Calling for creative concepts for restaurants and bars across three of its Shanghai hotels, the campaign theme is “If you have the idea, we have the way.”
BEIJING, June 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International is offering Shanghai’s F&B entrepreneurs a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity to help them realize their culinary aspirations.
Marriott International’s “Start With a Bang!” campaign offers Shanghai’s food and beverage entrepreneurs an unprecedented business opportunity
By joining Marriott International’s groundbreaking global “Start With a Bang!” competition, Shanghai F&B entrepreneurs can seize a rare chance to pursue their dreams. Under the campaign theme “If you have the idea, we have the way,” Marriott International is soliciting F&B concepts for the lounge at Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, as well as the JAVA+ Restaurant at Marriott Shanghai Jing An and Marriott Shanghai Greenland Hotel, aiming to revitalize these venues with original dining ideas.
Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations, Asia Pacific, Marriott International Ralph Frehner said: “The ‘Start With a Bang!’ campaign is truly a first in the hospitality industry, designed to discover passionate entrepreneurs and collect feasible, creative, and original F&B concepts that reflect local culinary culture.”
The “Start With a Bang!” campaign first launched in December 2014 at the JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen Baoan, where winner Ms. Pan Xiaoxiao recently opened her “boutique tofu shop,” modernizing and adding a fashionable twist to her family’s traditional tofu recipes to create unique tofu creations.
Mr. Frehner said: “Now we’re back in Shanghai, seeking similar creativity and originality for our three hotels here, making this our largest competition to date.”
For details on the campaign, entry requirements, and to submit an application, please visit www.startwithabang-shanghai.com/.
Participants are required to first submit a concise concept proposal or a 30-second video, or a single image (in jpg or png format) to the website. After the initial selection, shortlisted contestants will be asked to submit a detailed business plan in early August 2015.
Three finalists will be selected from each of the three Marriott hotels in Shanghai to compete in the “Start With a Bang!” grand finale, where they will present their F&B concepts live. The four winners will be announced in mid-September. The panel of four guest judges includes: Chef and owner of Shanghai’s Goga and Hai by Goga restaurants, Brad Turley;Owner and chef of El Willy, Elefante, and Tomatito restaurants, Willy Trulsson;Owner of Liquid Laundry, Cantina Agave, Boxing Cat, and Sproutworks restaurants Kelley Lee;And Anthony Zhao, owner of Mi Xiang Yuan and host of Food Hunters.
Marriott International will continue the commitment shown in Shenzhen, providing strong support to help Shanghai’s winners bring their F&B concepts to life.
Marriott International will offer each winner extensive support and resources, including seed funding, as well as expert advice from the company on legal, human resources, menu design, food safety and hygiene, marketing, and communications. The three hotels will also provide up to six months of rent-free space. Additionally, the winners will operate their newly created bars or restaurants either independently or in collaboration with the hotels, and receive compensation based on performance. Revenue sharing from the restaurants or bars will be jointly agreed upon via contract.
Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, said: “Marriott is known for its innovative F&B offerings. By tapping into local talent, we continue to lead the way in shaping dining experiences and deeply exploring creative culinary cultures in each destination.”
The “Start With a Bang!” campaign is also a tribute to Marriott founders J. Willard and Alice Marriott Alice Marriott, who in 1927 opened a nine-seat root beer stand called A&W® in Washington, D.C., serving “five-cent ice-cup root beer.” That small shop laid the foundation for what is now one of the world’s most successful hotel companies.
The English campaign name “BANG!” reflects the energy, power, passion, and impact of the initiative, while its Chinese counterpart “棒!” – which sounds similar – echoes the theme and means “Excellent!” or “Fantastic!”
Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel Lounge
Marriott Shanghai Jing An JAVA+ Restaurant
Marriott Shanghai Greenland Hotel JAVA+ Concept Café & Bar
About Marriott International
Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world’s leading global hospitality company, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Marriott operates or franchises more than 4,100 properties in 79 countries and territories. Its 2014 fiscal year revenue exceeded $14 billion. The company manages hotels under 18 brands, including Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Bulgari, EDITION, Renaissance, Gaylord Hotels, Autograph Collection, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Protea Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, and Marriott Vacation Club timeshare brand. Marriott employs nearly 361,000 people worldwide through its managed and franchised properties, and operates the award-winning loyalty programs Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, which together have over 49 million members. For more information or to book a hotel, please visit the Marriott website.www.marriott.com, or log in to www.marriottnewscenter.com to read their latest news.
Willy Trulas Profile
Willy came to Shanghai in 2007 and created a series of fun food and beverage (F&B) projects. “el Willy, Happy Spanish Restaurant” was his first concept store in China and is now the flagship location. He subsequently went on to successfully establish the chic Japanese cocktail bar “el Cóctel,” the contemporary Spanish restaurant “FoFo by el Willy” in Hong Kong’s Central district, the ultra-delicious small sandwich spot “Bikini, Snackies and Hot Dogs,” and the Mediterranean-style eatery “Elefante, Happy Restaurant and Bar.” Willy plans to launch more food concepts in China and other regions in the future.
Kelley LeeProfile
Kelley Lee is a young yet incredibly talented chef who has created some of Shanghai’s most renowned and popular restaurants (Boxing Cat Brewery, Cantina Agave, and Sproutworks)..Kelley is an extremely driven businesswoman who opened 19 restaurants during her 10-year career in Shanghai. Her latest dining concept — Liquid Laundry -- — is a New York-style food and drink bar spanning 900 square meters and has become a popular destination for a laid-back time in Shanghai. Kelley and her restaurants have received extensive coverage from international media such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, CNN, and BBC.
Brad Turley Profile
Brad Turley is the owner and head chef of Goga restaurant in Shanghai. Dressed in a Hawaiian print shirt, Brad prepares Californian-Asian fusion cuisine for guests. Brad has worked in San Francisco and Hawaii (under Chef Roy Yamaguchi), and has over 10 years of culinary experience in Vietnam and Shanghai. Drawing on this wealth of experience, Brad opened his own Goga restaurant. Though compact—with only around 20 seats—and featuring just over 20 dishes, the menu is refined and selective. Since opening in 2011, Goga has won numerous prestigious awards, including being named one of Travel+Leisure’s “21 Hot Tables” and Shanghai’s Best Restaurant by the Weekend Herald.