Starbucks joins effort to help speed COVID-19 vaccination delivery

21-1-2021

  • Starbucks created a mock vaccine distribution site in Seattle
  • Starbucks created a mock vaccine distribution site in Seattle
  • Starbucks created a mock vaccine distribution site in Seattle

Last week, the Governor of the State of Washington, Jay Inslee announced at a press conference the goal of increasing the number of vaccines given to people each day from around 15,000 to 45,000. While the state hasn’t been allocated that many doses yet, that’s expected to change in the months ahead. To help meet the goal of being able to deliver more vaccines, the Governor has formed the new Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center, a statewide public-private partnership comprised of companies including Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco, Kaiser Permanente, other health care groups and government organizations. Microsoft is lending its technology expertise and support, while Costco is focused on vaccine delivery by pharmacies. Kaiser Permanente is responsible for planning and delivery of mass vaccine doses to providers.

Nearly 24 million people in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 400,000 have died so far. So, this is an interesting co-operation in which the knowledge of Starbucks is focused on assisting with operational efficiency, developing models for vaccination centres that can be standardized and reproduced across the state and helping improve the patient experience. They tried to create the most streamlined Starbucks they ever built, that sells only one product. Read more about the knowledge they gathered in 10 days…

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Trends we spotted | Week 2

19-1-2021

  • trends we spotted this week

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’.

This week, links to articles about plant-based braised beef by Fable Food Co and Five Guys has partnered with Radius Networks to roll out curbside & in-store pickup.

The 2021 Food Trends Report by Fine Dining Lovers – with trends like Plant Power, Brunchfast en Linner, Kitchen Co-Ops and Ghostronomy. And here in the Netherlands the bagels from Bagels & Beans are now sold at most Jumbo Supermarkets.

This March, the founders of Assembly Underground in Leeds will launch a brand-new food and entertainment space, Society Manchester at Barbirolli Square. And we spotted E-bike parking units, called the HAVN, with built-in storage and charging by a Belgium start up called Streetwaves. Interesting for restaurants and hotels near bike routes!

British Airways has recently roped in Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kerridge to design a gourmet food menu for its economy class passengers. And a list of all the planned openings of the Accor Group in 2021, an encouraging development outlook!

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Valentine’s Day inspiration | Culinary love in a box

18-1-2021

  • De TLC Valentine's Day box
  • De Guilty Pleasures box van restaurant Hemingway
  • Love clutches for Valentine's Day at White Castle
  • Love Castle for Valentine's Day at White Castle

Within almost 4 weeks it’s going to be a special edition of Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate love and embrace those close to you. Well it’s going to be though this year to embrace those friends and loved ones, not part of your household. How does the hospitality industry deal with all the restrictions? Well the most important fact is that most restaurants give their guests the opportunity to celebrate it on Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday the 14th of February. We found some great Valentine’s Day inspiration, like classic drive-ins, with carhop service at White Castle, a TLC Valentine’s Box by 2 Dutch chefs highly rated by Michelin and the Guilty Pleasures box by restaurant Hemingway in hotel De Draak (the Dragon) in Bergen op Zoom.

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How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Can restaurants help you to keep them?

15-1-2021

  • The ResoYoutions by Saladworks

Marjolein van Spronsen blogs about our New Year’s resolutions, which we are already releasing based on experience figures. Yet as a restaurant or catering you can respond to this fact and help your guests and potential guests to keep their resolutions. With examples of Saladworks “Our New Year’s ResoYOUtion”, the limited edition BitesWeLove x The Duchess box, resolution inspired LTOs, Dry January and Veganuary!

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Trends we spotted | Week 51

21-12-2020

  • trends we spotted this week

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’.

This week, links to articles about Serrano ‘sinjamón’, recently introduced in Spain by Rollito Vegano and recently opened in Israel: The Chicken by SuperMeat, the world’s first restaurant with cultured chicken grown directly from chicken cells.

Scotland is the first country to make menstrual products free for all. That made the Scottish brewer BrewDog so proud that they brewed a Bloody Good Beer for the occasion! And Pepsi had its #PepsiApplePieChallenge on TikTok and Twitter, for this challenge people had to upload video’s or photos of trying to and failing to bake an apple pie.

A vending machine with culinary meals by Alexander Herrmann (**) in Wirsberg, Germany! Beyond Meat has introduced Beyond Pork at the Chinese market and an article about inspiring restaurant food service models post Covid!

And recently opened in Munich, a FC Bayern boutique hotel and 2 restaurants!

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The Secret Chef | An insight in the immeasurable changes in the world of fine dining

17-12-2020

One of the biggest names in gastronomy is lifting the lid to reveal the truth about the restaurant in response to the immeasurable changes in the restaurant world. A new monthly column at the website of Fine Dining Lovers that gives those enjoying restaurants as guests and those working in restaurants a reflection on the industry with searingly honest and wickedly sharp writing. The Secret Chef monthly column launched with ‘The Curse of the Celebrity Chef’ on industry insider website Fine Dining Lovers. The column offers compelling commentary on how the digital age sowed ‘seeds of destruction’ in the restaurant industry, and transformed it into a ‘carnival of narcissism’ before ‘2020 brought the extinction event we needed’.

I am of the generation that travelled through Europe with the red Michelin restaurant bible in our vicinity. So I have seen a lot of changes, like for example the influence of social media, all restaurant lists, celebrity chefs etc. Somehow it ended with having to make reservations months in advance and the feeling that you should be happy as a guest to have been able to visit that restaurant. On the other hand I often thought that the culinary world became a kind of rat race, we have seen the results of this race with chefs choosing to step out of this race.

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The family-favorite Triple Treat Box® from Pizza Hut here for the Holiday Season

10-12-2020

With the holiday season in full swing, Pizza Hut is crossing cooking off the to-do list by delivering the ultimate gift: the Triple Treat Box. With three courses in one festive wrapped box, this is by far the easiest holiday decision you will make all season. Arriving just in time for the holidays, each Triple Treat Box features a three-in-one meal, packed with two medium one-topping pizzas, five breadsticks and 10 Cinnabon® Mini Rolls.

Available in the U.S. for a limited time only. We love the idea of a family-style box especially with the Christmas decorations! Why not introduce it for like always and with changing decorations?

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Trends we spotted | Week 49

8-12-2020

  • trends we spotted this week

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 an AI-powered wine wall with facial recognition security and Pringles Passport attempts to satisfy a nostalgia for traveling.

Last October people could dine on board the world’s largest passenger aircraft, an A380 at Changi Airport. Would that satisfy your nostalgia for traveling a bit? And KFC introduced autonomous rolling chicken-dispensing pods in China, completely contactless.

At Pizza Hut you could enjoy a plant-based sausage, Beyond Italian Sausage, in the U.S. and Pancheros Mexican Grill introduced their ’12 Days Pancheros’ Holiday promotions. Inspiration for restaurants with take-out or delivery!

We spotted the MyPanera Coffee subscription a couple of months ago and now an European brand, Espresso House also launched a flat rate for coffee. Inspiration for other coffee corners? Especially if you have many people working at your location.

Dutch Television channel KRO-NCRV and restaurant chain Resto VanHarte are organizing a grand Online Christmas Dinner together. Inspiration for your country?

Sustainability: IKEA announced their plan to make 50% of their food menu plant-based by 2025 and we have spotted a new sustainable design for the seating at Schiphol Airport, called Blink. Interesting read for other venues.

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Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2020 | This year’s theme: Art Deco

7-12-2020

  • Claridge's Christmas Tree 2020
  • Claridge's Christmas Tree 2020

Claridge’s, London’s legendary Mayfair hotel has unveiled its much anticipated Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2020 in the hotel lobby. This year the landmark hotel has drawn on its rich and glamorous Art Deco design heritage evoking the Roaring 20’s, a time when people were looking for a symbol of hope and happiness post World War One. As London looks for a beacon of light amidst the trials and tribulations of this year, the message seems very fitting as we once again hope for better times to come.

The Claridge’s Christmas Tree has long symbolized the start of the festive season in the capital, drawing visitors and Londoners alike to admire its magnificent design. This is the 11th year that Claridge’s has invited a longstanding partner and friend to reinterpret the tree in their own distinctive style. We wrote about a couple of them because we love the inspiration they offer, on the level of decorating but also in choosing to cooperate with the designers. Check out the trees by regular guests and designers Christian Louboutin, Diane von Fürstenberg and even Karl Lagerfeld.  

Reading time: two minutes

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The Berkeley unveils ‘Winter at The Garden’

1-12-2020

  • The Berkeley 'Winter at The Garden'
  • The Berkeley 'Winter at The Garden'

On Thursday 3rd December, as The Berkeley reopens its doors to all, the hotel will reveal a new festive addition: Winter at The Garden.  Following the summer sell out success of The Garden and now reimagined for the winter months, this culinary terrace spot will consist of five cosy wooden cabins, each seating up to six diners.  These cabins, glittering with flickering candles, will be decked with wreaths courtesy of McQueens, and surrounded by a forest of fir trees and fairy lights.  Guests will be armed with blankets and heaters to keep warm.  A menu of alpine specialties, built around a showstopping raclette grill, will delight eager guests after weeks of eating at home.

The UK is getting out of their lockdown tomorrow December 2 just after midnight, at that moment the country will go back to a three tier system. Only if you’re located in a tier 3 region, the restaurants and pubs aren’t allowed to open. London for example is located in a tier 2 region (most regions are tier 2), the rules here are:Pubs and bars can only open if they serve substantial meals. Alcohol can be served with that meal. Pubs and restaurants must shut at 23:00 GMT, with last orders at 22:00 GMT.’ We wish that this was the case here in the Netherlands as well!

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