Rombit’s Romware Covid Radius | Smart bracelet to simplify social distancing on the workfloor
14-5-2020
In April Technology company Rombit launched a digital bracelet to prevent coronavirus infections on the workfloor. The solution allows employees in construction, logistics and other heavy industries to resume work safely. Port of Antwerp started as the first to use this innovative bracelet. To produce this bracelet Rombit has added new functions to its existing safety bracelet, the Romware ONE. This will help employees to observe the strict precautions laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) while respecting the privacy of the wearer. The initiative is also a response to the call by the Flemish Government to create digital solutions for helping society through the current corona crisis.
These kinds of solutions would be great for the hospitality industry as well! Last month we already wrote about Aura Aware a smart distance awareness device, we then indicated that a wearable device would be a great asset for people working in restaurants, kitchens etcetera. It would even be better is the other person you meet doesn’t have to have the same device. The only challenge is to avoid too many signals in a restaurant ? We wonder if there will be affordable devices on the market soon….
What does the hospitality industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus? | Inspiration May 12
12-5-2020
As noted last week, we here in the Netherlands are still in an ‘Intelligent Lockdown’ which means, we’re all working from home if possible and our high schools, universities, restaurants, cafés, gyms, leisure centers, museums, etcetera are closed. But we can take a walk outside and shop for food and even shop at hardware stores and garden centers. As from yesterday our primary schools have re-opened as have the day-care centres but also hair and beauty salons and physiotherapist are allowed to re-open.
As from the first of June restaurants will re-open with a maximum of 30 persons inside, and a social distance of 6 feet, terraces are re-opening as well without a maximum of guests. This, of course, if the Covid-19 casualties remain low. Our government created a path in which they think our economy has to restart, with no festivals, concerts or congresses till the first of September and even gyms aren’t allowed till then. In the meantime we keep spotting all kind of inspiration worldwide around the hospitality industry.
With this week links to articles about the fact that the Belgians are asked to eat fries twice a week and in the USA you can order fresh DIY pasta kits at some restaurants, great inspiration for other Italian restaurants worldwide!
San Francisco and Seattle are limiting what delivery services can charge restaurants for processing orders, while New York and Los Angeles consider similar policies. And the North Sydney café shifted to grocery store during the lockdown.
The restaurant group Black Sheep in Hong Kong created a viral blueprint for reopening restaurants after a lockdown, a link to where you can download this blueprint.
International design and innovation office CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati launched Pura-Case, a wardrobe purifier to remove bacteria and viruses from clothes. And Cape Town Tourism sends tourists love letters!
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Hospitality tech firm Criton offers hoteliers free app to reduce touchpoints during COVID-19
12-5-2020
Hospitality tech firm Criton is offering its guest engagement platform completely free of charge until 2021 and with no commitment. Hoteliers using Criton can reduce touchpoints and safeguard guests’ health by digitising their guest information and giving everything guests need on their own phone.
YtheWait app | ‘Smart Restaurant’ app or digital waiter
12-5-2020
Dirty menus, unhygienic order kiosks and the many separate apps will be a thing of the past, according to the developers of the ‘YtheWait’ app. Their innovative all-in-one Hospitality & Retail App, already helps hundreds of partners to efficiently manage and increase their sales. Your guests can make contactless reservations, order in advance, pay and rate via their mobile. To support the hospitality businesses, the use of the all-in-one application and all the services around it are free of charge until 1 July 2020. ‘YtheWait’ has a user-friendly module that also simplifies booking and table management.
We’re spotting more and more technical developments that will replace parts of the staff’s tasks. This YtheWait app can be a lot more effective, contactless capturing everything via the guests own mobile; from booking, to ordering, paying and rating afterwards. Still we get the sense that human service will be missed but right now the app is useful as your guest only has to touch her or his mobile. Once we go back to maximum occupation with a lack of good catering staff, this app could also be very useful.
