NH Collection Launch
8-4-2016
NH Collection has added some very cool hotels to their portfolio! And Amsterdam had got another culinary hotspot with The White Room and with The Tailor bar, a hotspot for cocktails. Bram Kosterink attended the launch of the NH Collection in Amsterdam, the NH Collection Doelen and NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. Bram visited the new hotel rooms, tasted the cocktails made by Tess Posthumus and was getting a first insight in the new challenge of chef Jacob Jan Boerma.
A bite of water conquers New York City
7-4-2016
Chef Dominique Ansel introduced the Cronut in Japan last year but now a Japanese dessert, Mizu Shingen Mochi, is introduced in New York City. A bite of water which is as popular as the cronut in Japan. It’s a water cake or as they will call it in New York, a raindrop cake.
Connie – Hilton’s new robot
6-4-2016
A new robot in the hospitality industry. Hilton Worldwide and IBM announced a collaboration to pilot ‘Connie’ – the first Watson-enabled robot concierge in the hospitality industry. Hilton’s new robot draws on domain knowledge from Watson and WayBlazer to inform guests on local tourist attractions, dining recommendations and hotel features and amenities.
A new job at hotels: ‘photo ambassador’
6-4-2016
A photo ambassador? Yes a photo ambassador! A new twist to the longline of ideas, trying to influence the quality of pictures from your hotel. For the ‘photo ambassador’ you have to check in at the Four Seasons Resort at Maui. And if you watch the video above, you will have to agree that there must be great spots at this resort to take photos.
UrbanFarmers in The Hague, vegetables and fish without fear of heights
5-4-2016
It will be the largest urban rooftop farm in Europe. The unique ‘farm’ is at 40 meters altitude in The Hague and will annually produce 50 tons of local, rooftop vegetables and 20 tons of fresh (urban) fish. Our colleague Bram Kosterink already got a tour of the impressive project.
DecoDive for the festival market
5-4-2016
Expensive materials are used to build decoration for festivals, to subsequently have to break it down again after the event and sometimes it will even be thrown away. DecoDive wants to change that and become the eBay for festival decorations. Soon everybody will be able to rent decoration at the website of DecoDive.
No more ‘broiler chicken’ in grill restaurant Gauchos
4-4-2016
Restaurant chain Gauchos has banned the ‘plofkip’ out of their twelve locations in the Netherlands. ‘Plofkip’ is the term we use in the Netherlands for a broiler chicken. Since last week you will only get chicken who are having a ‘Better Life quality’ mark. ‘Wakker Dier’ to be translated as ‘Awake Animals’ is a Dutch animal welfare organisation. They started a campaign in order to get as many restaurants as possible ‘broiler chicken free’.
Rolled ice cream shop opens in Philadelphia
4-4-2016
Instant ice cream for instant satisfaction at Sweet Charlie’s rolled ice cream shop in Philadelphia. Like in New York, where long lines form outside of 10Below’s at a regular base for their instant ice cream.
Rolled ice cream from an Ice Teppanyaki
Sweet Charlie’s owner Kyle Billig is studying business at Arizona State University while simultaneously opening Philadelphia’s first-ever Thai rolled ice cream shop, Sweet Charlie’s. The frozen treat craze already took New York by storm, block-long lines forming at 10Below’s doors just for a taste of the instant ice cream. The instant ice cream is made at an Ice Teppanyaki (a plate of -30 degrees Celsius). Made to order, so no preservatives, stabilizers or emulsifiers. At Sweet Charlie’s they don’t even have a freezer in the shop! Just the cold plate, two scrapers, milk and toppings. And a lot of toppings, like oreo, coffee and donut, mint chip, green tea, s’more, key lime, banana & nutella etc..
Many more instant ice cream shops are found in the far east (we spotted several in Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur). The Ice Teppanyaki can be used together with the gelato machine, which is preparing ice cream in front of the customer as well. The Ice Teppanyaki can be used in different ways but we like the rolled way!
Trends we spotted this week – week 13
1-4-2016
At the redaction of 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, ‘René Redzepi with Noma in Australia’, ‘Urban pillow fight at square in Toronto’ and ‘Pizzacle, a pizza on a stick’.
Sipping cocktails in a ‘ball pit bar’!
1-4-2016
Only accessible for those who are over 21 of age but wished they were still five! Forward Motion organised a ‘ball pit bar’ in San Francisco, the bar was open on the 19th and 20th of March. The ‘Ball pit bar’ made adults feel like kids again, but with alcohol.
