The future of hotel-room service, the digital menu platform Breeze.
31-1-2022
Breeze Technology is bringing its visually-led, QR-code menu platform to hotels, giving room service a much-needed makeover. The new system, which is currently implemented at selected hotels in New York City, New Jersey and Florida, makes it easier for travelers to enjoy in-room dining, whether or not the hotel they are staying in has an on-property restaurant.
reading time: 4 minutes
300 days around the world with Marriott Bonvoy
31-1-2022
Around the globe, travellers have been longing for the opportunity to embark on their next great escape. Today, Marriott Bonvoy – Marriott International’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands and highly awarded travel program – is giving the ultimate gift of exploration to three lucky adventurers: an invitation to experience all of its 30 hotel brands and more over the course of 300 days. The price tag is free, but the value is incomparable.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Joris Bijdendijk opens Wils Bakery Café | Amsterdam
25-1-2022
Joris Bijdendijk is opening a new business on Amsterdam’s Stadionplein. The restaurant, which will be called Wils Bakery Café, will be a combination of a bakery and a bistro. With this concept, the chef wants to establish a culinary sister of star restaurant Wils, which is located on the third floor of the building.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence | Taco Bell Business School
25-1-2022
Taco Bell asked itself: Shouldn’t the leaders in the Taco Bell system reflect the people who eat and work there? In an effort to break down potential barriers and further diversify its franchise system, Taco Bell announced today that it is rolling out Taco Bell Business School in partnership with University of Louisville: a first-of-its-kind franchise training program to elevate restaurant leaders as entrepreneurs and break down barriers to franchise ownership.
Reading time: 1 minute.
Trends we spotted | week 3
24-1-2022
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 amongst others a trial with a four-day working week in the United Kingdom and have you heard of the hotel chain REVERB by Hard Rock? They open this year in the St. Pauli bunker in Hamburg.
A ‘Travel with Confidence’-program from Baha Mar Resorts in the Bahamas should give their guests the confidence to travel to their resorts. And Accor announced more than 300 new destinations to discover around the world. Including the opening of the Raffles at the OWO building in London.
The exclusive Flyfish Club, is expected to open in New York City in 2023. Your membership card for this exclusive club and restaurant is an NFT purchased with cryptocurrency.
‘Sunions’ onions are already available in America and the United Kingdom, the special thing about these onions: you don’t get tears in your eyes when cutting! And the partner support for the National Week Without Meat & Dairy in the Netherlands is greater than ever.
Dutch chefs Jonnie Boer (*** Michelin) and Sidney Schutte (**) developed baby food for Babe Baby Foods and chef Michael van ‘t Hoff launched the ‘Smaakpupil’, (taste bud) app for people who are confronted with a loss of taste.
At KFC China you can find more and more regional dishes on the menu such as noodles, congee, pancakes, rice rolls and bean curd pudding. And Poland has the most autonomous stores that work with artificial intelligence in Europe, Żabka Nano has 25 locations!
Hawaiian Poké Bowl opens branch in Antwerp Tower
24-1-2022
Hawaiian Poké Bowl is opening their 20th location in Belgium in the foodstreet of the brand new Antwerp Tower. To celebrate that twentieth poké location in just three years as it should be, this will be the flagship store of the healthy restaurant chain. The imperial location for that milestone is the busy Keyserlei. As one of the fastest growing players within healthy casual food concepts, here for the price of one bowl you not only get a healthy, fresh and nutritious meal, but also a vacation feeling!
The organization behind Hawaiian Poké Bowl has plans for 20 branches in the Netherlands in the next 3 years. And they are developing sustainable packaging for their take-out and delivery.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Trends we spotted | Week 2
17-1-2022
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 Flipdish, an online ordering and experience platform, which has had a capital injection. And the nominees for the ‘Foodservice Award 2022’ (Horecava) election have been announced, on March 10 we will know who has won in which category.
A new De Beren delivery restaurant has opened in the center of Katwijk and KFC has opened a new restaurant in the WoenselXL shopping center in Eindhoven.
Albert Heijn is testing its own app ‘Overblijvers’ (remainers) against food waste and the Dutch app, Didiyo, delivers food from Turkish, Surinamese, Polish and Moroccan grocers.
It looks like Americans will soon be able to enjoy “Snoop doggs” hot dogs and more news about Nuro’s new model of “delivery” robotics in America.
