Tempo by Hilton describes itself as a “lifestyle brand,” targeting travelers who are wellness-driven but also like to indulge and explore. Moonsong Bar + Café, located in the hotel’s hip NuLu section of Louisville, Kentucky, aims right at that sweet spot.
“It’s more of a mindset than a demographic,” said Kevin Morgan, global brand leader for Tempo. “There’s no age bracket.”
The all-day café, opened in May, is operated by Australian coffee concept Bluestone Lane, which has partnered with Hilton in other Tempo properties. The brand is known for its sophisticated, clean and natural foods with a variety of options to fit every taste and dietary need alongside beverage-forward programming. Tempo’s former food-and-beverage lead lived above a Bluestone Lane in New York City and liked what he saw: Quick throughput, a cost-effective and low-waste menu and friendly, sociable customers and staff.
The plant-forward breakfast bowl was adapted from Bluestone Lane's menu.
But Moonsong takes Bluestone Lane’s “brekkie all day” menu and extends it into dinner and beyond. The food selection transitions from healthful, energizing breakfast bowls and avocado toasts to a prosciutto and burrata sandwich, Mediterranean chicken salad and the best-selling blackened salmon tacos.
While Bluestone Lane’s lattes, cold brews and matchas may be the daytime beverages of choice, Tempo’s signature spirited and free-spirited cocktail list is a draw in the evening. It features drinks crafted from the same ingredients with the same eye-catching presentation—but one version contains alcohol while the other is alcohol-free.
“The spirited and free-spirited program grew out of Covid,” said Morgan. Like the food side of the menu, it’s all about balance; meeting a guest’s cravings whatever they may be on any particular day. The cocktail “Black is the New Pink,” for example, is a riff on Paloma that swaps in smoky Lyre’s Highland Malt and zero-proof tequila for the boozy mezcal and tequila in the spirited version, while “The Plot” uses the same Highland Malt combined with Bluestone Lane’s cold brew coffee, bitters and pumpkin-butterscotch syrup.
The "Black is the New Pink" cocktail mimics a Paloma and comes in both spirited and spirit-free versions.
Tempo overlaid what works best at Bluestone Lane for the Moonsong menu. “It’s operationally simple,” said Morgan. “If an ingredient doesn’t exist in at least three menu items, it’s gone.” The avocado toast, for instance, uses just four ingredients and is easy to prep, he added. Tempo’s franchisee owners seek an efficient but noteworthy food-and-beverage program.
The service is fast-casual style; guests order at the counter or bar and bring their food and drinks to the table. “In the evening, we may switch the service style,” said Morgan, “plus we’re currently testing QR code ordering from the table.” In a couple of weeks, the café will be operating for three months—time to re-evaluate.
Tempo’s LuNu neighborhood has street presence and good foot traffic, so Moonsong Bar & Café can be a destination for locals as well as hotel guests. Another café location opened in the Tempo by Hilton in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, this summer.
“Moonsong works equally well in large urban areas and smaller tertiary markets,” said Morgan. “There are more Tempo by Hiltons to come, and as we expand, we’ll put in a Moonsong where it makes sense, but when it doesn’t, we’ll go with a Bluestone Lane. Both are cost-effective and lower risk to build and operate.”
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