INSIGHT HOTELIER

HOSPITALITY RESOURCE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 01 2013

I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

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I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

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Contents

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Hospitality IT solutions

Preventing the Unexpected

Designing a commercial Kitchen

Kitchen Design Solutions

The Ideal Hotel Kitchen

Retail Interchange Centre Ltd P.O. Box 36106 City Square 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 725 350 690 / 0735 350 690 email: info@insightretails.com www. insightretails.com

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Special Projects Editor Ritah Mutuku

Contributors Josphine Kaisha Jeannette Musembi Sudhir Shah

Publisher & Advertiser Insight Retail East Africa

Design & Layout ovakast

Rajesh Yadav Edwin Mwai Lilian Kalela

Š 2013 Insight hotelier. All material is strictly copyright and all rights were reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of Insight hotelier is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at the time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors.The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Insight hotelier or Retail Interchange Centre.

Message from Project Director Dear Reader, It gives me pleasure to introduce to you the maiden issue of Insight Hotelier Magazine, a quarterly publication for the hospitality industry in Kenya.

The publication provides the industry with various supplier links as well best practices on global trends for the mutual benefit of industry stakeholders. The focus is on information sharing between the various industry stakeholders and suppliers while providing a regional platform where all (stakeholders) can showcase their products and services through the magazine.

The publication is distributed free of charge among the stakeholders- hotels, restaurants, pubs, fast food outlets and through partnered associations which draw its membership from the hospitality industry. The soft copy of the magazine is available online from the website link http://www.insightretails.com/ magazines We believe that the magazine will be useful to your organization in one way or the other to enable you strategize and grow your business in the coming years.

I would like to extend sincere gratitude to all those who through their tireless efforts have made the project a success; Retail Interchange Centre staff, consulting partners, Advertisers and Partnered Associations namely PERAK (Pubs, Entertainment, Restaurants Association of Kenya); MCTA (Mombasa and Coastal Tourism Association) and KAHC (Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers & Caterers) whose support has been enormous.

Finally, as we pursue to improve the publication henceforth, making it relevant to your needs, we will welcome feedback from the users and readers on Info@insightretails.com Keep reading!

Titus Korir Project Director.

I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

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F

or most food and beverage (F&B) managers, the headache of minimizing costs of crockery breakages’ remains a challenge. Due to the crazy traffic often experienced at various hotels during the peak hours; breakfast and lunch time buffet, even the most careful service staff will hardly pay much attention to the crockery. Even as most hospitality professionals advise on proper handling of the crockery many are the hazards that the hotel crockery is exposed to.

These include scratching, chipping / dropping, breaking and degrading while in the dishwasher or the microwave and staining. To minimize such losses, there are factors that one should consider when procuring hotel crockery. As a food service professional, the F&B manager is best suited advice the procurement entity of the quality of the crockery to purchase.

Preventing hotel crockery breakage

Break resistant crockery Once a sample of the crockery has been received from the supplier, put it in the dishwasher under normal washing circumstances and run for several cycles Place the item in the microwave and exceed the prescribed temperature by 10C - 30 C Use a sharp steak knife 40 times to scratch and test whether the sample is prone to scratching Drop it on a wooden surface from a height of about 1.5M and inspect the behavior Knock the edge of each plate against a granite slab to see if it would chip if dropped or knocked against a countertop Test for stain resistance by poured piping-hot tomato sauce onto each plate and allowed to sit for a minimum of eight hours.

While in the kitchen Avoid piling up of the crockery in the wash up as this could pose falling hazards Do not mix crockery and cutlery in the wash up.

This will aid in helping scratching Make use of crockery racks to preventing scratching of plates against each other and to avoid breakage Have varieties of shapes of the crockery i.e. dinnerware can be different from lunch ware. For instance, one may decide to have square plates for dinner and the normal round plates for buffet lunch service. This will prevent overuse of the crockery and hence longer life span The “clean as you go rule” should be adhered to even the wash-up section.

Clique Limited is a one stop hospitality solution provider providing the hospitality industry with vast range and unique items. Our product line spans from crockery, cutlery, glassware, bed and bath linen, toiletries and kitchen accessories. The company has a large variety of high durable porcelain tea, dinner and buffet ware with over 200 unique items covering senior hotel, star-rated restaurant, Chinese restaurant, Western ware as well as coffee tableware.

The author, Sudhir Shah is the Director at Clique Limited with vast experience in the food service industry. He can be reached at info@clique.co.ke, Mobile: 0720 638638, 020 554772; 020 557191

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Purchasing China ware Material: Research on what material it is made of. Buy a material that does not loose heat fast as this will help serve guests at the correct temperature.

Type of clientele: Different crockery is meant for different and unique type of clients. For instance, if you operate a Chinese restaurant, it will only be appropriate to buy food service items meant for Chinese food service. If the food establishment attracts different type of clientele, it is advisable to use more versatile service items.

