The Americas
Women in Restaurant Leadership (WIRL) opens WiRL Awards nominations for 2027
The WiRL Awards celebrate women who are driving progress in the restaurant issue, particularly those who have not yet been previously formally recognized. Launched in 2023, WiRL was created as a US-based national community to elevate, educate, and empower women in restaurant leadership. Nominations for the 2027 WiRL Awards open on October 1, 2026, and close on November 1, 2026. Winners will be honored during the 2027 WiRL Together Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, with complimentary access to the event, and will be featured in WiRL’s February special issue and February webinar alongside members of the WiRL Advisory Board.
KFC unveils unique restaurant format including table service in modernization push
A new KFC restaurant in McKinney, Texas, blends KFC’s original hospitality vision with an updated design, as well as broadened food and beverage choices. The restaurant, which has been called Open House, seeks to modernize through incorporating Art Deco and mid-century modern influences with digital ordering and drive-thru technology, decorated using large glass windows and booths. The restaurant also leverages table service, features lobby hosts and has outdoor dining to increase socializing at the restaurant. “For me, the philosophy is that we should be digital where it’s helpful but human where it matters,” said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC US.
Asia Pacific
IHG Hotels & Resorts signs two Noted Collection hotels in Tokyo
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed two Noted Collection hotels in Tokyo, opening in Shinjuku and Ginza, marking the premium brand’s entry into Japan. The first, a 207-room hotel in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district, near Golden Gai, is being developed with SC Capital Partners. Its lobby will connect to a restaurant and café area. The second signing is an 81-room new-build hotel in Ginza 8-chome, in partnership with An Consulting. Scheduled to open in 2029, it will be Japan’s first newly built Noted Collection hotel and IHG’s first property in Ginza. Plans include family-friendly suites, a restaurant and bar, and a fitness center.
DFI Retail Group takes sole control of Starbucks Asia franchise as Maxim’s splits
DFI Retail Group and Hongkong Caterers have agreed to split their joint holdings in Maxim’s Caterers, separating the Starbucks-licensed business from the broader restaurant and bakery portfolio in a reorganization expected to close in Q1 2027. DFI will take sole ownership of Coffee Concepts, the Starbucks-licensed business operating more than 1,100 coffeehouses across Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos. Hongkong Caterers will become the sole shareholder of Maxim’s Caterers, keeping more than 1,000 restaurants and bakeries across eight markets including mainland China, Malaysia and the same Southeast Asian markets.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
392 million food safety results brought together in new European database
Researchers from the EU-funded HOLiFOOD project have brought together around 392 million European food safety monitoring results in a new publicly available database. The CHEFS database gives researchers a large-scale resource to explore food safety trends and how factors such as weather, trade and food production may influence changing contamination risks. The project has also tested how AI could help identify patterns that may support more targeted monitoring in the future. As HOLiFOOD draws to a close, researchers have also published four policy briefs on AI, new detection technologies, risk communication and wider food-system trade-offs.
Four new London hotels have been awarded Michelin Keys
The Newman, Fitzrovia, The Chancery Rosewood, Six Senses London Bayswater and Pan Pacific London, The City have all been awarded Michelin keys, recognizing their exceptional hospitality. Mirroring the famous Michelin Star system used for restaurants, the Michelin Guide introduced its hotel-grading Michelin Keys in 2024. While these four London hotels were celebrated, others lost some of their allure. The Bvlgari Hotel London and Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane dropped from three to two keys, the Covent Garden Hotel fell from two to one, while the Knightsbridge Hotel lost its one key.
Lauren Hurrell
