Trends we spotted | Week 16
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:
- Biotech company Tropic created a banana that resists browning, offering major benefits against food waste.
- The Hoxton Edinburgh is set to open this June in the historic Haymarket district. The hotel features 214 rooms, including nine room types with names such as Snug Single, Bunk Room, Cosy, Roomy, Biggy and more.
- McDonald’s Germany has opened a temporary McDonald’s restaurant experience in a Minecraft design in the center of Munich.
- The ‘Broccoli Cheddar Pizookie’ by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. A savoury pizookie this time!
- Celebrate burgers and bottomless fun at Red Robin during the National Burger Month with a Bottomless Burger Pass.
- A ‘Pay What You Want’ Food Truck tour on ‘National Tax Day’ by Newman’s Own food and drinks.
- And the Staypineapple hotel brand in the US covered taxes and amenity fees for their guests if they booked on ‘National Tax Day’.
- Energy storage system from Intercel prevents peak load at TommyTomato’s new meal delivery site in Utrecht.
- Gastrovino in the Netherlands opened two new locations in just one week. A store in Leiden and a store and Mediterranean-style osteria in Nuenen!
Enjoy reading!
Biotech company Tropic created a banana that resists browning, offering major benefits against food waste
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to create a banana that stays yellow longer, reducing food waste and extending shelf life. The biotech company Tropic says this innovation could cut carbon emissions significantly and prevent millions of bananas from being wasted. Approved for sale in multiple countries, including the United States and Canada, the banana is expected to hit store shelves by 2025. More details in the article on Food and Wine, link in the title.
Energy storage system from Intercel prevents peak load at TommyTomato’s new meal delivery site in Utrecht
An energy storage system from Intercel ensures smooth operations at the new TommyTomato meal delivery location in Utrecht. The system prevents peak loads during intensive oven use and guarantees a stable power supply, allowing uninterrupted business operations.
TommyTomato, a provider of healthy school meals, faced a recurring challenge: the intensive use of ovens during morning hours caused energy consumption peaks that exceeded the capacity of their current grid connection. This issue not only led to operational limitations but also risked significantly increasing energy costs.
To address this, an energy storage system with a capacity of 233 kWh and a power output of 116 kW was installed. The system absorbs peak loads by releasing temporarily stored energy during periods of high demand. As a result, energy usage stays within the limits of the grid connection, while still providing enough power to run all ovens efficiently.
Intercel, a leading company in battery technology for over 35 years, is at the forefront of the energy transition. More details on their website, link in the title.
The Hoxton brings a new hotspot to the Haymarket in Edinburgh
The Hoxton Edinburgh is set to open this June in the historic Haymarket district. The design-led hotel spans eleven merged Georgian townhouses on both sides of the street, with original architectural elements carefully preserved and refined by AIME Studios, Ennismore’s in-house design team. The hotel features 214 rooms, including nine room types such as Snug Single, Bunk Room, Cosy, Roomy, Biggy, and three self-contained House apartments, each with three bedrooms and bathrooms. Guests can also enjoy an intimate cinema, a grand ballroom, the creative meeting concept ‘The Apartment’ and Patatino, an Italian restaurant serving classic trattoria dishes made with local ingredients, inspired by the atmosphere of the Amalfi Coast.
The Hoxton, Shoreditch opened in 2006, and since then 17 Hoxton hotels, part of Ennismore, have already opened worldwide.
McDonald’s Germany brings the Minecraft film to life
McDonald’s Germany has opened a temporary McDonald’s restaurant experience in a Minecraft design in the center of Munich. Special experiences await Minecraft fans, such as free fries for cosplayers and photo opportunities with a life-size Creeper.
For an expected period of two weeks, visitors to the McDonald’s restaurant at Tal 6, 80331 Munich, can expect a range of lovely details and activities, including: a Creeper photo corner; free fries for cosplayers and the Minecraft film-menu (already available since April 3). More details in their press release, link in the title.
