Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Crusty Slices, Puffle Bees and HOTBOXXX
4-2-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week, we spotlight three new concepts in Germany! Crusty Slices in Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt, is a fun concept that sells croissant dough slices with pizza toppings, sold in pretty boxes. They are growing fast in Germany, and are looking for franchisees. There are also franchise opportunities at Hanover-based HOTBOXXX, where you get your food out of the wall. Unusual though, you can also pull an entire menu out of the vending machines. And, of course, a few Dutch specialities. Puffle Bees is a concept that has been in Berlin since 2021, they too serve hybrids like the croffle (which they thus call the Puffle) and Egg Drops. They will soon open their second branch in Hanover.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 05
3-2-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- We came across a Swiss-based company, KITRO which is tackling the global issue of food waste.
- An interesting article on eHotelier – The Hotels Network launched Swaps, personalized hotel website experiences.
- Collaboration between two iconic hotels – Iconic Tuscan hotel, Il Pellicano travels to Claridge’s Restaurant for week long residency.
- Great Valentine’s Day inspiration from the Belgian Otomat chain – candlelight dinner with a firestarters matchbox and, of course, heart-shaped pizzas.
- On the Instagram account of restaurant and lunchroom Da Kepello in Panningen, we came across another dessert board! Also great way to serve desserts for Valentine’s Day.
- Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Oude Gevangenis Alkmaar opened last Saturday, February 1st. You can spend the night in a former prison!
- Ruby Hotels will open its first project in Hungary at the end of 2026! The Budapest project is located in the iconic Corvin Palace, Budapest’s oldest department store and a listed building from 1926.
- In March, Cinema Culinair will descend on Antwerp and Ghent with its film-food events from the 12th until the 30th of March. Enjoy both the film and the food from the film!
Enjoy reading!
A new culinary hotspot in The Hague | Restaurant Suus in hotel De Plesman
31-1-2025
In March, The Hague will gain a culinary hotspot with the opening of Restaurant Suus. Established under the striking copper roof of the pavilion connected to hotel De Plesman, Suus offers an inspiring environment where authentic dishes and a warm atmosphere come together. Inspired by the story of the Plesman family, the restaurant is the perfect meeting place for friends, family, private dining and business meetings. It’s a place where you enjoy delicious dishes prepared with local and high-quality ingredients. Hotel De Plesman is located in the historic former headquarters of the Dutch airline KLM, Albert Plesman was the founder of KLM and Suus was his spouse.
2 minutes read
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Petit and Bakery Heemelrijck, the SKEWER BAR and Restaurant Paarl
28-1-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: the SKEWER BAR in Rotterdam, where you can enjoy meat, vegetables and tofu skewers. An authentic street food restaurant specialising in dishes from the Changsha region in China. In Amsterdam, restaurant Heemelrijck has opened a new restaurant, Petit Heemelrijck, and bakery Heemelrijck with a new Wentelteefjes (French toast) to go concept. A new concept with a 75-year family history! And in Sassenheim, the South African pop-up restaurant Paarl opened in the third quarter of 2024. They treat you to a shared dining menu with all kinds of South African dishes such as biltong, braai, boboti, samosas and so on.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 04
27-1-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- Spotted at the Sigep in Italy where the product won 2 prizes: The Proissant. A protein croissant of the San Giorgio Italia Bakery House.
- To welcome the Year of the Snake, the fashion designer Shuting Qiu created an original artwork especially for Maison Hennessy. #ChineseNewYear
- With the aim to strengthen the connection between wine and gastronomy, Wine in Moderation announced a partnership with JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs.
- A small and quick coffee fix by Mamonaku Kohi in the Philippines – linked to an article about micro spaces popping up in cities.
- Mövenpick debuts in Poland with 2 hotels: Grand Hotel Wrocław, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karpacz and expands with 5 more hotels in the European market.
- A new franchise lunch restaurant will open in Bryant Park in New York City this spring, Toastique. We love their name, some more details about this concept in the US.
- Het Zalmhuis treats its birthday guests, free dinner for those celebrating their birthday at this restaurant in Rotterdam this year.
- At restaurant 10WILLIAMST. in Sydney you can enjoy all their desserts – with a ‘spoonful’.
Enjoy reading!
Star chef Enrique Limardo cooks at Hilton Amsterdam in honour of the Chocolate Festival
23-1-2025
From a special cocoa menu to a full evening with star chef Enrique Limardo himself. Hilton Amsterdam has been a partner of the annual Chocolate Festival Amsterdam for 12 years. This year, the hotel is organising a number of culinary experiences and events focusing on the versatility of cocoa. For this, they joined forces with Venezuelan star chef Enrique Limardo.
2 minutes read
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Nume, Bardo and De Oude Melkfabriek
7-1-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: Bardo in Apeldoorn, a restaurant with a French, chic but also natural ambiance. Owners Yves Jaartsveld and Monique van Helsdingen aim to keep it very personal and offer their guests a beautiful experience. In Arkel, De Oude Melkfabriek (The Old Milk factory) opened in October 2024, where you can eat out and attend culinary workshops on Persian cuisine, by chef Abbas. And in November, Nume New York Bistro Amsterdam opened in The Manor Hotel. You pronounce it as ‘New Me’!
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
Reading time: 2 minutes
Chipotle X Strava | Introducing ‘The City Challenge’ to kick off 2025
6-1-2025
Chipotle Mexican Grill recently announced that its partnership with Strava, the app for active people with more than 135 million users in more than 190 countries, is back and bigger than ever in 2025. Chipotle is launching its first-ever international Chipotle X Strava challenge for participants to compete to win free Lifestyle Bowls for a year, plus free Chipotle for their city(2). New in 2025, the initiative extends beyond the U.S., connecting and motivating Chipotle’s running community across 25 cities in North America and Europe, including New York City, London, Paris, Toronto and more.
4 minute read
Trends we spotted | Week 01
3-1-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- McDonald’s Australia Squid Game meal brings a familiar item from the series into reality. It comes with a DALGONA Candy.
- KFC combines chicken and sauce with new concept ‘Saucy by KFC’. It opened in December in Orlando.
- This Valentine’s Day, Whataburger is giving one lucky couple the ultimate prize: a Whatawedding at its Las Vegas location on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
- Four Seasons celebrates the year of ‘The Snake’ with a journey of innovation and festive traditions.
- We think a ‘Doggy treat food truck’, like the Mobile Barkery in San Diego is a great idea! We and lots of other dog friends and owners would love to buy a hot drinks and dog cookies at ‘off-leash’ areas.
- Angel Shot App LLC recently announced the launch of their new, innovative mobile safety app for nightlife patrons and hospitality establishments.
- Making Dry January more tasteful with the herbal blends in WishGarden Herbs mocktail kit.
- The 2025 outlook for the 0.0 category looks positive, but still has some social barriers to overcome. Thus Heineken® 0.0’s new campaign says alcohol-free should be reason-free.
Enjoy reading!
Mocktail Fest Miami | Celebrate Dry January
2-1-2025
“Dry Fest Miami is more than a celebration of great non-alcoholic drinks—it’s about community, discovery, and creating a vibrant social space”, says Marlene Aguilar, Co-Founder of Mocktail Fest Miami. Following the success of Mocktoberfest 2024, Mocktail Fest Miami proudly announces its second signature event, Dry Fest, with presenting sponsor KUL MOCKS, on January 10th, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at 1-800-LUCKY, located at 143 NW 23rd Street in Wynwood, Miami.
2 minutes read
