Trends we spotted | Week 12
20-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed in the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now but we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we have written a ‘trends we spotted this week’ with small positive gestures and inspiration in these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Marjolein van Spronsen
This week, among other links to articles about a hand wash tutorial by Gordon Ramsey and the Cheese trucks of the London based The Cheese Bar.
McDonald’s in the U.S. and Canada are considering rent deferrals for its franchisees and Uber Eats is introducing a new support package that includes a waiving of delivery fees on all orders from independent restaurants across U.S. & Canada and dedicated marketing campaigns.
And an article at Eater about what restaurants need right now to actually survive in the USA. Here in the Netherlands, the government is taking all the necessary measures at this moment and even banks are helping. We wish all restaurant owners worldwide will be able to find a way to stay in business.
Chipotle tackles social distancing with virtual hangouts on Zoom, interesting inspiration if you try to reach young people. And upscale restaurant Canlis in Seattle finds new business model in the Covid-19 crisis.
In the Netherlands we spotted free e-learning programs for people working in the hospitality industry and many restaurants offer gift vouchers with benefits. One of them doesn’t give vouchers but gift plates!
Gacha Gacha Coffee | A do-it-yourself coffeeshop by Maruyama Coffee
21-2-2020
A do-it-yourself coffeeshop, created by Nendo Design Studio for Maruyama Coffee In Japan. Although already closed it’s been an introduction to a coffeeshop that didn’t require many staff members. Nendo Design Studio created the almost fully-automated café called Gacha Gacha Coffee. The experience was inspired by Gachapon, a capsule toy vending machines that’s popular in Japan. The pop-up from October till November 2019, located in the observation deck of Roppongi Hills, featured 12 vending machines. At these machines consumers could purchase a capsule filled with coffee beans for ¥500 (USD 4.50). As from that the consumer had to take the coffee to semi-automated stations to brew it themselves. Staff only had to give information and clean up!
The idea behind Gacha Gacha Coffee is to create a coffee experience that makes you choose your beans, take time to watch it brewed and maybe even talk about coffee with a barista and of course enjoy the view at the observation deck! But as Trendwatching (we spotted Gacha Gacha Coffee in their ‘Innovation of the day’-trendletter) indicates it’s a great example on how you can use automation to face labour shortage, which we’re facing in the Netherlands as well.
Fresh food robot ‘Sally 2.0 by Chowbotics’ will be rolled out worldwide
2-12-2019
The world’s first fresh food robot, Sally 2.0 by Chowbotics enters a new phase with a new user interface, hardware enhancements, and an expanded menu with meal options for any time of day. Sally 2.0, the newest iteration of its widely-popular fresh food robot, which first came to market in 2018 and is currently in action at more than 70 locations including offices, college campuses, hospitals, and more. The enhanced model features a larger tablet display, a stunning new user interface, wheels for increased mobility, and improved servicing features that reduce operator refill and cleaning time. In addition to Sally’s flagship salad and grain bowl offerings, Sally 2.0 now offers breakfast and snack options such as Açai bowls, fruit, yogurt bowls, and more. Thousands of people can now experience these enhancements at several new deployments across the country and around the world.
We wrote about the Robot Sally back in 2017 and wondered when we will see the first fresh food robots like Sally in Europe. Stated at the website of Chowbotics is that they work with the Compass Group, Sodexo and in the press release it says that Bonduelle, the French international plant-based food company, recently ordered a first set of 50 robots for France. Earlier this year, the two companies joined forces to create the Cabaletta brand and set an exclusive partnership for deployments at foodservice outlets throughout mainland Europe. “We believe offering salads and other plant-based food through easy to access kiosks will be a key trend for the future,” says Elodie Levrier, Project Director, Bonduelle. So anything for your food outlet or kiosk?
Trends we spotted | Week 34
23-8-2019
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about the Taco Bell hotel in Palm Springs and about a gnocchi sandwich at Luzzo’s Pizzeria in New York, comfort food to the max!
In addition, the delivery service Deliveroo has recently withdrawn from the German market. Optimus Ride has started an extensive test with self-driving vehicles in New York, with which they consciously try to increase confidence in these systems. And we have spotted a new ‘Instagrammable’ ice cream parlour in London, Taiyakiya.
