Taco Bell surprised impatient customers
30-8-2013
Taco Bell has held a fun stunt in collaboration with agency Grip Limited during the launch of the long-awaited arrival of Doritos Locos Tacos in Canada. Impatient customers were surprised during a special fan event. The exasperated tweets from the impatient customers were burned with a special laser on the first batch of shells and served to the specific customer. These customers ate literally their own words on the taco.
Hotel offers self cooking boxes
29-8-2013
Boutique hotel Affinia Hotels has started a partnership with US online grocer ‘FreshDirect’ to offer their guests an extra service. The rooms at the Affinia Hotels are equipped with a kitchen, separate dining area that allows guests to cook in their hotel room. Therefore the hotel offers meal packages by FreshDirect, such as the Healthy kit or the Business kit. The boxes are filled with food like fruits, vegetables, biscuits, dairy products and chips. Guests can order these boxed when they make the reservation for the hotel room or during their stay.
&samhoud foodlab
29-8-2013
Two starred michelin chef Moshik Roth and business partner Salem Samhoud will open the DNA restaurant &samhoud Foodlab in Amsterdam on 31 October. It will be the first restaurant in the world that serves DNA in the dishes. The restaurant will serve three natural GenBoosters with DNA extracts. The menu also contains small shakes and meals, as well as lunches, dinners with GenBooster to choice. The exact location in Amsterdam is not confirmed yet. The restaurant will be open seven days a week.
Update: The foodlab appears to be a hoax to feed the discussion about better food for everyone.
Meet the farmers and growers
28-8-2013
During the open door days of supermarket chain Albert Heijn on 21 and 28 September you can personally meet local farmers and growers. Approximately 140 participating farms, greenhouses and orchards are open for visitors. For adults there are guided tours organized where they can learn everything behind the product. Children can experience where there food comes from and get their farmers and growers diploma. Using the online map of Albert Heijn you can see which farmers and growers participate in the Netherlands. During these days consumers can meet the people behind the fresh products of Albert Heijn.
On The Roof Film Festival
28-8-2013
From 3 till 6 September the second edition of the ‘On The Roof Film Festival’ will be organized. During the four evenings films and documentaries with the theme ‘your green heart’ will be played. The festival will take place on the roof of the ‘Vrije Universiteit’ in Amsterdam. Every night, before the film starts, interviews with scientists about their green heart will be shown. Watch the video to get an impression of last year’s edition.
The Donut factory
27-8-2013
Frossja and Martijn are serving coffee with organic mini donuts from a 1974 caravan . The ‘Donut factory’ makes traditional mini donuts of organic flour and the toppings are adapted to the occasion. The ‘Donut factory’ also serves several fair trade coffees, teas and organic soft drinks and juices. You can find the ‘Donut factory’ at festivals, (organic) markets, fairs in the Netherlands but it is also available for rent for companies or individuals.
Hotel telephone has a pizza button
27-8-2013
Hotel Country Inn & Suites in Niagara Falls offers their guests an easy way to order pizza. Guests don’t have to search for a local pizza delivery because the hotel room telephones have a pizza button. The pizza button connects the guest directly with a local pizza company to order a pizza. An extra service for emergency pizza cravings.
Cafellow
26-8-2013
Cafellow is a new social platform focused on cafés, bars and terraces. Consumers can find a café selected on characteristics such as location, type of cafe, specialties, atmosphere and openings hours. They can also invite friends or share their favorite café through this platform. At this moment the service is available in six cities in the Netherlands, where more than 1,200 cafes are mapped. Cafellow creates a direct connection between supply and demand in the market.
Avocado Ale
26-8-2013
After chocolate beer, breakfast beer and coffee beer, a new special beer is introduced. During the opening of the Avocado Festival in Los Angeles, Angel City Brewery introduced a on guacamole inspired ‘Avocado Ale’. This special beer is made from a blend of Californian avocado, coriander, garlic, red pepper and lime. Ingredients that you normally use for guacamole. We are wondering if this beer also tastes delicious with tortilla chips?
Luggage robot Yobot
23-8-2013
In the Yotel hotel in New York, the luggage of guests is stored in a special way. It is not the concierge at the hotel taking the luggage, but the robot arm ‘Yobot’. Guests easily place their luggage in a bin and enter a pin number with their name. Yobot picks the luggage and stores it safely in one of the lockers. Guests will receive a receipt with a barcode that they can use to collect their luggage. An ingenious idea that gives more experience during a stay at the hotel. Watch the video of world’s first luggage robot here.