The first non-alcoholic beer with vitamin D, the Corona Sunbrew 0.0%, is already available in Canada. And in Dubai in 2023, The floating luxury five-star resort Kempinski Floating Palace will open! With hotel villas that can ‘sail’ elsewhere.
At Taco Bell in America, you can take out a subscription to the Taco Lover’s Pass, for 10 dollars per month, you can get 1 taco every day. And an article about an AI-powered platform to make wine recommendations, Tastry.
And a link to an article about the first speakeasy non-alcoholic cocktail bar in Paris: Drinks&Co by Lyre’s, special! We don’t think we have a completely alcohol-free cocktail bar here in the Netherlands, do we?
Messi Burger at the Hard Rock Cafe
13-1-2022
Update March 2, 2022: The Messi Burger is now available at all Hard Rock Cafes worldwide.
Hard Rock Cafe announces the launch of the pilot program for the brand-new Messi Burger, the latest innovation in Hard Rock International’s “LIVE GREATNESS” campaign in partnership with Lionel Messi. The burger will be exclusively available at the Hard Rock Cafe Miami, Florida and Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, Florida before its global release on March 1.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Italian vegan comfort pizza in Amsterdam | Mastino
13-1-2022
Looking for a tasty vegan pizza in Amsterdam? Visit pizzeria Mastino, located in De Pijp. Or visit again, since Mastino reopened with a new look and energy. Here they serve plant-based pizzas and also love to provide you with a good cup of caffé Italiano and a delicious ‘Chocovella’. Mastino is open seven days a week – and if you’re lucky you’ll conquer one of the few seats – for the pizza lover who likes something a little different.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Bacardi launches alcohol-free spirit PALETTE
13-1-2022
Bacardi is launching a new brand of alcohol-free spirit: PALETTE. Developed in collaboration with Amsterdam bartenders, PALETTE makes no concessions in taste, quality or mixability. The two variants, PALETTE Roots and PALETTE Bold, are made with all-natural ingredients and the versatility delivers the perfect NoLo solution for the growing demand for alcohol-free cocktails.
At the beginning of this week, we coincidentally published a list of non-alcoholic drinks that might get you through Dry January. Major brands such as Bacardi are now also presenting alcohol-free alternatives.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Is your Dry January still going strong?
11-1-2022
January has always been one of the longest and depressing months. While most of us have to unchill from a festive December month, we’re confronted with Dry January, Veganuary (and if you really want to go all the way, forget the Dairy too), we have Blue Monday (January 17 this year) and your own New Year’s resolutions.
But on the bright side: more and more delicious vegan and vegetarian products are available at the stores, restaurants and recipes on the internet. Besides trying out Veganuary lots of people try Dry January and for those who miss the taste of their cocktail, glass of beer or wine, more and more delicious (and even some distilled) non-alcoholic alternatives are hitting the market, we made a list of the latest drinks.
Reading time: 4 minutes
Crypto Street Restaurant in Clearwater Beach Florida
11-1-2022
At December 27 a new crypto-themed restaurant, Crypto Street Restaurant, opened in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The owner of the restaurant created a surrounding which invites his customers to get talking about cryptocurrencies or digital money on a decentralized platform called the blockchain. The art inside this new bistro on the ground level of the Residence Inn by Marriott hotel depicts rocket ships, bitcoin symbols, quotes from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and illustrations of the dog meme from dogecoin.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Trends we spotted | Week 1
10-1-2022
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 amongst others the design of the new Hotel Piet Hein Eek in Eindhoven and Horecagroep RCE will open a new restaurant from the chain ‘Stan’ in the Sphinxkwartier in Maastricht in the spring of 2022.
Dutch Brave Food: that is what Katy Elst and Ron Okhuijsen, after more than 25 years of experience as restaurant entrepreneurs, want to put on the map at Blue Bar1 in Utrecht. We spotted ‘Taste the TV’ in Japan (with video) and this Monday, January 10, Beyond Fried Chicken debuts nationwide at KFC®.
Geoffrey is a cute 10-pound delivery vehicle/robot developed by Ignacio Tartavull and Gellert Mattyus of Tiny Mile. And it’s pushed of the streets of Toronto. Great idea for uniform shoes, the Zen Running Club shoes, if you want your restaurant or hotel to be as sustainable as possible. They are 100% vegan and plant-based.