Cloud Clubbing | On- and offline music events
8-5-2020
Due to the Corona Virus the recent months have been a little crazy and strange for everyone. Not being able to see friends and family, no longer being allowed to go to the gym and no longer being able to go to a festival or nightclub to enjoy your favourite music. The latter especially is such a pity during this time in which everyone can use a bit of fun and cheerfulness. For now, it looks like all music venues and night clubs will be closed until at least the 1st of September here in the Netherlands. Also, festivals, of which we have so many in the Netherlands, will not take place until the 1st of September or might not even be allowed at all until there is a vaccine against the virus.
A blog by our colleague Marguerita Vogelsang about examples from the nightlife and festival scene, an industry that has been hit unprecedented hard economically by the corona crisis. Nevertheless, she also spots all kinds of positive initiatives in this sector.
Restaurants Culina Hortus and Vanilla Black | The world’s Best Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants 2020
4-5-2020
In Brussels the ‘We’re Smart®’ movement, the undisputed reference in the culinary world of vegetables, revealed the new online Green Guide today and the winners of this year’s Best Vegetarian and Best Vegan Restaurants: Culina Hortus (Lyon, France) and Vanilla Black (London, UK).
The announcement was made by the renowned Vegetables Chef®, Frank Fol, during the official release of the We’re Smart® Green Guide 2020, comprising reviews and ratings of nearly 1000 restaurants worldwide ranked from 1 to 5 radishes, according to the amount of vegetables they use in their dishes.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus? | Inspiration April 29
29-4-2020
As noted last week, we here in the Netherlands are still in an ‘Intelligent Lockdown’ which means, we’re all working from home if possible, restaurants, cafés, hair salons, schools etcetera are closed. But we can take a walk outside and shop for food and even at shops, hardware stores and garden centers. Which means that our gardens are beautiful and everything is fixed at our homes ?.
As from May 11 our primary schools will re-open and also our daycare facilities, which means a big relief for parents working from home and teaching their children…. At this moment we’re working towards lowering the casualties of Covid-19 at the intensive care units. The next moment will be May 20 at which we hope our government will slowly restart our economy. In the meantime some hotels start to reopen in the Netherlands (they weren’t closed this period but most just didn’t have guests and closed voluntarily). They serve dinner and breakfast in their restaurants and hotel rooms, for hotel guests only! In the meantime we keep spotting all kind of inspiration worldwide around the hospitality industry.
With links this week to articles about DIY pizza kits by Blaze Pizza and a virus killing countertop robot, created by UVRoboclean. They try to fund through Kickstarter.
A great idea by Chick-fil-A, they sell their sauces separately! What sauce could your restaurant sell? It might even be a good idea to sell it through a local supermarket!
Ramadan has become a less social event for all Muslims, no prayers in the Mosque and no big family dinners after sundown. Fatafeat is inviting families to help create their very own ‘home of Arabic cooking’ this Ramadan. And a collaboration between Instagram & ChowNow, they created an order food sticker or button at Instagram.
A great wine label for Quarantine Wine, created by winery Nocking Point, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. IKEA UK shares their meatball recipe and Red Robin offers a ‘Build-Your-Own’ wing bar for home delivery!
the OG Cannabis Cafe in West Hollywood in California has re-opened as the world’s first cannabis and food drive-thru.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Next generation business model ‘Express Double Drive Through’ by Miami Grill
28-4-2020
Miami Grill, the iconic South Florida-based fast-casual restaurant brand, has announced the next-generation business model as its latest franchise opportunity, the ‘Express Double Drive Through’. Miami Grill had been working on the new offering even before the pandemic crisis but has now fast-tracked its development with several key investors already interested. The due-diligence period has been completed for this new offering that is in direct response to what the company believes will be an altered business environment in the post-COVID-19 world.
