Sweetgreen | Fast and healthy
Sweetgreen combines healthy- and fastfood. The company was founded in 2007 in Washington and is tumultuous growing since then. Currently, the chain has 65 locations in the United States. read more
Sweetgreen combines healthy- and fastfood. The company was founded in 2007 in Washington and is tumultuous growing since then. Currently, the chain has 65 locations in the United States. read more
Virtual Reality Hilton AmsterdamThe marketing- and sales of Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol is going to use Virtual Reality as a sales tool. Potential clients who don’t have the opportunity to visit the hotel, can still experience the hotel with the help of their Virtual Reality glasses. read more
The best city hotel we have had the pleasure to visit! The World Heritage city of Porto has an iconic hotel, The Yeatman. With a breath-taking position overlooking the Douro River and the historic city centre, The Yeatman offers a great place to stay with stunning panoramic views from the terraces, the indoor and exterior pool (in the shape of a port bottle), the rooms and restaurants. Some of the small gestures of hospitality from The Yeatman, the naming of the rooms, the design elements, the housekeeping & maintenance and of course the friendly approach from all the staff. read more
Another fine example of latte art. We wrote about 3D latte art in 2013, but Leo’s Espresso in Hong Kong takes this to the next level and makes the 3D art (which are mostly animals) ‘jiggle’ in your coffee. The 3D animals are made of milk foam, Latte Art 2.0. read more
At Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week among others, how the world of online reservations is evolving in the Netherlands, a 3D printer that creates full colour candy and the Hangover Bar from Amsterdam went viral worldwide.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading!
The Netherlands is a real potato country. Because of the excellent climate potatoes have been growing there for centuries. They are cheap and every Dutchie has his ‘own’ potato dish. A product to be proud of! However, knowing that the potato is one of the most wasted vegetable in the country is less inspiring. It’s actually a bit of a shame, as there are plenty of products which can be made out of the remains. To inspire we gathered some examples of drinks made from almost ‘wasted’ potatoes. read more
The florist bakery named ‘Baked Bouquet’ is creating eatable cupcake bouquets. Although we know that the cupcake trend has long been finished, we got really excited when we saw a couple of bouquets of the Baked Bouquet at pictures. Some inspiration for the catering companies: place the cupcake bouquets at dessert buffets. read more
As from late July, The Milk Train Café in London is serving particular ice cream in a particular way! The Café serves soft-serve ice cream in a cloud of cotton floss. The flavours of the soft ice cream are special: Asian flavours, London style! The café opened late July and is extremely popular. read more
Golden Tulip Hotel ‘De Reiskoffer’ (translated: the travel suitcase) in Bosschenhoofd, Noord Brabant (the Netherlands) uses storytelling quite some years now. For example they give their guests a travelduck to take on their next travels since 2007. Recently a short movie was released, starring the hotel called ‘Avonturen bij de Buren’, which means adventures with the neighbours. Another great example of storytelling with a twist. read more
Dirt Candy was one of the first restaurants in New York that focused on the vegetarian cuisine, one of the initiators of today’s vegetarian trend, ‘veg-only food in a modern context’. The restaurant menu is completely vegetarian of high quality and a great way to present the food on the plates. Of course we do have some great examples of vegetarian only restaurants in Europe as well, we visited for example Cookies Cream in Berlin. Both restaurants are a great example for those restaurants only serving a ‘standard’ alternative, like salads with goat cheese or cheese croquettes, to their vegetarian guests. They have tasted those alternatives to often…. If you don’t want to serve to fancy dishes check out the products of for example The Vegetarian Butcher.
At Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week among others, Karl Lagerfeld will launch a hotel brand, some examples of the use of rooftops in Melbourne and a new beer.
If you like to read the whole article, click the title. Enjoy reading!
