E129: Why Great Food Isn’t Enough for Restaurants to Succeed, Featuring Prof. Sherri Kimes

Why do most restaurants and hotels fail within a few years? It’s rarely because of bad food or poor service, but rather failure to manage demand, pricing, and customer mix effectively.

In this episode of the Impulso podcast, Professor Emeritus at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and hospitality revenue management expert Sherri Kimes unpacks how the industry has transformed over the last 20 years, and what it really takes to survive.

Tune in as we dive into:

• Why “good enough” food often beats culinary brilliance;

• The critical gap between having data and actionable information;

• How digital-first players like Luckin Coffee are outmaneuvering legacy giants.

• The future role of AI in hospitality, and where it’s just hype.

From hotel revenue management and AI in hospitality, these insights will change the way you see, and run, a hospitality business.

Timestamps:

00:01:10 – From phone calls to QR codes, 25 years of hospitality evolution

00:06:51 – The art of saying “yes” in revenue management

00:17:43 – Why simplicity always beats good food

00:27:50 – Luckin Coffee’s digital advantage

00:39:18 – AI in Hospitality & Restaurants: hype or game-changer?

Featured materials:

Inside Luckin Coffee: Strategy, model, and international playbook report, Momentum Works 

Chinese F&B in Southeast Asia report, Momentum Works 

Luckin Coffee brings manufacturing back to the USA? | Impulso E123