A photo of food taken by writer Nicholas Gill in a famous BBQ joint in Brooklyn, NYC, will be auctioned as an NFT. And global lifestyle icon Martha Stewart will open her first-ever restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Paris Las Vegas in Spring 2022.
Social-eats | Answers ‘where do we want to eat’
6-1-2022
Social Technology Group, a company focused on bringing people together through socially engaging technology, announced it will launch on January 1st, 2022 their Regulation CF campaign on WeFunder, to further develop and enhance their mobile app, social-eats. Social-eats launches a Reg CF campaign to answer “where do we want to eat?”
Reading time: 2 minutes
The Week Without Meat & Dairy in the Netherlands
6-1-2022
The fifth edition of the Dutch National Week Zonder Vlees (Without Meat) will take place from the 7th – 13th of March 2022. Since the first edition in March 2018, this sustainability campaign has been an annual initiative that shows that eating less meat has a positive impact on the climate. New this year is the addition ‘& Dairy’. In addition to reducing meat, dairy also has a very dominant effect on the climate. During the Dutch National Week Without Meat & Dairy 2022, participants are therefore challenged not only to forgo meat, but also to try to replace dairy. You can register here!
In the past year we have also seen a number of restaurants and Dutch chains, such as Bram Ladage and Eazie, which responded to this Dutch week last year. It remains a great idea to tempt your guests to choose a special vegetarian menu during this week!
reading time: 2 minutes
Hyatt rolls out room keys in Apple Wallet
4-1-2022
In the beginning of December, Hyatt introduced the new contactless key technology of Hyatt Guests to seamlessly and securely tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock across the first six participating U.S. hotels. Hyatt is the first brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Industry-leading innovations for BurgerFi | Like in-car OnMyWay CommerceTM
4-1-2022
BurgerFi, one of the nation’s fastest-growing, premium fast-casual concepts, is testing and expanding five new technologies and creative strategies to stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences and combat widespread labour shortages that have plagued the restaurant industry since the onset of the pandemic. They introduced Patty the Robot, new Ghost Kitchens and In-car OnMyWay CommerceTM will be introduced in 2022. The brand remains at the forefront of innovation as part of its commitment to providing the best restaurant guest experience, while continuing its aggressive expansion up the Eastern Seaboard.
When will we spot the In-car OnMyWay CommerceTM in Europe?
Reading time: 3 minutes
Trends we spotted | Week 52 2021
3-1-2022
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 amongst others about the first beer spa in France and in Paris opened the first European Skybar on the rooftop of the Pullman Paris Montparnasse.
In Belgium La Trappe Beer introduced a modern and sustainable habit for the monks of the Koningshoeven Abbey, created by G-Star RAW.
The VersaValet by Standard Textile is a laundry collection bag that doubles as clean return garment bag. And the Vegan Babybel cheese, covered with green wax is available on the UK market at the Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
An interesting article at VegNews about ‘turning beer waste into vegan eggs and milk’ by Anheuser-Busch InBev. And Italy will welcome its first Tapestry Collection by Hilton Hotel in Rome’s Historic Centre this year, Cosmopolita Rome.
McDonald’s China is testing ‘Green Charging Bike’ at 2 stores, the bikes are created by waste and help their guests to charge for example their phone. And KFC China launched an interactive section on its Super App addressing topics including “Exploring Carbon Reduction” and “The Journey to Carbon Neutrality”. A green rewards program.
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Dry January Survival Kits by Hairless Dog Brewing Company
3-1-2022
Enjoyed the December celebrations a bit too much? No worries, now it’s time for that, seemingly endless, Dry January Month. Hairless Dog Brewing Company created ‘Dry January Survival Kits’! Do you have a 0.0% alcohol twist in your restaurant, bar of café?
Dry January® continues to gain popularity among the ‘sober curious’ looking to experiment with the alcohol-free lifestyle. To assist those who want to give it a try, Hairless Dog Brewing Company has revealed its Dry January Survival Kits. Prices include your choice of the three Hairless Dog 0% ABV craft NA beer varieties and merchandise.
Reading time: 1 minute, creating your own Dry January 0.0% twist might take some time!
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena | Unique, European inspired recipes
3-1-2022
Last week, in anticipation of New Year’s Eve celebrations across the globe, The Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) shared two easy recipes featuring the European staple that are sure to infuse a bit of flair into any occasion.
