Quality coffee has been crucial to the dramatic growth of the speciality beverage market but fast, consistent provision of a wide range of menu and service options - especially milked drinks, both hot and cold - has become equally significant. Bruce Whitehall talks to Schaerer, a Switzerland-based innovator in automatic coffee equipment and milk preparation systems.

Undoubtedly there is more than one interpretation to fast food. A great variety of new formulas created within the last 15 years have demonstrated the versatility of the category. One of these newborn concept types can be summed up by three words: healthy, sustainable and trendy. It might even be the one receiving most attention from youngsters in the European foodservice market. Probably because it thrives at so many places in Europe - albeit under different names but with a similar appearance and products. We picked three concepts dedicated to fast healthy food and took a closer look: EXKi from Belgium, dean & david from Germany and Hitzberger from Switzerland.

The decision to take your brand internationally, through various partnership structures, has many prerequisites in order for the expansion to be successful. This is not a decision that can be steered by ego or a misguided sense of self importance. Before you blindly throw a dart at a map, you need to assess your internal infrastructure to determine if you are ready to move forward. Insights from Andreas Karlsson, who grew Wagamama's international restaurant count from 3 to 35 restaurants. In 2012, he opened the first international restaurant of Denmark's ‘Sticks'n'Sushi' group in London.

Debt, recession, inflation, stagnation: the troubled world economy poses many challenges for foodservice businesses, especially those with cross-border ambitions. Stéphane Garelli, professor at Switzerland's IMD and University of Lausanne and for many years managing director of the World Economic Forum and the Davos Symposium, sought to make sense of an increasingly perplexing picture when he spoke at last September's European Foodservice Summit in Zurich.

The UAE-based fast-food chain Just Falafel has become one of the fastest growing hospitality enterprises in the Middle East. Launched in 2007 with a single outlet in Abu Dhabi, the company today has 29 operating stores in six countries and over 650 signed franchises set to be in operation within the next five years. Bettina Quabius looks at the rapid growth of the concept and explores the transformation of the ubiquitous falafel from street food to the star of a multinational brand.

Once the country's capital, St. Petersburg is still considered the cultural heart of Russia. With 5 m inhabitants, it is also Russia's second largest city. Every year, its splendid palaces, magnificentcathedrals, elegant bridges and rich museum collections attractthousands of tourists, especially during the White Nights seasonthat lasts from May to July. The gastronomic landscape is just asrich as the historical one.

After several years in senior management at Britain‘s largest pub-restaurant business, Kevin Todd is now CEO at Rosinter, a pioneering operator of casual dining restaurants, coffee bars and transport hub outlets across Russia and Eastern Europe. He describes the practical and professional challenges of the switch and the strategies needed to keep brands ahead in one of the world‘s fastest-changing markets. Interview by Bruce Whitehall.

After more than a decade of rapid growth, the UK branded coffee-shop market is defying all previous expectations with a current growth rate 7-8 times that of the British economy. While the good old cup of tea remains a national treasure, in recent years coffee has won the hearts and wallets of many British consumers. There appears to be no end to the trend to café culture which began more than a decade ago. An analysis by Allegra Strategies.

In 2012, Europe's top 70 coffee-bar brands generated an increase of 8% at 11,447 outlets (previous year also +8%). The first ten players even show unit growth of 9%. First place in 2012 went to Costa Coffee, as it had done in the previous year, with an above average network growth of 15%. In second place was McCafé: 12% more McDonald's restaurants now also offer their guests a coffee bar. In Europe, Starbucks, the world market leader, achieved growth of just 5% and remained in third position. Research and ranking by FoodService Europe and Middle East.

Beach bars - a pan-European outdoor phenomenon even for landlocked city dwellers offering that certain beach feeling just around the corner instead of in remote holiday destinations. The boom began in the early nineties with locations such as ‘Paris Plage' on the banks of the River Seine or ‘Strandbar Mitte' and ‘Bundespresse stand' in Berlin. Originally, beach-bar flair implied a touch of improvisation. Today, however, these seasonal outdoor locations are increasingly styled down to the last detail. Also, they are not only to be found on the banks of a river or lake but also in highly urban settings such as car-park roofs. As ever, dependence on the goodwill of the weather gods remains an inconvenient risk factor.