Fire and Rain
Is outdoor the new lobby social scene?
The outdoor F&B space of The Firefly at the Marble City Kitchen at the Hilton Knoxville plays to the idea that has driven lobby space F&B success: some people do not want to go into a traditional restaurant with traditional table seating. Just as lounge seating in lobbies makes for natural socializing, the outdoor seating is “just an extension of that,” says Katherine Kies, corporate F&B manager at the hotel’s management company, PM Hotel Group. The Firefly, the bar arm of the Marble City Kitchen restaurant, includes design elements such as wooden bleacher seating and a firepit. “The mix of seating is super important,” Kies says.