Trends we spotted | Week 8
1-3-2021
At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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’.
Great images of the food and interior of restaurant Condividere, the informal haute cuisine by Ferran Adrià and London is embracing the power of the pedestrian once again this summer! Westminster City Council have elected to repeat last year’s plan to turn swathes of the capital into outdoor dining and drinking spots.
McDonald’s revealed a global packaging redesign and we spotted a new sustainable, delivery app aiming to revolutionize restaurant takeout packaging, JYBE.
Top Tier Foods (TTF) in Canada is going to roll out a vegan version of wagyu beef, called ‘Waygu’, at 4000 sushi locations. And Nestle plans to produce rice-based KitKat, the KitKat V.
AiFi, an expert in frictionless autonomous shopping, will partner with Wundermart to roll out 20 autonomous convenience stores in the first quarter of 2021.
Mountain Tap Brewery is offering COVID-19 proof dining in gondola’s this winter
26-2-2021
During the first lockdown we had the first restaurant in the Netherland to serve food corona proof in small greenhouses for 2 persons. Which was a great choice as we have a lot of big greenhouses all over the Netherlands. It has been used in several sizes and at different locations in the Netherlands. As are the dining pods which are used as hotel rooms or as small private dining booths during winter time and which are also corona proof. Now we spotted Mountain Tap Brewery, located in the mountain ski resort town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where winter low temperatures often reach below freezing and snow piles up by the feet. Faced with the likelihood of extremely limited capacity for indoor seating due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mountain Tap Brewery brainstormed a creative use of its spacious patio to accommodate winter guests. In the autumn of 2020, the brewpub transformed several out-of-use gondola cars into private seating booths and installed them on the patio. It might be an idea for all the restaurants located in ski resorts in Europe as well. We have been spotting gondel sauna’s and in 2009 we wrote an article about world’s smallest restaurant the Genussgondel in Fiss, Austria where you could enjoy dinner in a gondola lift. With a maximum four people, you enjoyed a three course dinner with a spectacular view over the Tyrolean mountains. When I started skiing in the seventy’s, the first lifts we used were open ‘bins’ in Italy, those could be used outside by après ski bars to keep social distance! 😉 ^Marjolein
Restaurant Basiliek* changes opening hours and interior after reopening
23-2-2021
One Michelin-starred restaurant Basiliek in Harderwijk (The Netherlands) will change its opening hours at the moment they’re allowed to reopen and welcome guests again. The interior of the restaurant will change as well. The COVID-19 pandemic provided the couple who own the place, Tabitha and Rik Jansma, with new insights with some changes as a result. ‘Something that we wanted for a longer period of time’.
We are curious how many restaurants, bar or hotels will apply changes within their concept. We suppose that the popular meal sharing concepts disappear after reopening. Just like COVID-19 is crucial for the open jars of nuts on tables. Restaurant Basiliek will also change the number of guests, which is something every restaurant has to deal with and where the concept is decisive regarding to the revenue of the restaurant. Sadly enough, this is something we have been testing with the ‘6 feet distance’. The decision to apply new closing hours is choosing for more private time, and it is great if your concept can carry this decision. There is no information provided about continuing with delivery and take-out meals in their press release, but we are very curious how concepts will apply this within their operations. Are you changing your concept, let us know!
French chef Cyril Lignac will be the new chef of the restaurant at the Amstel Hotel
23-2-2021
And we will make a reservation when it is possible! For everyone who has eaten at one of his restaurants in Paris, chef Cyril Lignac opens at the beginning of 2022 at the legendary Amstel Hotel! We have enjoyed our diners in his restaurant Le Chardenoux and Aux Prés, but he has three other restaurants called Ischia, Le Bar des Prés and Dragon. It is great to hear that this new chef will open a new culinary hotspot in Amsterdam, although we have enjoyed the switch of the kitchen of the restaurant at the Amstel Hotel to more simple and comfort dishes.
The restaurant at the legendary Amstel Hotel, owned by Katara Hospitality and managed by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, becomes the first restaurant of the French celebrity chef, tv-star and author outside France. The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in 2022, will be based on Lignac’s successful formula in Paris.
Écotable | An online platform which identifies, rates and promotes sustainable restaurants in France
23-2-2021
For those longing to travel to France this summer, there is a new online platform which identifies, rates and promotes sustainable restaurants in France; Écotable. With the motto: ‘Bien dans mon assiette, bien sur ma planète’ is Écotable a new guide for those who value a more sustainable way of dining out. The French startup, founded back in January 2019, is the platform to check if you want to dine out as sustainable if possible!
