WOWorks creates ‘High Five Challenge’ to help end childhood hunger

31-8-2021

  • WOWorks brands partner with No Kids HungryWOWorks brands partner with No Kids Hungry
  • WOWorks brands partner with No Kids HungryWOWorks brands partner with No Kids Hungry

Living up to its name, WOWorks’ mission is to fuel the passions of its team members, guests, business partners and the communities they serve to help everyone live their best life. This translates into a commitment to create a “WOW!” place to work, dine, invest and live. To give back to its restaurants’ communities this fall, all four WOWorks’ brands – Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, The Simple Greek and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh – have partnered with No Kid Hungry to kick off a multi-faceted fundraising campaign called the High Five Challenge with a goal of raising $400,000 (with a minimum of $125,000) which can help provide up to four million meals for kids in need*. According to new estimates, 1 in 6 kids in America could face hunger this year, but when guests dine at any WOWorks restaurant this season, they can ‘Join the Team’ in doing their part to help end childhood hunger in our communities.

Showing the guests commitment with ‘High Five Hand’ images and a ‘High Five Wall Icon Tracker’. Guests can also ‘earn’ a high value coupon!

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Introduction of a autonomous robotic restaurant | By SJW Robotics

27-8-2021

  • Kiosk Design SJW Robotics

SJW Robotics, a Toronto based FoodTech company, will be launching a fully autonomous robotic restaurant with zero on-site employees. The company will be demonstrating the pre-commercial unit in the fall of 2021, with a commercial rollout scheduled for Q1, 2022. At the heart of SJW Robotics shines RoWok™, a proprietary automated kitchen system that cooks made-to-order meals like an accomplished chef. Armed with high-speed mechanism, RoWok captures the essence of wok-based cooking and uses state-of-the-art sensors and automation protocols to deliver consistent quality in accordance with the highest food safety standards. The design inspiration for the unit comes from industrial food manufacturing systems and an engineering team with proven accomplishments in robotics.

SJW Robotics’ next-generation restaurant will come in the form of a 100 square-foot standalone unit. The techforward kitchen’s small footprint, plug-and-play capabilities and 24-hour accessibility will enable its implementation in a multitude of locations such as airports, hospitals, universities, grocery stores, office towers, shopping malls, stadiums and industrial complexes.

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Trends we spotted | Week 34

26-8-2021

At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 Restaurant Esmé in Chicago, founded by Jenner Tomasko (executive chef at Grand Achatz) who focuses on art and community with even a à la carte menu for ‘walk-ins’. Sounds like Chicago has a new culinary hotspot.

 Starbucks opened their 10th ‘farmer support’ centre in VarginhaBrasil with the purpose to offer valuable resources to local coffee communities. 

 UPSIDE Foods partners with three Michelin star chef Dominique Crenn. Crenn will develop recipes and give culinary advise and if allowed she will use the lab-grown chicken in her restaurant. This is the first collaboration in the cultivated meat industry with a three star Michelin chef. 

 De Koningshoeven brewery is the first in the world to market a completely alcohol-free Trappist beer: La Trappe Nillis (0.0%). And McDonald’s published their Purpose and Impact Report of 2020-2021 with four impact points: Jobs, Inclusion and Empowerment, the Plant, Food Quality & Sourcing and Community Connection. 

 Duke’s Mayonaise started collaborating with Champion Brewing Company to produce the perfect beer that fits with a BLT sandwich: Family Recipe (5,1% ABV, 27 IBU). Kind of ‘Mayo Beer’. The new ‘food shopping’-app, Grownby, connects farmers with buyers. Wouldn’t it be great to have  such an app as a cook? And getting messages like the strawberries are now ‘ready to eat’!

 CandyCan gummy bears are gluten-free, plant-based, low-sugar, low carb and contain vitamins. Is it an idea to lay a bag of Gummy bears on top of a pillow for children visiting your hotel? Or to put a bag in a ‘Happy-Meal’ kind of box?

