Trends we spotted | Week 6
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with the ‘Puppy Power Bowl’ at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Cold to-go cups reach major recycling milestone
IKEA & Tiny Chef - new episodes
Vaseline® + Red Lobster - the kissing booths at the Times Square location 
Wendy's offer for Singles Awareness Day - February 15 
Kwalitaria launched completely plastic-free packaging
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:
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe is celebrating Valentine’s Day with pets, featuring the limited-time Puppy Power Bowl, available through 3 March.
- Starbucks has reached a significant recycling milestone: polypropylene cold to go beverage cups are now recyclable for more than 60% of US households.
- IKEA and Tiny Chef are launching a new mini-series from 2 to 9 February, celebrating the joy of plant-based cooking with the beloved stop-motion character Tiny Chef.
- Wendy’s is marking Singles Awareness Day on 15 February with a special in-app offer: a Dave’s Single® cheeseburger.
- Kwalitaria is the first major Dutch snack chain to introduce completely plastic-free packaging, with fries and snack trays protected by a biodegradable seaweed coating.
- Vaseline® and Red Lobster are launching a temporary Valentine’s Day Kissing Booth in Times Square, from February 10 to 12, featuring exclusive menu items and the new Lip Therapy® collection.
- Café Teichner dal 1922 in Rome is serving an espresso with hazelnut cream and chocolate at Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina 15.
Enjoy reading!
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with the ‘Puppy Power Bowl’ at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
This February, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is celebrating the special bond between people and their pets with the limited-time Fur-Ever Duo, featuring the new Puppy Power Bowl and the returning Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie. Inspired by how deeply pets are woven into everyday life, the brand is giving pet parents a way to treat themselves and their four-legged companions. The Puppy Power Bowl is a premium, dog-friendly treat made with Greek yogurt and topped with an irresistible peanut butter drizzle, available à la carte or as part of the Fur-Ever Duo. The Puppy Power Bowl and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie are available for a limited time at participating Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations nationwide through March 3.
Cold to-go cups reach major recycling milestone
More and more communities in the US are now able to recycle cold-beverage to-go cups. This is an important step in reducing waste and accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Thanks to a collaboration between How2Recycle®, Closed Loop Partners, The Recycling Partnership, Starbucks and WM, polypropylene cold beverage cups have been awarded the How2Recycle® Widely Recyclable designation. As a result, more than 60% of American households now have access to recycling for these cups, either through door-to-door collection or collection points. Over the past four months, more than 2 million households have been added. While this milestone marks significant progress, further collaboration and engagement are needed to increase access and further strengthen recycling systems in the US.
IKEA and Tiny Chef team up in new miniseries to celebrate joyful, plant-rich cooking
Fans of IKEA and Tiny Chef can enjoy three new episodes featuring the beloved stop-motion star Tiny Chef, they are released between February 2 and 9. This playful collaboration invites everyone into the IKEA kitchen to rediscover the joy of cooking through the Tiny Chef, the charming vegan character known for turning simple meals into moments of happiness. This coinciding with the launch of IKEA’s innovative plant-rich falafel ball, the series celebrates creativity, new possibilities, and everyday joy.
Wendy’s celebrates Singles Awareness Day with a Dave’s Single
Whether fans are flying solo, celebrating independence, ‘it’s complicated,’ or just really hungry, Wendy’s® is serving up the ultimate singles celebration with a $1 Dave’s Single® cheeseburger with purchase in-app offer on Singles Awareness Day this February 15.
Kwalitaria is the first major snack chain in the Netherlands to launch completely plastic-free packaging
Many consumers think that cardboard packaging is already plastic-free, but in reality, snack trays often still contain a thin plastic layer to protect against grease and moisture. Kwalitaria is now breaking this trend as the first major cafeteria chain in the Netherlands to introduce completely plastic-free fries and snack trays. In collaboration with packaging supplier Conpax and innovator Notpla, the traditional plastic protective layer has been replaced by a biodegradable coating based on seaweed. This innovative seaweed coating offers the same protection without using plastic. With this step, Kwalitaria shows that sustainability in the snack industry is not only necessary but also achievable.
Vaseline® + Red Lobster: kissing booths for Valentine’s Day in the Red Lobster Times Square location!
This Valentine’s Day season, Vaseline® and Red Lobster are making it official. The two iconic brands are inviting everyone in on the love with the debut of the Vaseline® x Red Lobster Kissing Booth, a limited-time Valentine’s Day experience taking over select booths, reservation only, at Red Lobster’s Times Square location from February 10 through February 12.
Sip on Cutie Cocktails, inspired by and named after the Vaseline® Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Lip Therapy® Collection: ‘UR Mint for Me Mojito’ (also available non-alcoholic); ‘I Love You Berry Much Frozen Daiquiri’ or the ‘Do You Accept This Rosé Sangria’. The Five-Course Kiss, featuring: Cheddar Bay Biscuits®; Lobster Flatbread with Maine and langostino lobster; New Lobster Pasta au Gratin; New Lobsterfest® Duo with two LobsterChops™ and roasted Maine tail; Chocolate Wave Cake. The Final Course: A complimentary Vaseline® Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Lip Therapy® product serves as the final course to keep lips soft, smooth, and smooch-worthy. More details in the press release, linked in the title.
Vaseline® + Red Lobster – the kissing booths at the Times Square location
When in Rome… Try the coffee specialty by Café Teichner
We spotted this specialty by Café Teichner dal 1922 in Rome on Instagram, espresso with hazelnut cream and chocolate! You can find it at Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina 15, for those who want to taste this sweet espresso!
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