So, they DO want to eat breakfast...

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When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk..
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
.
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
No. That would be totally disruptive to an innkeepers schedule PLUS many breakfasts do not reheat well. My egg bake is eat it now or forget it (unless you are the innkeeper who is accustomed to eating cold food) and it would not reheat well. I do not have a nuker so nothing to warm it up anyway. Besides, if you start doing stuff like that, there will be something else come along to ratchet up the aggro-factor.
You have 10 guests, 4 show up for breakafst and 6 now expect to find a plate of food waiting for them, nice and hot of course, when they deign to drift down to eat - a couple at 9:30, another person at 10, another at 10:30 and the last 2 decide to appear at 11 and since checkout was at 11, they obviously are not out as they linger over breakfast. Your whole morning was taken up serving breakfast and doing checkouts except for this last couple who are now keeping you from flipping rooms - especially their room. Now when re you going to be able to do the clean up from breakfast? When are you going to get to strip those beds, make them and clean the rooms and bathrooms. much less do the laundry and be there all smiles, cleaned up and pretty for the 4 pm arrivals - and we know you will not mind the new guests who show up at 3pm! Oh, and when are you going to get to the market for the eggs, milk, OJ, and TP that you ran out of because those guests figured it was in the room so they paid for it and took the last extra roll in the house!
I will serve a breakfast at whatever time my guests request between 4am & 10 am (I am only 3 rooms remember and I stable horses) but even I draw the line at saving a plate to be reheated.
Breakfast is the meal of note at a B & B and Lunch is the meal served at Noon.
.
I agree. I'm very big on schedules, and the only way I would ever consider holding a plate for a guest would be under the circumstance that I could wrap it up, set it aside somewhere (not my kitchen), and leave it for the guest alone to deal with. Possibly even set out a basket of leftover baked goods, and just make them available to guests throughout the day. Once they're gone, they're gone.
 
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk..
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
.
IronGate said:
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
I work a full time job. During the week if people want breakfast after 7:30, I do a continental and will put a plate covered in the refrigerator. This is not a surprise it is on my web site and I talk to them about it and what I can do for them.
Most of my guests are up early and gone during the week. On weekends I have breakfast when they want it before check out if they are leaving that day. But I now have 2 suites so a total of 6 people. I can do that and the larger ones can't. The larger you are, the best you can do for those people are cereal, breads, juice, fruit, yogurt, etc.
.
In reply to both Hawley & IronGate about saving a plate for late or early risers.
Once you start this practice you may find you will have bitten more than you can chew. What if all guests were late or early, do you have the space to store that number in the fridge?
Breakfast hours are set to fit YOUR schedule - stick with it. It is only you to suffer. If you see the need to adjust, do so after analyzing when people are eating or make note of those wanting different times and then adjust to that new schedule.
Over the years and through my evolution of guests, I have changed my breakfast hours from 8:30 - 10:00 to M-F 7:30-8:30 and S-S 8:30-9:00. I found that 1 1/2 hours just wasted my time. (I serve open seating, having seats for all guests). I also found as I became more popular with the business guests that weekdays I needed earlier times. Some of my weekday guests need earlier than the 7:30 time frame so I have cereals, fruit and pastries as well as coffee etc. available. This I set out the night before (if needed) and the cold stuff is in a small refrigerator.
I was working when we first opened. We were mostly a weekend type business until one local (big) business found out about us. At that time, weekday breakfast was all continental. as my early bird breakfast is now. Worked well then and works well now.
.
I have suites. The suites have a refrigerator and mw. So if they want something for later, I prepare it the night before similar to a basket and put it in their fridge. I do cereal, breads or muffins, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, sliced ham, fruits. This all keeps in the fridge well and they can eat the ham cold or heated.
 
