Miscellaneous

🏠 Hosts with young children crafted a thoughtful Airbnb stay, featuring essentials like a washer, dryer, fan, iron, ironing board, and playpen space. Surprising amenities included a blender, enhancing a milkshake moment. Ceiling tiles went unnoticed amidst the heartful design and hospitality. Friends Rory and Rebecca later welcomed the guest to their old Tennessee farmhouse, complete with a Steinway grand piano, providing a memorable experience for a music-loving visitor.

🍱 Sales in Q2 2025 grew 3% year-over-year to $3.1 billion, despite a 4% drop in comparable sales. Chipotle opened 61 new U.S. and Canadian restaurants, with plans for 315-345 new locations in 2025, 80% featuring Chipotlanes. New equipment is being introduced to improve efficiency and consistency. A catering pilot aims to boost this revenue stream, currently at 1-2% of sales, with technology enhancements and marketing. Full rollout is expected over three years.

🍽 Panda Express launched a cross-platform campaign with Media AOR The Many and Super League, integrating Hot Orange Chicken into Fortnite Creative and Roblox. Within two weeks, 265,000+ players viewed cutscenes, earning in-game rewards, while players spent 65 days interacting with Pei Pei the Panda, generating 185,000+ engagements. The campaign features interactive cutscenes and map-specific rewards, and will evolve with new items and elements throughout the year. Hot Orange Chicken is available for a limited time nationwide this summer.

🚙 Car enthusiasts gathered in Welwyn Garden City as Garage Style LTD unveiled their 5,000 sq ft HQ this weekend, showcasing over £5M in supercars. Founded by Harry Harvey, a former car manufacturing apprentice, this 13-staff company has earned £6M in seven years. Notable projects include a garage for Jake Paul. Initially a side hustle, Garage Style now transforms spaces with features like LED lighting and bespoke cabinetry. Located at 12-14 Woodfield Road, it's open to auto aficionados.

🍴 The MICHELIN Guide will debut in Saudi Arabia with its 2026 edition, focusing on Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, and AlUla. MICHELIN Inspectors are actively exploring these areas, with selections to be revealed monthly from October to December 2025. Saudi Arabia's culinary scene, known for blending tradition and modernity, will gain global recognition. The MICHELIN Guide employs five criteria: ingredient quality, cooking techniques, flavor harmony, cuisine personality, and consistency. This expansion highlights Saudi Arabia’s diverse and vibrant food culture.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, is a trendspotter in food & beverage. He hosted the “In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn” podcast. Thorn studied at Tufts University and Le Cordon Bleu and contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia. He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and served as IFEC president in 2005. Thorn’s career includes roles at the New York Sun (2005-2008) and Asia Times (1995-1997).

🍽 London, June 19: Atis launches catering feasts for groups of 5+, featuring chicken or veggie options for 10-12 people. Available across central London through Ordit, customers can build custom feasts or choose from popular dishes like garlic butter steak. Introductory offers include £50 off the first order, 10% off the second, and 20% off the third. Co-founder Eleanor Warder highlights growing demand for group catering as the motivation behind this expansion.

🥃 Master of Malt, a UK-based spirits retailer, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. For the first time, it is offering its single cask and small-batch spirits range to wider retail markets across EMEIA, APAC, and North America. The collection features a 40-year-old Girvan whisky, a 29-year-old Tobermory for £199.95, and other rare bottlings. Founded in 1985, Master of Malt plans to release more innovative spirits, including a 50-year-old Scotch.

🏨 Barbara Muckermann leads the world's oldest luxury hotel brand, steering it through growth with a focus on its 125-year legacy. Her strategy leverages European roots, expanding in Asia and the Middle East. In partnership with BTG Homeinns, the brand aims to exceed 100 properties. Muckermann's leadership in ultra-luxury cruising fuels Kempinski's transformation, exemplifying hospitality's evolution. Join the 25th Hospitality Awards on November 25 at InterContinental Paris Le Grand.

🍷 Three whiskies by Ian Macleod—Glengoyne, Tamdhu, and Smokehead—featured on the "Summer Sipping" episode of WineAlive by Oz Clarke and Tony Surgey in July 2025. Glengoyne, distilled near Glasgow, is known for its slow production process. Tamdhu matures exclusively in Oloroso Sherry casks, while Smokehead is an intense Islay whisky. Cocktails like the Glengoyne Honeybee and Smokehead Old Fashioned were crafted using 50ml of each whisky, highlighting their unique flavors. Ian Macleod also owns Edinburgh Gin.