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AROUNDTHEWORLD Foster Partners / Magnus Maarbjerg www.fokstrot.dk / Marshall Blecher, www.marshallblecher.com / Qiddiya Investment Company / SB Architects / Vero Visuals, Rotterdam, The NetherlandsHere’s a selectionof some of theleading constructionprojects beingplanned and builtacross the globeCopenhagen Islands,Copenhagen, DenmarkArchitect Marshall Blecher, Magnus MaarbjergBuilder FokstrotOpens 2020A project involving hand-crafted islands on the Danishcapital Copenhagen’s waterfront is set to create acompletely new genre of public parks. The architectsare calling it a ‘parkipelago’ and say the islands will bemoved seasonally between underutilised and newlydeveloped parts of the harbour, creating a catalyst forlife and activity. Each island will serve as a platformfor different activities – forming swim zones, floatingsaunas, floating gardens, floating mussel farms anda floating sail-in café. The first prototype island waslaunched in 2018 and it will be followed by three moreislands to be launched in 2020, with plans for more inthe coming years.Waldorf Astoria, Cancun, MexicoArchitect SB ArchitectsBuilder TBCOpens 2021The Waldorf Astoria Cancun will feature 150 guest rooms and suites, with waterfront or mangrove-facing terraces and private balconies. Theproperty will also house the signature Waldorf Astoria spa, integrating Mexican healing traditions with native ingredients, in addition to stateof-the-art fitness facilities, two plunge pools, a signature restaurant, an all-day brasserie and a beachside lounge and poolside bar. Guests willalso have the opportunity to enjoy locally sourced Yucatecan cuisine at additional dining experiences throughout the property.8

Valley, Amsterdam, NetherlandsArchitect MVRDVBuilder TBCOpens 2021Made up of four intersecting structures – a base forcommercial and office spaces and three towers or ‘peaks’of varying heights – Valley is part of Amsterdam’s ambitionto transform its business centre into a more liveable urbanquarter. A landscaped centre, or ‘valley’, which is accessibleto the public, surrounds the central tower on the fourth andfifth levels, while a sky bar spans the top two floors of thetallest tower, offering panoramic views of the city. There isalso a restaurant on the second floor and other F&B outletson the first. The abundance of outdoor spaces and communalgreen areas promotes health and well-being as well ascontributing to the building’s green ambitions.New Slussen Masterplan, Stockholm,SwedenArchitect Foster PartnersBuilder TBCOpens 2025The construction of the New Slussen is one of the largest urbantransformation projects in Sweden. A new civic quarter for all, it will providestate-of-the-art transport links alongside prominent new public buildings. Acentral feature of New Slussen is the ‘Water Plaza’, a pedestrianised publicspace arranged around the new navigation lock and realigned quayside,enlivened by new restaurants, cafes and cultural amenities.Qiddiya, Saudi ArabiaArchitect Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)Builder TBCOpens 2023 (first phase)In 2019, Saudi Arabia unveiled the master plan of its Qiddiyaentertainment city project, which is set to become a ‘Capital ofEntertainment, Sports and the Arts’. Located 45km (28 miles)from the capital Riyadh, it will include training academies, desertand asphalt tracks for motorsports enthusiasts, water and snowactivities and a range of retail, residential and community services.The Resort Core of Qiddiya is a 150,000 sq m (180,000 sq yd) retail,dining and entertainment ‘spine’ complete with a portfolio of hotelofferings. Adjacent to it will sit a major outdoor entertainment venuecapable of hosting events for 4,000 to 40,000 visitors in a park-likesetting, along with an ice pavilion and a skate park.For more go to fcsi.org9

THE INTELLIGENCE News, insight, opinion and reviewsAFTERSHOCKS OFTHE PANDEMICLiz Cooley looks at the impact of lockdownand continued Covid-19 precautions onhospitality in the EAME regionRabobank predicted a loss of between51% - 77%of expected revenue for foodservice operators acrossEurope, with Spain and Italy the worst affected countriesIn the UK, the hospitality sector saw losses of 30bnbetween April and June 202010revenues had in fact falInternational touristarrivals in Europe fell by99%in May, down from over 60million people in 2019

