Trends we spotted | Week 5
3-2-2026
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:
- Airbnb has partnered with chef-led meal delivery service CookUnity to provide prepared meals through Airbnb Services, aiming to simplify dining for travellers and local residents.
- Thompson Hotels collaborates with BERO to expand non-alcoholic offerings and bar programming.
- McDonald’s Germany launches new platform, for everyone who is really hungry.
- AMMOS AMAALA is the first resort of the AMMOS group in the Middle East, located in Saudi Arabia. The resort will open this spring.
- Pizza Hut Dubai hosted a fine-dining Supper Club nobody saw coming.
- ALL Accor has recently announced the launch of its ALL Accor app in ChatGPT designed to enrich the experience of its growing customer base.
- McDonald’s in the US debuts exclusive McNugget® Caviar just in time for Valentine’s Day – at no cost to fans.
- Restaurant Nela in Amsterdam introduces the Family Friendly Affair brunch on Sundays.
- Bagels & Beans has turned 30. What started in 1996 as a quirky café on Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam has grown over the past thirty years into a unique franchise formula with almost 90 locations throughout the Netherlands.
Enjoy reading!
The HEINZ KegChup | The first-ever keg of HEINZ Ketchup!
3-2-2026
Just in time for the Big Game, HEINZ is cracking open a bold new way to enjoy America’s favorite condiment. Introducing the HEINZ KegChup: the first-ever keg filled with unmistakably rich HEINZ ketchup. Inspired by a solution the beer industry has relied on for decades to ensure fans never run dry, the HEINZ KegChup makes sure watch parties are never short on the crowd’s favorite condiment, because an empty ketchup bottle might be an even bigger party foul than a dry keg.
1 minute read
abc kitchens introduces a seasonal vegetable bouquet for Valentine’s Day
2-2-2026
For the first time this Valentine’s Day, abc kitchens has elevated a classic romantic gesture. In place of flowers, guests will be presented with a seasonal vegetable bouquet, a one-off creation curated by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems. Gifted to every table booked on the evenings of 13th February and 14th February, each bouquet is paired with a take-home recipe from Ben, bringing a taste of abc home and extending celebrations beyond the restaurant.
1 minute read
Restaurant JAQ celebrates Valentine’s Day with an exclusive dinner Inspired by Atelier JAQ
30-1-2026
On Saturday, February 14th, Restaurant JAQ in Rotterdam will host an exclusive 3-course Valentine’s dinner featuring cava and specially crafted cocktails. During the evening, guests will be immersed in the artistic world of Atelier JAQ. This special night is dedicated to love, creativity, and gastronomy, offering a refined experience for couples or friends who wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a unique way.
2 minutes read
From Brussels to Antwerp | Fernand Obb puts the croquette centre stage
30-1-2026
The Brussels-based delicatessen concept Fernand Obb will open a new location in Antwerp in the spring of 2026, on the corner of Paleisstraat and Anselmostraat. The popular and approachable concept by chef-founder Cédric Mosbeux, known for its award-winning artisan grey shrimp croquettes and Belgian classics, will thus gain a third location, featuring its own Antwerp twist.
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 4
27-1-2026
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:
- Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans has worked at a McDonald’s restaurant at some point? McDonald’s in the US taps into this insight with McDonald’s Arches & Ambition, the 1 in 8 Mentorship Program.
- Bouldering is also fairly popular in the Netherlands. Recently, we came across two new variations: moving climbing walls.
- Happy Doggo: squeaky dog toys shaped like fries, sandwiches and burgers at McDonald’s France. Likely a hit with many Dutch dog lovers and McDo fans as well!
- Burger King US introduced The Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper as part of its ‘Whopper by You’ initiative.
- McDonald’s Germany launched a new vegetarian platform with the introduction of five plant-based products: Veggie lovers welcome.
- On Saturday 31 January, Stooges’ Funhouse opens in Het Industriegebouw on Rotterdam’s Goudsesingel. This will be their second location in Rotterdam.
- From February 26 until the next edition of De Vrienden van Amstel LIVE, a musical get-together, hits the road. Every Thursday evening, a different traditional pub hosts a night full of music, friendship and atmosphere: Amstel LIVE in the pub.
- Van Gelder Netherlands, producer of plant-based products, launched a unique range of seven fully plant-based sauces and dressings for the foodservice market during HORECAVA 2026.
Enjoy reading!
Pizza Hut’s new un-Italian pasta campaign | Approved by the toughest food critics: Italians?
26-1-2026
A funny campaign by Pizza Hut in Dubai! They recently launched pasta – and not just any pasta. According to the company their pasta is creamy, cheesy, overloaded with sauce and proudly breaking every Italian culinary rule. The brand even calls it un-Italian pasta. Knowing this would never win over traditional Italians, Pizza Hut decided to do something bold: challenge Italian identity itself.
1 minute read
Longevity & Wellbeing Club Surrenne launches retreats at the Maybourne Riviera
26-1-2026
Surrenne, the wellness and longevity club founded in London and located within The Emory hotel in Belgravia, is launching a new series of four-night transformational retreats at Surrenne Riviera, set within the clifftop Maybourne Riviera on the Côte d’Azur. Extending beyond private membership and hotel guests, the retreats bring Surrenne’s signature philosophy—combining science, ancient wisdom and nature—to a wider audience.
We recently wrote about ‘Longevity Everyday’ by Novotel, both examples of which show that the concept of longevity can be interpreted broadly!
2 minutes read
Novotel introduces ‘Longevity Everyday’ | Wellbeing as standard
23-1-2026
Novotel, part of Accor, presents ‘Longevity Everyday’, a global strategy with which the hotel brand aims to structurally integrate wellbeing, vitality and sustainability into the daily experience of travellers. With more than 600 hotels in over 60 countries, Novotel is responding to the growing focus on physical and mental health while travelling. Whereas many wellbeing programmes are complex or exclusive, Novotel makes healthy choices practical, accessible and applicable.
2 minute read
Young Poelzicht talent given the spotlight | Wine Bar & Bistro Petit Caveau has opened in Tiel
23-1-2026
Since January 7 2026, the Betuwe region in the Netherlands has gained a new culinary hotspot: Wine Bar & Bistro Petit Caveau in Tiel. Located in one of the oldest listed buildings in the historic city centre at Korenbeursplein 1. Edwin Muns, an experienced entrepreneur joins forces with young talents Camilo van Drumpt Sanstra and Olivier Landewers from Brasserie Poelzicht. The result is an intimate venue where fresh Mediterranean bistro dishes, genuine hospitality and a distinctive wine list come together.
2 minutes read