Domino’s® Pizza and Rad Power® Bikes | E-Bike program for delivery in the US
23-8-2019
Domino’s Pizza, the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, knows a thing or two about pizza delivery, including the fact that cars aren’t always the most efficient way to get hot, delicious pizzas to hungry customers. A bike is often a better solution to traffic congestion and parking challenges. Domino’s stores across the nation will soon have the option to use custom e-bikes for pizza delivery through a partnership with Rad Power® Bikes – North America’s largest e-bike brand.
Domino’s Pizza has also tested Robots for delivery but don’t you think that e-bikes are more likely to be used in the short term? In the Netherlands we spotted a couple of delivery services that use e-bikes as well.
Rad Power® Bikes is also located in the Netherlands (Utrecht) from where their team is working to build similar partnerships with European companies as well. For example, a fleet of their e-bikes are used in three European cities in a program called ELVITEN that demonstrates how electric light vehicles can improve mobility in urban areas. Below the article a video about this project that already started in cities like Bari, Genoa (both Italy) and Málaga in Spain.
Inspiration from 2018 | Robots
29-7-2019
In the Netherlands restaurants, hotels and bars face a big shortage of staff! Many hospitality entrepreneurs will sometimes miss a robot in service! We wonder when we will see robots in the Dutch hospitality industry?
YOTEL, the affordable luxury hotel brand, announces their new hire in their Boston hotel, YO2D2. The Seaport hotel is known for its of-the-moment technology offerings which include super-fast (and free) WiFi, self-service check-in via mobile app and sleek cabins with SmartBeds™ and Technowalls. With this latest tech enhancement, guests can look forward to receiving amenities from and taking selfies with YOTEL’s newest crew member, YO2D2.
Would you like to eat in a robot-run restaurant? Or would you prefer a restaurant in which the waiter is being helped by a robot that helps them carry your food? Bear Robotics is designed not to replace human waiters but to act as an assistant. Korean restaurant Kang Nam Tofu House in Milpitas, California is the first to try out Bear Robotics.
Spyce is a Boston-based restaurant, founded by MIT graduates and backed by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. At Spyce, robots produce healthy fast food at affordable prices. At the newly-opened establishment all bowls start at USD 7.50, the prices are lower than at similar restaurants as robots save on human labor expenses and the robots work fast! The robots prepare your meal in 2 minutes and as you can watch in the video underneath the article, they even clean up their own mess!
Starbucks Now | Starbucks unveiled their express retail store experience in Beijing
25-7-2019
Starbucks recently opened its first Starbucks Now™ store – an innovative, express retail experience that seamlessly integrates Starbucks physical and digital customer touchpoints. Combining the signature Starbucks café environment with Mobile Order & Pay and Starbucks Delivers™ customer experiences, this streamlined experience allows customers and delivery riders to conveniently get their favorite beverages and food at Starbucks.
Horecatrends | Tips for Culinary videos worth watching – week 28
18-7-2019
YouTube has been a source of inspiration for spotting trends the past few years. Every day, thousands of movies are uploaded with new and interesting content. We too sometimes use videos as a source of inspiration to write about. With this week again a selection of 3 videos which our colleague Manual Imanse thinks are worth watching.
This week links about why lobster is so expensive and top chefs who answer questions from the audience. I also found an interesting video with 10 completely different ways sushi can be prepared and served. About some we already wrote articles but still very interesting to watch!
Horecatrends | Tips for Culinary videos worth watching – week 28
12-7-2019
YouTube has been a source of inspiration for spotting trends the past few years. Every day, thousands of movies are uploaded with new and interesting content. We too sometimes use videos as a source of inspiration to write about. With this week again a selection of 3 videos which our colleague Manual Imanse thinks are worth watching.
This week links to videos about ‘What coffee looks like around the world and why menuca honey from New Zealand is so expensive. And since the beginning of July, amusement park Walibi Holland has a new attraction: the Untamed.
Trading spaces | Two chefs from the Netherlands and Bali, exchange their restaurants
12-4-2019
From the 23th till the 26th of May, two different teams of chefs will exchange from both restaurant and life. Restaurant Locavore (Ubud, Bali) and RIJKS (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) rise to the challenge of participating in the largest cross-border chef event. They let know that they are ready to push the boundaries and are willing to stimulate creativity and offer guests even more unique experiences.
