“If We Ignore Food Waste, Why Would Small Restaurants Care?”: Grand Hyatt Seoul leads by example

Grand Hyatt Seoul, a luxury hotel in the heart of South Korea’s capital, is known for its exceptional hospitality, world-class dining, and commitment to sustainability. With over 11 diverse dining outlets—including fine dining restaurants, bars, and extensive banquet services—the hotel manages a complex food and beverage operation. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Marco Torre, the team has embraced sustainability, recognizing the importance of reducing food waste while maintaining top-tier culinary excellence.

The Challenge

Operating a large-scale hotel kitchen presents significant challenges in managing food waste. Buffet-style services often generate waste through plate waste, overproduction, and kitchen trimmings. To address this, Chef Marco and his team turned to Winnow’s AI-driven solution to track waste, optimize food usage, and implement data-driven strategies for reduction.

Leading by Example

Chef Marco’s passion for sustainability stems from his Italian upbringing, where small-scale, high-quality food production was the norm. Upon moving to larger cities and global hotel chains, he saw firsthand the impact of mass production on food quality and sustainability. He strongly believes that large organizations must set the standard:

"We need to focus on sustainable seafood, plastics, and food waste—because if we ignore these issues, why would small restaurants care?"

— Executive Chef Marco Torre, Grand Hyatt Seoul

Taking Action

Using Winnow’s insights, Chef Marco and his team analyzed waste patterns and implemented several key initiatives:

Live Stations & Fresh Preparation: Instead of pre-slicing large quantities of smoked salmon for the buffet, chefs now slice portions fresh upon request.

Smaller Plate Options: Providing guests with multiple plate sizes helps control portions and minimize excess without compromising satisfaction.

Switch to 'à la minute' Cooking: Grand Hyatt Seoul is transitioning from large-batch buffet preparation to 'à la minute' cooking, ensuring fresher portions and significantly reducing food waste. "We want to make less, but more often, and more fresh for the guest." explains Chef Marco Torre.

Ingredient Repurposing: Remaining croissants from breakfast are used as the sponge in Tiramisù, offering a fresh, sustainable take on a classic dessert. Surplus bananas are used to create banana milk, providing guests with a nutritious, waste-conscious beverage.

Inspired by nose-to-tail cooking, Chef Marco emphasizes using every part of an ingredient creatively. He also highlights seasonal sourcing as a way to reduce spoilage and unnecessary waste.

"As a chef, the key to waste control is to just have fun and try to cook everything that comes into your kitchen. Use all the trimmings. Make purées, sauces, powders—just have fun with it."

— Executive Chef Marco Torre, Grand Hyatt Seoul

Flexible Serving Dishes: Depending on reservation numbers, the team switches between large and small serving trays, ensuring the right amount of food is displayed at all times.

The Goal

With these initiatives, the team is already seeing significant results. Since implementing Winnow, they have reduced buffet plate waste, minimized overproduction, and continued upcycling ingredients to enhance sustainability. Chef Marco is aiming for at least a 10% improvement in food waste reduction year on year. 

Conclusion

Grand Hyatt Seoul’s journey with Winnow demonstrates how large-scale hotel kitchens can successfully reduce food waste through data-driven decisions, smart ingredient repurposing, and innovative service adjustments. The hotel is proving that sustainability and luxury dining can go hand in hand—paving the way for a more responsible future in the hospitality industry.