len byCOVID-19 AND HOSPITALITY95% Creported actual fall inrevenue across the regionountries across Europe,Africa and the Middle East arebeginning to ease restrictionsafter months of lockdown,even encouraging people totravel, both domestically andabroad. But the consequences of businessclosures, travel bans and falling consumerconfidence over the last few months arelikely to be felt for years to come.Sector shutdown1/2of restaurantsin Dubai expected toremain closedTravel and tourism plummeted in thefirst half of the year, as the virus spreadand millions of holidaymakers wereforced to cancel their plans.International tourist arrivals inEurope fell by 99% in May, down fromover 60 million people in 2019, accordingto figures from the World TourismOrganization, while the number offlights operated by carriers in Africaand the Middle East was down 70% asof July, according to the InternationalAir Transport Association.Hotels were generally forced to closetheir doors to all but essential workersand long-term residents at the heightof the crisis and restaurants, bars, clubsand other hospitality venues were alsosubject to widespread closures.Impact on revenueUnsurprisingly, the financial impactof these closures has had a devastatingeffect on foodservice.In March, banking and financialservices company Rabobank predicted aloss of between 51% and 77% of expectedrevenue for foodservice operators acrossEurope, with Spain and Italy the worstaffected countries. Data collected byindustry analyst Kerry, published in May,suggested revenues had in fact fallen by95% across the region.This resulted in many foodservice“We are already seeing theEat Out to Help Out schemehave a positive effect. Itseems to have helpedpersuade customers toventure out into venuesto enjoy themselves”operators having to close their doorsfor good. The HORECA federation,which represents the Belgian hospitalityindustry, has predicted up to 30% ofrestaurants will never reopen. And it’s afamiliar story. Gates Hospitality founderand CEO Naim Maadad in the UnitedArab Emirates believes that 50% ofDubai’s restaurants will remain closeddue to coronavirus.In the UK, the hospitality sectorsaw losses of 30bn between April andJune when compared with 2019 figures,according to UKHospitality, with one infour restaurants expected to fold.“The pandemic has been disastrousfor the sector. We have already seenbusinesses fail and people have lost theirjobs and, realistically, we are likely tosee more,” says Kate Nicholls, CEO ofUKHospitality.The UK government launched the EatOut to Help Out scheme, to encouragecustomers back into restaurants andprotect jobs by offering a 50% discountof up to 10 per person in participatingestablishments.“Being able to get customers inthrough the doors is crucial,” saysNicholls. “We are already seeing the EatOut to Help Out scheme have a positiveeffect. It seems to have helped persuadecustomers to venture out into venues toenjoy themselves. Boosting consumerconfidence is a big part in the battle aheadand this scheme seems to be helping.”11

THE INTELLIGENCEIN MY VIEWOffer to serve, not to sellDes Mahon FCSI, managing director of Authenticate inDublin, Ireland, speaks to Michael Jones about becominga trusted advisor in the foodservice sectorAs managing director of Authenticate I specialise in procurement andcontract management for catering services in Ireland. What I love aboutthe foodservice sector is that it’s unpredictable. All I can expect from aworking day is that it will be different from the last, and that no two contractsor clients will be the same.As a child, I wanted to be a teacher – the main attraction being thesummer holidays. I eventually ended up working as head of sales for thelargest contract caterer in Ireland. While I was there, I saw a gap in themarket to move to the ‘dark side’ of foodservice consultancy. It was 10 yearsago that I made the jump, and I haven’t looked back since.For me, being a member of FCSI means I’m excited to engage with mypeers, accessing and sharing best practice and growing our network ofcontacts internationally.“I’m excitedto engagewith my peers,accessingand sharingbest practiceand growingour networkof contactsinternationally"The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t left the food sector without itschallenges: rebuilding and reimagining business models for a post-Covidworld is a top priority right now. We need to pivot to survive before wecan begin to thrive, and clients and contractors need to be open andtransparent with each other. We need to work collectively to adjust tothe "new normal" – whatever that may be.If there’s anything I’ve learned in my career, it’s that you shouldoffer to serve, not to sell. In the commercially focused, highlycompetitive and demanding foodservice sector, clients need you tobe a trusted advisor – the hard sell does not work.I tend to relax by spending quiet timewith my family, usually going fora walk or for a game of golf –sometimes simultaneously.12DAN MURRELLAcross my career, I’ve learned from everyone I’ve worked with. I wasinfluenced just as much by the guys I washed pots with in the 1990sin the hot basement kitchen of a New York City nursing home,as by some of the foodservice leaders I do business withtoday. What they taught me was the importanceof treating people with respect, whateverposition they hold, and of keeping thatsense of humour close by.

