Miscellaneous

📖 Ron Ruggless is the senior editor for Informa Connect's Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1992. Previously, he worked at Dallas Times Herald as restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor, and lifestyle editor from 1982-1991, editing Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and has contributed to Food & Wine, Food Network, and Self magazines. He frequently participates as a moderator and panelist at foodservice industry events. Contact him via email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter (@RonRuggless), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless), Instagram (@RonRuggless), and TikTok (@RonRuggless).

🏧 A traveler's journey to a friend's destination wedding in Mexico turned into a 30-hour ordeal due to a one-hour flight delay, missed connections, and overnight stay in Atlanta. The trip involved excessive spending, including $62.50 on airport bar food and $16.50 for a bourbon, with no hotel reimbursement from Delta despite initial assurances. The experience prompted reflections on the nature of modern travel and the loss of its romanticized adventure. Despite the frustrations, the traveler ultimately found joy upon reaching the destination, Isla Mujeres, indicating the allure of travel persists despite the challenges.

📖 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, hosts "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. He's written for The New York Sun (2005-2008), covered business in Thailand (1992-1997), and has been with Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate, Thorn also studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and in China. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, joined Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, and resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. Contact him at [email protected] and follow on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

🎄 Desenio announces the launch of three Holiday Collections for the festive season aimed at creating treasured memories. Collections include the Family Festivities collection with traditional colors, the Happy Holidays collection with fun and playful prints, and the Winter Wonderland collection featuring serene winter scenes. These collections cater to different tastes, from family gatherings and festive joy to creating a cozy winter retreat.

🍺 Goodrays offers a range of CBD drinks with no artificial ingredients, added sugar, and they are 100% vegan. Available at Waitrose, each can has 33 calories and includes a daily dose of vitamin D. For Sober October, Goodrays collaborates with CleanCo to create non-alcoholic drink recipes. A 4 x 250ml mixed pack has an RRP of £7.50. Recipes feature various ingredients such as CleanCo's non-alcoholic spiced rum alternative, Clean R, and Goodrays' CBD drinks in flavors like Blood Orange & Grapefruit, Elderflower & Yuzu, and Passionfruit & Pomelo.

🍴 Big Dill Hospitality, led by Omar Flores and the Marshi family, started with Whistle Britches in 2016, now has three locations, and opened Muchacho in 2019, which has two locations. Even Coast, focused on seafood, steak, and pasta, opened in Addison, Texas on August 19, seating 150 people inside and 75 on the patio. The group plans to open steakhouse Casa Brasa in University Park in spring 2025, featuring Mexican and Japanese elements, and a Mexican seafood concept in the Design District in summer 2025.

📊 Thirteen sectoral employers' organisations formed the European Employers' Institute (EEI) to bolster competitiveness amid economic challenges and an ageing population. The Brussels-based EEI, including Ceemet and ECEG among others, will research common interests to influence EU social and employment policy. The Draghi Report shows that nearly 70% of European workers favour government AI restrictions to protect jobs. EU employers' AI adoption lags, with Dutch employers' 75% citing lack of knowledge, and 40% finding it inapplicable. The EEI advocates for balanced employment policies.

🧀 In the U.S., 36% of consumers are lactose intolerant according to the National Institutes of Health. Vegan cheese, often made from oil, starch, colorings, and flavorings, is gaining popularity, found on 4.2% of U.S. menus—a 78% increase over the past four years. Technological advancements allow almond milk and other alternatives to curdle and ferment, creating more authentic vegan cheese products. Gen Z and Asian consumers show the highest awareness of vegan cheese, which is rapidly becoming a staple in pizzas, sandwiches, and more.

✈ Sabre and Icelandic low-cost carrier Play airlines have entered a multi-year distribution agreement, allowing Sabre-connected travel agencies access to Play’s flight network across North America and Europe. Play is expanding in the Nordics, US, and Canada, offering cost-effective transatlantic travel with Iceland as a hub. The airline boasts an all-Airbus fleet and plans to serve up to 40 destinations by 2024. New routes include Aalborg, Denmark (June 2025), Toronto, and Washington D.C. Alessandro Ciancimino, VP at Sabre, emphasizes the strategy to increase low-cost content in Sabre's marketplace in 2024. Einar Örn Ólafsson, CEO of Play, highlights the partnership's role in market expansion and visibility.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, has built a prolific career in food journalism. He was a columnist for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008 and previously contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times in Thailand from 1992 to 1997. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate, Thorn studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Chinese language and culture at universities in Beijing and Nanjing. His work earned him the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and an induction into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Thorn also hosts a podcast, has written for encyclopedias, and was IFEC president in 2005. Email: [email protected] Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.