Fika Creative, Kathmandu Kitchen and Domein Holset win the Data Meets Hospitality Awards 2026 

Winners honoured for innovation and the smart use of data in the hospitality sector

Lightspeed, the point-of-sale and payment platform for thousands of ambitious entrepreneurs worldwide, organised the fourth edition of the Data Meets Hospitality Awards on Monday 12 October at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. During the evening, which followed an afternoon programme centred on the theme ‘Turn Data Into Action’, three hospitality concepts were recognised for their exceptional achievements in the fields of innovation and the use of data and technology. 
 
The evening was hosted by Stephanie Verstraten. The expert judging panel consisted of five professionals from the hospitality industry and the trade press: 

• Marjon Prummel, editor-in-chief at Misset Horeca
• Gijsbregt Brouwer, founder of De Buik
• Jeannine Sok, editor and podcast host at Hotelvak
• And Kris Cathenis EN Hilde Rouckhout, the owners of Mamzelle Poulet and last year’s winners

From the many entries, Lightspeed selected fourteen nominees. The jury and all those present cast their votes in each category. The winners of the Lightspeed Data Meets Hospitality Awards 2026 are: 

• Hospitality Innovation Award: Fika Creative in Hoorn is a creative ceramics café. The concept is inspired by the Swedish tradition of fika, a regular break featuring coffee, a treat and, above all, socialising. Because the ceramics stock is linked to the till, the studio can see exactly which items are popular and can tailor its range accordingly. This approach has proved a hit, as in less than two years Fika has grown into a community of over 33,000 followers. 
• Multi-site Innovation Award: Kathmandu Kitchen is a multi-venue concept based in North Holland with five branches. This Nepalese and Indian family restaurant is a proud ambassador for Nepalese hospitality, offering cookery classes, neighbourhood parties and a charity dinner for families on a tight budget. Data analysis and feedback systems help the team to make adjustments, cope with peak times and continue to grow. It’s working, as 85 to 90 per cent of guests return, and anyone celebrating their birthday is serenaded by the whole restaurant. 
• Hotel Innovation Award: Holset Estate in Lemiers, Limburg, is both a boutique hotel and a wine estate, where guests stay amongst the vines at the foot of the Vaalserberg. Because their till system and booking system are linked, less time is spent on administration, leaving the team more time to give each guest personalised attention. 

Sandra Reus, owner of Fika Creative: “We’re really proud. There were some big names among the nominees, so it’s great when you win. We’ve been in business for almost two years now and we’re taking things a step further every time. By linking our till system to our stock management system, we can see from our workshop what’s still available in our café in the city centre. We’ve also introduced a new Order Management System (OMS) which automatically sends customers an email as soon as their ceramic creations are ready. The next step is an AI agent.”
 
Nishan Sapkota, owner of Kathmandu Kitchen: “Everything I do, I do from the heart. Guests become your friends. Hospitality in the modern catering industry has declined considerably of late, and I want to show that things are different here. By using data wisely, I can recognise who’s calling, for example. When a guest calls, I simply say: ‘Hello Rob, how can I help you?’ Technology and personal attention go hand in hand here.”
 
Emine Youssef, Regional Senior Director for Western Europe at Lightspeed: “With the Data Meets Hospitality Awards, we want to give hospitality entrepreneurs a platform. This year, the focus was on what concrete benefits data and technology bring to a hospitality business. The winners provide an inspiring answer to that question. Fika Creative in the hospitality sector, Kathmandu Kitchen as a multi-site concept, and Domein Holset in the hotel sector demonstrate how to turn data into action, particularly now that margins are under pressure and staff are in short supply. These awards are not only a recognition of their hard work, but also an incentive for the entire sector to continue innovating and growing. We are proud that the technology from Lightspeed and our partners can play a part in their success story.” 

Daniel Bundle, Editor-in-Chief of Hotelvak Benelux and Business & Innovation Lead at Louwers Mediagroep: “As a partner of the Data Meets Hospitality Awards, we are proud of our collaboration with Lightspeed and of this valuable initiative that brings the hospitality sector together. Particularly at a time when the sector is facing major challenges, it is important to provide a platform for entrepreneurs who demonstrate what innovation can mean in practice. The winners prove that technology and data do not have to come at the expense of personal hospitality, but can actually enhance it. At Hotelvak, we believe it is important to highlight such inspiring stories, share knowledge and connect entrepreneurs with one another. Because real progress is made when we inspire one another, learn from one another and work together to make the sector stronger.”