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Poké Perfect launches limited edition Kesbeke Bowl

3-7-2025

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As of today, July 3, the new Kesbeke Bowl is available for a limited time at all Poké Perfect locations. This special is the result of a flavourful collaboration with Kesbeke, where pickles take center stage rather than serving as a mere side.

2 minutes read

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Young entrepreneurs & new locations | Le Smash, Elysianne and Beau

1-7-2025

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Every day we spot fun and exciting new concepts. This week: a new Le Smash location in Leiden, restaurant Elysianne in Amsterdam, and Beau in Rotterdam.

Le Smash recently opened its eighth location in the Netherlands at Steenstraat 12 in Leiden. Meanwhile, the ninth location has also already opened in Groningen. Early 2025, restaurant Elysianne opened its doors at Ruysdaelstraat 48 in Amsterdam. Chef Matt Pace and his team serve refined versions of classic Creole dishes from Louisiana. And this Saturday, July 5, Beau will open at Stadhuisplein 23 in Rotterdam—a place to dine, experience, and linger.

We wish these entrepreneurs and their teams the best of luck and lots of fun with their new concepts.

2 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 26

27-6-2025

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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:

•  Spotted on Instagram: a bitterballen claw machine! Our ‘bitterballen’ would probably be cold by the time we manage to grab one.😉 Found at DUS in Utrecht.
• Also spotted on Instagram: a fun way to serve ice cream – Zoo Ice Cream by BoBa in Barcelona!
• Also via Instagram: the Tuna Fight Club – a spectacular dining experience at Notting Hill Fish + Meat Shop.
• Accor Netherlands has been named the official hotel partner of WorldPride 2026 in Amsterdam, taking place from July 25 to August 8, 2025.
• LuminAir, the bar above Amsterdam launches The Menu of Colors, a new cocktail menu inspired by prismatic colors. Artist Lynn Spoor created a matching artwork.
• Starting July 1, fans in the U.S. can take home a tiny piece of McDonald’s with one of 21 mini toys from the Lil McDonald’s Happy Meal.
• J Hotel Shanghai Tower is located at the top of China’s tallest skyscraper and the third-highest in the world.
• The Ruby Group will open its first Greek hotel in 2027, right in the heart of Athens, near Omonia Square.
• Redbrick is known for its iconic Safety Sneakers: sturdy work shoes with the look of casual sneakers. A completely renewed collection is now available.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 25

23-6-2025

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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:

• INK Hotel Amsterdam is turning pink for the tenth time during Pride Amsterdam. This anniversary edition is titled ‘Ten Years of Reflection’. From July 24 through August 3, 2025, it’s called the PINK Hotel.
• Distillers Hotel will bring new life to historic Schiedam distillery. Scheduled to open in 2026.
• Last week Frittenwerk opened their first store in Münich, it’s their 45^th store in Germany.
• KYU NYC, a full-service restaurant, is aiming to shake up the New York City lunch scene with the launch of KYU Grab & Go, pick-up point: the window.
• Another window opened in NYC: Buchette del Vino, the city’s first ‘Florentine Wine Window’.
• We came across ‘The World’s First Sky Beach Club’ on Instagram. The location of the Tribe Sky Beach Club? Emsphere Mall in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Inspiration for beach clubs: a Low Tide Golf Game. Looks like fun!
• A great example of a fun little gesture of hospitality: the VIP #DogPerrignon service from SiSo Beach Mallorca.
• The CuliQuiz Top 100 is a nationwide audience award created for and by the Dutch hospitality industry. Applications are open now and the winners will be announced during Gastvrij Rotterdam. Created together with the Week of Hospitality.
• An event by Hospitality Pact marked the official launch of the new platform Discover Hospitality — the central hub of a national digital campaign designed to inspire young adults to pursue a career in hospitality in the Netherlands.

Enjoy reading!

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Doppio celebrates the start of summer with free caffè freddo on the longest day of the year

20-6-2025

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While the sun has already made many appearances, summer only officially begins on Saturday, June 21, the longest day of the year. With over sixteen hours of daylight, it’s the perfect time to kick off the summer season. Doppio Espresso is marking the occasion in true Italian style by treating guests to a free iced coffee: a refreshing caffè freddo, made just like in Italy. From 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, all Doppio locations in the Netherlands will offer a free cool coffee moment.