Method of service: Table service crockery may differ with crockery meant for buffet service. When there is minimal traffic in the food establishment, then there are fewer chances of hazards such as dropping the crockery thus weighty crockery could suffice.

Weight: It is a wrong assumption that heavy plates are of high quality when they are actually not as durable as their lightweight counterparts. In fact, heavier plates are more likely to be dropped. It is advisable to choose a weight that feels comfortable carrying considering the experience of the service staff.

Specific requirements: It may be tempting to buy full crockery set only to realize that you might be getting more than you really need. While large sets of dinnerware tend to offer a better value per piece, you should decide in advance whether you really need matching bowls or salad plates with matching tea ware.

Breakage: There exists no unbreakable Chinaware but break resistant even though over time there is a likelihood that some pieces are bound to break. It is advisable to work with trusted suppliers who most of the time will have the stocks you need for replenishing or consider having extra pieces in the pantry.

SMART Technologies in the Hotel and Hospitality Industry Intersol Kenya Ltd oīers a range of InteƌĂĐƟǀe whiteboards from the worldwide leader, SMART Technologies. Whether you are looking to ĂƩract clients, inspire minds or wow an audience, InteƌĂĐƟǀe whiteboards skip beyond standard presentaƟons and moǀe into inteƌĂĐƟon and support to facilitate collaboraƟon.

Inǀest in technology and get a real compeƟƟǀe adǀĂntage.

The hospitality industry is embracing SMART InteƌĂĐƟǀe Whiteboards to giǀe businesses and training insƟtuƟons the equipment which many use at their home base.

HOW IS IT BENEFITING THIS SECTOR? Most hotels oīer conference and meeƟng rooms.

Installing SMART InteƌĂĐƟǀe Whiteboards brings those st faciliƟĞƐ into the 21 century. Using touch technology, SMART brings into a meeƟng room a Ňexible communicaƟon tool that will enhance inteƌĂĐƟǀity, collaboraƟon and producƟǀŝty of the delegates. You can charge a premium for hĂǀŝng our modern installaƟons in your meeƟng rooms.

Intersol Kenya Ltd is the exclusiǀe SMART Technologies Authorized Reseller in Kenya.

Our products and seƌǀices include: ͻ SMART Business SoluƟons ͻ SMART EducaƟon SoluƟons ͻ Video Conferencing ͻ Projectors and screens ͻ Audio and Sound ͻ Digital signage controllers and panels ͻ Technical Support ͻ ConsulƟng Seƌǀices We inǀŝte you to our demonstraƟon faciliƟĞƐ at our oĸces in Viking House, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi to see some equipment and discuss how we can help make markeƟng your faciliƟes easier.

SMART Technologies is both the industry pioneer and market leader in easy-to-use inteƌĂĐƟǀe whiteboards and other group collaboraƟon tools. Using SMART products, groups can access and share the informaƟon they need to meet, teach, train and present, regardless of distance.

“Get ready to stop solving today’s challenges with yesterday’s tools”

Intersol Kenya Limited, PO Box 2323-00200, Nairobi, Kenya First Floor, Viking House, Westlands Tel: 020 4450115/6/7, 0733 392233, 0722 633715 Email: info@intersol.co.ke I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

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Unique hospitality IT solutions

hŶŝƋƵĞ ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ /d ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ

KǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ϭϱ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ /d ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĞĚ Ăƚ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ϭϬϬϬ ƐŝƚĞƐ ŝŶ Ϯϴ ĐŽƵŶƚƌŝĞƐ͘ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŽĨĨĞƌƐ ŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ŵŽƐƚ ĐŽŵŵŽŶ ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ /d ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͘ ŶĚ͕ ƐŽŵĞ ŶŽƚͲƐŽͲ ĐŽŵŵŽŶ ŶĞĞĚƐ͘

ůĞĐƚƌŽŶŝĐ ŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚŝŽŶ ůŐŝŶ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ĨĂĐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ŽĨ ŽĨĨĞƌŝŶŐ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŝƚƐ ƌĞŵŽƚĞůLJ ůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ŚĞƌŝƚĂŐĞ ŚŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ,ŝŵĂůĂLJĂƐ͘ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŵĞƚ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŝƚƐ ǁĞď ďĂƐĞĚ ĞŶƚƌĂů ZĞƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ^LJƐƚĞŵ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂůƐŽ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ŽƉƚŝŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƚŝǀŝƚLJ ǁŝƚŚ Kd Ɛͬ' ^ ĂŶĚ ŽŶůŝŶĞ ďŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ Ăƚ Ă ŚŽƚĞů Žƌ ĐŚĂŝŶ ǁĞď ƐŝƚĞ͘

