On Thursday, September 27, 2012, Room Service Restaurant Lounge opens as a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Miami Beach.This fascinating new venue, like no other on South Beach, perfectly mimics the perception of checking-in to a luxury hotel, complete with "Bellmen" escorting diners to their "private suite," "French Maidens" providing bottle service, a spectacular menu with tantalizing dishes that embody American Cuisine with a Latin Flair and desserts served on "Room Service" carts.

The grand opening festivities are unlike anything witnessed before! The evening will kick-off with Black Carpet arrivals at 8:00 p.m., followed by scrumptious "Butler" passed hors d'oeuvres until 10:00 p.m. and signature Room Service cocktails provided by Russian Standard Vodka.  The evening will also feature music, entertainment, flowing bubbly provided by Perrier-Jouët and will culminate with a spectacular, live Master Mixologist flair show!  Get ready to be mesmerized by Room Service Restaurant Lounge!

"We are very excited about bringing a new vibe and concept to South Beach, with Room Service Restaurant Lounge.  Our spectacular 5-star Luxury Hotel environment is ideal for dining and lounging, 6 days a week," say owners, Tamara Young and Richard Ford.  "We are excited to be a part of the captivating and ever growing Miami Beach scene and look forward to welcoming you to our venue."

Larger Than Any in Vegas

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa recently completed a $75 million expansion, making it the world’s sixth-largest casino, based on gaming positions or number of seats at a table or slot. It is also larger than any casino in Las Vegas. The casino floor is now larger than five football fields combined and features more than 5,000 slot machines, 110 table games and 50 poker tables.

An enclosed smoke-free slot room with 70 machines is located next to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s newest restaurant, Rise Kitchen & Bakery™.

Players will enjoy unmatched views of the pool area and tropical landscaping from within the casino. While some casinos have hinted at providing natural light in limited areas, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa has embraced the ability to feature it along with the pool. Players can take in Florida’s summer sun and beauty while they play at Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is one of the largest employers in Tampa Bay and pays more than $74 million annually in salaries and wages to local team members. The property currently employs over 3,300 people.

Recycling transforms waste into valuable resources, while saving energy and even generating additional revenue. Outside of saving money, recycling initiatives offer easy publicity, especially when restaurants involve the customers by inviting them to participate in their recycling program or actively promote worthy causes.

For example, more than 49 million Americans risk going hungry on a daily basis and yet, more than 100 billion pounds of uneaten, prepared foods end up in landfills every year. Restaurants can significantly cut down on this waste and demonstrate their commitment to the community and the planet by first, simply reducing, reusing and recycling, and second, donating any excess food to a food bank.
Check out how you can get your customers involved and other specific ways your establishment can start to reduce, reuse and recycle:

• Set up recycling bins or containers. Color-code your containers and make sure they are clearly identified by posting signs and concise directions. Cut holes in the container lids and use clear, biodegradable plastic bags, so that you can see the recyclables.

For most hotels and restaurants, the word “clean” has more to do with health inspections and employee training than culinary know-how. But, for a growing segment of Florida’s population, it’s a word that describes the way they eat: free of added sugars, pesticides, artificial ingredients, and usually from local sources.

Clean eaters are on a mission – and leading a revolution – to bring eating habits back to a simpler palate of fresh foods prepared with minimal ingredients and without over-processing. Some clean eaters consider themselves to be “foodies,” on the hunt for exquisite culinary experiences that celebrate food and tantalize the senses. Others simply view food as fuel: necessary for life and ideally in its most innocent state possible to power up their next adventure.  But, while each clean eater may have a unique definition of what “clean” means to them, they can all agree on at least one thing: restaurants are usually not clean.

Why not? One glance at the description for a summer salad reveals why restaurant dining can be more challenge than cheer: warm, crispy pecan-crusted chicken breast, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and glazed pecans served over mixed greens tossed with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Sounds delicious! But, a clean eater knows that the cranberries are coated in sugar, the pecans are likely roasted in oil before being drizzled with sugar and salt, and the salad dressing has an ingredient list that includes additives and preservatives to preserve its shelf life.  What’s a clean eater to do? Either order a plate of steamed veggies and hope they are not coated in butter before landing on the plate, or avoid restaurants altogether. That is not fun for anyone!

Fortunately, there are some simple ways for restaurants to embrace clean eating and be at the forefront of this new trend. Just keep it C.L.E.A.N.

“For the last 15 years we have anticipated being part of the finest and most convenient airport in the country.  As Florida’s oldest restaurant, we are proud to announce that our newest location, The Columbia Restaurant Café, is open for business at Tampa International Airport.  We are looking forward to serving both locals and visitors a taste of Tampa,” said Columbia Restaurant scion Richard Gonzmart, president and fourth generation family member.

Casey Gonzmart Jr., fifth generation family member, has been selected general manager of the Columbia Restaurant Café, and continues the legacy of his family’s business.

The Columbia Restaurant Café is located in Concourse E with Delta and Air Canada.   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily, offering family recipes that have made the Columbia famous for over a century, like the Original Tampa Cuban Sandwich (recently proclaimed by Tampa’s City Council as the City’s “Signature Sandwich”), steaming hot bowls of Spanish Bean Soup and Black Bean Soup, and the too good to miss, Original "1905" Salad,™ named “One of the 10 Best Salads to Make a Meal Out Of” by USA Today.  Other menu favorites include Miranda’s Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes, Chicken and Yellow Rice “Ybor” and Picadillo “Criollo.”  Breakfast choices include Eggs Malagueña, Tortilla Española, Torreja’s and the Ybor City standard breakfast of Café con Leche and Cuban toast.