Villa De Bear can be found in an old teddy bear factory, situated in the west of Bangkok. If we are talking about special concepts and storytelling around your brand, this restaurant should be named. Although the production of teddy bears in this factory stopped a long time ago, the history of the property is still clearly visible. A perfect example of a concept which is conducted in detail. read more
We’re kind of jealous of those living in San Diego, they have the iDessert by Jean-Phillipe shop in their vicinity where they can create their own dessert. Guests can choose from hundreds of different flavour combinations. The signature dessert is made from a handmade meringue crust filled with whipped cream and homemade ice cream or sorbet. The dessert is enriched with a sauce made from fruit and topped with cake, nuts or cookie crumbs. You create and order your combination using a tablet in the store. read more
Hotelsuite De Pier From mid-November on people can spend the night on De Pier in Scheveningen. After opening the biggest terrace in the Netherlands, the Food boulevard, the Pier Offices and the first ferris wheel above the sea, the owners have a new goal. They want to complete the five exclusive hotel suites of 30m2 with their own outdoor area with panoramic views of the North Sea. After the completion of these five Pier suites, eight stylish cabins will be built on the outer ring of the Zuidereiland. If you want to visit The Hague in the Netherlands, this will be a great place to sleep! read more
Drunken Dumpling, situated in New York has a very unique specialty, the XL XLB. The XL XLB is a giant soup dumpling. The extra-large soup dumpling is filled with crab, scallops, shrimp and pork in a combination of chicken, pork, and vegetable broths. read more
Pizza Hut is putting an indulgent twist on the caviar craze sweeping foodie culture with the launch of ‘Pizza Caviar’ – a first-of-its-kind innovation that read more
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 read more
We have been sharing inspiration on our website since 2007, inspiration that we find in the hospitality industry or by online spotting of what our read more
Late September, our colleagues Lennert Rietveld and Laura Stoter got introduced to the Dutch board game ‘Gastologie’. Jeannine Sok who developed the game together with students from the ‘Cas Spijkers Academy Twente’, played the game with visitors during the event ‘Gastvrij Rotterdam’. Nice to play the game with your staff or to use it to increase the Hospitality level that you want your guest to experience in your business.
Recently our managing director, Hans van Spronsen, wrote a column ‘Generation 0.0’ from witch we quote the following paragraph, ” Maybe the fact that the majority of hotel guests in the middle and upper segment is older than 40 years and is not active on the social media. That’s why I’m always amazed when I see that these hotels have a Facebook page and are very active on Twitter. Who are you trying to reach? Not the target audience, I think. We do not read tweets or likes.” In his column which is published in a Dutch magazine he explains that this generation checks all the reviews at bookings.com or Tripadvisor and that hotelmanagers better check these reviews at a daily base and react to the reviews in a personal way.
Hotel Mitland in Utrecht is responding with the introduction of the hotelBooQi . This communication tool , a folding flyer credit card size , serves as a holder for the room key, contains practical information about staying in the hotel and a map with landmarks. The hotel thinks that despite the attendance of mobile applications, that at this moment in time it is still more effective to inform their guests this way. This in addition to the information on their website and taking into account the 0.0 generation. Besides that the unfolding of the HotelBooQi is still faster than downloading and opening an application.
The boutique hostel King Kong in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, will open in the first quarter of 2014. The 5 meter high loft offers extraordinary sleeping facilities. There are ‘huts’ between the roof beams to hammocks and cozy niches and normal two, four and six person rooms as well. The hostel accommodates a total of 150 beds.
All the bungalows at bungalowpark ‘De Eemhof’ are fully booked from 7 to 9 February 2014. Organizer ‘Meubelstukken’ only needed a week to archieve this, giving previous visitors the first chance to book their bungalow.
Party organization Loveland announced its ‘Loveland weekender’ bungalow festival in September. This festival, located at Roompot bungalowpark Weerterbergen in Limburg from 4 to 6 April was sold-out in only 24 hours.
Unfortunately this article is only available in Dutch.
De Italiaanse restaurants kenden in 2013 de sterkste groei van alle restauranttypen in Nederland. Er kwamen 55 nieuwe Italiaanse restaurants bij. Over een periode van 5 jaar groeide het aantal Italiaanse restaurants met bijna 14%. Ook over een periode van tien jaar zien we een zelfde ontwikkeling met een aanwas van 576 bedrijven. Hierdoor nam het marktaandeel van Italiaanse restaurants de afgelopen tien jaar toe naar in totaal 12% van de totale restaurantmarkt. Deze positieve ontwikkeling wordt mede veroorzaakt door de opkomst van Italiaanse fast casual concepten. Desondanks staat de gemiddelde besteding onder druk. Dit blijkt uit het brancheonderzoek ‘Het Italiaanse restaurant in beeld’ van Van Spronsen & Partners horeca – advies uit Warmond. Bekijk het volledige artikel hier of download het onderzoek
A warning with a wink for all tourists who will be visiting NY in the coming period. This hilarious movie should be mandatory for tourists to prevent sidewalk-clogging, by tourist taking pictures while wearing tracksuits. According to New Yorkers tourists need to learn how to behave. And Johnny T, tells about all the jerky things tourist do in NY and tells the basic tenets of not-obnoxious touristing. At the expense of large restaurant chains (although again with a touch of humor) the creators ‘Glove and Boots’ refer to smaller restaurants to eat. He also recommends that out-of-towners stay in their hotels between the hours of 4 and 6pm, when residents are trying to get home. Just another way to put your city in the picture ;-).
