How the ultimate mini bar boosts revenue and guest reviews
When I had the pleasure of meeting manager and co-owner Chris McNally of Stillwater Seven, I fell in love with his passion for guest experience and the overwhelming efforts to collaborate locally and within the Tamer region of Tasmania. With a background in inner-city hotels I’ve only ever seen mini bars as a must-have “essential”. However, Stillwater Seven takes it to a whole other level.
Let me give you some background first. Stillwater is one of Launceston’s most high profile awarded restaurants with views of the Tamar River. As part of the growing trend towards restaurants with rooms, Seven opened in March 2019. Seven is a unique, compelling 7 room property, in a converted 1830s flour mill. A stunning heritage restoration bringing modern design and functionality.
Seven’s rooms are spacious and are packed with Tasmanian-made things, from woollen blankets woven at Waverley Mills to bespoke furniture from local designer Simon Archer.
The show stopper is the extensive minibar, or should I say pantry, which is beautifully housed in a custom handcrafted cabinet made in Tasmania Oak also designed by Simon Ancher. Open the curve doors and a light goes on, illuminating Tasmanian-focused food and beverage heaven.
Nicole: When a Stillwater Seven guest opens the custom pantry in their room, what mini bar items will they find?
Chris: Booze-wise, it’s all about Tasmanian distilleries and includes Lark whisky and delicious Sheep Whey vodka from hartshorn, oblong bottled cocktails (a collaboration with Hobart’s Taylor & Smith distillery and Dier Makr restaurant), plus the exemplary range of local beer, wine and kombucha complemented with Ridel glassware.
The food offerings are epic, truffle chips and Tasmanian biltong, a range of charcuterie, cheese and pickles, including freshly baked sourdough bread from the Stillwater kitchen that is delivered fresh each day with a pad of butter and of course chocolates from local markers Pod.
Nicole: What was the thought process behind the procurement of each product?
Chris: The Blackwood Tasmania oak custom mini bar was crafted as a piece of art. From the evolution of the cabinet it was clear that the products selected had to pay homage to the local craftsmanship. There are 53 items in the mini bar including the glassware, the products are all locally sourced from organic producers representing sustainability and evolution to the region.
Nicole: Your award winning restaurant Stillwater is renowned for its affiliation with local producers that endorse fresh food from the local environment promoting substantially in every way. I love the way you describe “ensuring happy animals for better meat”. Did the restaurant influence the mini bar?
Chris: Most definitely, the ethos of locally sourced, harvest and endorsed was followed through to Seven mini bar. We use some of the same suppliers that we use in Stillwater restaurant. They come from small producers, but they all have boutique brand affiliations. The sommelier at one of our boutique producers curated a special cocktail for us and we are currently offering wine from a local vineyard that is only available at their cellar door, and our mini bar.
Nicole: How do you feel your collaboration with your local suppliers, producers and tastemakers influences the experience for your guests?
Chris: Our guests are given the opportunity to discover items that are rare or are not even publicly available. Everything comes from the region - from the wine, whiskey, cheese, truffles and the chocolate. Every product in our mini bar has a story to tell by identifying its origin and the local producers. It really resonates with our guests, which is all part of the experience.
Nicole: It would be fair to say that your mini bar is more comprehensive than most hotels. Can you tell us about the design and the process you go through to select what’s inside?
Chris: The handcrafted cabinet is designed to showcase a rich amount of products. As the cabinet is so well crafted, it presents all products beautifully and it aligns to all shapes and sizes.
Some of the products are seasonal so the menu selection can change up to three or four times. Perishability has never really been a factor as the products are so popular with guests.
Nicole: How does your minibar impact the operations?
Chris: We are a small hands on team and operation, we do not over complicate the process. Currently the products, par levels and supply are managed through the Stillwater’s restaurant supervisor. Housekeeping delivers, presents items and records usage. It is easily managed with a small number of rooms.
Nicole: If I was to purchase the entire mini bar outright, what would it cost me? Can you advise what is your % take up and the most popular item?
Chris: The total mini bar cabinetry and mini bar contents is $14,550. The contents alone come to about $950. We go through the contents in the mini bar twice a month. We actually sell the entire cabinet including the contents around 6 times a year. We are well known locally for our mini bars, so locals often call to place an order for a birthday, a wedding day hamper or a dinner party.
Our most popular items are locally made chocolates and the Tasmanian spirits such as the Hartshorn Sheeps Whey Vodka and the Lark Classic Cask Single Malt Whisky.
Nicole: I know that you call your guests before they arrive at Stillwater Seven. Do you ever mention the mini bar to them or leave it as a surprise?
Chris: I personally contact each guest two days prior to arrival and get a feel for what they want to experience during their stay. This also helps me understand their favourite food and beverage preferences. If a guest only drinks merlot, then I will remove the cabernets from the mini bar and provide them with a greater selection of merlots. If someone is coming for a celebration then I will make sure there’s a wider selection of sparkling wine and champagne - from non-vintage to vintage.
We also have freshly baked sourdough bread and a charcuterie board in their room on arrival. In addition, if we know that they have a late arrival and the Stillwater restaurant will be closed, we present them with offerings such as fresh Tasmania natural oysters and a selection of cured meats and olives.
Nicole: How does the mini bar influence your guest experience? Could you do without it?
Chris: We definitely couldn’t do without it. Our mini bar tells a story of Stillwater’s heritage and region and provides a raw, organic experience for our guests to connect with the local tastemakers, suppliers and producers that is difficult to experience anywhere else.
Our Stillwater Staylist is a curated selection of experiences for our guests to see, eat, play and do during their stay. It’s also been crafted around our mini bar. I worked with Journey Makr to choose off the beaten track places such as the little chocolate pod. It’s down a small windy road with no signage - it’d be hard to find on your own. Each place provides our guests with an authentic experience that will tie back to the origin of the mini bar products in their room.
Article by Nicole Sideris
Chief Customer Officer
Journey Makr
LinkedIn
Nicole is an entrepreneur and dynamic hospitality professional with an eye on the future. She advises hotels on how to digitalise their processes, integrate new technology, use innovations strategically, and transform their business model.
Nicole joined Journey Makr after 20+ years as Group General Manager for brands such as Stamford Hotels & Resorts, Art Series, AHotels and Accor.
