Robert Ancill – CEO The Next Idea

Robert Ancill – CEO The Next Idea

Always creating and always learning

Robert Ancill, the CEO of the Next Idea group is a leading figure in the hospitality and interior design industries. An authority of emerging food trends, foodservice, and design, Robert is well known as one of America’s leading Global Food and Restaurant Consultants. His principles stand staunch as pillars of creativity, first-class client service, and integrity. Robert built the Next Idea from a one client agency to a well-known international boutique consulting group with a broad range of small, medium, and large clients and an enviable project portfolio. The company split in 2016 and operates consulting services under The Next Idea, www.thenextidea.net, and interior design TNI Design, www.tnidesign.com.

Since 2002 The Next Idea Group has grown into a well-known consulting and design brand with multiple service companies covering design, consulting, and business services. It is essentially a consulting agency specializing in high energy, innovative international restaurant concept development, interior design, re-positioning, food trend research forecasting, marketing, and restaurant franchising. Read More

How Bad Is It?

First and foremost, let’s be clear: there will be a recovery. The world is not coming to an end, there will be no doomsday, and life will go on. Just like nature, the economy will find a way. So, to those individuals who bought van loads of toilet paper: the chances are that you will need your storage space back much faster than you could ever use said commodity, so now is the time to think about how you can utilize all that tissue for 2020 holiday gifts. Costco will not be refunding!

Nonetheless, the situation is both extraordinary and exceptionally serious. While we can say with conviction that the economy will recover, what we can’t predict is by when and what the collateral damage will look like. Read More

Why Food Delivery is Safer than Shopping during the Covid-19 Outbreak

We have all seen the numerous postings about restaurants closing and offering delivery and pick up only services. Naturally, they are all trying to stay afloat during this very trying time. Nevertheless, there is a very good reason why you might want to consider ordering take out over going to a supermarket.

Naturally, there are community considerations; supporting local businesses and corporations keeps our country working, and while every order is at a micro level, micro multiplied by millions leads to macro.

However, there is possibly a far more important reason to order from restaurants. It’s just safer! Read More

Will We All Be Vegan By 2030?

Consider this: since 2012 to 2020,meat-free meal sales in supermarkets have increased by over 1,100 percent.That’s quite a growth curve for any sector, let alone a category that has literally emerged from dirt.

At a group level, virtually all food types have vegan alternatives.

Meat substitute is possibly the largest category now, led by the Beyond and Impossible brands, along with Amy’s Kitchen, Archer Daniels Midland, and the Blue Chip Group.

The global meat substitutes market was estimated at around $1.6 billion in 2019 with projected revenue to reach $ 3.5 billion by 2026 and CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 12.0% during the same forecast. The vegan market is primarily driven by the increasing demand for plant-based meat products among Millennials and Generation Z, however, all generations have an interest in this new category given the broad appeal and underlying reasons behind this sectors’ emergence. Read More

Hngry – Futur Of Food

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BETA TASTING: FUTURE FOOD

As Americans dine-out less and order-in more, “virtual kitchens” are emerging in dense metropolitan areas to house dozens of delivery-only concepts in converted warehouses. The biggest player in the US is CloudKitchens, backed with $150m from Uber founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick. Watch as we provide an inside look into these mysterious kitchens and interview the restaurateurs betting the future of their businesses on the promise of delivery.

FUTURE FOOD

Awards 2017

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Corporate Traval Awards 2017

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The Next Idea
Only a very select group of businesses earn our top ratings and the Spectrum Award. Even fewer are able to earn this recognition in consecutive years. Congratulations to you and your team for such an honorable achievement.

The Award is not a snapshot in time of a single interaction, it is all encompassing. That is because we take your ENTIRE customer service performance into account.  Unlike consumer review sites, your 5 star rating is stable.  It will remain 5 stars for the entire 2017 rating year.

People have greater faith in award-winning companies.  As a Spectrum Award winner you earned the opportunity to promote your business as Award Winning!

How to ‘Gram your Food: 10 Steps to Food Porn

There’s no doubt that Instagram is Emperor when it comes to #foodporn. The trend of sharing food photos is so formidable that Instagrammable restaurants can leverage their new persona to leave their competitors wondering what just happened!

The great news for any restaurant owner is that, in today’s high tech world, everyone possesses a smart phone, including you!

What’s the cleverest way to show the best side of your food and entice those increasingly elusive millennials to stop by?

There are right ways (and very ugly, fuzzy wrong ways) to showcase your delectable bites on IG at no cost.

1. Remove the clutter!
We like your friends a lot, but they’re not the focus here. Neither are your keys, wallet, half a warm beer…you get the drift. Try moving all distractions away from the dish to let it do what it does best – look hot (or cold)!
c/o The Next Idea International
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               2. Cue the (natural) lights

No flashers allowed! Opt for natural light when possible. Your next best bet is to enlist a friend to use their camera light, or to position a candle nearby. Flash generally doesn’t provide your camera phone with the right amount of time to focus and capture the best image. Turn the flash off and keep it off.

c/o @worldveganfood

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3. Angles: Focus on your dish’s good side

While that ¾ up selfie shot may work for you on a night out, your food doesn’t like it that much. Shoot from the top down. If that’s not doing it for you, shoot from the side.

c/o The Next Idea International

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4. It’s ok to cheat (with other apps)

It’s hard to look great, so why not give your plate a boost? Yes, Instagram comes with filters and editing tools, but that’s not the main focus of the app. Take your editing elsewhere with apps like Adobe Lightroom for quick fixes, Adobe Photoshop Fix or Snapseed for fine-tuned edits, and Facetune to take your food’s look to the next level.

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5. Be inspired

Develop a style. What makes @YourIG special and different from other foodie accounts? If you need a little help, try checking out #foodporn for inspo.

c/o @frasave_                                                                               c/o @davidwma

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6. Go for colors!

While there are plenty of examples of IG-worthy food that isn’t colorful, adding color to dishes is one way to stand out. Adding a pop of color attracts attention, and when done well, lots o’ likes!

c/o The Next Idea International

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7. Focus first

Tell your camera what to focus on – you’re in charge. Be creative! Focus on one part of the dish, encompass the full dish, or put something in the foreground and focus to the back of the photo with your dish.

c/o The Next Idea International

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8. Delectable dishware is all the rage

Sometimes, the plates, cups, utensils etc. are just as exciting as the dish itself! Brighten up dull plates with funky patterned plates, colored glasses, and one-of-a-kind looking utensils.

c/o @anna__devito

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9. Be a tease

Don’t show it all off, honey! Keeping the viewer guessing is just as exciting as centering your main dish. The best way to capture a large and interesting spread is to focus on one or 2 dishes, with the rest artfully cut out of the photos.

c/o @noodleworship

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10. Put a “cherry” on top

Don’t forget about your caption! A great caption is the cherry on top of your tasty post.

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Article by Thelma Weaver, Restaurant Marketing Consultant with The Next Idea

Editor and Partial Photography by Robert Ancill, CEO, The Next Idea