With the publication of “Small gestures in hospitality” we want to provide hospitality entrepreneurs with hospitable gestures that are usable without having to make large investments.
We have examples from the Hotel Mainport in Rotterdam, The Mark Hotel in New York, het Pulitzer hotel in Amsterdam and the Palais Hansen Kempinski in Vienna. Download the free publication here.
We are full of prejudices when it comes to food, this unfortunately affects our kids as well. In their eyes something can instantly be disgusting or weird. At ‘Proefwerk’ children are challenged to do blind tastings and describe the taste of for instance a cucumber or a raisin. Because the children built up confidence during the tastings initiator Fleur Derogee often ends with exciting insect tastings. ‘Proefwerk’ takes place at the Future Food House during the World Food Festival in Rotterdam and starts every half hour on Wednesday from 13.00 – 17.00 o’clock.
In September 2013 the French water brand Badoit did a sequel on the marketing stunt Badoit express of 2012. In cooperation with Chef Thierry Marx** the lucky drivers of the Rue de Rivoli were surprised with a first-class gastronomic performance. The travelers of the street were treated to a 4-course dinner consisting of a ceasar salas, a veal ossobucco, a pastrami pressé and a Paris-brest. Chef Thierry Marx himself walked in the middle of the street collecting views and comments of the drivers. The action promotes Badoit water as the water that best accompanies meals.
Bacardi organizes cocktail parties in a classy art-deco building along the Rue Defacqz in Brussels. These cocktail nights are from 27 September to 19 October and limited to 70 guests only, who are chosen from registrations through a special phone number. The lucky few can prepare themselves for world class bartenders like Roman Falton (Artesian, Londen), Shingo Gokan (Angel’s Share, New York) and Elizaveta “Lizzy” Evdokimova (Delicatessen, Moskou). The concept refers to the exclusive cocktail parties in ‘El Edificio Bacardi’ at the Avenida de Bélgica (Havana) during the beginning of the 20th century.
The Amsterdam Marriott Hotel offers the ‘Future of Meetings’ concept with boxing and bootcamp trainings for companies. During the BodyFit meeting arrangement world champion kickboxing Fouad Tijarti introduces various boxing techniques. The training is a mix of stamina, power, speed and technique practices.
There are Bello Limoncello bottles with a measure card on the tables at café restaurant Braque and Mata Hari in Amsterdam. This makes it easier to pour a glass of Limoncello (or a few more) and you don’t have to buy a whole bottle. The idea for this service sprouted in Italy, where limoncello producer Natwerk found out that local restaurants estimate the amount of booze you’ve had from the limoncello bottle on the table. Thus they’ve made small addition to adapt the service for the Netherlands: a measuring card to ensure a fair price if you ‘Go Dutch’.
Restaurant ‘De Keuken van Gastmaal’ in Utrecht, the Netherlands has a special 4-course vegetables menu. The restaurant chose to use vegetables from the region to promote the use of local products. It is the first restaurant in Utrecht that services a full vegetables menu. All dishes are presented with self-picket herbs. The restaurant is nominated for the best vegetarian dish of the Netherlands.
Burger King has introduced a healthier version of the French fries in the United States. The SATISFRIES™ are French crinkle-cut fries and contain 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories. According to Burger King the SATISFRIES™ are healthier because they used another batter that absorbs less oil. To launch the healthier French fries, Burger King has started the campaign #WTFF (What The French Fry). Large French fry pods where placed in high traffic areas in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago to encourage passersby to take pictures to post on social media using the hash tag #WTFF.
Lakrids and Cool green events are organizing a mini workshop with licorice candy on Saturday September 28th at the World Food Festival in Rotterdam. During the workshop you will discover the many possibilities of cooking with licorice. Lakrids has a wide collection of licorice products, from beer to syrups. With these products will be experimented during the cooking and baking. To conclude the workshop a special dish will be served with matching drinks.
