A Tour Facility Survey: Nandos Restaurant and Ritz Carlton - Case Study Example

A Tour Facility Survey Report: Nando’s Restaurant and Ritz Carlton A Tour Facility Survey Report: Nando’s Restaurant and Ritz Carlton The following is a summary of a tour undertaken in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. The tour involved two famous facilities namely, Nandos restaurant and Ritz Carlton Hotel. Nandos restaurant is known for its PERi-PERi flamed grilled chicken while Ritz Carlton Hotel is one of the best luxury hotels in Toronto. There was the urge to have a PERi-PERi experience that we have heard about for years in Nandos restaurant. We decided to have a spa experience at the best joint within Toronto. Information needed regarding location, address, and facilities offered at Nandos and Ritz Carlton was searched through the internet. The two took a day, and it was enough for us to get sufficient information for our assignment. Nandos and Ritz Carlton are managed differently, and they offer varied services. Contact Details Nandos Restaurant Nandos restaurant is located at National office in eastern Canada within Central Support (Tripadvisor.com). Physical address: #33-1435 Bonhill Road, Mississauga, Ontario. Toll-Free (for customer orders): 1-855-564-1118 Telephone: 1-905-564-1118 Website: www.nandos.ca Management: Nando’s family from Nandocas manages the restaurant. Nandocas refers to the restaurant team that gets directives from Patraos, the top managers. It is challenging to single out a particular source of authority because the entire team takes part in helping guests take orders and settle in their respective tables. Ritz Carlton Hotel The hotel is located along 4445 Willard Avenue, Suite 800. Street address: Chevy Chase, Maryland 208815 Phone number: 301-547-4700 Fax: 801-468-4069 Website: www.ritzcarlton.com Management: the hotel is under General Manager Tim Terceira, but he receives directives from Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The Good Designs of the Facilities Toured Nandos restaurant and Ritz Carlton hotel have different designs. Nandos Restaurant Nandos has its special and unique design that entails dining tables and chairs. The dining area is located a short distance from the service point. The restaurant has employed a self-service concept to involve customers during service of food right from the time they arrive at the restaurant. There is a queuing area between the service point where customers place and take their orders and the dining section where they make themselves comfortable as they take their food. The kitchen and service section is also open to allow customers watch as their food is served on their platter. Nandos uses this concept to gain customer’s confidence in their food. The dining environment is decorated with the eye-candy art from Portuguese, South Africa and Canadian pieces in order to relate more with the locals. The art creates breathtaking ambience that customers enjoy while eating their food. Furthermore, the artistic details have been given an eco-friendly touch to make the restaurant look natural. There is enough space between tables that allows the service staff to serve food for table reservations. The space also allows the Nandocas and Patraos to move freely when they are clearing tables. It accommodates many customers when there is a massive turnout. Ritz Carlton Hotel The deluxe hotel is situated at the heart of Toronto making it accessible for local and foreign visitors. It was erected at a site where we could explore the cosmopolitan culture of Toronto in details. The location offers a convenient access to stadia within the city and the famous CN tower. The hotel has 267 guests rooms categorized under deluxe and suites. All the rooms have been designated smoke-free to enhance the natural setting that the management strives to maintain. They are designed with technological amenities namely, HDTVs, iPod and DVD players and docking stations. Each room also contains high-speed wireless and wired internet access and laptop compatible safes. The safes are well-secured for maximum security even when the guests have left their valuables in the room. Further, they have a particular concierge team. The hotel is also designed to offer spa facilities. It is the second best selling amenities in Toronto. Guests are treated to spacious rooms equipped with saunas, steam, vitality pools, gym and fitness centre with cardio equipment. The dining setting is the epitome of ambience and elegance. It is designed to host two restaurant and bar areas where diners are treated with Canadian cuisine among other savories. The terrace is a home for an outdoor lounge restaurant that offers guests cocktails and a variety of local beverages. Ritz Carlton is famed for its well-designed ballrooms meant for meeting and event facilities. The rooms have executive boardrooms too. The Poor Design Points of the Two Facilities Nando’s Restaurant The queuing area does not have enough space to accommodate high customer turnout. It is based on a self-service concept that does not have mitigation plans for accommodating customers when there are long queues. Customers end up taking up time to place and take their orders because the area is congested. The kitchen and food service area is not hidden in the quest to show customers how food is served