The Irvine Marriott will be one of the hotel chain’s first sites to cultivate food and beverage business ideas under a new program for chef-entrepreneurs by Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott International Inc.
The program is called Canvas and will accept ideas through Jan. 16 from would-be entrepreneurs via a website. One chef will be chosen and given kitchen space and other resources to develop the idea, including a 500-square-foot former private dining room at the Irvine Marriott.
The local site is the only California hotel chosen so far; the test program will add about a dozen locations over the next six months.
Marriott said it wants to develop local, distinctive food and beverage ideas and hire food and beverage employees for its hotels, doing both more quickly. It also plans to make the Canvas program part of its marketing, with documentary “webisodes” about participating chefs.