ZD ŽŶƐƚĂŶĐĞ ,ŽƚĞůƐ͕ Ă ĐŚĂŝŶ ŽĨ ůƵdžƵƌLJ ƌĞƐŽƌƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚŝĂŶ KĐĞĂŶ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ͕ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ Ă ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ŽĨ Ăůů ƌĞƉĞĂƚ ŐƵĞƐƚƐ͕ ƵƐŝŶŐ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ďLJ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͕ ƚŽ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůŝnjĞ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚŝŶŐ͘ dŚĞLJ ĂůƐŽ ƵƐĞ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƚŽ ĞĨĨŝĐŝĞŶƚůLJ ĂŶĚ ĂĐĐƵƌĂƚĞůLJ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ƌĂƚĞ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŐĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽƵƌ ŽƉĞƌĂƚŽƌƐ͘

ZŽŽŵƐ ŝǀŝƐŝŽŶ KƉĞƌĂƚŝŽŶƐ ƵŶŐĂƌĂLJĂ ĂŶĚ 'ĂLJĂŶĂ ,ŽƚĞůƐ͕ ƚǁŽ ŝƐůĂŶĚ ƌĞƐŽƌƚƐ ŝŶ DĂůĂLJƐŝĂ͕ ƵƐĞ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ WD^ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵ ƌĞŵŽƚĞ ĐŚĞĐŬͲŝŶ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŽŶͲƐŚŽƌĞ ũĞƚƚLJ͕ ƚŽ ĂůůŽǁ ŐƵĞƐƚƐ ƚŽ ĐŚĂƌŐĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƌŽŽŵ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ǁŚŝůĞ ƵƐŝŶŐ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŚŽƚĞů ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ƚŚĞ ŐƵĞƐƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ĐŽŶƐŽůŝĚĂƚĞĚ ŝŶǀŽŝĐĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐƚĂLJ Ăƚ ďŽƚŚ ŚŽƚĞůƐ͘ dŚĞ ĂLJ ,ŽƚĞů ^ŝŶŐĂƉŽƌĞ ƵƐĞƐ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŽŶ ŝW ƚŽ ĐŚĞĐŬͲŝŶ ŐƵĞƐƚƐ ĂŶLJǁŚĞƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚĞ ƉƌĞͲ ĂƌƌŝǀĂů ĂŶĚ ƉŽƐƚͲĚĞƉĂƌƚƵƌĞ ŵĞƐƐĂŐĞƐ ƚŽ ŐƵĞƐƚƐ ŽǀĞƌ ƐŵĂƌƚƉŚŽŶĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ƌŵĂŶŝ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ ƵďĂŝ ĂŶĚ DŝůĂŶ͕ ƵƐĞ Ă ďĞƐƉŽŬĞ ǀĞƌƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ ŐƵĞƐƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ 8

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ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƚŽ ĞŶĂďůĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƉƌŽƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ͚ŐƵĞƐƚ ůŝĨĞƐƚLJůĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͛͘

&ŽŽĚ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞƌĂŐĞ DŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ϮϬϬϬ ĐŽƉŝĞƐ ŽĨ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ WK^ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŝƐ ŝŶ ƵƐĞ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂůůLJ ǁŝƚŚ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ WD^͕ ŝŶƚĞƌĨĂĐĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ϯƌĚ ƉĂƌƚLJ WD^͕ ŝŶ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ƌĞƐƚĂƵƌĂŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ &Θ ĐŚĂŝŶƐ͘ dŚĞ ǀĞƌƐĂƚŝůĞ WK^ ŝƐ ƵƐĞĚ ŝŶ ĨŝŶĞ ĚŝŶŝŶŐ ŽƵƚůĞƚƐ͕ Y^ZƐ͕ ŚŽŵĞ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ƚĂŬĞĂǁĂLJƐ͕ ĨŽŽĚ ĐŽƵƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƐƚŝƚƵƚŝŽŶĂů ĐĂƚĞƌŝŶŐ͘ ŵďƵũĂ ,ŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ ŝŶ /ŶĚŝĂ ŝƐ ĚĞƉůŽLJŝŶŐ Ă ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝŽŶ ŵŽĚƵůĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƉƌŽĨŝůĞƐ ƌĞƉĞĂƚ ĚŝŶĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůŝnjĞ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŽLJĂůƚLJ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘

DŝŶŽƌ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚƐ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŝƐ Ă ƌĂƌĞ WD^ ǀĞŶĚŽƌ ƚŚĂƚ ĂůƐŽ ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƐ ĐĂůů ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚŝŶŐ͕ ǀŽŝĐĞ ŵĂŝů ĂŶĚ /ŶƚĞƌŶĞƚ ďŝůůŝŶŐ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ŝƚƐ ƌĂŶŐĞ͘ EŽƚĂďůĞ ƵƐĞƌƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ 'ŽůĚĞŶ dƵůŝƉ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ DŝĚĚůĞ ĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ ŽƵŶƚƌLJ /ŶŶƐ Θ ^ƵŝƚĞƐ ďLJ ĂƌůƐŽŶ ŝŶ /ŶĚŝĂ͘