and portioned in Nandos. It is a potential source of customer complaints about the restaurant management. Though the open food service area allows customers to take part in offering the Nandos experience, it may raise hygiene and contamination concerns from customers with very keen eye. It might be appealing to some customers but on the other hand it might end spoiling the much-anticipated food experience from other customers. Customers that are health conscious could raise concerns regarding temperature and cooking of the food. The area could do better if it was concealed to retain customers’ confidence in the condition of food offer at Nandos. Though the manager revealed that there are scarcely any complaints, it poses a potential threat in case the competitors decide to strike. Ritz Carlton Poor Design Points We did not spot distinct poor design for Ritz Carlton because it has been constructed by the best contractors in the region. However, the main design malfunction comes from the contractors’ overemphasis on modern ambience. The hotel has a remarkable appearance as it is at the moment, but it would have done better if the contractors added traditional Canadian architectural touches in restaurants and rooms. It is a selling strategy that hotels are using to woo local customers to maintain sales during low-seasons. Key Lessons Learnt On the Tour Facilities are designed with uniqueness to woo customers. Nandos restaurant in Ontario puts great emphasis on its PERi-PERi flamed chicken, but it has maintained a traditional Portuguese and South African ambience. The traditional setting relates to the origins of the owners. The entrepreneurs insist on an ordinary appearance for all Nandos across the world. It is a move that has revolutionized public dining in Canada and beyond. On the other hand, Ritz-Carlton features a post-modern glass façade that differentiates the restaurant from other luxury hotels within Toronto cosmopolitan. Facilities are erected on the prime location for convenience and accessibility. We had the address for Nandos restaurant, but it was situated along the famous avenue in Ontario. The facility itself stood out because of its distinct look from other outlets along in Mississauga. Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel does not disappoint because it is conveniently located at a point where diners and visitors in guest rooms can get real scenery of Toronto. TOCA and DEQ restaurant and bar areas are located next to a busy street that drifts customers once in a while. Visitors can have a view of stadium and CN tower from the hotel beside access other outlets in the financial district (Hotelmanagement-network.com). Things We Would Change In Nandos Restaurant and Ritz Carlton Hotel Nandos restaurant has been built on a self-service concept that overemphasizes chicken-based menu items. We would change the menu because it does not cater for all customers. The management team should consider a unique vegetarian menu to expand its customer base. The restaurant would become appealing to both chicken and vegetarian clientele. Alongside the menu, a new line of food products would come in handy because of fast-changing nature of the food industry. The current competition tide is too strong for a reputable brand like Nandos to stick around PERi-PERi dishes. It has established a niche that can create a fresh market share within a short period. One thing I would change about Ritz Carlton is emphasis on post-modern facilities. You would expect such a modern facility to have every aspect running properly. However, we overheard one of the guests complain about a weak Wi-Fi connection. Internet access should be at its best considering that the hotel it meant to be the ultimate joint for luxury. Internet connection, great rooms and remarkable dining experience would offer total delight to their target customers altogether. The Ideas We Would Take From Nandos Restaurant and Ritz Carlton Hotel We would take the idea of comfortable luxury dining concept from Nandos Restaurant. Canada features restaurants that offer a quick service concept that has been passed over generations. Not only do the guests love the comfortable and spacious dining room but they also love the open kitchen concept with a touch of Portuguese and south African interior design. It is an idea that can become a turning point for fast food restaurants within our suburbs. Ritz Carlton is an epitome of luxury. It offered an idea that for a hotel facility to stand out from the crowd it has to package itself with target customers in mind. Visitors come to Toronto for business and relaxation. They look for outlets that can offer them room for business and luxury. Ritz Carlton has executive ballrooms for business meeting, conferences and events. The rooms are packaged with office facilities such as internet access for guests who look for an office away from home. The hotel spacious spa treatment rooms allow guests to unwind after a long day in business meetings and conferences. References Hotelmanagement-network.com,. Ritz Carlton Hotel - Hotel Management Network. N.p., 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. Tripadvisor.com,. Best Canada Restaurants: See 72,135 Restaurants In Canada With 1,051,409 Reviews - Tripadvisor. N.p., 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. Read More