Expecting more from food and beverage at Dooley's Hotel Waterford
Dooley's Hotel Waterford is a family-run, three-generation hotel where food and beverage is central to the guest experience and a significant contributor to revenue. With tight margins, rising costs and labour hard to find, Director Margaret Darrer saw Fáilte Ireland's F&B 360° programme as a chance to make food and beverage a profit driver rather than a cost centre.
Why Dooley's joined F&B 360°
For the hotel, the decision came down to a clear principle: it's not about doing more, it's about doing things smarter. The programme offers practical tools and expert support tailored to the business, without adding to the workload of an already stretched team.
In this video, Director Margaret Darrer shares how she expects F&B 360° to help the team understand what drives profitability, improve margin without losing the hotel's identity, and bring everyone on the journey.
Bringing the team on the journey
A key reason for joining the programme was the ambition to extend financial literacy beyond management to the chefs and floor team, so everyone understands what drives decisions and profitability. Margaret sees F&B 360° as a way to bring the whole team on that journey, building morale and strengthening commercial confidence.
Knowing what to focus on
Margaret expects the programme will give clarity and direction on how to support the team and improve margin. As she puts it, it's practical, tailored to the business and doesn't add more pressure, and it's a reminder that you're not in this alone.
Ready to strengthen your food and beverage performance?
Applications for the F&B 360° programme are now open. If food and beverage is part of your offering, the programme can help you reduce costs, improve menu performance and build a more resilient business for the future.