Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

We first visited the social entrepreneurship project of Panera Bread’s pay-as-you-want and eat-as-you-need restaurants in June 2010, and then followed up with a video about their success a year after . I am not sure if Jon Bon Jovi was inspired by the Panera Bread’s social entrepreneurship idea, but I know he opens a restaurant call The Soul Kitchen in New Jersey, which is modeled by the pay-as-you-want and eat-as-you-need concept , and he plans to open more Soul Kitchens in the future. Leaving alone the possibility that Jon Bon Jovi was trying to get rid of his negative stigma, as suggested by CBS News , I love this concept. People volunteer in the kitchen or in the community if they cannot afford for a meal. Or, they leave a donation for the meal. I believe that this pay-as-you-want and eat-as-you-need concept works very well with the urban farming and farm to table trend in many communities. What do you think? Will we expect more restaurants that offer “free food” in the fu...

The Wall Street Journal called SoundTracking the “next big thing in tech.” It is a social mobile app that allows people to share the music they are listening to in the form of virtual postcard: First, it recognizes the music that is playing on air. Then, it lets users attach a picture, update, and the location with the song if they want to share it on the social networking sites. Within seven months, the app has created a community of over 750,000 users and has become “the most twitted music service on Twitter.” For those hospitality companies that sell CDs and music (e.g. W Hotels and Starbucks), SoundTracking can be helpful in promoting their retail sales and the brand. If you are using this app, how do you like or dislike the service? If this is the first time you heard of this app, are you interested in using the service? Should SoundTracking become “the next big thing in tech,” how can hospitality companies use this app for their advantages?  

Today, I invited Ms. Britney Bubrowski , the Director of Human Resources (HR) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Syracuse to speak in my Hospitality Human Resource Management class. She shared with us her experience in the time when the hotel went through a transition from a Renaissance Hotel (a Marriott brand) to a Crowne Plaza Hotel (an IHG brand). Usually, executives will leave a company either voluntarily or involuntarily when there is a shift of ownership, CEO, a brand, or a management company. In Britney’s case, she is among the two executives who stayed. According to Britney, she stayed because she, as the Director of HR, connected with employees. HR is the “go-to” department when employees have concerns about their career or the future of the company. It is important for her to stay during the transition process so that those who worry about their future can find a “trustful” person to talk to.   Personally, I believe that Britney’s positive attitude towards changes also hel...

Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center is located right in the heart of the SU campus. The property is owned by SU and managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Recently, it is finishing up a $5 million renovation. I am glad that my Hotel & Resort Operations class and I had a chance to hear about the renovation experience from the hotel executives and see the results of their hard work. We all enjoyed the tour. I, in particular, liked the bigger-size and a more-modern-look Club Lounge, the more spacious workout room, and the clean design of the guestrooms. I believe that these changes reflect Sheraton’s vision very well under its system-wide $6 billion “revitalizing the brand” campaign. I also very much appreciate the fact that every executive shared their work experience and advice with us. There are many takeaways from this tour, some of which can be found in my discussion of our previous tours. Here, I would like to highlight that regardless which e...

New trend comes and goes, but good manners should stay and will always be appreciated. The basic etiquette is to treat others with consideration and respect. Let’s see if you agree to the following etiquette discussed in this MSNBC News video : It is fine to “de-friend” a Facebook friend if you no longer feel comfortable to be attached with that person.  One may buy a smaller gift if attending a destination wedding, depending on the person’s budget.   If a client is sick but s/he wants to shake your hand, do it but wash your hand immediately afterwards. If you are sick, you may refuse to shake hands and explain to the client that you are sick.   It is inappropriate to text or play with any gadgets when one is with others, regardless how busy s/he is. S/he may excuse herself/himself if it is absolutely necessary.   Interested in etiquette? Check out the following posts and read more. New Dining Etiquette by Zagat Wedding Etiquette Smartphone E...

Time can change a lot of things. When people show more understanding of others and become more acceptant to our diverse society, certain behaviors that used to be considered “blizzard” will no longer be seen as “inappropriate.” Decades ago, for example, people of colors were not allowed to ride in the front of a bus or eat in a fine dining restaurant. Thank goodness, those times have become history. The questions are: When can we draw the line for changes? And who is entitled to define the appropriate or inappropriate behaviors? This NBC News video brings up an interesting case of hotel operations --- Is the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis Missouri doing the right thing by kicking a lesbian couple out of the property because they were kissing in the hotel’s jacuzzi? According the interview, the hotel received complaints from other guests and believes that kissing (either between heterosexual or homosexual couples) is one of those inappropriate conducts in the property. Different fr...

The Fall Career Fair at Syracuse University took place at the Carrier Dome yesterday. I met with several hospitality recruiters in the Dome and asked them about their recruiting experience with different schools in the Northeastern region. They did not compare the calibers of students from different hospitality schools, but they indicated that they prefer those schools where students are curious about what their companies are doing and ask a lot of questions. I have found it very interesting that recruiters’ impression of a good hospitality program is not built upon how many students sign up for an interview, how many graduates they hire, or even how well the graduates perform at work after they are hired. Instead, they value the students’ curiosity.    When making a presentation on campus, recruiters can tell whether students have interest in their companies and the hospitality industry in general by observing students’ behaviors and listening to their questions. If studen...