Quite zen, the Zenroast allows you to roast your own coffee beans
31-3-2016
Zenroast, the ceramic coffee roaster from Japan allows everybody to roast his or her own coffee beans. A classic everyday tool that is used for roasting tea leaves and sesame seeds has been introduced as coffee roaster to create the ultimate coffee to your own taste.
Kuvée, a wine bottle shaped object with touchscreen, Wi-Fi and sensors
31-3-2016
An article about a new product in the wine industry. It’s a wine bottle shaped object with a touchscreen that is connected with Wi-Fi and has sensors to read details like how many glasses of wine left… And the system is designed to keep the wine fresh for 30 days.
Lentebock Festival Utrecht
30-3-2016
Upcoming weekend the fifth edition of the Lentebock Festival will be held at the ‘Ledig Erf’ in Utrecht. Three days long you can try over twenty different kinds of Lentebock beers and rank them. Based on the rankings the winner will be chosen, this beer can be called the best Lentebock beer of the year.
Waking up between sharks with Airbnb’s ‘A Night At’
30-3-2016
A once in a lifetime experience: spending the night at a very unique accommodation. In the context of ‘A Night At’ campaign it is possible to spend the night in an underwater bedroom in the shark tank of Aquarium de Paris. This means you will wake up between sharks! Who dares?
‘IJsmanschap’ is the first Popsicle Bar in the Netherlands
29-3-2016
Recently the first Popsicle Bar of the Netherlands was opened in Amsterdam, called ‘IJsmanschap’. Besides artisanal popsicles you can also get good quality coffee.
McDonald’s in 2016: A restaurant?
29-3-2016
Guest blog of Leonie van Spronsen, living and working in Paris, where she experienced the table service at the McDonald’s at the Champs-Élysées.
Trends we spotted this week – week 12
28-3-2016
At the redaction of 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 us in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week among others ‘Tiny Irish pub on wheels’, ‘Gigantic edible Easter bunny’ and ‘Robots to serve fast food restaurants’.
Do’s and don’ts for your terrace 2016
25-3-2016
#1 ‘Sorry, I don’t take orders, you will have to ask my colleague’ – don’t
Large groups of guests are often annoyed by this. The owner choses to take the orders through automated devices, which is fine for the efficiency, but should never bother the guests, like the answer: no one brought a ‘device’ with them. Solution: when the staff is busy serving, they are allowed to ask for a moment. Afterwards they should immediately signal a colleague with a device or pass on the order.
The menu: what should I pay attention to?
25-3-2016
You find them in every restaurant, in different sizes; the menu. Some restaurant owners are very creative with their menu to turn them into an eye catcher, some restaurant owners don’t really care. What should you pay attention to as a restaurant owner whilst designing your menu?
Ven Amsterdam: a new world
25-3-2016
There is a huge project going on in Amsterdam currently. The old KPN headquarters at Amsterdam Sloterdijk is currently being transformed to a place where business, overnight staying and leisure are coming together. Ven Amsterdam is expected to be finished in 2017 and the expectations are high.
Cinnabon sells like hot cakes
24-3-2016
This March and April the American company Cinnabon is opening three new stores in the Netherlands at Stadshart Amstelveen, Stadshart Zoetermeer and at Utrecht’s Central Station.
Fire – Barbecue tables on the patio?
24-3-2016
Viecenta Exclusive Design Tables provides unique garden/patio tables with a fire-barbecue pit in the middle. These tables are unique in Europe and are made by this supplier. Nice for the patio or the terrace of your steak restaurant …
Festival DORST
23-3-2016
Food Truck Festival TREK (hungry) is getting a little sister this summer, Festival DORST (thirsty). And why not? Festival TREK had about 260.000 visitors last year and was a great success. While festival TREK is mainly about food trucks, at little sister DORST it will be all about drinks. Discovering craft beers and good wines!
High Tea 100% sugar free
22-3-2016
The ‘Healthy Raw Tea’ of Baker&Moore is a healthier alternative of high tea. The high tea consists of several kinds of sandwiches, drinks and sweet treats that are 100% sugar free.
Offer your guests extra service with the ButlerPad
22-3-2016
The ButlerPad is one of the new innovations in the hotel industry. The app, available for guests who stay at the hotel, has to make sure that your guests have everything they need both inside as outside the hotel. Not only the guests who are profiting from the app, but the ButlerPad is also beneficial for hotels.
