The impact of COVID-19 has hit every industry. From local stores to retail giants, employers have been forced to adapt to the closing and reopening of the economy in order to fight this unprecedented pandemic. One industry hit particularly hard has been restaurants.

Wherever you look, you can find a new cutting-edge product emerging from the beverage industry. Whether it’s a canned twist on a staple drink or a brand new low-cal healthy alternative, innovation in the beverage industry is bubbling. Department chair of food and beverage management for Johnson & Wales College of Hospitality’s Michael Sabitoni elaborated on what exactly students in the program should expect.

JWU professors, like students, are experiencing the “new normal” at home during the global pandemic, COVID-19. In this series, we’ll explore how they are navigating their day-to-day, both inside and outside the online classroom, and their observations of the world. Read more here.

As the global economy and, with it, the hospitality industry, continues its “great reopening,” there will be a number of issues that will require ongoing focus as the impact of COVID-19 is analyzed. Here’s what’s on my mind as I consider the industry’s fate.

I can’t help thinking these days that we are living in a virtual (not material) world (apologies to Madonna). 

Before graduating from college and pursuing my career in content production (and before I started writing for Career Catalyst!), I spent my nights and weekends working in restaurants. I worked in several roles — both in the front and back of the house — and I learned some amazing resume-building lessons as a result. Even though I went on to work in a completely different industry, I’ll always have an appreciation and understanding of what it takes to bring a great dining
experience to a patron. Also, I learned some skills that are still relevant in my current role.

Do you truly need all of your hotel linens changed every day? At my house, we don’t change them every day, or even every other day. So why can’t we re-use our towels and leave the linens just a bit longer at hotels? Many travelers and hotels are asking this very same question.

It is good for the Earth, it’s good for labor costs, and it’s good on many other levels. It’s a win-win (nearly) all the way around.

As the old saying goes, money makes the world go 'round. But in the hospitality industry, money makes travelers go round the world. According to one report, Americans spend $162 billion a year on lodging. With that stat in mind, it’s not surprising that there are many different hospitality management careers that keep the business booming.

New year, new travel adventures. According to Johnson & Wales University professor Eldad Boker, Ed.D., these are the trends you should know about before you pack your bags for vacation in 2020.

Those keeping an eye on the hospitality industry are well aware that many of today's trends can turn into tomorrow’s standard practices. It is why staying connected to these trends and nurturing an awareness of what is playing out in the industry is so critical. Not every one of today's trends will find itself entrenched in the future of the business, of course, but it can provide insight into what to be aware of. Here are some 2020 hospitality trends to note: