Trends we spotted | Week 05

3-2-2025

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:

• We came across a Swiss-based company, KITRO which is tackling the global issue of food waste.
• An interesting article on eHotelier – The Hotels Network launched Swaps, personalized hotel website experiences.
• Collaboration between two iconic hotels – Iconic Tuscan hotel, Il Pellicano travels to Claridge’s Restaurant for week long residency.
• Great Valentine’s Day inspiration from the Belgian Otomat chain – candlelight dinner with a firestarters matchbox and, of course, heart-shaped pizzas.
• On the Instagram account of restaurant and lunchroom Da Kepello in Panningen, we came across another dessert board! Also great way to serve desserts for Valentine’s Day.
• Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Oude Gevangenis Alkmaar opened last Saturday, February 1^st. You can spend the night in a former prison!
• Ruby Hotels will open its first project in Hungary at the end of 2026! The Budapest project is located in the iconic Corvin Palace, Budapest’s oldest department store and a listed building from 1926.
• In March, Cinema Culinair will descend on Antwerp and Ghent with its film-food events from the 12^th until the 30^th of March. Enjoy both the film and the food from the film!

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 45

11-11-2024

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:

• Horecava 2025: this is how top chefs see the future of the hospitality industry: socially engaged, innovative and exceptionally delicious.
• Thomas Baeyens, the chef of restaurant L’Amitié in Antwerp, recently launched his new project: Sardineshop.be. Tinned fish as the perfect apero during the holiday season.
• Brasserie Appelmans & the Absinth Bar in Antwerp exists 20 years, keep reading to find out how they celebrate. We love the idea of the mini-bar offer!
• On the menu of the Dutch McDonald’s, a McDonald’s X Old Amsterdam burger, their ‘year-end-burger’!
• Another Airbnb icon: House sit for Paddington and The Browns in their London home.
• Spotted on Instagram: a great way to make cheesecake lollies, done by Lolly Bakery!
• Four Seasons celebrates ‘World Kindness Day’ with food at the heart.
• Hilton celebrates their ‘Global Week of Engagement’ and partners with Keep America Beautiful.

Enjoy reading!

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“to Otomat or Notomat?” | At Belgian pizza chain Otomat

11-7-2024

Otomat serves ‘Heavenly pizza & glorious beer’ according to their website. It is a chain of pizza restaurants with branches in Antwerp (MAS), Ghent (with a view of ‘the Leie’ and a ‘Paddle in’), Bruges, Leuven and Mechelen. Otomat says it has reinvented the pizza experience and given it a unique Belgian twist. They create pizza with Flemish classics, the pizza bases have a local touch and, of course, the ‘beer pairings’! They have a special menu this summer and in addition they ask “to Otomat or Notomat?” upon entering. Curious?

1 minute read

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Belgian chain Hawaiian opens first two restaurants in Amsterdam

11-7-2024

Hawaiian, the leading name in healthy Fastfood restaurants, is now conquering the Netherlands and Amsterdam after Belgium. The first location in Amsterdam, located at Ferdinand Bolstraat 53 in the Pijp, opened early July and welcomed a long line of poké bowl fans. A second location in the Bijlmer will follow later this month. With these expansions, the number of Hawaiian locations in the Netherlands grows to six, Maastricht, Eindhoven, Tilburg and Arnhem opened earlier. Utrecht is also scheduled to open in July. At Hawaiian, you can enjoy a delicious bowl on site, as a take-away, or order for home delivery via Deliveroo and UberEats.

2 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 24

17-6-2024

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:

• New pizza box bin debuts at Central Park latest attempt in NYC’s fight against rats, an initiative by the Central Park Conservancy.
• A sunscreen smoothie by Vacation ® x Erewhon, if you see the ingredients it makes sense!
• Have a Roll is a concept from Belgium selling all kinds of vegan cinnamon rolls, they now have 2 locations in Amsterdam and Utrecht!
• Recently opened: Holy Macaroni, serving Mac & Cheese bowls in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• In Paris, Cala opens 4th location of their robotic pasta restaurant at Place de la Madeleine.
• Link to an interesting article about ‘sleeptech’ and ‘welltech’ on eHotelier by Adam and Larry Mogelonsky. With the title: ‘Why focus on sleep amenities to grow a hotel’s wellness’.
• Ruby Hotels unveils project in Rotterdam, a conversion of office space into a 225-room hotel.
• Leonardo Hotels enters into an agreement to acquire the Zien Group and its 12 hotels in the Netherlands.
• Celest, the new premium restaurant and cocktai lbar of Magnicity in the Zalmhaven in Rotterdam is going to offer an unique experience based on the novel ‘The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall’ (1835) by Edgar Allan Poe.
• Restaurant De Beren in Den Haag – Ypenburg is now open. Located in the building of Pathé Ypenburg.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 22

3-6-2024

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:

• The 24H chefs cooking marathon at kasteel Kerckebosch in Zeist featuring the 24 best chefs of the Netherlands announced the record proceeds of € 195.000 for the Prinses Máxima Center for pediatric oncology.
• New Dutch startup canolli.com, they sell boxes and fill and dip fresh cannoli at parties and celebrations.
• This summer KARMA KITCHEN will open at the old grain market in Brussels.
• For the last 5 years, KIP republic served Free Heri Heri for all to commemorate Keti Koti, just like this year.
• Once again, new, innovative croissants got launched, like the potato croissants, the Onioissants and the BallSsants!
• The first benefit dinner for Make a Memory at starred restaurant EDEN raised 4.250 euros.
• Randy Boden’s Skybar Antwerp will move to its permanent location at the top floor of the Beacon this June!
• A revival of the little Dutch pancakes or as we call them ‘poffertjes’?
• And the world’s first Michelin-starred taco stand in Mexico is ‘El Califa de León’.

Enjoy reading!

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Earth Day 2024 | List of 6 green hotels in the Benelux

22-4-2024

It’s Earth Day and the world is becoming increasingly aware of climate change and sustainability challenges. Large-scale research by hotel group Accor** shows that one in five travelers from Northern Europe would be willing to pay more for a holiday if the tour operator offering the holiday was arguably green or CO2 neutral. How lucky are we that both the Netherlands and Belgium have many sustainable hotels. Below are some green gems where you absolutely don’t have to compromise on luxury or comfort and where sustainable initiatives are taken all year round. Fortunately, there are more and more of these too!

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Independent Hotel Show | Boutique hotels more popular than ever

11-3-2024

We’re seeing a big increase in the number of boutique hotels globally. Not only are more ‘independent’ hotels emerging, but large hotel chains are also investing in these luxury lifestyle hotels. Coming Tuesday, March 12 and 13, the Independent Hotel Show is taking place in the RAI in Amsterdam. A ’boutique fair’ for owners and managers of this type of hotel.

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ROAM & Desert Inn Pub opens at Carlton Oasis Spijkenisse

24-11-2023

Reopening – During the grand opening of the completely renovated restaurant ROAM & Desert Inn Pub, Carlton Oasis in Spijkenisse welcomed guests and locals to a renewed hospitality experience where everyone is welcome.

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Redefine Meat and ‘Telavivian’ restaurant chain Boker Tov bring new-meat to Belgium

29-6-2023

New-meatTM pioneer, Redefine Meat, is partnering with Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant chain, Boker Tov, to begin serving new-meat in Belgium. With three locations in Antwerp, Boker Tov will offer Redefine Meat’s plant-based new-meat portfolio across all restaurants, starting off with the Redefine Merguez Sausage and Redefine Burger. read more