Games at Hotel Zetta
23-8-2013
Earlier this year Hotel Zetta in San Francisco opened its doors with the motto ‘work hard, play hard’. Designed by Andrea Dawson and her team of Dawson Design Associates, the hotel has 116 rooms and a creative and sustainable design with a unique experience for tourists and business travelers. In the lobby guests can enjoy various games. On the ground floor is a bar with different lounge areas and a large game where guests can roll a ball from top to bottom and score points. Upstairs is another public area with sofas, TV, video games, a pool table, a shuffleboard and other games. By offering these games, the hotel generates a creative (work) place for guests.
Bungalow for hearing impaired
22-8-2013
Holiday park Landal GreenParks has introduced the first bungalow for hearing impaired at the Landal Rabbit Hill park in collaboration with the Dutch Association for Hearing impaired. The bungalow has a number of adjustments and additional functional elements to make the stay of the guests with a hearing loss more enjoyable. There is an audio induction loop for the radio, DVD, TV and WII console. Both the smoke detector and the alarm are linked with an alarm- and warning system. This system creates intense lights and vibrations if necessarily. The front desk also has an audio induction loop. If the bungalow is successful, Landal GreenParks will extend the number of bungalows for hearing impaired to other locations.
Fries vending machine
22-8-2013
Belgium, the country of French fries, is testing a fries vending machine. For a number of years we get croquettes, cheese soufflés and minced-meat hot dogs through a hole in the wall, so why not fries? The fries vending machine ‘De Friethoek’ from BreakTime Solutions offers fries for € 2,50. Within 90 seconds you will get fries with salt and mayonnaise or ketchup. A number of countries are already serving fries via vending machine, but Belgium claims to serve the best fries because of the use of special vegetable oil.
24H West Amsterdam
21-8-2013
The western edition of 24H Amsterdam takes place on 7 and 8 September. For 24 hours companies, organizations, museums and theaters open their doors in Amsterdam West. There is for instance a tour by the ‘Afval Energie Bedrijf’ (Waste Energy Company) and a tour through the fourth harbor of Europe. Sporty (hotel) guests and employees of the Conscious Hotel Vondelpark will ride for 24 hours on a stationary bicycle to collect money for the ‘Bike for Water’ project and the second edition of The Race To The Top takes place at the Ramada Apollo Hotel. The next edition of 24H is in the northern district of Amsterdam.
Healthy fruit ice creams
20-8-2013
Fresh fruit, organic and sometimes herbs or tea.. These are the healthy pop-ice cream ‘Nice on a stick’. Nina and Elisabeth were looking for healthy and tasty snacks for themselves and their children and started to make ice cream of fresh fruit. The ‘Nice on a stick’ are 100% natural, made of organic fresh fruit and contain less sugar. The flavors for this summer are raspberry+ hibiscus, pear+orange, pure strawberry and watermelon+mint. These happy and healthy ice creams are available at several outlets and festivals in the Netherlands.
Origin Chocolate event Amsterdam
20-8-2013
The Origin Chocolate Event will take place in Amsterdam on October 22 and 23. The most renowned and award-winning chocolatiers from around the world will come together during this event. The chocolate experts will tell you everything about making chocolate. During these two days, presentations will be given by chocolate makers from different countries such as Ecuador, Switzerland and Grenada. Culinary delights are sampled from top pastry chefs and chocolatiers, there is an opportunity for meet & greets with chocolatiers and there are tastings.
Marriott launched mobile travel game
19-8-2013
Hotel chain Marriott has launched ‘Xplor’, a mobile game trip. During this game you will visit five cities (NYC, Paris, Beijing, Dubai, Sao Paul), you get sight-seeing challenges, solve puzzles and answer trivia questions. Players can create their own avatar, ranging from backpacker to jet-setter. For each city completed the player will receive 100,000 Marriott Reward points. Those who complete all levels before November 25, will receive three major prizes. The game is developed for all ages.