Romantic diner for two? The smallest restaurant of the world ‘Solo per Due’ is located in the Italian town Vacone. The restaurant has only one table with two chairs and two red armchairs by a fireplace. Guests don’t have to wait long for the food and the attention of the staff is completely focused on the two guests. The restaurant is located in a building dating from the nineteenth century in a historic town. The location offers a beautiful view across the valley of olive trees. ‘Solo per Due’ offers exclusive Italian dishes for € 250,= per person, drinks excluded.
Koppert Cress has introduced a new edible flower, the BlinQ Blossom®. The BlinQ Blossom® is a succulent herb with a salty taste and goes well with smoked meat or fish dishes. The flower has tiny crystals and is an eye catcher on a dish. The flower has its origin in South Africa and is year-round available. Watch the on James Bond inspired introduction of the flower.
Recently we published an article about Food Sherpas; local people who take tourist on a local culinary discovery tour. Food tours along local culinary hotspots for tourists are becoming more popular. Like in Washington culinary tours are given by companies. For example DC Metro Food Tours gives tours in 13 different neighborhoods in Washington. The food served during the tour are a reflection of both residents and the history of the area. During the Food Tours architecture, culture, history and food are combined. The website Skift published an interesting article about these food tours.
From 1 October to 15 November for the fifth time, young talented chefs from Flanders will be promoted both domestically and abroad. 38 Young chefs were elected last year, but this year the jury selected 45 young chefs. As well as last year, people from 18 to 30 years can enjoy a three-course menu for € 45,=. The chefs will also be promoted abroad this to give an impression of the young Flemish gastronomy. This is an initiative by Vlaanderen Lekker Land and Tourism Vlaanderen, Horeca Vlaanderen and 5 Provincial touristic organisations.
‘Biribildu’ is a Greek fast food restaurant in Alimos, near Athens. In ‘Biribildu’ you will find yourself in the magical world of the circus. ‘Biribildu’ is the Basque word for turn, to make a round. This appears frequently in the design. Like a traveling circus goes around from town to town, it is a fitting theme for the fast food restaurant that offers gyros made with meat of a vertical rotating roaster. There are two circus horses and the kitchen, toilets and the shed are hidden behind three wooden boxes in which the circus can be transported. The cash register is located in a tiger cage. The fast food restaurant is designed by Minas Kosmidis and every little circus details has been thought of.
Do you order a glass of red wine, because you think it contains less calories? Then you can equally eat a slice of cheese. The video shows how many calories you really consume when drinking and compares those number of calories with food. A Margarita is equal to a taco or a Piña Colada is equal to a cheeseburger. Maybe you’d better order a vodka soda?
Telegraph gives an overview of 24 hotel suites with spectacular views. Ranging from hotel suites with a view over a city to a view over a national reserve. The pictures above are from Grand Hotel Tremezzo. The five star hotel is one of the oldest hotels located on Lake Como. The two Front Suites of the hotel are stylish and modern. The rooms have a living and a dining area and a stunning terrace with a heated Jacuzzi. Because of the unique location, the suites have a beautiful view of Lake Como and the Grigne mountains. For more hotel suites with a spectacular view, check the article of Telegraph.
The airline Virgin Australia has developed a new app that allows passengers to view movies and programs directly from their smartphone, laptop or tablet during a flight. Before the airplane leaves, passengers can download the app from iTunes or Google Play and get access for 300 hours movies and programs of Virgin Australia. At this moment the app is tested at 37 airplanes, both domestic and international flights.
A beautiful example of storytelling. Waldorf Astoria shows unforgettable stories that have a link with the hotel through their youtube channel. The video above shows the story of the relationship between Michelin-starred head chef Pierre Gagnaire and chef de cuisine Roel Lintermans. They surprise the guests with high quality food at the new restaurant Les Solistes at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin. Watch more unforgettable stories on the youtube channel, like the story of exectuive chef Heinz Beck at restaurant La Pergola in the Cavalieri hotel in Rome or the fashion journalist Eleonora Attolico, who shows another site of Rome, within reach from the hotel.
The Danish professor Ole Mouritsen will give a presentation about Umami in the Future Food House, part of the World Food Festival on Sunday 22 September. Ole Mouritsen is specialist in the field of Umami, the fifth taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. He will show the audience what Umami is by explaining the theory, giving examples from the Japanese kitchen and from fast food. Three Dutch chefs, Remco van Erp and Pepijn Schmeink (Restaurant Eendracht) and Hiroaki Yamamoto (restaurant Huson), will cook small dishes during the presentation to show the taste of the mysterious flavor Umami.
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