Vero Water
December 18th, 2019
Now more than ever, consumers are demanding brands that not only deliver on great taste and overall guest experience, but that are a force for positive environmental impact. The good news is the days when committing to sustainability meant higher costs and sacrificing value to guests are long gone. Innovative brands like Vero Water are disrupting the hospitality industry by proving to be a sustainable alternative to traditional bottled water, while delivering greater profitability and operational efficiencies. Stephen Haigh, General Manager at KYU in Wynwood, one of the hottest restaurants in Miami, agrees.“We’ve been at the forefront of this movement. Everyone has become more conscious of the environment and sustainability, especially reducing waste sent to landfills.”
According the International Bottled Water Association (IBW), bottled water remains the #1 consumed soft drink by volume in the U.S., for the third year in a row. Its popularity has been driven by a new generation of consumers seeking healthier alternatives, but has come at a huge cost to the environment. It’s estimated that 100 billion single-use plastic bottles are purchased annually in the U.S., and less than 25 percent are recycled. Most end up in landfills, polluting oceans and harming marine life. Every day we are confronted with news coverage of the environmental impact of single-use plastic, from massive islands of plastic trash making landfall at beach resorts to marine animals’ death by ingestion of plastic.
The goal of “going green”has prompted large-scale operators to seek plastic alternatives touted as better for the environment, such as water served in paper boxes and aluminum. “At the end of the day, single-use packaging ends up polluting the environment, as only a fraction of recyclable packages actually ever get recycled,” said Joe McNulty, Vice President of Operations. Vero uses the “milkman” model by sanitizing and reusing glass bottles hundreds of times. In fact, extending the reusable life of their signature glass bottle is a key priority. Vero is set to launch an innovative ink-free Vero Water-branded bottle in Q1 2020 that maximizes the reusable life even further.
SUPERIOR GUEST EXPERIENCE
Given the sustainability movement, it’s no surprise there isa proliferation of food service providers selling filtration machines. These machines typically have one to three “off-the shelf” carbon block filters that don’t account for the variability of local municipal tap water. David Deshe, co-founder and President of Vero Water, differentiates Vero’s purification technology.“We are relentlessly focused on quality and taste. Our goal is to serve the most exceptionally great-tasting premium still and sparkling water that enhances the guest experience. It starts with being bottled to impress in our luxury glass bottle, and finishes with our signature light and refreshing taste that complements every meal. No competitor comes close to the taste, quality and consistency Vero delivers with every pour.”
Vero Water achieves its taste through a proprietary five-stage nano-filtration system not offered by competitors. Tastemakers agree, as Vero is proudly served by some of the most acclaimed chefs. In a recent testimonial, James Beard Award-winning Chef Alon Shaya said,“The taste of Vero Water has been great for us because it’s really balanced and has great round flavor to it.”
Vero’s popularity among influencers has established it as a lifestyle brand that enjoys high consumer visibility. “Vero Water is the undisputed leading luxury brand in our space,” says Vice President of Marketing, Michelle Beauchamp.“From being served at red carpet celebrity events, to placement in TV and film, and partnerships with award-winning chefs, Vero is the luxury brand synonymous with sustainability that everyone is asking for.”
MAXIMIZING BOTTLED WATER SALES
With bottled water consumed at every occasion and now the leading consumed soft drink in the world, it begs the question “why do 85 percentof guests choose to ‘drink from the sink’ when dining out?” Michael Servetnick, Vero Water co-founder and Vice President of Sales, says Vero offers the solution to this problem with the perfect combination of price and quality. “Even during a fine dining occasion, guests simply don’t want a double-digit dollar addition for water, to their check. Vero’s flexible pricing models of charging a flat fee per guest or per table area compelling value proposition. Guests immediately recognize the value of enjoying unlimited still and sparkling Vero Water throughout their meal for a flat fee, increasing the opt-in rate to as high as 90 percent.” In the arena of high-volume, multi-unit operations, this can mean big business.
Add the sustainability benefits and it’s easy to see why the fastest growing part of Vero’s business is among leading multi-unit hospitality brands such as Melia, Iberostar Resorts and Norwegian Cruise lines, who are integrating Vero into multiple touch points of the guest journey and eliminating millions of single-use plastic bottles in the process.
