Offering Breakfast and Dinner ?

[Sotiria6]

Just wondering if hosts and hostesses offer breakfasts and dinners for additional revenue and what the experiences have been so far 🙂 

Many thanks 🙏🏾 

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Sotiria6 

I only provide accommodation, without any meals included. 😂 I’d rather keep it that way because I don’t want my accommodation reviews getting mixed up with food reviews in case they don’t like what I serve! At least this way, they can judge my place purely on the stay and not on my cooking skills. 😂

[Sotiria6]

Thanks so much Patricia 🙂 

[Priyanka102]

Yes, offering breakfast can be a nice additional service Dinner may also work for longer stays or guests wanting a local home-cooked experience. I would start with a simple optional breakfast menu, clearly mention the price before booking and ask about allergies or dietary restrictions. The preparation time and ingredient costs should be calculated carefully to ensure it is genuinely profitable.

[Idem48]

It's a nice idea but it adds up to expenses and I'd go with the comment that says it could affect reviews, guests could leave you a bad review about a food. 

[Julea1]

I don't offer meals, too many allergies to worry about and dietary preferences. I have enough trouble working out what I'm going to eat never mind my guests. 🫣

[Ginger177]

Offering a continental breakfast at Bed and Breakfast Inns is very common however there’s typically staff onsite to provide that service. I don’t currently offer meals and I’m not sure how that would work logistically but it’s a good idea. Depending on where your located you could partner with local restaurants/bakeries and offer a priz fix style breakfast possibly. There’s a hotel in Portugal that delivers fresh meat and pastries every morning and guests love it. O

[Gerald978]

Ciao Sotiria, se hai la possibilità di farlo sarebbe un ottima idea specialmente la colazione. Bisogna decidere di integrare con la cucina tradizionale e puoi come sempre fare due conti se porta del utile per il tempo impiegato e le risorse.

[Freedom16]

My place is in Nevada City CA where most people want to go out to eat, so it is not a draw for my location. But I wonder what the legal issues are with serving a meal and not being 'registered or licensed'. I have a great place for dinner with friends and I recommend caterers that are licensed and deal with all the kitchen regulations. 

I know you don't need any licenses to leave bread and eggs etc in the fridge for them. I leave ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and hot sauce. 

If you charge for a cooked meal are you violating any local regulations where you live? 

[Karen4033]

I agree with those who say food is subjective and affects your reviews and adds to your cost. I think to try to charge for meals would also be dicey. It is very hard to please strangers without having a restaurant menu and qualifications as a chef.

What I do to make my guests feel welcome is leave a small age-appropriate gift for children and a  toy for the dog. I also invite them to arrive the night before their stay starts in case they want to wake up on their vacation. While most don't take me up on it, it makes them feel welcome and that I am flexible. I am also flexible with check out and invite them to stay as late as they like on check out day. I never have new guests arrive on the same day as check out - but that is for my convenience as I don't like to feel rushed to clean.

I have toiletries in the bathroom in case they forgot something - toothbrushes, toothpaste, moisturizer, shampoo, hair ties, all first aid stuff, sunblock, earplugs, etc.  Staples in the kitchen cupboard include pancake mix and Vermont maple syrup, oatmeal (and little shelf-stable milk in the fridge), granola bars, popcorn, salt, pepper, olive oil, condiments. And of course, paper towel, napkins, toilet paper, kleenex, cleaning stuff, dishwasher pods, laundry detergent, dryer sheets.  

In addition, I leave homemade scones in the freezer (with ingredients and baking instructions) and homemade healthy dog treats (with ingredients).

I think this way my guests feel welcome and if they arrive late at night, they can have a snack or oatmeal and scones for breakfast before they go grocery shopping.

I have an Airguide which provides all the information for the area and details everything in the cottage. 

Hope this helps.

[Jennifer4314]

That’s a very thoughtful thing to do, and I’m sure your guests would appreciate it! My biggest recommendation would be to check with your local health department first. We have an annual inspection at our property to maintain our license from the health department, and one of the things they always verify is that any snacks we provide are individually packaged and nonperishable.

If your rental requires a health department license or inspection, I’d start there before offering food. Requirements can vary by location, so it’s worth making sure you’re following your local guidelines.