Better Burgers, Please!

Many countries are currently experiencing a veritable burger boom. However, it's not the big fast-food players but regional fast-casual chains with a store count still far below 1,000 that are making headlines with ambitious growth spurts. On their menus is a new generation of better quality burgers made to order and served in a pleasant ambience. Because the home country of the burger plays the leading role in this connection, we begin this issue's pan-European survey with a close look at the United States where numerous examples show how America's staple food can be elevated to new culinary heights. Part 1 of our international overview.

Fresh, Tasteful, Good for Me!

Fresh salad, a classic dish with a long tradition as starter or entrée in the Mediterranean region. In the rest of Europe, however, it led somewhat of a shadow existence until around ten to twenty years ago. Since then, salads have moved dramatically into the spotlight. Now, no matter whether as a light snack for between meals - either eaten on the spot or to go - or as an alternative main course, salads are en vogue and not just among female guests either. With the growing trend towards wellness, salads continue to blossom: as a sign of freshness in self-service operations, as a creative showcase in fine-dining restaurants, as main conceptual ingredient of a new wave of young fast-food formulas. But what are today's potential hits? Seasonal accents. A mix of salads and vegetables - both exotic and re-discovered domestic varieties. New basic ingredients, such as couscous and quinoa. All kinds of nuts, grains and seeds. Lots of herbs, fresh of course. Original dressings and, spreading rapidly: individual preparation. A foray into the world of salad trends, concepts and innovations. MW

Champagne Meets Chagall

Museums are booming. Particularly the temples of art. And what could offer a better setting for lifestyle restaurants, bars and cafes than extravagantly designed cultural hot spots? The simple cafeteria has had its day. Modern museum catering manages the split between midday bistro cuisine and evening fine dining, with a considerably higher average bill. Guests cover a broad spectrum: scene aficionados, tourists, local culture gourmets. Beyond this, the evening catering business plays an enormous role in attracting a regular clientele and boosting sales. The trend across Europe towards innovative foodservice concepts in a museum context is significant - here is an attractive selection. Part 1.

[36647 Zeichen]

Museum & Foodservice

€ 5,75

Growing - but at a Slower Pace

Over the last years no other subject has generated so much hope of growth in the away-from-home market as coffee bars. In many countries, coffee bars are one of the hottest segments. Starbucks, the US brand, is seen as the archetype. The bars represent chances for multi-concept restaurant companies, young entrepreneurs and, of course, the roasters and the coffee-machine manufacturers. All efforts are aimed at the young generation, more and more of whom prefer to go without coffee unless it goes hand-in-hand with the appropriate lifestyle setting. The (European) coffee bar strongholds are London and Barcelona. And everybody is watching what the people from Seattle do in the Old World. Part II of a Paneuropean survey.

[37440 Zeichen]

SCAN: Coffee Bars 02

Starbucks in Europe

Spain: Top 10 Coffee Bars 2002

€ 5,75

Dada to Dinner

How can more people be attracted to museums? One, increasingly popular answer is to offer inter- esting foodservice facilities that, in many cases, come well into the upper-genre bracket. Naturally, such restaurants do not only keep normal museum opening times because business - particularly evening and event business - profits from the unconventional ambience and culturally-charged atmosphere of such settings. Only a relatively short time ago, museum catering was nothing more than a necessary evil: plain and unattractive places where people went because there was no other choice. Today, up-market concepts in designer look, many of which are run by stars of the local restaurant scene, are aimed at lifestyle-oriented clients from the city - and generate visitor synergies for the museums themselves: a great improvement for both sides.

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Future-compatible

How to create foodservice concepts today that will still capture the spirit of the times tomorrow and satisfy future consumer needs and tastes? This is a key question at innumerable symposiums, congresses and market-research projects. One approach is to collect basic facts, study the parameters and evaluate trends. The other, to add intuition and inspiration. The best source of innovative impartiality: travelling, keeping your eyes open and learning. Hence our 'virtual' sightseeing tour of Europe to discover future-oriented ideas for concepts of supra-regional interest. Although the selection is subjective, the perspective is always professional. Country-by-country, we present 25 concepts - some individual, some already multiplied. The spectrum ranges from restaurants for kids to wine bars; from fast-food to a new interpretation of fine dining.