The legendary McGold Card | The gift that keeps on giving
2-12-2022
The weather outside may be frightful, but the spirit at McDonald’s is sooo delightful. This December, they are kicking off the holidays and inviting fans to celebrate the season with friends and family in the best way – by sharing McDonald’s. They introduce the SZN of Sharing, a first-of-its kind holiday celebration happening exclusively on the McDonald’s App. From Dec. 5-25, McDonald’s USA are bringing you (and your crew) daily deals on your favorite menu items, cozy-yet-cool merch drops, and even the chance to win the iconic McGold Card (iykyk).
We think that fans all over the world are a bit jealous of the American fans who have the change of winning the McGold Card!
Mystery flavor at Yogurtland | Inspired by the White Elephant gift exchange game for the Holidays
2-12-2022
It’s the holiday season and Yogurtland is celebrating with a flavor that’s inspired by the popular gift-giving game, White Elephant. This year, Yogurtland invites you to try the mysterious White Elephant flavor, just like how you’d pick a surprise gift during a White Elephant gift exchange! Yogurtland’s limited-time offering is ever-changing, which allows guests to delight in the magic of the season with a delicious and unexpected flavor from the White Elephant handle.
We didn’t know about the White Elephant gift exchange but it’s quite simple, if you don’t know it either, check it out here! But here in the Netherlands we have a similar Sinterklaas game.
Trends we spotted | Week 47
28-11-2022
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, among other things, a culinary Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) at The Entourage group’s restaurants and reusable plastic trays at McDonald’s France. Also about Washington D.C.’s first ready-to-drink Espresso Martini that was launched and sold out on the same day and about the Gourmet Market Central Station in the city of Tilburg in the south of the Netherlands.
Furthermore, Jaeger-LeCoultre, the watch brand is opening a pop-up café in Manhattan and you were able to take a special ride on the Ferris wheel in Vienna last weekend. With the introduction of Apartments by Marriott BonvoyTM, Marriott International, Inc. they announced its expansion into apartment-style accommodations and a link to an article about the recently developed intelligent order management system TouchKitchen.
The Dutch restaurant chain ‘De Beren’ launches ‘Taste the Excitement’ World Cup campaign and Brewdog scores its own goal with ‘anti-sponsorship’ ads for World Cup Qatar.
Christmas inspiration 2022 | Christmas around the globe
22-11-2022
We are almost in one of the busiest and, in our opinion, one of the coziest periods of the year for the hospitality industry. And we can finally welcome guests for Christmas again!
Most hotels and restaurants are already busy thinking about the decorations, we have even seen the most beautiful Christmas hotel of the Netherlands on Instagram, ready to receive their guests! We have also seen a lot of newsletters with delicious menus and it’s great to notice that ordering Christmas dinners to go remains possible at many restaurants in addition to reserving a table! Last year we created a digital Christmas inspiration booklet with the biggest trend of that year; the ‘Christmas drive thru’. Of course we had to create another list this year, including the recurring ‘tree lighting’ ceremony, looking on Pinterest for your decorations, Christmas atmosphere in your hotel room, an ‘Electric Bingo’ in Christmas atmosphere and much more Christmas inspiration.
Reading time: 4 minutes.
Horecava | The Netherlands’ biggest hospitality trade show returns in January
18-11-2022
It’s already back to normal, but isn’t it great that after two tough years for the hospitality industry, the Horecava will take place at the RAI Amsterdam as before?
From 9 to 12 January, professionals from the hospitality industry will once again gather at the fair. Since January 2020, the Netherlands’ largest hospitality fair has not taken place in physical form. This makes the return of Horecava extra festive. The upcoming edition will focus on three themes: sustainability, personnel and innovation. The organization has not been idle in recent years. Because in addition to the exhibition days, the dynamic hospitality industry needs a place where they can meet like-minded people 365 days a year. Horecava has developed a successful online platform where supply and demand come together and current news is shared. Both hospitality companies and interest groups now know how to find each other there.
Trends we spotted | Week 45
14-11-2022
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’s links to articles about among others the Netherlands’ most beautiful Christmas hotel, Restaurant & Hotel Hoog Holten. And IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar in Amsterdam celebrates 10 years of high-end hospitality!