De Groene Ster (the green star) is a Dutch foundation comparable to Ecotable. By awarding ‘green stars’, the initiators hope to encourage the hospitality industry to make their business processes more sustainable, economically, ecologically and socially. This is not only beneficial for the industry itself, but as well for the Dutch who are looking for the most sustainable restaurant options in the region.
Say ‘I Do’ in the first-ever Dunkin’ wedding merch collection
19-2-2021
Fans who run on Dunkin’ 365 days a year, including their wedding day, can now officially say ‘I Do’ with Dunkin’. Inspired by being a part of so many love stories over the years the brand is helping Dunkin’ obsessed couples tie the knot and run together forever with the first-ever Dunkin’ wedding merch collection, exclusively available on ShopDunkin.com.
I must admit, this is one thing I did not expect to happen in 2021. However, when I think about it, it is a great way to bring some joy into this year with a creative campaign which one would not expect from a coffee and baked goods chain. The question remains however; would you wear Dunkin’ Donuts merch on your wedding day? Here in the Netherlands we have the FEBO (photo 8) who has its own merch collection, I wonder whether fans would love to marry in a ‘FEBO’ dress? Maybe the pyjamas! ^Sammy
Trends we spotted | Week 6
18-2-2021
At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 others about a signal-blocking butter dish for better phone habits. Interesting for on your dinner table after the COVID-19 crisis, we have been digital way too long! And a link to a ‘how to make’ Charcuterie and cheese bouquet.
Last week a M&M’S experience store opened at Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and we love collaborations like this one: Philadelphia’s Down North Pizza has launched ‘A Match Made In Philly’, featuring limited-edition pizza’s created by some of Philadelphia’s culinary stars.
Sustainable initiatives: #slaughterhouse waste products turned into bioplastic packaging and 2 companies are testing real-time digital labels that would detect spoiled food and thus reduce waste.
Two of America’s largest fast food chains, McDonald’s and Burger King, have announced new loyalty programs. Interesting to read! And what do you think, will there be more robots in the hospitality industry after COVID-19? We spotted another one, Robot ‘Jeeves’ in the Radisson Blu at Zürich Airport.
As of March 16th, children can watch the new show by Michelle Obama on Netflix. ‘Waffles + Mochi,’ is a culinary show that will teach them food related wisdom! And in Germany schools can create classes in the conference rooms of the Best Western Hotel Group.
Restaurant BINGO | S.Pellegrino created a new dining Challenge to support restaurants
18-2-2021
Unfortunately the Restaurant Bingo (“Program”) is only open only to legal U.S. residents, who are 18 years or older and they need to have an Instagram account. But it might be inspiration for other companies that have a big heart for the hospitality industry in Europe!
S.Pellegrino’s Restaurant BINGO gamifies food cravings to benefit the James Beard Foundation’s Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans. S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water and Netflix Queer Eye’s Tan France are encouraging food lovers to support the restaurant industry alongside the James Beard Foundation with the launch of S.Pellegrino’s Restaurant BINGO. This new month-long program which started on February 12th provides fans with an easy way to support their local restaurants, simply by ordering food and participating in BINGO-style challenges. Check out the post by Tan France inviting everybody to play along in the other part of this article.
February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day | Zaxby’s created a TikTok #ZaxofKindness challenge
17-2-2021
Mascot Big Z is spreading the love, because who doesn’t want free air hugs? Today is ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ and although we are still not really used to the ‘Days celebrations’ from the US, we spotted this fast casual concept Zaxby’s, with 900 locations in 17 states with its headquarters in Athens, Georgia, playing with the principle of this idea. Zaxby’s, the beloved chicken restaurant chain, is adopting the ‘Random Act of Kindness Day’ and tries to make it popular by starting the #ZaxofKindness movement on social media. Although we spotted a lot of ‘random acts of kindness’ here as well, like for example the #socialfries at our Dutch Friethoes. With the corona crisis they offer their customers the possibility to donate an extra fries for those who can’t afford. At their social media they show how many ‘frietjes’ (portions of fries) have been handed out! We love this idea and acts of kindness will always be appreciated, every day of the year! Let’s hope more people and businesses will offer their random act of kindness! Check out the #ZaxofKindness on TikTok in this article.
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Claridge’s handcrafted eggs return this Easter | Are you ready to create your own tradition for Easter?
16-2-2021
We still enjoy the thought of our delicious meal from Valentine’s Day but restaurants and hotels are already focussing on Easter. We received the first press release already before Valentine’s Day. Lets hope that restaurants are already allowed to open by April 4 within limited regulations. We love to write about trendy subjects, but some classic, annual anticipated traditions are great as well. And we hope that those mostly English traditions inspire other restaurants to create their own tradition! Check out the images of the annually-anticipated Claridge’s Easter Eggs above! Next to all their other Easter festivities their eggs delight chocolate lovers and spread some much needed joy.