 Oreo opened their first café in New Jersey. The café consists of a shop offering Oreo cookies and other Oreo treats, and fast-service where you can order Oreo treats. And in New York another sweet hybride is gaining popularity: the Croffle. This is a soft, buttery and layered croissant toasted in a waffle iron and sprinkled with different toppings. 

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Grubhub and Yandex SDG launch robot delivery technology at The Ohio State University

23-8-2021

  • robot delivery technologyrobot delivery technology at Ohio State University
  • Robot delivery technology at Ohio State University

Grubhub, one of the leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery platform on college campuses, and Yandex Self-Driving Group (SDG), a leading autonomous vehicles developer inside Yandex, one of Europe’s largest internet companies, will roll out delivery via Yandex’s robots at its first college campus — The Ohio State University (OSU).

We also spotted a likewise system in China, where Alibaba is deploying 1,000 delivery bots across Chinese university campuses and urban communities this year. The bots, called Xiaomanlv or ‘small donkey’ in Mandarin, can deliver about 50 packages at one time and as many as 500 packages in one day, covering 100 kilometres on a single charge. Although the final robot delivery technology in our streets may differ from those some parties are testing, it looks like we will have to get used that these systems will integrate our traffic system. We can’t imagine what it will be like in Amsterdam, it’s already a big challenge to ride a bike here if you’re not used to drive here!  

Reading time: 3 minutes

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Chipotle tests Plant-Based Chorizo

20-8-2021

  • Plant-Based Chorizo by Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) recently announced its latest menu innovation, Plant-Based Chorizo, is in test in Denver and Indianapolis. Plant-Based Chorizo is the brand’s first new plant-based protein option since the debut of Sofritas® in 2014.

Chipotle developed its chorizo alternative internally, passing companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible, which have several deals with other fast food-chains for meat alternatives on their menus. Let’s see if the plant-based Chorizo will become available in all their restaurants.

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Trends we spotted | Week 33

20-8-2021

At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 the most spectacular off-menu dish at the rule-breaking Japanese restaurant Shuko in New York and to the ‘Cuisine Solaire’ by restaurant Le Présage in Marseille. It’s Europe’s first solar-powered restaurant.

In London you can enjoy cocktails and high tea’s at a disused train station, check out the great 1940s themed high tea video at Cahoots Underground in the article. Also opened in London: a new immersive cocktail experience, Mr. Tipsy’s Down The Hatch! With a lot of OTT-ness!

French food tech start-up Gourmey is working on lab-grown foie gras that could allow restaurants to continue to serve the highly-prized delicacy in an ethical way. Great news for foie gras lovers, it looks like it and the chef who tried it says it also tasted the same.

The new pizzeria Pazzi in Paris is staffed entirely by robots, from order-taking to prepping the dough to putting the pizzas in boxes. Check out the video, as guests you can follow your pizza being made!

We love the idea behind the ‘random acts of kindness’, as does Domino’s Pizza in the USA, they started their ‘Surprise Frees’ Promotion. Until November 21, 2021, they are surprising randomly selected fans with free menu items.

And a link to an article about the new ‘Taco Bell Defy’. The 3,000 square-foot restaurant concept located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, utilizes a two-story model for “the frictionless future of Taco Bell”.

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Little Caesars® unveils their new Crazy Calzony™ | Combining Calzone and Pizza

17-8-2021

  • The Crazy Calzony™ by Little Caesars
  • The Crazy Calzony™ by Little Caesars

The new menu item at Little Caesars combines Calzone and Pizza for a delicious fusion of two classic pizzeria favourites. Crazy Calzony features a pepperoni pizza with a Parmesan and buttery-tasting calzone-like crust filled with garlic white sauce, cheese and julienne pepperoni, served with Crazy Sauce® for dipping. The product is available to order online for delivery or pickup starting August 16th, and available as HOT-N-READY® item starting August 23rd. Crazy Calzony is only available for a limited time.

Inspiration for pizzeria’s worldwide? It does look delicious, don’t you think? We spotted the stuffed crust by Pizza Hut back in January, a kind of calzone crust. They even sold a limited-edition ‘Nothing But Stuffed Crust’.