ĂĐŬ KĨĨŝĐĞ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŽĨĨĞƌƐ Ă ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ǁĞď ďĂƐĞĚ ŵƵůƚŝͲ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƚLJ͕ ŵƵůƚŝͲĐƵƌƌĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƉƵƌĐŚĂƐĞ͕ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌLJ͕ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚŝŶŐ͕ &Θ ĐŽƐƚŝŶŐ͕ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĨŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů ƌĞƉŽƌƚŝŶŐ͘ dŚĞ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŝƐ ƵƐĞĚ͕ ǁŝƚŚ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ͛Ɛ WD^ ďLJ ŚŽƚĞůƐ ůŝŬĞ 'ŽůĚĞŶ dƵůŝƉ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ DŝĚĚůĞ ĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ ĂůƐŽ ďLJ ƚŚŽƐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƵƐĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ WD^ ʹ ůŝŬĞ ŽůĂ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ >ŽŶĚŽŶ ǁŚŽ ƵƐĞ ŝƚ ǁŝƚŚ WƌŽƚĞů ĂŶĚ KďĞƌŽŝ ,ŽƚĞůƐ ŝŶ /ŶĚŝĂ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĨĂĐĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ DŝĐƌŽƐ KƉĞƌĂ͘

EŽ ŵĂƚƚĞƌ ǁŚĂƚ Ă ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚLJ ƵŶŝƚ Žƌ ĐŚĂŝŶ ŶĞĞĚƐ͕ ŝŶ ĐŽŵƉƵƚĞƌ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŚĂŶĐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŚĂƐ Ă ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶ͘ WƌŽůŽŐŝĐ &ŝƌƐƚ ŝƐ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ ƵƉ ŝƚƐ ŽǁŶ ŽƉĞƌĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ĨŽƌ ĂƐƚ ĨƌŝĐĂ͕ ŝŶ EĂŝƌŽďŝ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ŝŶĨŽΛƉƌŽůŽŐŝĐĨŝƌƐƚ͘ĐŽŵ͘

Preventing the Unexpected Trojan Fire Security Limited

W

hen it comes to accidents, prevention is better than cure. Given that places such as hotel restaurants, guest rooms and pubs, electricity is part and parcel of every day activities, it is extremely important to ensure that such public premises prevent unwanted fires.

Even with the presence of The Fire Risk Reduction Rules 2007 gazetted on May 7, 2007 through Legal Notice No. 59 enumerating cautionary steps to be taken in mitigating the impacts of fire, there are organizations that have continued to deliberately ignore fire management which seems not to be a matter of priority despite it being the cause of loss of property and even lives.

Rudesh Gondalia, the managing director of Trojan notes that, many assume that protection against fire is the duty of the government forgetting that in cases of a fire breakout, the impact boils down to individual level.

With more than two decades of existence, Trojan is among a handful of reliable firefighting companies in a field with abut 250 players consistently endeavoring to provide superior quality services in fire prevention and fighting ever since.

Registered as a trainer with the Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety, the company is involved in the supply and maintenance of fire prevention and protection equipment from reputable global brands and also handles major prevention and protection projects for some key clients in

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diverse range of fields.

In 2006, Trojan was appointed an agent of the revolutionary fire extinguishing aerosol technology known as FirePro Aerosol. “This is an innovative product based on space technology thus guaranteeing total fire security for sensitive areas such as computer rooms and servers, electrical transformers, generator and archive rooms among other costly and sensitive installation,” explains Mr. Gondalia.

He cautions that organizations large or small as well as households need to take care of themselves against fire disasters. “Among the precautions include purchasing fire equipment from competent service providers. A fire extinguisher should be a priority as you never know when the fire may strike,” he advises.

Author: Rudesh R. Gondalia, MD - Trojan Fire Security Ltd : info@trojanfire.com

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Is Your Hotel Software PA DSS Compliant?

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otels welcome hundreds of guests each year, storing their personal data and credit card information.

But did you know this data accumulation makes your hotel vulnerable to attacks from cyber criminals, and identity thieves?

A survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association found that around 50 percent of all payment card fraud and theft gets reported from the hospitality industry. This is because hotels store large amounts of data related to thousands of payment cards. A quick search online indicates that credit card theft is becoming increasingly common in East Africa as well, and cyber criminals are constantly widening their net to unsuspecting hotels.

How do you know if your hotel is vulnerable to hackers and data thieves?

compliant, it is a sure indication that hackers and identity thieves may be able to hack into your computer systems and steal critical business and guest related data.

What is PA DSS Compliance?

PA DSS or Payment Application Data Security Standard is a standard which prohibits an application like your property management system from storing critical financial data such as magnetic stripe, CVV2, or PIN beyond a particular time. It also ensures that the temporary storage method is highly encrypted and tamper-proof.

Hotels that have their databases compromised through a data theft can face serious repercussions like being black-listed by card companies and face financial liabilities as well. It is therefore imperative to ensure the property management system at your hotel is hacker proof.