When it comes to transforming your establishment into an energy-efficient operation, think big but start small. Turn off the lights when leaving a room. Power down computers at night and shut down kitchen appliances immediately after you are finished with them. These practices require absolutely no monetary investment on your behalf, but will help reduce your operation’s energy usage and energy bill.

Scraping dishes, scrubbing cookware, and soaking pots and pans are all easy ways to optimize your establishment’s dishwashing procedure, while making a considerable impact upon your water bill. Your restaurant can also become more sustainable by implementing other water conservation initiatives, such as fixing leaky fixtures.

TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites to Become First Guy Harvey Outpost Resort in U.S.

Over the next few months, the TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites on St. Pete Beach, Fla. will be transformed into Guy Harvey Outpost – a TradeWinds Beach Resort, becoming the first Guy Harvey Outpost in the United States.

At an estimated cost of $3 million, the rebranding of the 211-room beachfront property will begin immediately, with an expected completion date of 2013.

“With its gorgeous beachfront location, the endless water sports activities in the Tampa Bay area, and TradeWinds’ continued dedication to sustainable tourism and marine conservation, we found the TradeWinds Sandpiper to be the perfect property to introduce the Guy Harvey brand in the United States,” said Mark Ellert, president of Guy Harvey Outpost LTD.

“Through our partnership with Guy Harvey, we are looking forward to furthering our commitment to conservation and education while continuing to provide extensive recreational options for our guests,” said Keith Overton, president of TradeWinds Island Resorts. “It is a wonderful addition for our guests and the local and state tourism industry.” According to Overton the rebranding project will include:

• Incorporation of the signature Guy Harvey brand throughout the public and exterior spaces of hotel and meeting space, including all artwork, murals, and signage;
• Implementation of a Guy Harvey décor theme in all the guestrooms, which will also receive new carpet, paint, artwork and flat screen HDTVs;
• Replacement of existing hotel shop with a Guy Harvey Adventure
• Reimaging of the resort’s current restaurant and beach bar to reflect the new Guy Harvey brand;  
• Development of a casual, upscale, marine-themed Guy Harvey restaurant with lounge area, private dining and retail store.

The Outpost property will remain owned and managed by the TradeWinds Island Resorts and will continue to share privileges with its nearby, larger sister property, the TradeWinds Island Grand.

Owner Brian Hill began the project with the simple intent to improve the building’s insulation. But it soon snowballed to a much more ambitious undertaking, and Hill’s original budget of $8000 grew to over $190,000 -- and counting. He expects the project to pay for itself in less than two years.

When Hill first started the project he learned that it wouldn’t make much sense to upgrade the insulation if he would still be losing heat and air conditioning through the inferior windows. And the air conditioning unit itself wasn’t exactly energy efficient. And the roof. And the lighting. And the landscaping. Now, more than a year after beginning, Hill’s efforts to remake his restaurant into one that consumes fewer resources, including water, are finally nearing completion.

What does it mean to be energy efficient? By cutting down on energy use, restaurants can improve their bottom line while demonstrating their commitment to the community and the environment.

Implementing environmentally-friendly practices does not have to be difficult process. Here are three easy ways to cut down on your establishment’s energy use and save money on your energy bill:

Implement a start-up, shut-down schedule.
Reduce your energy bill without spending a dime. Many times, appliances are turned on long before they are used and left on even after they are needed. Create guidelines to define when each appliance should be turned on and turned off. Make sure to include cooking and holding equipment, as well as restroom and outdoor lighting.

The Sheraton Safari Hotel and Suites in Orlando announced today a $25 million landmark transformation centered upon a dramatic new multi-pool courtyard and a new name – Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort. The property features fresh amenities including a new spa, new fitness center and new ballroom along with completely reinvented guestroom and family accommodations, restaurants, event facilities and common areas. Boasting new spaces and services, the Walt Disney Good Neighbor® Resort sets the scene for spirited, sophisticated experiences for families, couples, groups and events.

The hotel’s multi-million dollar renovation project is part of the Sheraton brand’s ongoing commitment to enhance its global portfolio and is one of several Sheraton properties undergoing a large-scale renovation this year. Completely new guestrooms and facilities wrap around the new 27 Palms Pool Club, named for the original palm trees surrounding the pool area, which features two spectacular pools. The Falls is a large, modern pool complete with a cascading waterfall and 79-foot water slide. The Beach presents a zero entry pool with in-water umbrellas dotted among water jets, a youth wet deck and splash pad with in-pool water sprays and more. Pool Captains offer food and beverage service throughout personal cabanas, lounge areas and more than 250 deck chairs, and arrange passes for nearby theme parks, make recommendations on area attractions and sponsor activities at 27 Palms.

"Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort is a fantastic addition to the lodging, dining and event facilities available for local residents and visitors alike,” says Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Travel and tourism drives our region's economy and the significant investments made to this property have created yet another compelling offering in the tourism sector for Orlando."