The ‘Broccoli Cheddar Pizookie’ by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
We started writing about the Pizookies by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse back in 2019 when they introduced their ‘Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Pizookie’; we also mentioned their peanut butter s’mores Pizookie and their Cinnamon roll Pizookie. We missed their latest Fryckle Pizookie® but they now introduce another Pizookie® that’s not just a dessert—it’s a flavour revolution.
As of April 17, BJ’s guests can dig into the all-new savoury Pizookie®—a bold twist featuring a freshly baked broccoli cheddar cookie, topped with two scoops of creamy mashed potatoes, drizzled with a melted cheese sauce made with BJ’s Brewhouse Blonde® and finished with a sprinkle of broccoli florets. More details in their press release, link in the title.
Celebrate burgers and bottomless fun at Red Robin during the National Burger Month with a Bottomless Burger Pass
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. is celebrating National Burger Month with its beefiest offer ever with the launch of the Bottomless Burger Pass. Lucky burger lovers who secure their pass can enjoy a gourmet burger served with a bottomless side every day of the month of May for only $20. A limited quantity will be available so Red Robin fans are encouraged to act quickly.
The Bottomless Burger Passes will be available for purchase here, this link is only accessible in the US. Guests who purchase this limited-time offer will receive an exclusive black-and-gold card in the mail for redemption from May 1-31, 2025. Red Robin’s Bottomless Burger Pass is redeemable for one gourmet burger of guests’ choice served with a bottomless side each day of the month of May.
A ‘Pay What You Want’ Food Truck tour on ‘National Tax Day’ by Newman’s Own food and drinks
As the Netherlands is slowly adapting to celebrating national days, we continue to mention the upcoming national days in our trendmail (link to subscribe). The ‘Pay What You Want’ Food Truck tour is another great example of celebrating National Tax Day. Newman’s Own, Inc., the food and beverage company known for delicious, high-quality ingredients and giving 100% of its profits away, announced the first stop of its “Pay What You Want” Food Truck tour. On April 15, National Tax Day, the Food Truck did park near Bryant Park (NYC). Customers could decide what they pay for Newman’s Own pizzas, salads, cookies, coffee and even dog treats, with every dollar going to Newman’s Own Foundation to help kids who face adversity. More details in their press release, link in the title.
National Tax Day | Staypineapple hotel brand covered taxes and amenity fees for their guests
Staypineapple, a boutique hotel brand in the US, celebrated National Tax Day by covering sales taxes and amenity fees for guests who booked stays during a special 24-hour promotion. The exclusive offer was available on National Tax Day, April 15, 2025, for reservations made through Staypineapple’s website using the promo code TAXDAY. As we didn’t know this hotel brand, we mention their offering for guests who booked on National Tax Day. Staypineapple is a brand of upscale, out-of-the-ordinary boutique hotels in urban markets nationwide, managed by Staypineapple Hotels Inc., based in Bellevue, Washington. Focused on thoughtful service and design, with an uncanny knack for anticipating needs, the pet-friendly hotels (their motto: People Friendly, Dog Obsessed) wholeheartedly embrace the pineapple’s symbol of hospitality and joy. We counted 10 hotels at this moment, with 4 hotels in Seattle.
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Gastrovino opened two new locations in just one week
Within just one week, Gastrovino opened two new stores: on April 8, Gastrovino Girasole opened its doors in Nuenen, followed four days later by a new location on Breestraat in the heart of Leiden. This brings the total number of Gastrovino stores in the Netherlands to 33.
Both locations offer an extensive selection of artisanal cheeses, refined wines, and flavourful delicacies. In Leiden, the focus lies on exclusive products to enjoy at home, while in Nuenen guests can also experience Mediterranean-style hospitality with an osteria for lunch and dinner. With these new openings, Gastrovino continues to strengthen its national network of culinary specialty stores.
