Lares ice cream shop

It’s a nice, hot day in the middle of the summer and you want some ice cream. You go to the ice cream shop around the corner and you stare at the different sorts of ice cream. Hmm again chocolate and banana? It’s always the same. Why don’t they have something else? Maybe you should try the ice cream shop in Lares. They have many many many many more flavors!

What is it?

The ice cream shop Lares is just another ice cream shop in Puerto Rico. They make flavors which are known by everyone, like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. But, the special thing about this shop, is that they also sell flavors that nobody could ever imagine. From rice to garlic, from potatoes to pumpkin. Does it taste good? Usually not. But the advantage is, that you can try two different sorts of ice cream before, and then pick the ones you like!

There are 500 recipes for all different flavors, but in the shop you could usually choose between 40 or 50 homemade flavors!

The store itself has a socially engaged atmosphere. On the walls, there are pictures and articles about Puerto Rico itself, which gives the store a really local conviviality.

You can eat your ice cream inside the store, or take it with you and eat it while you’re walking around down town.

 Why is it cool?

This is a cool idea, because I think that when people have the opportunity to taste such weird flavors of ice cream, they are willing to try it. If you’ve never had it before, the flavors will definitely surprise you!

You can chose a whole meal if you want to, with potatoes, carrots and chicken. But, if you don’t like the exotic flavors, you could just pick an original flavor which you’ll know you like. It’s all up to you!

 Why does it have future growth potential?

In my opinion, the shop has future growth potential. I think that more shops will cope this concept, because if people in other city’s know about this shop, they want a shop like this in their neighborhood too. There will be more shops who’d open an ice cream shop like this, so you could try the weird, original, different flavors in more places around the world!

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/lares-ice-cream/

Pop-up restaurant: The Cube

Just another restaurant. A nice atmosphere, good food and a friendly staff. It’s nice, but not really an experience. Now Electrolux has a new idea of going out for dinner. A restaurant, every certain time on a different place. But, how does this concept work?

 What is it?

The Cube is a new kind of restaurant created by Electrolux. The restaurant is set in a big city for a certain time. After this time, the restaurant moves to another city. In every city, The Cube is located on one of the highest roofs. So, when you’re having dinner or lunch there, you have the most amazing view in town.

There is one big table, where only 18 people can sit. There aren’t many more seats needed, because a 4-course dinner costs 200 euro’s. The food is very exclusive, ‘cause it’s prepared by three Michelin cooks. The table comes down from the ceiling when dinner is being served, and goes up again after, when people have the opportunity to talk about the experience while having a drink.

The restaurant has already been in a few big city’s like Paris, Brussels, Stockholm and Moscow.

Why is it cool?

This is a very cool concept in my opinion, because it’s one design that travels around the world. Though it’s a very expensive restaurant, I think the idea of a different location every time makes the experience so special. I don’t think other restaurants should copy this idea, because it wouldn’t be original anymore. So Electrolux strands out from the rest with this concept.

Why does it have future growth potential?

I think The Cube has future growth potential. Now, it’s a little concept that is contended for a particular group of people. If this concept spreads and more and more of these restaurants will develop, the cheaper it will be and the more customers they will get. Because it’s such a special experience, I think there are many people who will try this when they can afford it.

 

http://newsroom.electrolux.com/nl/2011/04/01/electrolux-opent-trendy-pop-up-restaurant-in-brussel/

Printemps Department Store Paris

Are you tired of you just going to a store, looking around, buy something and simply go home? Now there’s a whole new experience as regards shopping. In Paris, you can go to Printemps and go shopping like Parisians have always done before!

 What is it?

Printemps is a luxurious department store in the middle of Paris. This beautiful building is a modern equivalent of the monumental glass dome from 1923. The designers George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg combined the department store and the glass dome and created a whole new store. This isn’t just a regular store, because not only shopping is a fun thing to do, but the experience the store gives you is very special and will be in your memory for a very long time!