The weather forecast is really Italian —so we think they can expect long lines!

1 minute read

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Donatos Pizza will open a fully autonomous restaurant in partnership with Appetronix

17-6-2025

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Donatos Pizza, a premium U.S. pizza chain known for its Edge to Edge® toppings, is launching its first fully autonomous restaurant this month at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (Concourse B). Donatos and its sister company Agápe Automation partnered with Appetronix to create this innovative concept. It’s operated by HMSHost and will serve freshly made pizzas 24/7 via robotic technology, offering travelers speed, convenience, and quality.

This new Donatos location sets a precedent for how robotics and hospitality can blend to meet modern foodservice demands in high-traffic environments like airports.

2 minutes read

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Young entrepreneurs & new locations | Pizza bar Rosso, wine bar De 3 Wijntjes and Bagels & Beans in the Schunck building

16-6-2025

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We spot fun and inspiring new concepts every day. This week: Pizza bar Rosso in Amsterdam on the Zuidas, wine bar De 3 Wijntjes in Roosendaal, and Bagels & Beans in the Schunck building in Heerlen.

On George Gershwinlaan, the refined Pizza bar Rosso recently opened its doors. From lunch onwards, you can enjoy dishes like the ‘Pan Rosso’, Sicilian red prawns, a classic Italian aperitivo with an aged Negroni, and of course, unique pizzas. The concept is the first venture by new hospitality group The Ugly Duckling. In Roosendaal, wine bar De 3 Wijntjes opened in the former café De 3 Weesgegroetjes – known locally as “the 3Ws.” Every Friday and Saturday, owners Rick and Sebastiaan welcome guests for wines by the glass paired with refined bar bites. And in Heerlen, the Bagels & Beans location on the Bongerd in the Schunck building has a new owner: Jasper! What once started with a hot chocolate as a guest, has now turned into a new chapter as the official bagel boss.

We wish these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts.

3 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 24

13-6-2025

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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:

• This weekend in New York City for the fans of the HBO MAX series ‘And just like that…”: a ‘Hot Fellas’ Bakery pop-up.
• An Instagram reel by 60 Seconds to Napoli about their ‘Pasta in a pizza bowl’.
• Celebrating 750 years of Amsterdam at Amsterdam Breakfast on 21 June. An initiative by Ron Gastrobar and Cees Holtkamp.
• Nobu Hospitality is expanding in Poland with the upcoming Nobu Hotel, Restaurant, and Residences in Kraków, located near the city’s historic Old Town.
• Carvel® Ice Cream, kicks off summer with the first-ever soft serve–dispensing billboard in NYC’s West Village on June 18.
• Chipotle is celebrating fans with a limited-edition collection of 13 temporary tattoos inspired by iconic brand elements, today on June 13.
• Marriott International’s Luxury Group brings back the Luxury Dining Series across Asia Pacific from July to September, featuring culinary events at seven top hotels.
• Pret A Manger is launching a new shop format that features a more spacious, family-friendly environment with made-to-order food and drink service suited to longer, more relaxed visits.
• Albron announced the successful completion of its acquisition of industry peer Hutten. Recently the new name of the new organization was unveiled: Hai – Hutten Albron Impactmakers.

Enjoy reading!

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Next Robot launches ‘Al Dente’ | An AI-powered pasta and risotto cooking robot

12-6-2025

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Culinary robotics company Next Robot unveiled its latest innovation, ‘Al Dente’, at the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Designed to automate the preparation of pasta and risotto with precision and consistency, Al Dente expands the company’s mission to combine technology with culinary tradition.

2 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 21

27-5-2025

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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:

• Belgian winemakers are launching a new quality label for sparkling wines from Belgian soil: BelBul.
• Belgian poké bowl chain Hawaiian has reached a special milestone with the opening of their 50th outlet.
• British climate-positive vodka brand Sapling is now also available in the Netherlands.
• The Sandwich Series, an inspiration for hospitality companies.
• The ‘Press for Picnic’ pop-up from Blank Street in New York, nice idea for summer?
• Parmigiano Reggiano Gran Riserva 36 months with black summer truffle from Bonat Farm!
• Ahead of World Ocean Day (June 8), Novotel is celebrating one year of sustainable collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Enjoy reading!

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