Trends we spotted | Week 38
25-9-2023
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 links this week to articles including an initiative by DoubleTree by Hilton in Amsterdam that allows people to give away 100 litres of water per hotel stay. They have also used advanced Orbisk technology, powered by AI, to reduce thousands of kilos of food waste.
For the first time, there is now also a list of ‘The World’s 50 Best Hotels’ and Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel is launching a ‘Gouden Brood’ beer, a sustainable beer concept made from leftover bread from their kitchens.
Bijou Patisserie in Dubai is serving ‘Le Goûter Vault’: high tea from a jewellery vault. And in Venlo, the Daily Trade Fair Venlo has opened, over 15,000 square metres of exhibition floor with showrooms and a culinary stage!
McDonald’s Japan has added ‘Shrimp Nuggets’ to its menu, we think that many people in the Netherlands would like this menu item as well! At the Horecava, you can check out the pop-up of BUNKR, the first AI-controlled restaurant in the Netherlands.
New owner for tea and spice shop ‘De Droom van Utrecht’. It’s the fourth business of Dineke and Marc van Bommel now. They operate two Betjeman & Barton shops selling tea (accessories), crockery and delicacies in The Hague and one in Amsterdam.
And on Instagram, we came across a cool way to serve burrata – a burrata bar!
GoTab introduces their Pocket POS system to streamline service and enhance operations
22-9-2023
GoTab, a hospitality commerce platform, announced the launch of its Pocket POS system, an all-in-one, pocket-sized ordering and payment device designed for busy servers on the go.
The Bocktoberfest at House of Bird
22-9-2023
On Friday October 6, House of Bird will open the bock beer season with the Bocktoberfest in the Diemerbos (forest near Amsterdam). It promises to be a great kick-off including the launch of the new beer ‘Kaketoekomst’, a charity auction, the Open NK Rodeobock and various DJs. Block 6 October in your agenda if you don’t want to miss this fest or compete in the NK Rodeobock!
Culinary unlimited dining at restaurant Bordeaux in Naarden
21-9-2023
Unlimited dining will soon take on a whole new dimension in Naarden. Right on the beautiful Gooimeer, in the Naardenbos (woods), is the brand-new restaurant Bordeaux. A unique place to enjoy high-quality dishes in a cozy ambiance. Guests will experience culinary delights such as oysters, fantastically cooked salmon and sushi with a panoramic view of the Gooimeer. The restaurant offers a completely new way of dining, where culinary highlights alternate continuously and guests lack nothing during their evening out.
Rose & Vanilla | 200% crowdfunding for organic cakes without milk & gluten
21-9-2023
Rose & Vanilla, a Dutch patisserie that makes delicious, organic cakes without milk and gluten, has raised €300,000 with its crowdfunding through the platform CrowdAboutNow! This has reached the maximum 200% of the targeted loan.
Rose & Vanilla’s cakes are already being served at some restaurants and it is obviously a great and of course easy dessert to serve! One of our colleagues, Robin has been diagnosed with quite a few intolerances a few months ago; she writes blogs about her experiences in the hospitality industry. These are published on the Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy website. She is very happy with these kind of developments!
Love Dates by Coffeelicious | A surprising way to meet!
19-9-2023
Who would have expected a breakfast and lunch room to provide so much love? When Coffeelicious Bakery put out a call for the singles event, Love Dates by Coffeelicious, many applications followed. People appear to be totally fed up with the ‘quick-scans’ via the well-known dating apps! Meeting someone face to face is the best way to meet!
Line-up revealed for 100Chefs by Gault&Millau
19-9-2023
On September 30th and October 1st 2023 the largest culinary event of the Netherlands will take place, ‘100Chefs by Gault&Millau’, in the Miele Experience Centre in Vianen. It’s the first and largest weekend organised for consumers by Gault&Millau that will bring 100 leading Dutch chefs together. With names like Joris Bijdendijk (Rijks, Amsterdam), Nelson Tanate (De Librije, Zwolle) and Jan Smink (Smink, Wolvega) it will most definitely become a delicious culinary weekend. The goal of 100Chefs by Gault&Millau is to promote the diversity and quality of the Dutch culinary scene.
Pyjama party at Insomnia Cookies
19-9-2023
Insomnia Cookies is a cookie company that is mainly known in the USA for selling warm and delicious cookies all day and late into the night, the company has over 245 locations. Today, Tuesday, September 19, Insomnia Cookies invites students in the USA, UK and Canada to the companies’ first ever pyjama party.
We have some stores completely dedicated to selling cookies in The Netherlands. The concept is popular and there are often long queues at the door. In Amsterdam, for example, you have Het Koekemannetje (the cookie man) and Van Stapele. The fact that a concept like Insomnia Cookies is so popular in the USA is interesting, especially since they mainly operate in the evening and the beginning of the night. We are curious if a concept like Insomnia Cookies would be as popular in the Dutch market as it is in the USA, what do you think?!