 Why is it cool?

I think the department store Printemps is a very cool concept, because it is a really nice idea that you can shop like Parisians have always done. The store has a whole unique French theme, which brings you back to the old times in Paris! This idea of “the old Paris” has the company Yabu Pushelberg modernized to a store with a special experience.

The way Yabu and Pushelberg designed the department, is a very inspiring way, because you are walking around in a true piece of art, while you’re shopping at a very high level.

Why does it have future growth potential?

In my opinion this special department store has definitely future growth potential, because the ‘New Old’ idea of the concept will inspire a lot of shop owners. I think this idea will be implemented and more and more stores will change or design their concept to something like this, because it inspires and attracts the shoppers and will cause lots of positive attention.

http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/core_values/history/en/pages/index.aspx

Sony Recycle Project Jeans

Have you always wanted a pair of jeans that is so original, that you must have got it in a very special way? Then this is your chance. Sony introduces 120 pairs of jeans, all of original fabric and handmade.  But wait, what does Sony have to do with 120 pairs of jeans?

 

What is it?

This is a project of Sony. The company takes the advertising banners, that have hung on their building, and make them one-of-a-kind jeans, all by hand. Where first the advertising banners hung on the building, there are now the jeans that are made of these banners. Passers-by have the opportunity to buy these jeans. With binoculars, they can choose their favorite and the employees of Sony take your chosen jeans down.

Why is it cool?

I think this is a cool concept, because some things are just better at their point of origin. By hanging the jeans on the building from where the fabric, from the banners where the jeans are made of, comes from, Sony strengthened the concept of originality. The jeans are being sold directly from the wall, which I think is a pretty cool idea.

Not only it’s a cool concept because it’s a recycling project, but also because, with the money they raise with this project, they support World Heritages sites.

Why does it have future growth potential?

The Sony project has future growth potential, because Sony inspires companies to think ‘out of the box’. Sony isn’t a clothing company, but by using clothes, they creating a whole new vision of getting attention.

I think this is an innovative way to involve people in your brand and an original way to get some new attention.

 

http://www.coolhunting.com/style/sony-recycle-pr.php

Ctaste, “Dining in the dark”

How about your experience with food? Are you just eating it because you need to, or do you really enjoy eating it? Do you like new, unexpected things and would you like to discover food in a whole new way? Then this would be a perfect thing for you! Instead of “Dating in the dark”, this “Dining in the dark” shows, or in this case doesn’t show, you a new way of experiencing the eating of food in the Ctaste restaurant in Amsterdam.

What is it?

Dining in the dark is a new concept in the food industry. You make a reservation and go to the restaurant. There you’ll be told about what the evening will look like. You sit down at a table with your company and a waiter brings you a number of, for you unknown, dishes. Because of the dark room, you don’t see what you’re eating, so you have to find out by taste. It takes a while to know what kind of food you have on your plate, but this is exactly the idea of the concept. Afterwards you can discuss what you thought about the experience and post a comment on their website for other visitors.

 

Why is it cool?

I think this is a very cool idea, because it’s something that most people have never done before. A lot of people aren’t really thinking about what their eating, but just guzzle their food. If you can’t see your food, you aren’t able to just shove a big bite into your mouth. You have to think about what you’re eating, so you can enjoy it more.

It also allows you to experience how a blind person feels while eating dinner. Your taste and sense of smell develops even more and you’ll have a great time dining in the dark!

Why has it future growth potential?

I think “Dining in the dark” has future growth potential, because the more people experience it, the more they tell other people whether they like it and recommend it to them. So there will be more customers for the “Dining in the dark” – industry.

Not just “Dining in the dark” can grow, but also similar things. Something like a “Bakery in the dark” so you can taste different types of cakes, pies and cookies.

So I think it has future growth potential and the varieties on this concept will develop very soon.

http://www.iens.nl