Hotel Openings

🍦 Founded in 1926 in Chicago, The Original Rainbow Cone, known for its five-layered ice cream cone, was purchased by Buona Beef in 2018. By summer 2022, they began franchising, expanding to 21 locations with 30 more units in development. Their first out-of-state venture opened in Valparaiso, Ind., in May. A deal was signed to open 10 dual-branded locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The brand targets smart growth, focusing on local market knowledge and customer service values.

🏡 Hotel Heron, part of Aparium Hotel Group, opens in Alexandria, Virginia's Old Town, featuring Colonial Revival architecture. DC-based Antunovich Associates and Streetsense led the restoration. The lobby showcases Mid-Atlantic elements and a split-tier design. Guestrooms include historical details like velvet headboards and federal-style mirrors. The hotel offers F&B venues: KILN restaurant, Francis Hall cocktail bar, and Good Fortune rooftop bar. Over 3,500 square feet of event space is available, with local art curated in partnership with CulturalDC.

📍 Motels are being renovated to cater to travelers seeking unique stays, with the Interstate Inn in Fort Worth, Texas to launch soon. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will debut its third superyacht, Luminara, in December 2025, offering bespoke itineraries in the Asia-Pacific. Suchi Reddy's AI sculpture "me+you" is on display at Michigan Central in Detroit. Delta Air Lines grapples with the fallout from last week's tech outage, while Southwest changes its 50-year tradition of open boarding. The 44th Gold Key Awards deadline is extended to August 2nd, with the ceremony set for November during BDNY.

🐟 Fish & Forest, a hyper-seasonal and sustainable restaurant, will reopen on 7 August at the former 1331 Bar and Grill on Grape Lane, York, after a complete refurbishment. Originally launched as a pop-up in 2018 and made permanent in 2020 on Micklegate, the venue is owned by chef Andrews, who emphasizes the same philosophy of serving seasonal and sustainable fish from UK waters, game from local estates, and forest foods, now with an expanded menu and a new bar area.

🍝 Korean corn dog brand Bunsik, under Maguro Group, expands with its sixth London site and seventh UK location in Chinatown, next to Korean BBQ Pochawa Grill. Launching its first site in Charing Cross Road in 2021, Bunsik became a social media hit and now offers Korean street food like K-Dogs, fried chicken, ddukbokki, and kimbap. Director Jae Cho takes pride in integrating Bunsik into UK's cultural hubs, alongside Maguro Group's other ventures Bullgogi and Gogi.

🍴 London's Three Uncles Chinese restaurant group will open a new 1,450 sq ft site within Ealing's Filmworks development this September. The venue will feature 50 covers, with 30 indoor seats and 20 on an outdoor terrace. The "18-Districts" menu will showcase rotating Hong Kong dishes alongside their signature Cantonese meats. Co-founder Chong Yew aims to expand with 2-3 new locations yearly, targeting 10 sites and surpassing a weekly sales record of 1,100 ducks. Launched in 2019, the group has locations in Brixton, Camden, Liverpool Street, and St Paul's.

🥕 Holy Carrot, a plant-based restaurant, opened on Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London. Founded by Irina Linovich, it launched after successful supper clubs at Urban Retreat, London in 2021. Menu by executive chef Daniel Watkins features fire and fermentation methods, with small plates £7-£12 and large dishes at £17. Drinks include low-waste cocktails and natural wines. Interiors by Al-Jawad Pike accommodate approx. 40 covers. The kitchen practices low-waste, using all parts of ingredients. Visit at 156 Portobello Road, W11 2EB, or online at holycarrot.co.uk.

🍗 Dave’s Hot Chicken (DHC), a U.S. fast-food brand founded in 2017 by chef Dave Kopushyan and friends, targets Gen Z and Millennials with its spicy chicken menu. With spice levels from No Spice to Reaper, DHC has grown to 200 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East, and has 700 more planned. It reached social media fame with 2.4 million TikTok and 1.3 million Instagram followers. The Azzurri Group signed an agreement to open 60 restaurants in the UK, starting in London next year. DHC's appeal includes jumbo chicken sliders and sides like kale slaw and seasoned fries, endorsed by celebrities like Drake and Samuel L. Jackson.

🍕 Chaiiwala, an Indian restaurant group, opened its largest UK store in Mellorbrook, just outside Blackburn, at a site formerly occupied by KFC and Costa. This 100-seater restaurant, managed by EG On The Move, features a 2,000 sq ft area and has created 25 full-time jobs. It pioneers in offering Indian street food via the drive-thru concept in the UK. Operating hours are Monday to Saturday from 6am to 11pm, and Sunday from 8am to 11pm. Since its establishment in Leicester in 2015, Chaiiwala has grown to 112 sites globally, serving Indian street food with a Western twist.

🏨 Sir Hotels is set to open its first UK hotel, Sir Devonshire Square, in London’s Shoreditch. The property, once an East India Tea Company warehouse, will feature 81 rooms including 11 suites, three F&B outlets, a private members club named Cover’s, a gym, and a yoga studio. Sir Hotels, part of Sircle Collection, currently operates five hotels in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Ibiza, and Berlin. The London hotel will also include a public space with a shop selling local products.