required per year at Hotel RL)
1 Day Onsite Evaluation One Brand Trainer $1,000*
* In addition to the costs above each property is responsible to cover travel expenses/lodging/transportation.
Marketing
The below collateral has been developed by our marketing team to better communicate your coffee program to your hotel guests. Please visit the Marketing section of SharePoint for further direction on how to order these items.
• Lobby Messaging • Hotel RL Pre-arrival email promo tile • Magic Moment/Special Service • Hotel RL Elevator Messaging • In Room Coffee Signage • Coffee bar menu files
How Tos and Other Resources-
• Cut Sheets for Equipment Selection – As this is property specific, please contact Jay Lijewski for cut sheets and specs for all of your coffee equipment.
• Resources Available on SharePoint (Office365 > Operations > Food and Beverage) o Batch Brewing Instructions and Cleaning Instructions o Barista Job Description o Sample Training Schedule for Hotel RL Coffee Bar o Victrola Espresso Drink Recipes o Sample Small Wares order for Hotel RL o Video Resource: Batch Brewing o Video Resource: Overview of Vibe Coffee Company
RLHC Contact:
Amanda Marcello, Vice President of Food & Beverage [email protected] T 415-231-4988 | M 415-231-4988
