A fresh restaurant, bar and outdoor venue hotspot located within Sheraton Austin at the Capitol, backYARD at Waller Creek have taken the reins to break out of the typical hotel restaurant dining experience. Led by Executive Chef Lonny Huot and Director of Food & Beverage Matt Horsley, backYARD features delicious Texas and Spanish-influenced plates and Austin-inspired drinks that not are not only beyond your normal hotel restaurant meal but also perfectly in-tune with the community they are established in.
With goals to progress their success of elevating backYARD’s hotel dining experience, here are a few trend recommendations by Chef Huot (from the food-perspective) and Horsley (from the beverage & hotel perspective):
2018 Hotel Dining Trends:
As told by backYARD’s Executive Chef Lonny Huot:
- Healthy Eating: We see more people leaning towards healthier eating every year. Breakfast is trending more towards cold breakfast cereals, fresh fruits, protein supplements, and juicing. Plus, composed salads for lunch and dinner.
- Bold Flavors: At backYARD we incorporate the use of house made spices, rubs, and the use of assorted chili peppers to create wonderful layers of flavor.
- Be ReSOURCEful: More and more diners want to know where their food is sourced from and how it’s grown. Be knowledgeable about the ingredients being served. Diners care about the environmental impact this has on our communities, country, and the world!
As told by backYARD’s Director of Food & Beverage Matt Horsley:
- Be Local: Incorporate local spirits & brews to truly ingrain the hotel into its community. This is becoming a must, especially in a market like Austin where EVERYONE wants to go local!
- Independence from Hotel: Create an ‘independent’ feel to the hotel outlets. Dining movements like farm-to-table fair just as well in hotel dining, and can create a local feel to the restaurant and allow you to deliver true quality to guests.
- Mirror your Surroundings: For example – Everyone knows Austin is the hot bed for food trucks. We have a 1960’s Airstream in our backYARD that has been designed to ensure we can give our guests an authentic Austin dining experience without even leaving the hotel.