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk..
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
YellowSocks said:
When guests imply they could just skip breakfast, I usually encourage them to give it a try... it's a bed and breakfast after all!!! The ones who say they won't eat much always eat plenty... Our first official repeat guests didn't eat here last year because they get food at their conference, but this year I think the wife insisted and they sat down to an early breakfast.
While I make breakfast at whatever time the guests want, I have steered guests who had no particular preference on time to try to group them together. So far the latest breakfast I've served is 9:30, the earliest is 4:45, but most guests by far prefer an early breakfast. I have many many more requests for early breakfasts than I do for ones at 9 or later. I was astonished when I read on a B&B website that they serve breakfast every day at 9:30. Wow! Feed 'em and get 'em going so I can get into their rooms!
We go to church on Saturday night so that I'm not pressured on Sunday morning, but it figures that last week I had to make a presentation at 9:30... fortunately the guests were willing to eat at 8:30 or so. I figured that dh could finish serving and clearing... no, he decided he wanted to attend a different presentation, left the dishes on the table. Arggghhh! No biggie in the end... one guest checked out before he left, the others were in the process of going as we returned at 10:45.
=)
Kk.
What is the saying, one of this and two bits of the other? I will never forget the dentist who stayed here who told another guest "they make you get up at some gawd-awful hour for breakfast!" That was 830am (and I was the one UP, not him).
We have people who want to hit the road by 8am. We have others who cannot drag themselves in at 9am for breakfast. We had both of those yesterday, plus a breakfast delivery to the room.
The solution of course is to have an extended breakfast time where they can eat early or late. But I won't do it. I can't do it. I can't spend ALL morning doing breakfast. We don't have separate tables, we don't have buffet. We have a dining table that guests sit together and enjoy each others company and the food we provide.
A month ago had that couple from Southern CA who came donw at 2pm and said "Where is our breakfast?" I told them breakfast was served at 9am, just like the confirmation, the note in the room and the sign in the dinin room stated.
He said, Well we do not EVER get up before noon. What can we have?
I told him of a few restaurants.
His next line was "Well this is just not going to work for us"
Staying the second night, and it was 2pm.
What did I do? You ask. This JERK had liar, lawyer written all over him and was PUSHING. I am not stupid, I ran their card and said goodbye. Off to torture another B&B.
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
.
IronGate said:
Just curious (still aspiring here), but is it possible to wrap up a plate and save it for the guest to warm up when they are ready to eat?
I work a full time job. During the week if people want breakfast after 7:30, I do a continental and will put a plate covered in the refrigerator. This is not a surprise it is on my web site and I talk to them about it and what I can do for them.
Most of my guests are up early and gone during the week. On weekends I have breakfast when they want it before check out if they are leaving that day. But I now have 2 suites so a total of 6 people. I can do that and the larger ones can't. The larger you are, the best you can do for those people are cereal, breads, juice, fruit, yogurt, etc.
.
In reply to both Hawley & IronGate about saving a plate for late or early risers.
Once you start this practice you may find you will have bitten more than you can chew. What if all guests were late or early, do you have the space to store that number in the fridge?
Breakfast hours are set to fit YOUR schedule - stick with it. It is only you to suffer. If you see the need to adjust, do so after analyzing when people are eating or make note of those wanting different times and then adjust to that new schedule.
Over the years and through my evolution of guests, I have changed my breakfast hours from 8:30 - 10:00 to M-F 7:30-8:30 and S-S 8:30-9:00. I found that 1 1/2 hours just wasted my time. (I serve open seating, having seats for all guests). I also found as I became more popular with the business guests that weekdays I needed earlier times. Some of my weekday guests need earlier than the 7:30 time frame so I have cereals, fruit and pastries as well as coffee etc. available. This I set out the night before (if needed) and the cold stuff is in a small refrigerator.
I was working when we first opened. We were mostly a weekend type business until one local (big) business found out about us. At that time, weekday breakfast was all continental. as my early bird breakfast is now. Worked well then and works well now.
.
I have suites. The suites have a refrigerator and mw. So if they want something for later, I prepare it the night before similar to a basket and put it in their fridge. I do cereal, breads or muffins, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, sliced ham, fruits. This all keeps in the fridge well and they can eat the ham cold or heated.
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
.
Hah spitting...I wrote a piece (piece of my mind) about that once. http://www.middlefingerlakeswine.com/advice/wine/spit-not
They had a designated driver in their group. They also brought a van so they could take back their haul (23 cases among 3 couples) They are serious! They didn't do full tastings, they just target the kind of wine they like and go for those at each place. Most of our wineries are less than a mile apart so it is easy to bop from one to the next and rack up a bunch in a hurry.
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
.
Hah spitting...I wrote a piece (piece of my mind) about that once. http://www.middlefingerlakeswine.com/advice/wine/spit-not
They had a designated driver in their group. They also brought a van so they could take back their haul (23 cases among 3 couples) They are serious! They didn't do full tastings, they just target the kind of wine they like and go for those at each place. Most of our wineries are less than a mile apart so it is easy to bop from one to the next and rack up a bunch in a hurry.
.
AAah! They were serious shoppers! Professionals! That explains it.
Reminds me of when we were in Napa and Chris was managing the Grill at Meadowood (where the famous Wine Auction is held). Robert Parker and his cohorts booked the back room of the grill and went back in there around 8 am with cases of wine to taste and rate. Even spitting they were tipsy by the time they came out around 5pm.
RIki
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
.
In our younger days, we visited a heckuva lot more than 6 wineries in a day in Northern California. So many wineries & just so much time!
We paced ourselves when we got older.... ;-)
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
.
In our younger days, we visited a heckuva lot more than 6 wineries in a day in Northern California. So many wineries & just so much time!
We paced ourselves when we got older.... ;-)
.
Well, each winery here can have up to 12 wines to taste, so we only go to four. That's 48 tastes of wine and some are pretty liberal pours. If we get requests to do more than 4 wineries we send them to the limo people.
Riki
 
Fred, I know this is not what the post is about, but 8am breakfast on a weekend will cause you more grief than you can imagine. I would work out something so that your guests are being serviced appropriately since they are the room rates.
You will be facing some angry guests soon. Just thought I would warn you. I am sure you have thought about this. Weekends are typically LATER breakfasts than midweek not earlier. I would hate for you to lose potential guests and repeat guests. This is a weekend business..
I think it depends on a lot of things. We serve breakfast at 8:30 because that is the one time we could do it so that breakfast is finished by time the wineries open at 10:00 (some people are really motivated and want to hit the wine trail as soon as they open the doors. (the record so far is 21 wineries in one day)
Most Sundays are our travel days and we find that most of our guests are up and have the cars packed by 8:00 and are kicking around waiting for breakfast. Granted this is not true for all, but true for the majority here on a Sunday. Also being out in the country there is not much in the way of nightlife so people have usually called it a night by 9:00pm and are up early. I would bet that for our clientelle and location, 8:00 am would be preferred on a Sunday. I'd just be sure to spell it out on your website and in the confirmation for anyone staying on Saturday night.
.
21 Wineries?????? Even spitting that is a lot!!!! Were they driving????? Our record is 6 doing our wine tours!!!!
Riki
.
In our younger days, we visited a heckuva lot more than 6 wineries in a day in Northern California. So many wineries & just so much time!
We paced ourselves when we got older.... ;-)
.
Well, each winery here can have up to 12 wines to taste, so we only go to four. That's 48 tastes of wine and some are pretty liberal pours. If we get requests to do more than 4 wineries we send them to the limo people.
Riki
.
I guess we usually don't sample all the wines available either, we just pick the varietals that we like the best :)
 
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