The Spotted Pig
19-8-2013
The Spotted Pig- New York. A one Michelin star restaurant that is in nothing comparable to our European idea of Michelin star restaurants. The restaurant looks like a combination between a nice little cafe and flea market, the waiting staff wears t-shirts and jeans, no reservations can be made and things as amuses/greetings from the kitchen is far from what is happening in this place. Al together I do understand why Michelin inspectors decided to award this restaurant a Michelin star. When you compare the service (for American standards you get a lot of time to enjoy your food and company, the waiters know what food they are serving and what wine they are pouring and they are very alert) and the food (everything is fresh and combinations are all spot on) with what you experience in other restaurants in New York you see a clear difference. Combine this with the cool atmosphere, all the pigs collected all around you and the beautiful location, I can understand Michelin’s decision. But my question remains is this decided based on comprising with other restaurants in the city or solely on the quality of this place? When you are in the neighborhood, definitely try to get a table, it’s the best price/quality ratio you will ever see in a Michelin star restaurant! ^Leonie van Spronsen
Hotel offers Wilderness Survival Program
16-8-2013
Inspired by ‘The Hunger Games’, the ‘Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea’ in Hawaii offers a ‘Wilderness Survival Program’. During the program children ages 5 and up learn how to survive in the wilderness, a unique experience during their stay at the hotel. Children can practice archery, their endurance is tested, they learn more about food and edible and non-edible plants and they will work on their camouflage skills. The hotel has four water slides, a white water rapids slide and a Tarzan pool where the skills of the participants will be improved.
The Meatball Shop
16-8-2013
The Meatball Shop in New York. Upon entering you know you are in a cool place, everything looks a little crooked, a little worn out but is beautifully put together. The menu that is presented to you is no nonsense, its balls, balls on a sub or balls plus a salad. There are a few specials on the board but basically you choose what meat you want with what sauce and you are ready to go. The portion seems really small but don’t overestimate yourself, it is more than enough! This is not the place to have a nice evening filling dinner but it is definitely a cool alternative for other fast dinner options! My tip; take their specialty sauce ‘Parmigiano sauce’ it’s amazing! ^Leonie van Spronsen
Win a Warsteiner bike
16-8-2013
Customers can win a Warsteiner bike by purchasing a six pack Warsteiner Radler in the supermarket or on the beach. The promotion is only available at locations where there are special Warsteiner teams and will be until August 24. With the special Warsteiner app consumers can scan the label of the beer and see if they have won the bike. They can also win small prizes such as caps, bottle openers and covers. The bike is made from recycled frames with durable materials. The bike has a six pack holder made of used conveyors, specially made for Warsteiner bottles.
Ten thousand Twitter followers
15-8-2013
To celebrate the mile stone of 10.000 Twitter followers we’ve visited one of our connections, Kitch& in Leiden, the Netherlands. We entered the restaurant with a bottle of Limonchili and were welcomed by co-owner Edwin van den Akker. He got acquinted with Horecatrends during one of our regular trend presentations. Kitch& uses Twitter to start an easy accessible dialogue with guests. Next to Twitter the restaurant uses DineRate to promote feedback on dishes and service, feedback through this service is rewarded with culinairy rewards on next visits. Edwin van den Akker uses Horecatrends.com to keep himself up-to-date with the latest trends in hospitality. “I don’t check the website every week, but if I do, I browse a few weeks back. The trends are for approximately 10% inspiring for my business, so definately worth to look at.” We would like to thank everyone for archieving the 10.000 followers, please keep sending tips via @horecatrends and tip@spronsen.com.
10.000 Twitter followers
15-8-2013
To celebrate the mile stone of 10.000 Twitter followers we’ve visited one of our connections, Kitch& in Leiden, the Netherlands. We entered the restaurant with a bottle of Limonchili and were welcomed by co-owner Edwin van den Akker. He got acquinted with Horecatrends during one of our regular trend presentations. Kitch& uses Twitter to start an easy accessible dialogue with guests. Next to Twitter the restaurant uses DineRate to promote feedback on dishes and service, feedback through this service is rewarded with culinairy rewards on next visits. Edwin van den Akker uses Horecatrends.com to keep himself up-to-date with the latest trends in hospitality. “I don’t check the website every week, but if I do, I browse a few weeks back. The trends are for approximately 10% inspiring for my business, so definately worth to look at.” We would like to thank everyone for archieving the 10.000 followers, please keep sending tips via @horecatrends and tip@spronsen.com.
Chili seeds with the bill
15-8-2013
The Mexican restaurant Wahaca surprises guests with chili seeds that comes with the bill. The guests receive a small booklet with some Serrano chili seeds to grow their own chili at home. To help people growing the chili, the restaurants has published a number of expert videos to show people how to grow and take care of the seeds. A nice gesture.
Healthy cocktails of Pierre Wind
14-8-2013
Yesterday the famous Dutch television chef Pierre Wind presented two healthy cocktails. The two non-alcoholic cocktails ‘Happy Vink’ and ‘Way of Life’ contain less than 30 calories and are meant to make people more conscious of their choice of beverage. The cocktail ‘Way of Life’ is based on water, corn and a mix of cucumber, the ‘Happy Vink’ is based on vanilla water with a date mixture.