Miscellaneous

🏬 A barn transformed into one of the country's most stunning wedding venues and a near-collapse gristmill in rural Maine restored to become a world-renowned farm-to-table restaurant with 60,000 annual reservation attempts for 1,500 seats. These examples showcase the potential of repurposing historic or overlooked sites into extraordinary, sought-after destinations. The message: Act now, seek out hidden gems, and create beauty through craft and creativity.

🍺 Milk of the Poppy, a new apothecary-themed cocktail bar and restaurant, will open in Santa Fe, N.M., this spring at 418 Montezuma Ave., near Jean Cocteau Cinema and Beastly Books. Designed to accommodate 100 guests and provide an experience akin to a modern traveler's tavern, it features a 1,200-square-foot lounge with seating for 55 and an outdoor garden with 30 additional seats overlooking the Sky Railway train. The menu draws inspiration from historical beverages and offers a selection of seasonal dishes, with the venue located within a 1910 adobe building.

✈ Travelport, a GDS and travel technology specialist, has renewed its content distribution agreement with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). With this renewal, agencies using Travelport+ maintain access to AZAL’s full range of content, including ancillary services, offering a seamless comparison of fares and services in a single view. Travelport’s AI-powered Content Curation Layer (CCL) enhances search capabilities, allowing agents to easily compare and identify the most relevant AZAL offers. The renewal reflects a shared commitment to empowering travel retailers and supporting AZAL’s growth strategy.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reported on food and beverage trends. He wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and in Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times (1992-1997). A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and Phi Beta Kappa member, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was IFEC president in 2005. He authored entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and the Oxford Companion (2015), and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, has shaped food and beverage trends reporting since 1999. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Thorn, a Colorado native living in Brooklyn, NY, holds a BA in history from Tufts University, and studied at Le Cordon Bleu. He worked with ABC News during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, has guided F&B trends reporting. Host of podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," he covered NYC chefs and openings for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. His work in Thailand included articles for Manager magazine and Asia Times (1992-1997). A Tufts University magna cum laude history grad and Le Cordon Bleu-trained, he has been honored with a Jesse H. Neal Award (2006) and inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier (2014).

💎 On 14th February, Angelina Dalston team celebrates its 6th birthday with a Friends & Lovers Pop-Up at The Columbia Hotel, Lancaster Gate, Central London. They offer a 4-course Omakase tasting menu featuring past favorites and live Jazz Dynamos music. Extras like Oysters (£6 each) and A5 Wagyu (£35) are available, as well as a £45 Italian wine pairing. The event costs £64pp for the menu, with bookings at angelina.sevenrooms.com.

🍕 Datassential's Restaurant Technology report reveals younger demographics, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are more receptive to dining automation, while older generations favor human interaction. Over 40% of restaurant orders were placed digitally in the past year, showcasing digital ordering as a competitive necessity. Two-thirds of consumers prefer staff interaction when ordering, underlining the value of human connection. Restaurants are encouraged to balance tech with hospitality, as automation is expected to grow but not replace personal service.