Aura Aware | Smart distance awareness device for social distancing
23-4-2020
The Dutch company Aura Aware created a smart distance awareness device which is a convenient reminder to your employees and customers to maintain healthy distancing. Staying 6 feet apart simply doesn’t come naturally. The Aura Aware is a smart distance awareness device that helps employees and customers remain a safe and healthy distance in public spaces.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus? | Inspiration April 21
21-4-2020
We are writing this article a few hours before our Prime Minister Rutte’s press conference in which we all hope to hear that there will be a little bit more freedom for everybody in the Netherlands. It’s already clear that no major changes are to be expected, but it would be very positive if milestones were indicated to work towards. One of the items for this will nevertheless revolve around redefining our personal space, the rule that is very difficult to put in place for smaller restaurants. In addition to the missing space, they won’t make enough turnover. For companies where the 6 feet distance can be met, it is also important to continue to deliver in addition to the missing turnover. We think that lots of guests will still order online, they love to eat out but are still afraid for contamination.
With links this week to articles about Starbucks who’s investing 10 million USD in aid for partners worldwide, and about a DIY ShackBurger Kit by Shake Shack.
Mask to Go, is an initiative in Hong Kong where about 35 vending machines are installed from which one can draw medical-grade face masks for free! And Disneyland also tries to keep in touch with their (potential) guests, among other things by sharing recipes via social media.
And an article about a door handle that kills 99.8% of all germs! In California wineries across the state created almost 80 virtual experiences, go to the Wine Institute’s website at Discover California Wines.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Accor and Bureau Veritas launch a label based on sanitary measures in France
17-4-2020
The project is launched to support the return to business in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Accor, a global leader in augmented hospitality, and Bureau Veritas, a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification, have joined forces to develop a label designed to certify that the appropriate safety standards and cleaning protocols have been achieved to allow businesses to reopen. The label will cover both accommodation and catering, and will set the sanitary standards applicable to all the Group’s hotels as well as to other chains and independent hotels. The project was carried out in partnership with doctors and epidemiologists, and has been developed in collaboration with Accor owners and trade associations, such as UMIH, GNC, and GNI.
The bigger economic picture will be blurred by the psychological mood of people. Lots of people, especially the 50+ group will remain anxious. Somehow the hospitality industry has to regain their trust and convince their guests that a visit to their facility is safe. It will be difficult to do so by just implicating that you’ve cleaned everything… For hotel & restaurant chains a cleaning standard label, like the different quality systems in the business to business industry, might facilitate that trust. It might be wise to create one safety standard and cleaning protocol for the whole industry worldwide. And although parties might think differently, it shouldn’t put a financial burden on individual smaller hotels and restaurants. Living up to a new standard might be our mutual concern. ^Marjolein
VoorDeThuiswerkers.nl | A hotel room as solution for the work from home challenge
14-4-2020
Inspiration from the Netherlands where two entrepreneurial freelancers offer a solution for those who can no longer cope with the challenge combining working with their family at home as well during the corona virus crisis. ‘VoorDeThuiswerkers.nl’ (which can be translated at ForThe PeopleWorkingFromHome) is an initiative of Olivier Kruger and Seffie Treistman, who hope to contribute to lower the pressure at home by providing a quiet workplace and helping hotels generate revenue so that their employees can keep their jobs.
On the second of April we already wrote about Hotel Kom in Maartensdijk (The Netherlands), which had taken a similar initiative as an individual hotel. In response to the article we understood that other hotels were also providing workspace in their own surroundings. VoorDeThuiswerkers.nl is a platform to make these addresses more accessible for those who find working from home too much a challenge! And for hotels, every little bit can help in these harsh corona times ……
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration April 10
10-4-2020
And then it is Easter! Most restaurants that have been delivering are now busy preparing their dishes. Last Wednesday, our colleagues from Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultants published a whitepaper: ‘Coronavirus crisis, resilience of the catering industry’, in which one of the conclusions is that even when the catering industry could start up again, in the new reality, the ‘social distance society’, delivery will certainly prove to be an addition to the turnover.