If your hotel property management system is not PA DSS

How can your hotel become PA DSS compliant?

To become PA DSS compliant, your hotel needs to, • Avoid retaining full magnetic stripe, card verification code or value (CAV2, CID, CVC2, CVV2), or PIN block data • Protect cardholder data that you have stored • Provide secure authentication features • Log payment application activity • Develop secure payment applications • Protect wireless transmissions • Test payment applications to address vulnerabilities

Making your property management system PA DSS compliant can be a highly technical, expensive and time consuming task. A better solution is to ask your software vendor to offer you a PA DSS compliant version of the software, or simply switch to PA DSS compliant software.

IDS NEXT is a hospitality technology company with a presence in 40 countries world-wide

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• Facilitate secure network implementation • Cardholder data must never be stored on a server connected to the Internet • Facilitate secure remote access to payment application • Encrypt sensitive traffic over public networks • Encrypt all non-console administrative access • Maintain instructional documentation and training programs for customers, resellers, and integrators

including East Africa. IDS NEXT recently launched FortuneNext 6i the PA DSS compliant version of their software.

A robust, comprehensive hotel ERP, FortuneNEXT 6i can be leveraged by hotels across market segments, including independent, chain, business and boutique hotels, resorts, and limited service apartments. The software is featurerich; cost-effective compared to

its nearest competition, and most importantly, offers its users 24/7 technical support. So if your hotel is looking for PA DSS compliant software that protects your hotel and guest data, give us a call and we will be glad to partner you through.

About Author The Author, Rajesh Yadav is Vice President, Sales or IDS NEXT in Africa. He can be reached at rajesh.yadav@idsfortune.com For more information please visit http://idsnext.s

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I N S I G H T H OT E L I E R M AG A Z I N E

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Designing a R Commercial Kitchen

estaurant owners, managers and chefs alike will appreciate

a conveniently designed commercial kitchen. This is one which will be energy-efficient and will increase restaurant profits because of the decreased need for laborers.

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Before designing your commercial kitchen, developing a menu is important as it determines what equipment will be necessary in the kitchen space.

At the same time, commercial kitchens are held to higher standards than the average home kitchen with regard to safety and food regulations.

Generally, a well-planned kitchen should:

Considerations Space: Regardless of whether one is building or renting in an existing building, making the most out of the available space is a priority.

A restaurant kitchen would benefit from an assembly-line production where food is prepared and cooked down the line from start to finish. Space should be provided for: • Food preparation and service • Separation of raw food preparation from cooked food • Preparation and other ready-to-eat food preparation areas • Washing and sanitizing operations for utensils and equipment • Separation of food storage and handling areas from areas for chemical storage, toilets, waste storage, office areas and other • Areas used for activities that could contaminate food or food preparation areas • It is recommended that hand basins should be located at the staff entrances to areas where food is handled.

Flooring Flooring is an important aspect of commercial kitchen design. Floors should be durable and easy to clean while employees should find them safe and comfortable. Both ceramic tile and concrete are easily cleaned with a mop

• Provide adequate storage for raw materials • Provide adequate space for food being prepared • Provide adequate space food awaiting service • Provide adequate storage for equipment, utensils, crockery and cutlery • Be efficient and effective in terms of movement of staff, equipment, materials and waste • Provide an area for checking in stock.

each day, and the materials hold up to the high traffic and abuse in a busy kitchen. Slipresistant paint additives may be applied to paint on concrete to minimize the risk of slips and falls.

Lay rubber flooring to increase comfort and safety. Install safety mats over areas where cooks will be standing for long periods of time and in places where spills are likely. Rubber flooring adds another degree of safety in accident-prone areas and also reduces impact on feet and joints of workers.

Equipment The amount of equipment should be factored in when determining how much space a kitchen will require. Consider the essential equipment first that is items the kitchen absolutely must have in order to run. These Items include ovens, stovetop ranges, refrigerators and one or more multiplecompartment sinks. Consider placement for nonessential equipment last. These include storage racks, knife blocks and spice racks.

At the same time, cleanliness is a primary concern each day thus selecting equipment with casters or items that easily can be moved around for deep cleaning of areas under and behind them. Ease of movement when it comes to equipment will make it more likely for the hidden areas to get attention.

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The Ideal Hotel Kitchen - Archie Athanasius, Executive Chef, The Boma Hotels

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food safety standards require that they should not be opened due to dust and insects.

he kitchen is the hub of any home, restaurant or hotel.

Insight Hotelier spoke to Archie Athanasius, Executive Chef, The Boma Hotels on how hotel kitchens ought to be planned with a thoughtful, meticulous approach for smooth flow of work. A lot of life happens in the kitchen; it is the heart of a home, restaurant or a hotel.

Fluorescent light fixtures are advisable for their efficiency and cool operating temperatures. Correct lighting ensures more focused light on food preparation areas as the color and appearance of food, even as it is being cooked, reveals a lot to the chef. Chef Archie explains that the poor or uneven lighting can result in mistakes that can only prove costly.

