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!
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.
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
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!
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
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!
Rombit's Romware Covid Radius social distancing bracelet 
Rombit's Romware Covid Radius social distancing bracelet 