This week’s inspiration!
Including initiatives of collaborations between supermarkets and catering suppliers and restaurants. But also a restaurant chain in the UK that is considering to create mini supermarkets in their restaurants in which they will sell products from their suppliers.
Great item for your newsletter, ask your regular guests what they are missing from your hotel or restaurant as done by the Oetker Collection. They also give recipes and exercises to keep fit. #WESTAYUNITED
Some brands even draw attention to ‘Social Distance’ with their logo, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s in Brazil. Jure Tovrlian from Slovenia made a few examples, the last one is very funny!
A very useful item in this coronavirus period has more than raised their target amount on Kickstarter, a keyring with a ‘Hygiene Hand’ attached to it. And an example of how the BrewDog brewery is coping with this crisis, they have a Hop Drop app with drive-thru beer collection points, they help make handsanitizers and they organize an online bar.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Flexotels | Mobile ‘corona proof’ booth to visit grandparents safely
9-4-2020
Yesterday, my sister and I brought laundry, literature and treats for Easter to my mother who lives in a care home. A cheerfully waving mother behind the window of her room, but also a lot of misunderstanding about why we do not come in. Flexotels in the Netherlands, which normally rent out mobile sleeping units for large events, have changed a number of these units as a mobile ‘corona proof’ booth. A good example of positive ‘thinking different’! In Asten (in the south of the Netherlands, the Hof of Bluyssen was the first to purchase such a container. ^Marjolein
Bird Bingo | Virtual opening from the new tasting room ‘House of Bird’ from Bird Brewery
7-4-2020
Inspiration from Amsterdam! A virtual opening of a new tasting room from Bird Brewery. On April 25 from 8.30 pm those who ordered a Bird’s Bingo Beer Package can play a virtual ‘Bird Bingo’ from the new tasting room, ‘House of Bird’. The tasting room ‘House of Bird’ in the Diemerbos (near Amsterdam) would open in the end of April. Unfortunately, there is no big opening for the time being because of the lockdown, but the brewers want to give their guests a glimpse during a real ‘Bird Bingo’. If you’re living in the Netherlands you can play along, that is if you understand the Dutch language! Order a Bird’s Bingo Beer Package via their web shop, receive a special bingo card and play on a live stream on April 25 at 8.30 pm. You might even win a great prize!
How to open virtually! Here in the Netherlands lots of people love to play games these days and the guys from the Bird Brewery use that fact to open their new restaurant and tasting room virtually.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration April 6
7-4-2020
Gradually we get used to the effects of the Covid-19 virus here in the Netherlands, fortunately many keep their distance and many people are able to work from home. Maybe even in the sun today! But more and more entrepreneurs are starting to worry about the economic impact. They could survive the first deadline here of the 6th of April, but the effects are getting more serious now. Fortunately, we see a lot of inspiration and even experience it ourselves, such as restaurant owners who add a card to the delivery to thank their guests and offer a glass of bubbles when his or her business is open again.
This week’s inspiration!
With initiatives involving collaboration like between the kitchen of Eleven Madison Park & the Rethink Group. The restaurant with three Michelin stars is now part of a ‘Soup kitchen’ and an example from a takeout meal from restaurant Alinea in Chicago, also with three Michelin stars.
A bagel shop ‘Call Your Mother’ in Washington reopened and came up with a very special and original auction!
In China we have spotted a special delivery initiative at Meituan, they deliver a paper shield behind which you can eat! And New York-based technology and lifestyle company Air Co. makes hand sanitizer out of CO2. We already wrote about their carbon negative vodka earlier.
