In order to better understand the future needs of the restaurant industry, the Food & Beverage Industry Chair of the Ecole hôtelière of Lausanne is studying how the purchasing function in restaurants will have evolved by 2025. They would therefore be very grateful if you agreed to fill out their survey, available in English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and Polish (about 10 minutes).

Here’s a link to the survey (you may have to copy and paste into your browser):
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=5569733115523379212&gid=2069021&&item=91990841&articleURL=https%3A%2F%2Flhr%2Eehl%2Ech%2FmrIWeb%2FmrIWeb%2Edll%3FI%2EProject%3DFB&urlhash=RlSo&goback=%2Egde_2069021_member_91990841

Do not hesitate to send the link to people you know.

Thank you for your involvement in the future of the catering industry.

The Food & Beverage Industry Chair

Another cool and creative glass serving item from the folks at Glass Studio......

Amenity box by Glass Studio used for cheese service for Westin Abu Dhabi room amenities program.

Style for your tabletop continues.....Rosenthal Hotel's new catalog 2012-13.

Fortessa has recently launched a new video showcasing two of its beautiful bone china ranges - TELA and TAURA. Fortessa's TELA  shape features a great sweeping embossed design which helps make a dramatic presentation on any tabletop and while the  TAURA shape has soft clean lines with a flat rim perfect for adding just a touch of decoration or a club seal or crest.

Fortessa bone china features the endge strength, creamy white color, and translucency of true bone china, one of the most durable and versatile product compositions on the market. With its light weight, combined with its high strength, Fortessa's bone china is setting new standards for presentation.

You can see the entire lineup of Fortessa and Schott Zweisel crystal items by going here: http://www.fortessa.com/

Early on, we wrote about The Chork, the combination chopsticks & fork utensil that seemed unique, fun....and well, just plain unusual. We're not sure if this is the future of dining, but we especially like The Chork because it proved that A) design could differentiate; and B) design didn't have to be expensive.

"But, then there became other obvious reasons to discuss The Chork and these discussions had to do with brand/product positioning, brand re-inforcement, and the like. From the beginning, we loved the packaging of The Chork and the collateral materials....right down to the company website and business cards. Everything spoke of design...fun....not expensive. So, the smart guys at The Chork completed the brand message all the way through. In fact, The Chork won multiple awards not just for product design, but for design of their marketing materials and message, proving our point.

Often, when we think of great design...or of brand positioning....we tend to think expensive products, expensive marketing campaigns. The Chork is complete proof that creative campaigns can be done without breaking the bank. And - they can be done at all all product levels - whether you are a premium priced bourbon (Maker's Mark) or an inexpensive, disposible chopsticks/fork tool called The Chork. You just have to be thoughtfully creative.

You can learn more about The Chork, by going here: http://thechork.com/

Check it out...it's a quick and easy website.....but you already knew it would be, now didn't you?

From our friends at Design Milk.

Mandarin Orange Trading has been serving up  incredible charger plates for some time now. ICE is one of their latest introductions. A full 13" in diameter, these clear glass chargers can be used as serving platters or as showplates that Mandarin Orange can custom logo for you.

You can see the entire collection of creative products from Mandarin Oange Trading by going here:
http://www.mandarinorangetrading.com/

TabletopJournal has talked for some time about the increased focus on food & beverage among the hotel groups and now Destination  Hotels and Resorts, the third largest hospitality management company in the U.S. has launched The Destination Dish, a new culinary program. Destination recognizes that creative fine dining options are increasingly becoming an integral part of travelers’ vacation planning decisions, and therefore developed ‘Destination Dish’ to highlight the award-winning culinary offerings of its entire collection. To mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year on January 23rd, Kumquats were chosen as this month’s ingredient. Since the 12th century, Kumquats have represented good luck in Chinese and Asian cultures.

“Healthy, seasonal and creative cuisine is a hallmark of our Destination culinary program,” says Mark Hickey, senior vice president, U.S. hotel operations. “We continuously challenge our chefs to take their menus and dining experiences to the next level and we think this is a great opportunity to show the talents of our many chefs and the unique, diverse flavors of our lauded restaurants.”

Another great example of a hotel group leveraging their F&B operations as an integral part of their overall marketing of their properties. Tabletop companies that recognize these types of culinary programs and position their products as signature pieces or as items to further elevate the guest culinary experience will no doubt  benefit.

You can learn all about The Destination Dish by going here:
http://www.destinationhotels.com/destination-dish-recipes/

Destination Hotels & Resorts is a privately held hospitality management company headquartered in Colorado. With more than 35 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs, Destination is the third largest hospitality management company in the country. The company’s portfolio features more than 8,970 guest rooms, 15 golf courses and 16 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Seattle, Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Portland, Palm Springs, Maui and Lake Tahoe. The company is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises.

The PALM BOWL from Crucial Detail.......still cool as hell!

You can see Martin Kastner's designs at: http://crucialdetail.com/index.html

Service Ideas new catalog is HOT! off the presses and everybody's got their nose buried in it!

Get your 2012 Service Ideas catalog by going here:  http://serviceideas.wordpress.com/