HomeMy WebLinkAboutPeterson - EHU Waver 080407
7 April 2008
Nicole Peterson
Planner II
Town of Vail
Community Development Department
75 South Frontage Road
Vail, CO 81657
RE: Vail Cascades Resort and Spa
Deck Enclosure
EHU Fee
1300 Westhaven Drive
Vail, CO 81657
Dear Ms. Peterson:
Destination Hotels & Resorts and Vail Cascade Resort & Spa respectfully ask the Town of Vail to wave the EHU Fee
for the expansion of our Chaps Restaurant. The decision to pursue expanding Chaps was made to reduce our staff at the hotel not increase it. We live with the difficult local employee
market each day. As such we work to closely manage staffing while keeping the property’s guest service standards high. The proposed Chaps expansion is designed to reduce labor that
supports remote group food service in the Conference Center.
Vail Cascade’s overall guest makeup is 60% group and 40% leisure. The majority of our groups are between 20 and 50 participants.
Most groups request daily continental breakfast and full lunch service. The current Chaps seats 80 and is designed for a la carte service for lunch/dinner and limited buffet at breakfast.
The customer makeup of Chaps is 99% Vail Cascade Resort and Cascade Village condo guest. The restaurant seldom fills completely except during the Christmas/New Year’s period.
Chaps
Average Covers Per Hour
Jan-Mar ‘07
Apr-Jun ‘07
Jul-Sep ‘07
Oct-Dec ‘07
Breakfast (5 hours)
31
14
16
17
Lunch (3 hours)
21
10
13
10
Dinner (4 hours)
27
12
14
15
The
proposed expansion does not affect the basic tenet of the restaurant, Chaps clientele will always be the hotel’s guests due to its remote location and that guest base is finite. It
is a hotel guest amenity.
Currently most groups are served food in the Conference Center which is at the opposite side of the property from the kitchen (see attachment “A”). On a typical day a conference staff
of three sets up and decorates tables in the conference center. This takes about an hour per serving area (each group usually has its own area). The food and beverage department prepares
food in the main kitchen next to Chaps. It is loaded on carts and pushed through the property to the warming kitchen in the conference center. At the same time as the tables are being
set up the F&B staff of three sets out chafing dishes, plates, silverware and other serving equipment on the tables. This takes about an hour per area. At breakfast and lunch the food
is quickly set out and monitored by the F&B staff in each area during the service period (about an hour). When finished the process is repeated in reverse utilizing the same staff and
taking about half the time. In the meantime, the staff at Chaps are of course serving other guests at the same time.
By adding the expansion’s 50 to 60 additional seats and installing
new permanent built-in buffet stations in the restaurant where the Chef’s Table is now, Chaps will be able to comfortably handle multiple groups at one time for breakfast and more importantly
lunch. This will allow direct employee service of the new built-in buffet service stations from the kitchen with efficient staffing. The expansion will also allow separation of larger
groups from others allowing them to have lunch time meeting programs.
By not having to set up, stock and monitor remote food serving areas we will be able to eliminate a minimum of
two F&B full time employees while utilizing the existing Chaps staff to serve the extra guests through the labor saving use of buffets. There would be more employee reductions but there
will still be a need to set up and monitor minimal services for groups such as coffee and soft drinks.
We appreciate your time in taking this matter under consideration. If you have
any questions or comments do not hesitate to reach me either at 303.268.4610 or rburcham@destinationhotels.com.
Sincerely,
Rick Burcham
Project Manager
Destination Hotels & Resorts
L-O
Vail Hotel, Inc.
cc: Gregg Pate
Rick Pylman
Keith Bartlett
Jim Pavisha
w/enclosure