An initiative by Airbnb to offer health care professionals and first responsers sleeping places closer to their work. And an article that made us realize how difficult entrepreneurship in the U.S. is. We came across an article about choosing between offering delivery which increases the possibility of infection of employees with Covid-19 or fire to them.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Lockdown Kit by Patty&Bun X HG Walter
31-3-2020
Most of the Dutch people saw the crowds in the tubes in London on the news so we really understand the statement on the website of Patty&Bun. Here they indicated that they wanted to keep going for as long as possible, but felt it was no longer viable, or safe for their teams to travel into work every day. So…. What’s next? No more burgers for their guests? Well they’ve created a Lockdown Kit by Patty&Bun, through the butcher HG Walter their guests can order their ‘Ari Gold’ Cheeseburger or the ‘Smokey Robinson’.
We love all the collaborations and inspiration we spot at this moment. This is one that we think might be used by restaurants and fast food chains in collaboration with their suppliers! And you have to admit the result of a kind of DIY kit with the right ingredients must be more tasteful than a burger ordered in….
BACARDI® is going to help produce more than 267,000 gallons of hand sanitizers
30-3-2020
Brands across company’s portfolio including BACARDÍ®, MARTINI®, GREY GOOSE®, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®, DEWAR’S® and ANGEL’S ENVY® unite to help produce more than 267,000 gallons (1.1 million litres) of hand sanitizers. All BACARDÍ® hand sanitizers produced in collaboration with the brands contain more than the minimum alcohol content recommended by the World Health Organization for containing the spread of the virus. These temporary, emergency actions at all locations will not disrupt the supply of brands in the Bacardi portfolio.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 27
27-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past couple of weeks, a true paradigm shift! At this very moment it’s important to constantly fact check all the news about the Coronavirus, a lot of fake and scary news has been spotted at the social media. For example at a website in the U.S. we came across a question whether or not food could be a source of the virus. Fortunately they also gave the official answer of the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Protection) but please don’t believe strange advices!
We also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Very positive news is that we see a lot of people unite and not only in the health care. We even spotted an online game in which gamers can help the university of Washington’s Center for Game Science to create a medicine.
In France the Accor Group, a hotel chain, opened the CEDA (Coronavirus Emergency Desk Accor) telephone helpdesk. They help to accommodate homeless people trough France in conjunction with the government.
We spot a lot of positive initiatives by restaurants, like for example #JREwhatsinthefridge and other ones to keep in touch with their guests. In the Netherlands, one of our chefs with two Michelin stars started a video making a delicious daily meal. And many more individuals give tutorials, which made us laugh is the reaction of a famous chef in an Instagram story: “After two days in quarantine and watching many cooking videos, I understand why so many of you come to restaurants” ?
In most languages there is a saying like ‘money can’t buy happiness’ but if you’re very rich you can buy a ‘Covid-19 themed exclusive package’ at Le Bijou Hotels & Resorts in Switzerland. But if you’re entertaining your kids at home, you could make them happy with a ‘toilet paper’ cake!
The Westin Houston Medical Center | First Hotel in the U.S. to deploy ‘Virus Killing Robots’
24-3-2020
The Westin Houston Medical Center is the first and only hotel in the U.S. to utilize LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots™ to sanitize and disinfect its guest rooms and common areas to help combat the threat of coronavirus. The room disinfection technology, provided by San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services, was developed by two epidemiologists in Houston, with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as their first customer. The Westin Houston Medical Center purchased two of the decontaminating Robots, which are already at work sanitizing rooms inside the building.
In these times of stress about the spread of COVID-19 amongst travellers worldwide, these virus killing robots are an interesting new cleaning product for hotels. The Westin Houston Medical Center pioneers one of the hospitality industry’s response to COVID-19.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 24
24-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now however we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Here in the Netherlands we spot a lot of initiatives in the hospitality industry, like hotels offering capacity to hospitals. In the UK the hotel chain Best Western is in talks to convert their hotels into NHS hospitals and in the U.S.A. hotels are used to shelter the homeless and the less seriously ill who have to be in quarantine.