A good workflow in a kitchen means that materials and staff will move smoothly from the stores through food preparation and serving and off to the guests’ tables.

However, many a user of the restaurant and hotel kitchen observes that kitchen planning is a rarity and a scientific plan of the area to facilitate smooth flow is hard to come by.

Chef Archie explains that the following are some of the elements that define the essentials of an institutional kitchen:

separating pastries and vegetables is advisable.

First, no amount of space can be enough if proper planning is not implemented.

This is the reason why he recommends that all hotel investors should include a chef in their decision making stage with the kitchen design consultants.

“We are the final users thus some ideas would be implemented best if chefs are incorporated at this stage,” he explains. To minimize any delays, ideally, receiving, storage, preparation and cooking areas should be on the same floor as the hotel restaurant.

Knives, chopping boards, dicers, peelers, turning knives, blenders amongst other kitchen smalls should preferably be of high quality, stainless steel with no crevices to make cleaning easy. Chef Archie insists that all kitchen staff should be trained on the use of the right equipment for a particular job.

Depending on the size of the hotel and target clientele, another important aspect in the planning of a kitchen has to do with the cooking equipment among them mixers, ovens and boilers.

“hotel investors should include a chef in their decision making stage with the kitchen design consultants”

Generally, factors such as durability and efficiency should be considered to enable the hotel produce the much expected and desired food while minimizing on losses at the production level. The Chef notes that ensuring that a hotel gets the right quality of mixers especially for the pastries is a plus. He advises that suppliers of the equipment should include training manuals and enter into service contracts for such equipment.

Refrigerators prevent bacterial growth and prolong the shelf life of perishable foods thus an important aspect of the hotel as all food must be properly stored for both good taste and proper safety.

Depending on the size of the kitchen, a commercial refrigeration system may chillers, vegetable coolers and freezers.

Chef Archie points out that, chillers are best for storing cakes, pastries and ice-cream. The vegetable coolers are for storing salads while the freezers come in handy for the meats. He points out that 18

Archie - Executive Chef

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When it comes to exhaust and ventilation; the saying ‘More perspiration than inspiration’ is useful here. A stuffy kitchen not only spoils the attention span and mood of the chefs and their assistants, but also ultimately results in damaging kitchen equipment. Chef Archie insists that the air conditioning (AC) system should be functioning at all times as the windows though vital,

Sanitation and safety No kitchen can run without a regular and ample supply of water - both for cooking and cleaning purposes thus hot and cold water are needed. There should be equipment that helps prevent water wastage, as the cost of wasted water can be prohibitive in the long run.

With heavy flow of wastewater, oil, food, grease and peel, the drainage system is susceptible to clogging. A good drainage system of pipes and outlets with traps is a must to ensure regular and uninterrupted cleaning. On the other hand, the waste flow removal should be a hygienic affair. All sorts of bacteria and pests develop rapidly in the drains. Covered drains eliminate the risk of pollution and bad hygiene.

Any kitchen is prone to hazards of fire. Safety and fire-fighting systems need to be in place to tackle the fire in the event of one. Chef Archie notes that space allocation should be done in such a manner that no activity or operation hinders fire safety tasks and extinguishing operations. Fire exits also need to be planned. At the same time, sanity in the kitchen should be aimed at 100 percent these include having tripled-sinks; one for washing, rinsing and sanitizing. “These sinks are different from the hand-wash sinks,” he adds.

Lastly, the choice of fuel depends on the hotel location but most of them opt for gas or electricity as they are widely available, and a combination of both is wise.

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Our magazine reaches out to the Hospitality industry directly and indirectly using partners associations such as

Contact details info@insightretails.com ; hotelier@insightretails.com +254. 735 (725) -350 690 www.insightretails.com/magazines

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KITCHEN VENTILATION &LIGHTING C

hoose overhead lighting that will illuminate all parts of the room, including walk-in coolers and freezers. Install hood fans over the stoves and fryers and invest in a system that will ventilate the entire room. In addition, invest in a whole-room ventilation system, and put hood fans over cooking areas.

On the other hand, energy efficiency should be a primary consideration for any commercial kitchen layout, because it saves money on utility costs. In an energy-efficient setup, refrigeration and cooking equipment are kept as far apart as possible while still being practical.

Also, cooking equipment is strategically placed to maximize the efficiency of the exhaust hood.

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The design of any commercial kitchen must allow provision for escape.

Provision must be made for safe routes out of the building in case of fire or other emergencies. It is important to ensure that these exits remain unobstructed and that the escape route is easy to pass through.

Lastly, every kitchen is different, determining what one’s priorities are, and choosing a design that will accommodate them and works well with the expected menu is all that matters otherwise one might end up having to make costly renovations to the kitchen layout.

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Online marketing Its relevance to the hotel industry

By Jeannette Musembi

W

e are in a digital world where consumers are able to connect and interact with various and favourite brands whenever and wherever thanks to a multitude of devices. On the other hand, to reach the consumers, an effective target based online marketing strategy which is costeffective and able to generate sales is vital.

