Miscellaneous

🍳 Huddle House, led by CEO James O’Reilly and COO Blain Shortreed, celebrates 60 years with a significant brand evolution. The transformation includes a new logo, taglines, and restaurant designs, focusing on urban and non-traditional settings like airports and malls. After 18 months of development, menu innovations feature items like Smashed Huddle Burger and waffle tacos. In 2024, Huddle House led in guest sentiment in the family dining category, achieving record franchise signings, targeting continued growth through 2025.

🏁 AAA predicts 45.1 million people will travel over Memorial Day weekend from May 22-26, 2025, an increase from the previous year's 44 million. Driving is preferred by 87% with 39.4 million people traveling by car, enjoying lower gas prices compared to last year's $3.59 per gallon. Air travel is up by 2% to 3.61 million passengers, with domestic flights averaging $850. Other modes, including trains, buses, and cruises, will see 2.08 million travelers, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Overall, 19 million Americans plan to take cruises in 2025.

🍻 Suwincha "Chacha" Singsuwan, who leads the beverage program at Bangkok Supper Club in New York City, received the Michelin Guide New York 2024 Exceptional Cocktails Award. At the club, cocktails are crafted with kitchen ingredients and leftovers, aiming for sustainability and unique flavors. Examples include the Fish Sauce cocktail and the Beets ‘n’ Cream cocktail. Similar culinary cocktails are found across the U.S., such as Austin's Equipment Room serving the Lady Marmalade, and Houston's Aiko offering the Furusetto. The trend reflects a generational shift towards viewing cocktails as companions to food, leading to lighter, more refreshing drinks that complement dining experiences.

📍 TPConnects Technologies reports a tenfold increase in Qantas NDC bookings through its Iris platform in six months. Australia and New Zealand make up 30% of TPConnects' global booking volume, with Qantas as a significant contributor. Stephanos Kykkotis, TPConnects' director of product, highlights the success with Qantas in driving NDC adoption. Nadine Dawood Morgan, head of distribution and payments, emphasizes the collaboration's role in enriching travel experience.

🍴 Patina Restaurant Group, with over 40 venues including New York City's Empire State Building and Disneyland, rebrands as Patina Group after nearly 40 years. Under Delaware North, it plans to double its portfolio and expand into luxury catering, new eatertainment concepts, and culinary digital content within five years. The first of 10 new locations, Hundredfold by chef Timothy Hollingsworth, will open in Belmont Park Village, New York, this summer with more projected by 2030. Additional concepts include a 2026 venture with chef Carlos Gaytán and a San Diego lounge. Patina Group also operates Space 220, an eatertainment venue in Walt Disney World's Epcot.

🏖 Jumbo Collection presents "Sogni sul Lago" catalogue set in Lake Como's atmosphere, showcasing luxury furniture with artisanal craftsmanship. Key pieces include the Guirlande collection with a gold leaf and White Namibia Rhino marble table, the Floral dining table with brass inlays, and the Jupiter dormeuse inspired by Jugendstil. These items embody a connection between the local landscape and design, reflecting Jumbo Collection's 30-year dedication to Italian craftsmanship as art and lifestyle.

🌿 In the post-COVID-19 landscape, the plant-based food trend has surged, fueled by consumer desires for health, sustainability, and ethics. This shift includes an increased demand for beans, lentils, nuts, and mushrooms, with popular products like pre-made veggie burgers and vegetable-based ready meals offering alternatives to meat. The trend reflects a significant movement within the foodservice industry.

🌐 Lightning struck, causing significant damage to a home wired with ~$20k of salvaged materials, with an estimated $100,000 in repair costs. The incident cancelled a New York work trip and impacted the family, including car hail damage and post-surgery eye pain. Despite the hardships, a warm greeting from a child brought solace, emphasizing the value of simple gestures and joys.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, with over seven years in journalism, specializes in the restaurant and hospitality industry. She has a BA in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and an MA in arts and culture journalism from CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Fantozzi has worked for Insider, The Daily Meal, and joined Informa's Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, currently serving as Senior Editor since August 2021. She has moderated industry events like MUFSO and Restaurants Rise.

🏠 The Komu Canggu Bali offers 126 designer rooms with amenities like a gym and co-working spaces. Struggling with low online visibility and OTA dependency, they adopted STAAH's booking engine and later integrated the Get Google feature. This integration led to a 25% increase in direct bookings, enhancing The Komu's direct revenue and online reach.