In London a restaurant with one Michelin star reopened as Brat Farm, Grill and Wine Shop. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort gives an example on how to try to provide your guests with as much flexibility as possible through your cancellation policy.
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Trends we spotted | Week 12
20-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed in the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now but we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we have written a ‘trends we spotted this week’ with small positive gestures and inspiration in these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Marjolein van Spronsen
This week, among other links to articles about a hand wash tutorial by Gordon Ramsey and the Cheese trucks of the London based The Cheese Bar.
McDonald’s in the U.S. and Canada are considering rent deferrals for its franchisees and Uber Eats is introducing a new support package that includes a waiving of delivery fees on all orders from independent restaurants across U.S. & Canada and dedicated marketing campaigns.
And an article at Eater about what restaurants need right now to actually survive in the USA. Here in the Netherlands, the government is taking all the necessary measures at this moment and even banks are helping. We wish all restaurant owners worldwide will be able to find a way to stay in business.
Chipotle tackles social distancing with virtual hangouts on Zoom, interesting inspiration if you try to reach young people. And upscale restaurant Canlis in Seattle finds new business model in the Covid-19 crisis.
In the Netherlands we spotted free e-learning programs for people working in the hospitality industry and many restaurants offer gift vouchers with benefits. One of them doesn’t give vouchers but gift plates!
Materialise’s 3D printed hands-free door opener eliminates direct contact with door handle
17-3-2020
3D Printing technology may lend a hand in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. Materialise, a Belgium-based pioneer in 3D printing, has designed a 3D printed door opener that makes it possible to open and close doors with your arm, removing the need for direct contact with door handles. The company is offering the printable design for free and calling upon the global 3D printing community to 3D print the door opener and make it available all around the world.
Call for anyone who can print this hands-free door opener in 3D…. The file can be downloaded here.
“The power of 3D printing in combination with Materialise’s three decades of 3D printing expertise made it possible to turn an idea into an innovative product in less than 24 hours,” says Fried Vancraen CEO of Materialise. “By making the design available digitally, it can be produced on 3D printers everywhere and become available around the world in a matter of hours. In this case, we designed the product in Belgium and people in China, Europe or the U.S. can now 3D print the door opener locally.”
Winners of the 1st ProVeg Vegan Cheese Awards I Max & Bien and Petit Vegann
13-3-2020
The Amsterdam vegan cheese maker Max & Bien won the audience award of the ProVeg Vegan Cheese Awards 2020 with their blue cheese. The Petit Lorrain, a vegan brie from Petit Veganne from France, was the favourite of the jury. The awards were presented during the well-attended sixth edition of VeggieWorld in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Although a news from a week ago, we still love to mention it! There is currently an increasing demand for high-quality vegan products with which you can make a difference in the catering industry. For example, we recently wrote about camembert made from cauliflower and hemp seeds from Grounded Foods in New York.
TrashBot by CleanRobotics | A smart trash can that uses AI
10-3-2020
US-based robotics company CleanRobotics recently was named a semifinalist in the IBM Watson AI XPRIZE competition for its product TrashBot. TrashBot is a trash can using sensors, camera’s and Artificial Intelligence to separate trash from recyclables. This is how it works: Garbage is thrown into the bin after which a small door slides over the opening. The garbage is analysed using robotics, computer vision and artificial intelligence to detect and separate landfill from recyclables. TrashBot does this more accurately than human beings, capturing high quality waste data and it lets staff know when it’s getting full. Cloud connectivity allows individual units to learn from the global TrashBot fleet, becoming more intelligent over time. TrashBot also has a monitor for corporate communications, education and advertising.
The selection between landfill and recyclables is done way more accurately by TrashBot than by humans. Plus the fact that it lets staff know that the bin is getting full makes TrashBot a perfect solution for convention centers, commercial buildings like malls, stadiums, airports, bus- and train stations. As the pressure to recycle will increase the TrashBot will help these facilities to take out the uncertainty of the recycling done by humans and do it more efficient.