Great example of crossovers! The mochi muffins, mochi donuts and other chewy desserts from Asian-American bakery, Third Culture Bakery. And News on cultivated fish from Forsea Foods (Israël) and from Bluu Seafood (Germany).
Overwhelming enthusiasm for investment round of the Dutch fast casual chain SLA and you can still invest! The first ‘Meal Deliverer of the Year’ in the Netherlands has been chosen; Anthony Monte of SushiPoint. An election organized by the NLVVM.
An interesting blog on Retailtainment, FunFairCity, among others, reports the arrival of a new multi-activity complex: Brussels Indoor Games Center. And McDonald’s Germany and Shirin David are making prices rain with Monopoly until 4 January! So if you’re driving through Germany towards winter sports….
We already wrote about the ‘Golden Girls Kitchen’ pop-up restaurant in California last summer and now it’s coming to New York City and more cities in the USA are next in line!
Trends we spotted | Week 44
7-11-2022
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 amongst other a meal deal for the 40th anniversary of E.T. by Checkers & Rally’s and a great example of storytelling by KFC India, the short film ‘Kshamata’, about the deaf girl lshmeet.
An innovation from the Netherlands; TILER’s paving tiles are weatherproof, on-street charging pads for e-bikes. Hotels, restaurant and cafes might install these to create more charging abilities! And the Moxy Lower East Side hotel debuts in the neighborhood that defines New York cool.
And the first Christmas inspiration: Miller Lite taps into the Holiday spirit with a ‘Christmas tree keg stand’ for beer lovers. And Claridge’s recently announced that their Christmas tree will be designed by Sandra Choi for Jimmy Choo.
Kahlúa and Gail Simmons put a new spin on the Espresso Martini, served not in a glass but in an edible stemless cocoa cup. The First MICHELIN Guide Hungary has been launched, sounds like a country where foodies might enjoy themselves!
Mercure Hotel Amersfoort Centre in the Netherlands has renovated its lobby and rooms. And International pizza chef Renato Bosco will be in the jury of first National Pizza Baking Championship 2023 on January 10 during the Dutch Horecava.
Picnic Works™ and ContekPro partner to deliver the first modular automated pizza kitchen
7-11-2022
Picnic Works, a Seattle-based developer of kitchen automation technology, recently announced a partnership with ContekPro, a Portland-based manufacturer of modular kitchens. The partnership fuses the strengths of both companies to create factory-built pizza kitchens for commercial foodservice providers. The joint offering, the modular automated pizza kitchen, is faster to deploy, hassle-free to launch, more cost-efficient than brick and mortar, and has less impact on the environment, while increasing profitability for owners.
CLUBZERØ | Returnable packaging for in-store, takeaway and delivery
3-11-2022
CLUBZERØ is a returnable packaging experience designed to hold both hot and cold food and drinks. CLUBZERØ offers a convenient and cost neutral alternative to disposable packaging. They are working towards a zero-waste future.
If you are, like me, in your sixties you might remember camping and picking up fries or other dishes by taking your own pan to the camping restaurant. Sounds like a pretty sustainable start, but the convenience-economy changed this a lot! If you like to order take-away, you usually end up with piles of takeout boxes to dispose of. We read about CLUBZERØ in an article about the owner Safia Qureshi that is a finalist in the 2022 Food & Drink Heroes Awards – Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year. Although I have trouble picturing all consumers using this returnable packaging system, it looks promising in the catering and B2B space. Why not try it in the Netherlands as well! ^Marjolein
Las Vegas’ first 24/7 bacon concept in the D | Bacon Nation
1-11-2022
Downtown Las Vegas is ready to bring home the bacon. Bacon Nation – Las Vegas’ first 24/7 bacon-inspired restaurant concept – is officially open at the D Las Vegas. Created by Downtown Hospitality Group (DHG), the restaurant serves up elevated, over-the-top fare for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night, including gourmet bacon flights; sweet and savory French toast boxes; and Reverse BLTs, for which weaved bacon takes the place of bread.
The legendary McGold Card
The SZN of Sharing at McDonald's USA
