Game cafe in New York
3-12-2013
A crowdfunding game café initiative in Manhattan was funded by 188 people this October. For $8.700,- the game café ‘The Uncommons’ was created in the Big Apple. In the café-toy shop- coffee house guests can play a wide range of board games for $5,- a day. The shop sells a range of (warm) alcohol free drinks, pastries and sandwiches. A six months membership ($150,-) will provide you with privileges like a 10% discount for all in-store items, possibility to reserve a table and includes the rental fee.
Deposit on company outfits
3-12-2013
It’s hardly avoidable to prevent company outfits in the hospitality industry from being stained, burned or teared. Although it isn’t representative to keep wearing them, it’s a waste to throw them away. Next to that, the clothing sizes of personnel often differ and clothing that’s to wide of tight isn’t representative either. Horecahemden.nl thinks it has the solution for company clothing with a deposit for the shirts. For used items the entrepreneur gets € 10,- off, even if the blouses are stained or teared.
Christmas gestures
2-12-2013
Recently the Dutch paper ‘NRC Handelsblad’ published an article about what makes people happy. The writer, psychologist Sonja Lyumbomirsky gives as point number 1 that money can make happy sometimes, but focus on buying experiences (vacations, food and courses) rather than things. Things will get old quicker and are easier to compare to things of others or newer versions that come out later, this leads to more disappointments. This gives precisely the importance of hospitality, a good experience in a restaurant, bar or hotel contributes to the happiness of guests. As restaurant owner, you and your team contribute to creating a memory, especially with the holidays! The season makes it simples to create lasting experiences because your guests will already be in a merry mood and this can only be strengthened by dishes, decorations and hospitable gestures. This booklet will contain more photos than you are used to, but the images speak for themselves. Beautiful, simple examples of easily usable Christmas gestures. Download ‘Christmas gestures’ here.
The Bakery Cafe in Groningen
2-12-2013
Bakery Borgesius will open its new concept ‘the Bakery Cafe’ in Groningen the Netherlands on Sunday, December 7th. At ‘the Bakery Cafe’ visitors can consume bread that they have cut themselves at the bread table. When they order sandwich filling they can take unlimited use of the bread. The bread is fresh and mostly organic. Consumers can also drink a cup of coffee, tea, beer and more drinks. The interior of the cafe is made from natural materials and has a natural and quiet appearance.
Found Food Restaurant
29-11-2013
Four students of the University of Amsterdam are organizing a dinner at restaurant Baut Amsterdam on Wednesday December 4 to raise money for student scholarships in South Africa. Organizers Ismael Fofana, Tania Wells, Sarah Aly and Saro Campisano have convinced restaurant Baut chef Michel van der Eerde, Baaf Vonk (Varkensroosteren.nl) and a mystery chef to cook. Visitors can donate € 25,- via the website to reserve a seat at a communal table at Restaurant Baut. 100% of the money raised will go to student scholarships in South Africa. The collaboration sprouted during the Socionext classes, a course that’s part of university curricula in South Africa and Copenhagen as well.
Pinterest connects businesses to an interactive map
29-11-2013
Pinterest has launched the new tool ‘Place Pins’ which makes the social media platform more interesting for small businesses. With Place Pins, users can add addresses and maps when they Pin an image. These are displayed on an interactive map. Make a Pinterest board with your favorite hotels and restaurants, for instance Paris and you can share this interactive map of Paris with other users. By clicking on ‘more information’ you will be directed to the Foursquare page or the hotel / restaurant website.
Nhow recruits staff in an accessible way
29-11-2013
Nhow Rotterdam hotel will open its doors on January 10, 2014. This is the third nhow hotel in the world after Milan and Berlin. The hotel has 278 rooms, conference- and meeting facilities, a skyline bar, food lounge and a rooftop terrace. To recruit staff for the hotel, nhow has organized a Pioneer Fest on November 18. The hotel sent three local scouts on the road to search for candidates and to invite them for the Pioneer Fest. While enjoying a drink and a snack, the hotel met the candidates. An accessible way to get to know the potential staff outside of a professional environment.
Inhalable tea
28-11-2013
Camellia’s Tea House in London offers tea lovers a new special way to consume their favorite drink. During the ‘Experimental Food Society Spectacular 2013’, the teabar introduced the ‘Breathable Tea Room’ where visitors could inhale the tea through a straw. The tea is evaporated and served as a smoky gas that could be inhaled through a straw. Because the tea is evaporated, it contains no calories, you avoid a burnt tongue and the antioxidants in the tea are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Earlier we spotted the Vaportini which alcoholic beverages are vaporized and can be inhaled using a straw.
Google Streetview from airports
27-11-2013
Traveling often brings along a fair amount of stress. Google relieves this a bit with the introduction of Google Streetview inside airports and other travel hubs. KLM already used Streetview technology to explore destinations and it is possible to feature 360 degrees photographs from restaurant interiors. In the near future it’s possible to ‘test-walk’ through your trip in Streetview.
Sander van Veenendaal drafts perfect beer
26-11-2013
To enhance the draft beer quality worldwide, Heineken introduced the Star Serve program. The goal of the program is to optimize the skills of bartenders and enhance customers’ expectations of draft beer. As a part of this optimalization, the brewer has challenged bar tenders around the world to draft the perfect beer. At the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, Dutchman Sander van Veenendaal (Grand Café de Lindenhof, Soest) overclassed 19 bartenders from i.a. Malaysia, Ireland, Dubai, Brasil and Mexico and won the Global Bartender Final. Over 3000 locations worldwide participate in the Heineken Star Serve program, 300 of them are Dutch.
