London-based Thomson Holidays, one of the U.K.’s biggest tour operators, hosted the “Future Holiday Forum,” with leaders in travel, technology and design. The most surprising part of its report, “2024: A Holiday Odyssey,” predicted that the hotel of the future will be a foldable pod on stilts, which can be plunked down in remote locations. The pods will be self-sustainable, and guests can choose the images they want to be projected on the walls. When a destination falls out of fashion, whether due to demand or terrorism, the pod can simply be folded up and moved.
[Read more…] about Hotels of the future
Archives for June 2004
Simple Beer
Making a “simple, mainstream beer was more of a challenge than” Kelly Taylor, director of brewing operations at Greenpoint Beer Works in Brooklyn U.S.A., had anticipated, reports Robin Finn in The New York Times. [Read more…] about Simple Beer
convenience store combines with a fast-casual restaurant
Sheetz, operator of a chain of approximately 300 convenience stores, unveiled its first restaurant here Thursday.
The 10,000 square-foot concept combines a convenience store with a fast-casual restaurant that features digital menu boards and touch-screen order points. Sheetz is testing the new concept for six to 12 months before adding additional locations, according to Colleen Devorris, Sheetz’s director of brand development. The restaurant has 62 seats inside and 46 seats outside as well as a drive-thru. Some of the concept’s menu items include brick oven pizzas, salads, paninis, subs, gelato and an espresso bar.
https://www.nrn.com/story.cfm?ID=3159904162&SEC=Daily Specials
Lettuce to offer in-store takeout at grocery chain
Restaurant visionary Richard Melman has something new in his sights: upscale grocery stores.
In a first for his Lettuce Entertain You chain, Melman is partnering with Minneapolis grocery chain Lund Food Holdings to open a new, in-store Asian food counter in its Lunds and Byerly’s grocery chains.
The deal stretches Lettuce into new territory once again as it tries to capture consumers outside traditional restaurants.
“Lettuce isn’t afraid to look at other ideas,” said Kevin Brown, president and chief executive of Lettuce, whose varied restaurants include Scoozi, Wildfire and Mon Ami Gabi.
[Read more…] about Lettuce to offer in-store takeout at grocery chain
Legal Pizza…
In Italy, as you may have heard, there’s a new law that doubles as “a marketing tool to brand Naples forever as the cradle of pizza,” reports Al Baker in The New York Times. The law was passed in May, “at the behest of the Association of Real Neapolitan Pizza, a group with 2,500 members worldwide,” with the support of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi himself. [Read more…] about Legal Pizza…
Come for the food, stay for the entertainment
Quick table turns may be the way to high revenues in some restaurant-and-foodservice-industry segments, but certain venues are expanding their in-house entertainment options to get customers to stick around longer.
[Read more…] about Come for the food, stay for the entertainment
USATODAY.com – McDonald's wades deeper into DVDs
lockbuster has a very big-footed rival about to stomp on its turf: Ronald McDonald. McDonald’s (MCD) on Monday will announce plans to begin testing DVD rental kiosks at all 105 Denver store
[Read more…] about USATODAY.com – McDonald's wades deeper into DVDs
Tyson Food Service: Hot Concepts
https://www.tysonfoodsinc.com/foodservice/HotConcepts/
We’ve proudly partnered with Nation’s Restaurant News to bring you the Hot Concepts! awards-created to honor operators who have given creativity, innovation, and forward thinking a permanent place in their operations. We feel it is important to recognize those operators who have done more than open restaurants; they’ve changed the way we eat.
Hot! Again is another prestigious Hot Concepts! award. It recognizes an organization that has been revitalized and made a strong return to the restaurant forefront. Look for the next group of Hot Concepts! and Hot! Again winners to be formally revealed at the 2004 NRA show this May. But, you don’t have to wait until May; look below to find this years’ winners.
To learn more about the Hot Concepts! program, visit www.nrnhotconcepts.com