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Trends we spotted | Week 32

12-8-2021

At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 the announcement that a visit to an indoor restaurant, gym or theater in New York will only be allowed for those vaccinated as of August 16. All in a dramatic step to fight rising Covid-19 cases.

Alain Ducasse and Albert Adrià to open an 100-day trial restaurant in Paris and more and more luxury brands are accepting cryptocurrency. The Dolder Grand hotel in Switzerland and BitLux private jets have teamed up for the world’s first crypto-based luxury travel partnership.

Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels have teamed up to create Panera Brand, boasting nearly 4,000 locations and 110,000 employees across 10 countries. All three brands are owned by Luxembourg based JAB Holding Co.

Interesting development: startup Cecilia, the interactive bartender for airports, VIP lounges, stadiums and venues or even hotels. Cecilia mixes 120 cocktails per hour! And an article about 3 robots that can tap beer: Ebar, Revolmatic and Macco Robotics. In the article a video from Ebar.

The Raffles Hotels & Resorts continues global expansion with new openings in 2021 and beyond. With this year their second hotel  in Dubai, Raffles The Palm. Check out the other openings in the article.

IKEA in the USA is going to sell candles that smell like Swedish meatballs and another great example of how to use TikTok. The chef of the Italian Embassy in London, Danilo Cortellini spotted pasta chips and decided to upgrade the recipe!

Klimato from Sweden lets restaurants calculate their CO2 emissions per dish, interesting development! And we spotted shampoo bars, a completely plastic-free alternative in bars. A  distinctive, sustainable alternative for your amenities!

For fans of the series La Casa de Papel, Netflix and Fever created the immersive experience that is located in the French ‘La Monnaie de Paris’, the institute of the French currency.

Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!

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Wendy’s ensures no one is unlucky this Friday the 13th weekend with a free* Breakfast Croissant

10-8-2021

  • Friday 13th isn't bad at Wendy's

According to Wendy’s you can walk under as many ladders as you like this Friday the 13th because Wendy’s is making sure luck (and free* breakfast) is on your side. On Friday, August 13 and Saturday, August 14, Wendy’s is bringing positive vibes to everyone’s morning, offering guests a FREE* Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant, or Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant – no purchase necessary. Take that, black cats.

You can find a moment in the spotlight on almost every day. Sit down with your team members, find a funny reason to celebrate live with your guests and create a happening. Take care that the local press knows about your campaign, and just test how it works out. This Friday the 13th campaign by Wendy’s is a great example!  

Reading time: 1 minute

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Trends we spotted | Week 31

6-8-2021

At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 hotel Paradiso, the new cinema hotel in Paris. Each room is a cinema with screens and 10,000 movie titles. We love to order room service here, dialing 007 of course. And AI software company Acelerate provides next level of service for restaurants and ghost kitchens.

Leap™ is created by Beyond Leather based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their vegan leather would be a great product to create aprons from to use in a sustainable restaurant! MeaTech, a technology company specialized in cultured meat, announced the launch of cultivated pork development.

Our Dutch painter Van Gogh is very popular digitally at the moment, with the ‘Beyond Van Gogh’ show in Anaheim, the ‘Immersive Van Gogh’ in Hollywood and the same immersive in London as well.

 Los Angeles brunch dons Eggslut are set to launch a brand new restaurant in Shoreditch this summer and what better way to celebrate than by creating a rather imposing-looking edible breakfast cloud.

In July SMiZE Cream by Tyra Banks launched with nationwide shipping and  the grand opening of its first-ever ice cream shop location in Los Angeles. Do you know the meaning of SMiZe? We didn’t!

In Hong Kongthe first CBD spa, Cannable opened . Here they offer an array of CBD-infused treatments to promote comfort and peace of mind. And also in Hong Kong ‘Dang Wen Li by Dominique Ansel’, check out the images of the Peanut Beef Satay and the sea salt croissant in this article.

Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!

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