Enter the Passoã pornstar martini competition
18-9-2023
Passoã passion fruit liqueur is launching a global competition around the iconic pornstar martini. The person who gives the cocktail the tastiest twist will win € 1,000 and a bubble gun set from Flavour Blaster.
Ingka Centres confirms its ambitious plant-forward food hall Saluhall
18-9-2023
Ingka Centres (part of the Ingka Group, which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments) has recently announced its ambitious, plant-forward food hall Saluhall in San Francisco. This project is in collaboration with KERB, the renowned London food hall operator and small business incubator, and Claus Meyer, co-founder of the hugely-influential New Nordic Cuisine movement and entrepreneur behind multiple global community-focused culinary schools.
We are curious to see when the first plant-forward (80% plant-based) food hall will open in an IKEA in the Netherlands!
An ode to the negroni
18-9-2023
One of our favorite cocktails, the negroni, has its own international week! Annually the negroni is placed in the spotlight, this year from September 18 to 24. This iconic drink takes center stage in various bars all over the world. A number of cocktail bars in the Netherlands also pay attention to this drink! Want to make it yourself? At the bottom of the article there’s a delicious recipe with a twist!
A bartender 2.0 | L’OUI
15-9-2023
A Pornstar Martini or Piña Colada as well as several virgin mocktails served by L’OUI. Do you want to offer trendy cocktails but not spend precious time mixing, shaking or stirring? It’s possible with bartender 2.0 L’OUI. The operation of this innovative cocktail machine from Dutch origin is similar to that of Nespresso machines, the result invariably of top quality. The recipes have been developed in collaboration with the flavour experts at The Stillery. Bartenders keep their hands free, while L’OUI creates the cocktails and mocktails for them. According to the creators, the cocktails and mocktails are perfect of temperature, perfect in flavour and perfect in presentation. Ça c’est L’OUI.
McDonald’s is the first restaurant chain to Incorporate UBQ™ Materials
14-9-2023
Expanding from serving trays, Arcos Dorados, world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, is now using UBQ™ Materials in bench seating and electrical system components, showcasing new applications in sustainability in their new São Paulo Restaurant.
Karen’s Diner pop-up in Hoofddorp and Leeuwarden
14-9-2023
Don’t you dare ask for the manager…. at Karen’s Diner. The popular concept is on tour and taking the world by storm. The concept revolves around the f*cking popular woman Karen, the one with a bad attitude. Karen’s Diner pop-up is coming to Fort NOXX, Hoofdweg Oostzijde 739 in Hoofddorp on October 14 and 15 and to FIZZ Leeuwarden at Zaailand 106 on November 4 & 5 November to give the Dutch the roast of their lives!
Neo-brasserie Gossler & Florin or in short brasserie G&F
12-9-2023
Opening – A new culinary destination in the heart of the Jordaan district in Amsterdam, Neo-brasserie Gossler & Florin aka brasserie G&F. Early September, Wesley van Haeften opened his a la carte brasserie with a range of international classics, each with a modern twist.
Trends we spotted | Week 36
12-9-2023
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 others FoodGPT by AI Palette in Singapore, a one-of-a-kind generative AI tool, tailored explicitly for the complex F&B landscape. And an initiative to help revitalize historic downtowns and creating the American Dream for owning your own business: Own Your Own.
At BotBar Coffee in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, robot Adam serves the coffee! And in the Netherlands and Belgium the wines are of very good quality, 35 gold medals at the Wine Inspection of the Low Lands.
Chef Jonnie Boer of the Dutch restaurant De Librije (***) is the new ambassador of Urban Cultivator. They recently introduced ‘Librije Backstage’ and vertical farming by Urban Cultivator. And spotted in Paris, the GalBar. A crêpes and galette bar, which they serve in a scone.
Belgian startup Dripl raised 2.15 million euros of growth capital to accelerate their refillution. Their self-developed Refill Points have been offering a healthy alternative to soft drinks since 2021 and help companies reduce their waste and footprint.
During the renovation of restaurant RIJKS® in the Rijks museum in Amsterdam, you can enjoy the skills of their chefs at the RIJKS® pop-up on the Zuidas. And chef Guillaume de Beer opened Bar Gui in Amsterdam, his dishes look delicious!
Shichiken sparkling sake | The alternative to champagne during the holiday season
8-9-2023
As the holiday season approach, the Japanese sake brewery Shichiken is, in collaboration with Belgian importer Kaori, bringing a sparkling surprise: ‘sparkling sake’. Sparkling sake has been appreciated in Japan for some time, but is still relatively unknown in our country. This refined and tempting alternative to champagne is increasingly being put on the menu by sommeliers of gastronomic restaurants and is rapidly gaining popularity. You can already find this Shichiken sake in many fine dining restaurants, but also in the Kaori webshop.