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THE INTELLIGENCEKITCHEN CONFIDENTIALThe Secret Chef struggles to put theCovid-19 pandemic into perspectiveMORE TIME TO THINKThere are times when I envy thosewho bow their heads toward Rome.There must be something freeingabout confession although I find theconcept a little hard to swallow. I’m fromnorthern European, Lutheran stockand, while I’ve discarded the religiousaspects, the work ethic and vague guiltassociated with fun and enjoymentremain. I think that’s why writing thiscolumn is so liberating: I spend a fewhours pretending to be someone I can’tbe during my daily life and have fourjoyous catharses a year to enable me toease the weight on my shoulders.Here is this quarter’s confession:this piece is already a week late forsubmission. As someone who hasspent many years abiding by severaldozen deadlines throughout the courseof every service, tardiness pains me.It niggles away and frustrates me,especially when I know it is my fault.In the kitchen the chain of commandallows for the apportion of blame.With words instead of dishes,screens instead of plates there is onlyone person at fault and that is theperson sitting at the keyboard.I generally get a little editorialdirection when writing: loose themes onwhich to base my words. Can you writesomething on food waste? We need afew hundred words on no-shows. Doyou fancy submitting your thoughts ontipping? And, generally, I spend a coupleFor more go to fcsi.orgof weeks thinking about the themeand then coalesce the thoughts intosomething cogent.This time, unsurprisingly, it was abiggie: “Focus, in some way, on postpandemic restaurant life, please.”Easy. A veritable buffet of subjects togorge on and yet here we are, seven daysthe wrong side of deadline and still notHere’s the scoop: thepandemic isn’t over. Thereis no clarity of hindsighton which to base mythinking because thereis no hindsight. Theworld spluttered, thencoughed and then stoppedturning entirelyfinished, and I’ve beentrying to figure out why.And now I know. Here’sthe scoop: the pandemic isn’tover. There is no clarity ofhindsight on which to basemy thinking because thereis no hindsight. The worldspluttered, then coughed andthen stopped turning entirely.Every single restaurant on the planetclosed their doors – and many of themremain closed, countless of thosewill never serve another customer.Thousands have taken baby stepstowards re-opening with masked serversand temperature checks and plasticscreens and have since been orderedto shutter once more. The immediatepresent is one in which indoor dining isa fading memory and a distant hope –how can I do justice to that ridiculous,previously unthinkable notion?I can’t. That’s my second confession: Ifeel inadequate. Pretty much all the timeat the moment. Although I could re-open,my restaurant remains a takeout – theprospect of a second wave of infectionsas summer rolls into the cooler daysand nights of autumn is, asfar as I’m concerned,an inevitability.Without a vaccine,other services will begiven priority overhospitality, quiterightly. Our kids neededucating more thanwe need to cook a tastingmenu. At some point it willbe possible to look back at allthis and consider what thefuture looks like. But thattime isn’t now because,for the moment, we are stillright where we are.15

DELIVERING CERTAINTY INUNCERTAIN TIMESIn print, digital and via events, FCSI’s portfolio helps your brandreach every Professional member consultant, worldwide2020FCSI.ORGWe share,we support,we inspire.FCSI WHITEPAPERSThe future offoodservicedesign in apost-Covid-19environmentQ3 2020FCSI.ORGFOODSERVICE CONSULTANTS SOCIETY INTERNATIONALAMERICAS EDITIONFOODSERVICECONSULTANTPostcards from the edgeHidden talent?Operator tales from the front line of foodserviceWhy Covid also spread a new set of staff challenges Firing up social conversations with Ghetto GastroGhetto blastThe wayforwardHow the hospitality sectorcan rebuild and recoverfrom the Covid-19pandemicFOODSERVICE CONSULTANT IN PRINTONLINEIN YOUR INBOXTo advertise across these channels contact: t.org

