Market Trends

🍝 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, reports on food and beverage trends and guides F&B coverage. Hosts "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. Wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), Manager magazine, and Asia Times in Thailand (1992-1997). Covered Tiananmen Square for ABC News in 1989. Thorn's NRN column won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. Inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Authored entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015). Lives in Brooklyn, NY. Email: [email protected] Social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

🍴 Chef Tyler Florence, celebrated for his 27 years on the Food Network and portfolio of top restaurants, divulged his secrets to creating memorable hospitality experiences in a podcast episode. On Oct. 11, 2024, he emphasized three critical elements for exceptional hospitality (01:03), the crafting of a restaurant ambiance that transports guests (01:25), and the significance of building a space that feels both timeless and current (03:48). He shared insights into his San Francisco restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, including using materials like a century-old tobacco barn floor for authentic atmosphere (06:17), and mentioned his other establishment, Miller & Lux, at San Francisco's Chase Center (07:21).

🏨 STAAH hosts a Weekly Hotel Industry Quiz aimed at hoteliers to test knowledge and stay updated with industry trends. The quiz covers various topics including luxury hotel brands and hotel software. Participants are encouraged to share the quiz and look forward to new quizzes each week.

🏩 Charlie MacGregor, founder of The Social Hub, discussed hybrid hospitality on Oct. 9, 2024. The concept involves blending various groups and using space flexibly. Benefits include creating vibrant areas, maximizing revenue, and promoting a fun, safe environment. The model enhances business agility and robustness. MacGregor detailed what hybrid hospitality is (01:30), the environment it creates (03:07), connecting workers through co-working spaces (04:32), and business agility (09:25).

🎭 In Jeddah, Art Jameel announces Hayy Jameel’s new autumn 2024 programme, featuring a group exhibition "We Saw an Endless Cycle" from November 27, 2024, to April 19, 2025, and a solo exhibition, "Moving Mountains," until October 26, 2024. Hayy Cinema hosts Horror Week (October 23 - November 3, 2024) and the "My Heritage Documentary Competition" (October 24 - 31, 2024). Hayy Markets is on November 22-23, and Hayy Matsuri, a cultural Japanese festival, is planned for January 2025.

📌 Dezeen Awards 2024 shortlists interior design projects from Keiji Ashizawa, India Mahdavi, Mesura, and Unknown Works among 49 studios spanning UAE, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada, and Portugal. Japan leads with eight nominations, followed by the UK's five, and four each from the USA, Spain, and Australia. The winners will be announced at the Dezeen Awards party on November 26, 2024, in London. Renowned designers and architects like Bobby Berk, Patricia Urquiola, and Brigette Romanek are part of the jury. Partnerships with Bentley highlight a shared commitment to design excellence and sustainability.

🌺 Hibiscus, also known as 'jamaica,' is trending on U.S. restaurant menus, featured in 10.2% of them—a 30% rise in four years, according to Datassential. This flowering plant, recognized for its vibrant hue and tart flavor, is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Popular in teas, cocktails, syrups, and desserts, hibiscus is most common in independent and fine-dining restaurants, aligning with the demand for global flavors and floral notes.

🏫 Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, a 12th-generation member of the Churchill family, reveals Britain’s Blenheim Palace in her 12th book, ‘Blenheim – 300 years of Life in a Palace’. Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for baroque architecture and English heritage. The book features photography by Hugo Rittson Thomas and covers private, staff, and stateroom areas. It was launched at Blenheim Palace and is sold at Woodstock Designs, the palace gift shop, Amazon, and other online retailers. Lady Henrietta studied Art History, attended Inchbald School of Design, and runs Woodstock Designs and Spencer-Churchill Designs Inc.

🏨 Saudi Arabia has made a strategic move to boost its hospitality sector by waiving hotel licensing fees. This bold initiative is expected to stimulate growth in hotel offerings, although the article does not specify the effective date or the duration of this fee waiver. There are no specific numbers, statistical data, or other factual information provided regarding the impact of this policy change. The article image was uploaded in October 2024 but lacks further context or details. Author: Debiprasad Sarangi, associated with @Hotelogix.

📋 In a recent podcast, Adam Zembrowski, an operations leader and hotel investor, discussed systemic issues in the hospitality industry that impact innovation and staffing. Despite wage increases from $10 to $15, employees still need multiple jobs to make ends meet. Zembrowski criticized nonprofit organizations for being ineffective in supporting hotel workers and emphasized the disconnect between industry executives and front-line staff. He highlighted the need for hospitality leaders to connect with the next generation and recommended DECA, a high school program promoting business skills, as a way to engage and mentor youth. His perspective challenges the industry to adopt a more abundant mindset and prioritize genuine progress over maintaining the status quo.