Sweet treats from the States

Fresh cupcakes and New York cheesecake are Cynthia Barcomi’s passion. In her café in Berlin, American-born Barcomi has been delighting customers with home-made creations for over 20 years. You can read our interview with the cookbook author and blogger here:

METRO, in collaboration with the market research institute GfK, has surveyed self-employed business owners in Germany’s hotel, restaurant and catering industry for the second time. METRO wanted to know: what are the motives, aims and desires of businesspeople in the industry? And, above all: what is their attitude to digital technology? In order to establish the demand for digital services, GfK also conducted a parallel consumer survey.

More service, please!

Simply having an online presence is not always enough: while most food service providers and hoteliers advertise their businesses on their own websites and on social media, consumers place greater importance on specific digital services. When it comes to digital offerings, there is sometimes a gap between customer needs and business reality. For instance, consumers want more solutions for online table reservations and payment via smartphone.

Digitisation in the industry

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Prosperous founders

The general mood in the industry is good: business owners are even happier in 2015 than they were last year. Their main reason for starting a business is because they want to work independently and celebrate their own successes. The main thing they value in their day-to-day work is their freedom. 

Motivation and attitudes of new business owners

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Far Eastern food poems

Their creative names hint at the little stories behind the dishes at Glockenbach. And the positive online reviews show how well-received the restaurant’s Asian delicacies are with customers. Owner Jack Pham relates in this interview what, in addition to a good social media presence, brings success in the catering business.

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The digital hotel room

In the heart of Berlin, the design hotel The Weinmeister provides its guests with a complete digital programme – in both its media and its service offerings. In our interview, proprietor Thomas Tänzer explains why his employees are nonetheless indispensable and what he wishes for in the future.

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Attack on the taste buds

Burrito Bande customers can expect to be taken on a wild ride across the culinary prairie. The two “burrito bandits” have been supplying hungry customers with sophisticated burritos for three years now. Read our interview with business founder Jan Dinter to find out why they also announce their “attacks” online and like to stage live cooking duels.

Tasty iBurgers

From tablet to plate: at Burgerlich, guests can put together their premium burgers on a table-top computer. Business founder Sven Freystatzky explains in an interview how a digital order is turned into an analogue taste sensation.

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