New healthy hotspot Dam Tasty on the Zeilstraat in Amsterdam
8-9-2023
Opening – Dam Tasty opened its doors in Amsterdam South. The funky, colourful store is for everyone who is looking for a healthy, sustainable and quick meal in a concept where sustainability and awareness are the points of focus. Because eating healthy is not so hard, not so boring!
Latin American restaurant Selva opens on the 24th floor of the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel
8-9-2023
Opening – A charming journey through the Amazon rainforest, this is what restaurant Selva offers. Amsterdam’s newest culinary delight opened its doors on the 24th floor of the iconic design hotel nhow Amsterdam RAI. This culinary destination is an ode to the rainforest – the lungs of the earth – and a creative fusion of Minor Hotels and Younique Concepts.
Theetje | Hard Iced Tea for and by students
8-9-2023
Two young entrepreneurs, Pieter Kronenburg and Andrew Trapman, have developed a new drink: Theetje, a Hard Iced Tea. The drink was made for and by students and has now found its way into various hotels, including the Moxy The Hague, the hotel where Pieter works.
Bagels & Beans is creating Strava-art | See the world from a different perspective
7-9-2023
Bagels & Beans is creating Strava-art and challenges all outdoor people to look at the world from a different perspective. From September 8 till the 24th, they have set out Strava walking routes in unusual figures in various nature reserves in the Netherlands. Besides a new perspective, participants will have a chance to win an off-grid weekend away in the peaceful wilderness of nature reserve the Veluwe at the Quadenoord estate. Read on to see what you need to do to qualify for this off-grid weekend!
Cold brew coffee anyone?
14-8-2023
This summer, I had the occasional cold espresso with an ice cube again. The first time I drank this cold espresso was in Spain, where an ‘espresso con hielo’ is a standard menu item. However, here in the Netherlands, cold coffee is not so popular as of yet. Of course, many drink a frappuccino or an iced coffee with vanilla ice cream, but the huge range of flavours and compositions you encounter abroad are still missing here. ^Marjolein
A short article filled with coffee inspiration! And at the end, an Instagram post featuring an espresso Barbietini!
Trends we spotted | Week 32
11-8-2023
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 including a couple of them on reservation fees at restaurants in the hope that this will reduce the number of no-shows. In New York, more and more restaurants are turning to this system. Leonie van Spronsen recently wrote a blog about this subject. It’s kind of a double standard that lots of guests don’t want to pay a restaurant fee while we pay, without any problem, in advance for tickets to Taylor Swift.
A unique combination; a Latin-American fine-dining experience on a London train, the Supperclub.Tube. Also in London: the Vagabond’s Wine Bars where you can choose from as many as 140 varieties of wines!
Aperol sorbet floating in prosecco, sounds delicious! It’s served at Il Terrazzo in department store Nordstrom in NYC. The sorbet is made by il Laboratorio del Gelato. And also in NYC – the hottest new sushi bar is hidden in The Vault of Saks Fifth Avenue. Great idea, an omakase inside a small corner of a retail outlet?
A touring mini club, Fandangoe Discoteca invites people to dance out their grief! Created by artist Annie Frost Nicholson and it will come to the Netherlands as well. And International Hotel Capital Partners is the new owner of Hilton Garden Inn Leiden Hotel.
Located 4.5 hours from NYC, in Watkins Glen, is the world’s smallest diner, which is also appropriately named ‘World’s Smallest Diner’. And we read about an Instant Noodle Factory in Queens, they serve 88 different instant noodles options with 30 different toppings.
The popular experience, Dining in the Dark, is returning to Amsterdam on August 31, this time it takes place at the NOMAD aan het IJ. And we love the design of the Costa Rican Suitree Experience Hotel with treehouse style rooms.
Paying in advance for Taylor Swift, not for your restaurant reservation
11-8-2023
Leonie van Spronsen blogs about how we find paying in advance completely normal (a year in advance!) for a ticket for Taylor Swift and prefer not to do so for a restaurant reservation.
This blog was previously published in Dutch at the website of Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy.
Tempo by Hilton Times Square has opened as part of TSX Broadway
10-8-2023
Hilton recently (August 8) announced the opening of the 661-room Tempo by Hilton Times Square, the first hotel from Hilton’s newest stylish and contemporary lifestyle brand. Located in TSX Broadway, a new 46-story tower featuring experiential retail, cutting-edge entertainment spaces and the historic Palace Theatre, the hotel matches the ever-evolving needs of the traveler whose ambitious spirit calls for both moments of relaxation and inspiration.
They have some special rooms like their ‘Wellness’ rooms including sports equipment but for the romantics among us: they also have 31 ‘ball drop rooms’ for New Year’s Eve!
4 minutes read
Burger King Germany makes plantbased cheaper as meat alternatives
Burger King Germany makes plantbased cheaper as meat
