How Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is saving 118,000 meals a year from the bin

Nestled in the tropical paradise of the Dominican Republic, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is more than just a luxury getaway—it’s a leader in sustainable hospitality. By embracing Winnow’s AI- technology, the resort is saving 118,000 meals a year, proving that luxury and responsibility can go hand in hand.

A global challenge

Food waste is a global issue, with nearly one-third of all food produced ending up in the bin. For all-inclusive resorts, the challenge is even greater, as extensive buffet offerings and diverse dining experiences often lead to significant waste. Recognizing this, Executive Sous Chef Oskar Valle and his team partnered with Winnow to tackle this global issue. "We want to be conscious of every resource we use. Food waste has not just an economic impact but also an environmental one. By tracking waste, we identify areas for improvement, align menus with guest preferences, and effectively reduce waste," explains Valle.

Results:

•  27% reduction in food waste volume
•  118,000 meals saved per year
•  203.8 tons of CO₂e emissions prevented annually
• $61,000 saved annually in waste costs

Daily and Weekly monitoring

By installing Winnow’s AI system in three of its kitchens, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana gained visibility into food waste. With daily monitoring, chefs could track waste in real time and make immediate adjustments to menus and portion sizes, preventing unnecessary overproduction. Additionally, weekly analysis provided deeper insights, identifying waste trends and highlighting frequently discarded ingredients, such as unused meats and seafood. 

“Weekly reports give us a broader view of trends, while daily tracking allows for quick adjustments. Together, these tools have significantly improved our efficiency.”

-Oskar Valle, Executive Sous Chef, Nick Punta Cana

Strategies Adopted

To maximize sustainability and further reduce waste, the team implemented practical solutions in the kitchen:

• Menu Adjustments: Data helped refine buffet offerings, ensuring that guest favourites were prioritised while high-waste items were scaled back. For example, the team expanded the Dominican Corner while reducing high-waste items like sausages and chorizo.
• Production Optimisation: The team used waste data to minimise overproduction and adjust batch sizes to match guest consumption patterns.
• Ingredient Reuse: Meat, poultry, and fish trimmings were repurposed into broths, reducing the need for commercial stock while cutting waste.
• Team Engagement & Training: Waste reduction became a core part of culinary training, with chefs and cooks learning to track food waste and incorporate sustainable cooking techniques.

Looking Ahead

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is setting the standard for sustainable hospitality in the Caribbean. Moving forward, the resort plans to expand its food waste initiatives, enhance guest engagement in sustainability efforts, and continue leveraging Winnow’s AI insights for even greater efficiency.