The hospitality industry covers a wide range of establishments providing services in the form of accommodation, food and beverage, entertainment and tourism. The industry has evolved from just being viewed from a local perspective to a global one; so large that it is worth over 3.5 trillion Dollars.

Online marketing has increasingly become important and all the thought leaders in Internet marketing are pushing to have it embraced almost everywhere.

Literally, the shift is not only in the production of tangible goods but also the manipulation of information.

The use of the Internet in the business world has become a major trend. Eat Out Kenya - an online restaurant booking guide for instance, allows consumers to search for restaurants based on various aspects such as geographic area location, type of cuisine and price range. Users have access to comprehensive restaurant information coupled with pictures, 360 degree virtual tours, maps, menus, and customer reviews in order for them to make table reservations online using the online and mobile booking systems.

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This is because thousands of restaurant goers are off late planning for their breakfast, lunch or dinner outings/ dates by exploring different online options, whether it is via their desktop computers, tablets, or smart phones.

Thanks to the high speed Internet solutions currently present in the market, the region continues to witness an increase in digital marketing spends.

Eat Out’s sister company, Sleep Out, also uses the same model and have both embraced social media strategies contributing to the success of the two.

Relevance of Internet Marketing The Internet provides a lot of free exchanging of information. E-Commerce has allowed small companies to have a better web presentation for their products/services. On the other hand, online customers can access and enjoy a wider range of products and services at competitive prices while others have been able to acquire preferred services from service providers located far away.

The Internet has given consumers a chance to be better prepared to purchase the right product/service at the right time through the easy on-line information gathering and convenient online shopping.

The second role of the Internet in the hospitality industry has been the ability to conduct online bookings. Manual reservations and bookings have been transformed to online bookings via the Central Reservation Systems (CRS).

The reason for the popularity of E-booking has been because of its ability to offer benefits to all parties; the supplier and customer. Companies develop the sharing model in which they have more online control of their services thereby providing higher priority to their own websites. On the other hand, to the consumer, he is able to make direct online bookings at realtime saving time regardless of the time difference.

relationship management (eCRM), which are activities to manage customer relationships by using the Internet and web browsers. eCRM helps the hospitality industry, specifically hotels; know more about their online visitors and their bookings. It also helps hotels differentiate their clientele; identify their spending behaviour to targeting them with the appropriate marketing messages such as discounts and promotions.

Finally, other than the hospitality industry, the role of the Internet is found in all sectors. For instance, traditionally, companies would advertise for recruitment vacancies in the print media however as more have moved into the Internet world and developed their own websites, job openings are usually posted there under the career section.

The Internet has significantly changed the way hospitality businesses operate and it is commendable to note how the industry has greatly taken advantage of it.

As a marketing tool, the Internet allows companies to reach out to more customers by using the search engine optimization (SEO), a tool that helps increase the traffic and page ranking in search engine results. The other Internet marketing strategy for the industry is electronic customer

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The following is a summary of PERAK’s activities; 1. Representation -The Association is the principal voice for entertainment players to the government and other agencies on matters of regulations, licensing and policy.

PERAK Representing pubs, entertainment joints and restaurants

T

he Pubs, Entertainment & Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) is a non-political organization representing members who run and manage restaurants, pubs and entertainment venues.

Operating within the legal framework of Kenya, PERAK aims at fostering an ethical environment for the entertainment industry while uplifting the industry standards by seeking solutions to challenges affecting the hospitality and entertainment sector, creating a forum for interaction between the government and our industry, advocating social responsibility through community service, encouraging communication among our members with the objective of developing ideals and sharing legal advice while at the same time creating an atmosphere of trust between PERAK and the public at large.

While ensuring that it brings together the operators with a view of resolving common industry problems, PERAK has developed a code of conduct for its members and help them comply with various regulations governing the hospitality industry.

The Association targets to be one of the most progressive in the hospitality and entertainment business by offering a united front to its members, cost effective services and ensuring that its public image is characterized by professionalism and integrity. PERAK’s vision as per its founders’ vision remains that of making the local hospitality industry globally competitive and viable for all stakeholders including tourists; local and international, shareholders, employees, local communities, suppliers and the government.

PERAK boasts of a huge membership of mostly pubs, restaurants and other industry players in the entertainment industry which include water sports parks, theme parks, nightclubs and cinemas/theatres. The Association continues to spread its wings in all the country’s regions.

PERAK is also affiliated to The Kenya Association of Hotel-Keepers and caterers (KAHC) and has representation on the Kenya Tourism Federation board (KTF) as well as Mombasa and Coast Tourism Association (MCTA) in its capacity as a significant tourism stakeholder.

PERAK’s day to day activities are run by a secretariat while the overall governing is done by a board of elected Executive Committee and a board of trustees.

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2. Information exchange - The Association acts as the principal information exchange network for members and the industry by conducting research, maintaining industry’s data bank and dissemination of information.