Just because we love the flavour of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and we think the recipes shared by them are easy to make, we had to publish this article. If you’re ever find the possibility to buy an older (like 25 years’ old or even more) Balsamic Vinegar, please do. The taste is so special, and it really adds a great acetic sweet flavour to many dishes. Besides the two recipes of the creamy fondue and the Mary Modena, you can find a lot more recipes on their website, like the delicious balsamic raviolini in a brown butter sage sauce!
Reading time: 2 minutes and the recipes don’t take that much time either 😉
JAMES horeca | Platform for temporary staff in the Dutch hospitality industry
3-1-2022
Although we are not forced to hire new employees for a while, it is wise to check how you can get staff once we can reopen. The shortage of staff has been a reason for many companies to close several times slots in the past year here in the Netherlands.
JAMES horeca, a platform for temporary staff with an app for hospitality employees, could help compensate for the current shortage. Thanks to their 360-degree approach, they find, train, and captivate employees who help the Dutch hospitality industry at events, restaurants, bars, and clubs. With the result of always having trained people on location, something in which they are distinctive and progressive.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Chipotlane Digital Kitchen | First ‘’grey kitchen’’?
21-12-2021
The new format will exclusively fulfill digital orders for pick up or delivery. Chipotle Mexican Grill announced its first Chipotlane Digital Kitchen restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The new prototype offers a Chipotlane and walk-up window for efficient digital order pickup. Located in Ohio, the restaurant is scheduled to open later this month. Chipotle’s second digital-only restaurant prototype serves guests who order ahead on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com, and marketplace partners.
With no dining room access for guests but with patio seating to enjoy their meals. Kind of a ‘grey kitchen’ instead of a ‘dark kitchen’?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Radisson Hotel Group opens first winter sport hotel in Turkey
21-12-2021
Radisson Hotel Group has opened its first ski hotel in Mount Erciyes and second hotel in the Kayseri province. Radisson Blu Hotel, Mount Erciyes is located just off the slopes in the centre of the Mount Erciyes ski region with direct access to all the best mountain lifts, ski slopes and après ski facilities.
Have you ever thought about going skiing in Turkey? We didn’t, but Mount Erciyes is a volcano in Turkey and you can ski on the north to east side of the mountain. In the article the link to their snow-forecast but the snow depth was already 12 cm on Monday 20 December and they had 4 powder snow days up until now.
Reading time: 2 minutes
The Market Drayton McDonald’s | The first UK net zero carbon restaurant
20-12-2021
December 10, McDonald’s opened the UK’s first net zero carbon restaurant. The Market Drayton McDonald’s, which will act as a blueprint for future restaurants around the country, has been designed to be net zero emissions standard in both construction and everyday operation – an industry first.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Trends we spotted | Week 50
20-12-2021
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 winter coffees from all over the world, inspiration from Starbucks. And a “snowman pizza” made by Joe’s Rotisseria in New Jersey!
The first 1,600 Neder Bananas from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands were harvested at the end of November. Many atypical and sustainable products are made of them! Ever heard of ‘National Cookies Day’? We didn’t, but this day is celebrated on December 4th and Subway opened a ‘Cookieway’ pop-up store around this date.
The fast food chain ‘El Pollo Loco’ is launching a ‘Loco Gifts and Gear’ store in which they sell merchandise specially designed for them, such as a bicycle. And the UK’s cheapest champagne bar has opened, Aldi will sell its award-winning Veuve Monsigny champagne for just £2.33 a glass. And so nice: a ‘Santa sushi’, created by Wave Asian Bistro & Sushi out in Mount Dora, Florida.
Airbnb had a special Christmas promotion in the USA: 4 people could be guests for one night in the ‘Home Alone’ house! Including lots of details like the cheese pizza and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
In London you can enjoy the patisserie of the French chef Cedric Grolet in The Berkeley Café and when you are in London now you can enjoy a special ‘Borealis’ by the famous artist Dan Acher for 2 more days. Northern lights above London during the Winter Lights season, we would love to see that above Amsterdam as well!
Uber Eats was the first to deliver meals to space on December 11! And have you heard of PappaRoti? They sell drinks and special coffee buns from Malaysia in more than 400 locations worldwide. Located in Brussels, among others.
Slow delivery by Bagels & Beans' Bagelbus