THE INTELLIGENCEDAN MURRELLTALKBACK Three foodservice professionals give their views on one questionRussell Stilwell FCSIAgustin Ferrando BalbiEneko AtxaFoodservice consultant, Maryland, USChef, Hong KongChef, Bilbao, SpainWith negative events, there is almostalways a silver lining. In this case, my hopeis the death of the salad bar and its badcousin the hot-food bar. Having multiplepeople serving themselves from the samedish with the same utensils has neverbeen appealing. The saddest thing to meis the loss of so many great restaurants.The permanent closing of restaurants, likeBlackbird in Chicago and so many others,is a deep wound to our culinary culture. Noone could have been prepared for this typeof global pandemic. No one could imaginethe shutdown of the world economy.What we have seen coming out of thisperiod is the humanity, resilience, andcreativity of so many chefs, restaurantand food operators, manufacturers, andAmerican workers. It is amazing to see thecommunity feeding their workers and thejobless, reinventing their businesses, andstanding together through Covid-19, thecollapsed economy, riots. We are still here– ready to re-open, to serve, to feed.The main lesson is: be prepared, it willhappen again. Add that carry-out/pick-upstation, ghost kitchen, meal delivery, patio– whatever will give you a backup revenuestream. Keep positive and adapt quickly.Build a rainy-day fund, the governmentmay not always be prepared to print moneyand give it away. Be grateful if you stillhave a business, and show your staff yourappreciation for the hard work they do.We were two weeks into opening ourrestaurant Andō when the third wave ofinfections hit Hong Kong, and increasinglysevere restrictions started kicking in.First, banning dine-in service from 6pmto 4.59am so we had to close after only 15days. That said, the team is in high spirits,we’re taking the time to develop newrecipes and have also launched our homedining experience for delivery/take-away,At Home with Andō.The biggest impact is the full closureor the limits on restaurant capacity.Limiting seats means limiting revenueand that affects the chain further down.A restaurant is not only about the food,others are involved – workers, suppliers,producers and distributors – affecting onelink in the chain affects all the others.I have found the situation challenging,but we need to look forward, using thistime to regroup and think how to improvethe whole experience for our guests.We will come out of this learning toadapt. This is also a time for reflection,it has allowed us to pay close attentionto every single detail of the operation.Sometimes money can hide problems butnow we are forced to look at the wholeoperation and tweak things to make surewe can survive this period. Most of us havebuilt in measures such as take away menusand other different alternatives to theusual restaurant life.My restaurant, Azurmendi, was shut fornearly four months – we closed the doorson 12 March and reopened on 1 July.I decided that my other restaurantswill remain closed for now; it seems theprudent course of action to go slow and seehow things develop as we hopefully returnto a semblance of normality.The response to our reopening hasbeen fantastic, better than anythingwe imagined. We are taking all theprecautions, including sanitation anddistancing, to keep everybody safe. Rightnow the most important ingredient isnot on the plate, it is the safety of ourcustomers.The impact on hospitality is alreadyhuge. We are lucky at our level of diningbecause we have a certain visibility, butall the smaller restaurants who don’t havethis facility will struggle. Many have closedalready and many more will follow.I think society as a whole can learna lot from the pandemic. We have toremember the basic elements we needin life. We are so used to getting whatwe want when we want it. We need toprioritise education, investment inscience and culture, we need to encouragecooperation and tolerance. Those are theimportant values in society.For hospitality, it feels like we havebeen in constant crisis for a long time, sowe are naturally financially conservative.Post-Covid we must continue to keepwhat we can aside for a rainy day. Thishas shown us that there could always besomething unpleasant waiting around thecorner. The pandemic has taught us thateven something that we could never evenimagine was possible.What can hospitality learnfrom Covid-19?17

FCSI EF UPDATEFCSI EF for the futureAs the world looks to move onfrom Covid-19 Ed Norman,FFCSI (PP), shares thelatest news from the FCSIEducational FoundationThe global pandemic has affectedeveryone in FCSI, from huge multinational corporations to one-personconsultancies and everyone in between.We are all challenged to rethink whatour new business environment mightlook like, and the FCSI EducationalFoundation is no different.All of our fundraising efforts for theyear have b

Operator tales from the front line of foodservice Hidden talent? Why Covid also spread a new set of staff challenges Blockbuster Blockchain technology's pivotal role in food safety FOODSERVICE CONSULTANTS SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL EAME EDITION Q3 2020 FCSI.ORG FOODSERVICE CONSULTANT The way forward How the hospitality sector can rebuild and recover