Advertisement

Food & Beverage / Leisure

LATEST TRENDS IN FOOD & BEVERAGE AND LEISURE CONCEPTS

Silverburn, the leading prime retail and leisure asset located in Glasgow, owned by Henderson Park and managed by Eurofund Group, has further expanded its growing F&B offer with the recent signing of Wingstop UK.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, convenience is emerging as the key driver of success. Shoppers are increasingly drawn to brands that make buying products a quick and effortless experience, whether online or in-store. GlobalData’s latest research highlights which retailers are likely to gain the most in 2025

Internationally renowned top chef Thomas Bühner is opening a new dining concept at Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier – right on the waterfront with a view of the river Elbe. Unlike his restaurants in Düsseldorf and Taipei, the focus in Hamburg is not on fine dining, but on a modern, cosmopolitan all-day dining and bar experience that emphasizes accessibility and joie de vivre.
With this step, Bühner is consciously opening a new chapter – straightforward, inspiring and with international spirit. The opening is planned for the first half of 2026. Further details on the concept will follow – but one thing is already clear: Hamburg can look forward to a new culinary narrative.

Serbia’s first lifestyle retail park, BIG Čačak, is now officially welcoming customers with 45 new stores and 500 parking spaces, offering a unique experience that combines shopping, gastronomy, and leisure.

After just 15 months, the optimistic venture of Le Big TamTam in the Hanseviertel Hamburg, Germany, has come to an abrupt halt. The food court, launched in July 2024 with the promise of transforming a neglected basement rotunda into a vibrant gastronomic destination, is now closed, at least temporarily, as the management reassesses the concept.

Retail is reinventing itself – one game at a time. As the mega-multiplex era fades and streaming dominates screens, malls and mixed-use destinations are turning to competitive socializing. Mini-golf with cocktails, high-tech darts, F1 simulators, and bowling-meets-karaoke mash-ups are the new anchors of experience. More than just entertainment, these hybrid venues are reshaping consumer journeys, driving footfall, and transforming retail spaces into cultural playgrounds as Will Odwarka explains in his latest column for ACROSS.

An increasing number of underdeveloped restaurant concepts are rushing into franchising—putting not only investors at risk but also eroding trust in the industry as a whole. In his incisive article, Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, warns in his latest F&B column against the “myth of easy money” and explains how lack of concept maturity, insufficient support, and short-term thinking can backfire in the long run.

Let’s take a quick glance beyond the borders of Europe, as many markets hold much more promise than we might think. As businesses contemplate the next steps in their growth strategies, the question arises: when will we see new store openings in countries like Iraq, vibrant dining establishments in Pakistan, and ventures marked with flags in Tanzania or Kenya? Furthermore, why do Bangladesh, India or Saudi Arabia often remain absent from many brands’ master development plans? After years spent in international development, attending countless business meetings and conferences, Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, presents a candid perspective on this matter: Our collective bias and judgment often deter us from exploring these promising markets.

NUGA Castellana will be designed for “work, live and play”. The goal is to unify all spaces which are managed by PIMCO Prime Real Estate — Paseo de la Castellana 200-208, Félix Boix 4-8, Doctor Fleming 39-41, and Carlos Maurrás 7 (five residential units out of the 14 that make up the asset, alongside commercial spaces) — into a single block that blends cutting-edge design with the most advanced technology.

At Main-Taunus-Zentrum (MTZ), one of the largest and most successful shopping centers in Germany, ECE Marketplaces has realized a new destination within the center being a further development of the open structure and providing an additional USP of the center. In the middle of the open-air shopping center in Sulzbach near Frankfurt am Main, the new “Food Garden” creates a lively new urban center with a high quality, varied gastronomy offering in five free-standing restaurant buildings for a total of eight restaurant concepts, inviting outdoor terraces, and attractive green spaces.

The Main-Taunus-Zentrum welcomes another attraction: a new “Food Garden” opened in the shopping center in Sulzbach near Frankfurt am Main, planned and fully let after a construction period of around 15 months.

“Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier could emerge as a refreshing beacon of culinary innovation and diversity”, states Will Odwarka, F&B-expert, founder and CEO of Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting and member of the ACROSS Advisory Board. He takes a close look at the recently announced differentiation of the F&B offering at Hamburg’s new shopping destination. With this diverse concept he is positive that Hamburg will be able to show the power of food to cultivate community spirit.

Concepts like L’Osteria, BigMama, and Vapiano continue to thrive in the ever-evolving dining landscape. These establishments have profoundly influenced the fast-casual sector. Yet, amidst these recognizable names, there is a burgeoning number of Italian food and beverage chains emerging on the global stage, shares Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest article of his “F&B Insights” column.

How are you doing with your resolutions? Still going strong, or already planning for the resolutions for next year? Its customary to look into my glass bowl at the beginning of a new year and predict the future of hospitality, new trends and what else is cooking in our industry and how it might impact the leasing and development efforts.

Ingka Centres Futures is looking for partners to shape the future of retail. By collaborating with businesses of all sizes, the platform is transforming traditional shopping spaces into vibrant community hubs where people can connect, explore, and experience retail in a whole new way.