3. Training- The Association coordinates with The Kenya Utalii College on training and development programs and is in talks with more colleges to offer training services to reach a wider spectrum. The trainings are funded through The Tourism Fund formerly known as the Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees (CTDLT).

4. A common brand- Membership to the Association gives individual pubs, restaurants and other entertainment players an invaluable stamp of recognition, sense of belonging to an important and reputable organization in the hospitality fraternity. The principles of Engagement, Evaluation and Recognition constitute key guidelines for our membership, while establishing Rating, Certification and Standards crucial to recognizing contributors and movers of the industry.

5.Advocacy/Lobbying- PERAK has been actively and successfully involved in lobbying against The Alcoholic Drinks Amendment Bill 2012, restructuring of VAT/Catering levy to change taxation regimes, liaising with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse NACADA with regards to noise pollution and The Alcohol law amongst others issues respectively.

6.Marketing- PERAK has a very interactive website that it uses as a tool to market for potential membership with complete links to its member’s websites and the interactive social media pages. The Association holds quarterly luncheons and events for its members.

7. Services- PERAK offers legal exchange, staff referencing, and staff selection for those who need, to all different professional vacancies from its pool of qualified candidates. For non-members these services are charged at a minimal fee.

PERAK’s headquarters are located in Nairobi, along Chania Avenue off Menelik Road, Taranaki Court.

For more information log on www.perakkenya.co.ke or contact the marketing department through the cellphone number: 0722 77 32 38

MCTA, uniting Coast Region Tourism Stakeholders

M

ombasa and Coast Tourist Association (MCTA) is the second oldest tourism association in Kenya which started in 1948 as a Mombasa branch of East African Tourist Travel Association (EATTA) covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Later, in 1962, EATTA folded up paving way for the establishment of MCTA, coast region tourism umbrella body whose mandate is to foster and improve tourism within the entire region.

identified as the entire Kenya Coast • Acquiring, collating, distributing and advertising through the available means of circulation, information with regard to the attraction, resources, statistics, facilities, cultural amenities and services

In light of the importance of the tourism sector in the economic life of the coast, MCTA’s mission is that of uniting all tourism business stakeholders to build a responsible and sustainable industry via a common development plan under one code of conduct and ethics. MCTA has an agreed Code of Practice.

• Acquiring funds by grants, donation, subscription or otherwise in furtherance of the objectives and invest any monies not immediately required for use as may be determined from time to time. To borrow or raise money with or without security as may have been agreed upon

Based on a broad geographical spread, MCTA membership includes Hotels, Tour Operators, Restaurants, Car Hire Companies, Leisure and Entertainment Centres, Commercial Banks, Insurance businesses, Air Charters firms, Airlines, learning Institutions, Travel Agents, Tourist Attractions Centers, Arts and Handicraft Centers among others.

Known for its strong advocacy (lobbying), MCTA has however witnessed reduced membership and revenues owing to the recent years of tourism downturn. The association is working on a strategy to attract more members and provide added services.

The mandate of MCTA comes as objectives spelt out in its constitution as follows: • Fostering and maintaining tourist traffic, safeguarding the interest of tourists, encouraging the improvement and development of the tourist industry and the allied services within the area

• Preparing, printing, publishing and acquiring any literature-documents, brochure maps, postcards and any written audio or visual material as may be of interest to travelers and distribute by sale or otherwise

• Take all the necessary steps that are advisable and feasible for the improvement of the tourist attraction and conditions of travel purchase annexation, undertaking a license, by gift or otherwise within the mentioned periphery.

Become an MCTA member There are three classes of membership and three different annual subscriptions.

Business class | Annual subscription (not fixed) A business shall be any person, partnership or body incorporated and recognized as a trading enterprise under the laws of Kenya that has a direct or indirect interest in any segment of tourism in Kenya or elsewhere. The annual subscription will be less for small businesses and will depend on annual sales. The largest Business members always pay less than Associations and the smaller concerns pay the least.

Tourism Institution | Annual subscription KShs. 30,000

A tourism institution shall be any Association, foundation, trust, society, or recognized body incorporated under the laws of Kenya that has, as its prime, or secondary aim, the development, improvement and/or sustainability of a tourism product, service or information that represents member interests at local, regional or national level.

Corporate sponsor | Annual subscription KShs. 60,000 A corporation shall be any private or public company, NGO, government body, or large scale trading enterprise, domiciled in any part of the world that has an interest in financially sponsoring MCTA. MCTA is proud to partner with the maiden issue of Insight Hotelier Magazine in its quest to promote the tourism establishments at the Kenyan Coast and in the country at large.

The publication seeks to connect the industry to the supplier by showcasing the various solution providers. This is against a background where the industry lacks such a forum addressing various marketplace suppliers, industry stakeholders under one platform.

Mombasa & Coast Tourist Association, P.O. Box 99574-80107, Mombasa.Cell: 0724696500.

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