Need to Know
29 : 05 : 19

Hong Kong – This colourful dining space is reinventing Chinese desserts for the modern era.

Located in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, Eat Darling Eat challenges the conventional flavours, shapes and colours of local desserts, creating visually arresting alternatives such as Sichuan pepper ice cream with candied bacon and papaya soup with snow fungus and mascarpone.

Deviating from the often nostalgic identity of dessert bars, the space has a postmodernist interior punctuated by concrete details and fluorescent-coloured abstract art. ‘We wanted to create a provocative setting that would mirror the imaginative and experimental desserts,’ says architect Nelson Chow. ‘A postmodernist desserts laboratory provides the perfect backdrop.’

While some restaurants have downsized their dessert menus to save both business costs and customers' waistbands, others like Eat Darling Eat are exploring sense-driven ways to reintroduce excitement to sweet menus.

Chicago – The hotel group has created a shared workspace brand called Working From_, inspired by its open-door hotel lobbies.

While The Hoxton’s lobbies have been used as the unofficial workspaces of many freelancers since 2006, the brand is now taking the insights from this customer base to launch a dedicated co-working brand. Members gain access to public or private desks, ergonomic chairs, biophilic planting and wellness programmes, as well as discounted rates at Hoxton hotels and restaurants.

The first space has opened in the brand’s new Chicago hotel. It will be followed by an outpost in London's Southwark, opening in September 2019, with both offering flexible membership models according to the different needs of remote workers. Those who only require a desk on evenings and weekends, dubbed side hustlers, can access Working From_ with a lower rate of £75 ($95, €85) per month.

This flexible pricing highlights the ways in which remote and co-working is becoming more inclusive, driven by initiatives focused on community and access. For more, read our microtrend Inclusive Nomadism

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US – As part of its rebranding program, home furnishing retailer Resident has launched a streamlined sofa brand called Bundle.

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand has launched with just two seating options: a simple sofa available in four colourways and a beanbag. It is the most recent addition to parent company Resident's portfolio, which includes other niche brands dedicated to offering a single, practical and high-quality product, such as Awara mattresses and Wovenly rugs.

‘Our approach is unique to the direct-to-consumer space because we offer multiple brands in any given category, like our four mattresses,’ says co-founder Craig Schmeizer. ‘This DTC brand-building model lets us cater to specific consumer needs better than our competitors.’

At a time of peak stuff, home decor brands like Bundle and Clare are removing excessive choice from the buying process in favour of giving shoppers a more focused experience.

Eatertainment – a type of experience in which food and entertainment are combined – is gaining popularity among Americans seeking fun group outings, according to Technomic managing principal Joe Pawlak.

During a presentation at the National Restaurant Association Show, Pawlak reported that 70% of consumers prefer to visit eatertainment formats over typical casual dining restaurants when eating in a group.

With younger diners and families in particular seeking out these types of venues, restaurants are responding to demand. Alongside concepts such as Two Bit Circus, a micro amusement park with robot bartenders, restaurants are aligning activities such as archery, escape rooms and even axe throwing alongside dining experiences.

For more on how such hybrid experiences will dominate tomorrow's cultural landscape, read our Experience 2020 report.