For both Noor and Daan, the choice for a concept development internship within the F&B industry was driven by a strong personal interest combined with a desire to deepen their understanding of the sector. Noor explains that F&B has always been a major passion of hers, and that the internship allowed her to further develop this interest through creating and innovating—making concept development a natural fit. Daan approached the internship from a slightly different angle. While he already had hands-on hospitality experience, he wanted to explore the industry from a more theoretical and strategic perspective. A concept development internship gave him the opportunity to look beyond execution and focus on the conceptual and strategic foundations behind successful foodservice concepts.
Both interns describe the company culture at Conceptional as open, informal, and approachable. The organisation is loosely structured, with short lines of communication and relatively few formal KPIs. This creates a high level of freedom, but also requires interns to take ownership of their work and show initiative. Daan highlights that one of the most positive aspects is that personal interests are genuinely listened to, and where possible, aligned with ongoing projects. Noor adds that the team is welcoming and supportive, with a non-formal atmosphere where colleagues are always willing to help each other. According to both, this open culture creates a strong learning environment where collaboration and personal development are central.
The internship challenged both Noor and Daan in different ways and encouraged them to grow professionally. For Noor, one of the biggest lessons was learning to be comfortable with making mistakes. She explains that not every element needs to be perfect on the first try, as concept development is an ongoing process. Because every project is different, there is a constant learning curve, which can sometimes be frustrating but ultimately very rewarding. Daan, on the other hand, learned to work in a more structured way and to adopt a strategic mindset. He was expected to have sufficient F&B knowledge without everything being clearly defined in advance. While this initially required some adjustment, it helped him gain confidence in decision-making and in substantiating his ideas.
During their internships, both Noor and Daan worked on a wide range of external and internal projects. Noor participated in a project for an American airport F&B operator, where three different concepts were developed for implementation across multiple airports in the United States. She found it particularly interesting to explore the varying needs of different airports and translate these into distinct concepts. The creative sessions—brainstorming about atmosphere, menu, and design—were a highlight for her. In addition, Noor worked on internal projects such as a trend report, which allowed her to deepen her understanding of current developments and shifts within the F&B industry.
Daan was involved in several external projects as well, including a new hospitality location in Curaçao, layout development for new fuel stations, and the F&B strategy for Eindhoven Airport. Internally, he contributed to building an AI tools library for F&B, writing an AI-focused industry report, and presenting AI updates to the team.
For both Noor and Daan, the main challenge was working with a high level of freedom and limited predefined expectations. Daan found it challenging that expectations were not always explicitly defined, which required strong justification of decisions, clear prioritisation, and ownership. At the same time, this was also where he learned the most. Noor experienced concept development itself as the biggest challenge. As this was relatively new to her, it took time to understand the structure and way of working, and she describes it mainly as a learn-by-doing process.
For Noor, the internship significantly deepened her understanding of the F&B industry. She has become more critical of existing concepts and operations and now better understands why certain choices are made regarding positioning, atmosphere, and location. For Daan, the internship did not so much change his perspective, but rather reinforced it. He was already familiar with the F&B sector and consulting, and the internship allowed him to apply this knowledge to concrete strategic and conceptual challenges.
During his internship, Daan mainly developed his strategic thinking skills and his ability to substantiate ideas when sharing them with colleagues and stakeholders. Structuring complex challenges and presenting insights were key learning moments for him. Noor focused on developing her research and communication skills. In addition, she strengthened her critical thinking and her ability to articulate insights within projects.
Both interns would recommend an internship in F&B consulting to students who have an interest in the sector and a basic level of F&B knowledge. Daan emphasises that while you are given a lot of freedom, this also comes with responsibility: you need to actively steer your own learning process and take initiative. Noor adds that consulting offers a very different perspective compared to working in operations. By analysing concepts and organisations from the outside, strengths and weaknesses become much clearer, making the work both educational and creatively challenging.
After his internship, Daan plans to further develop himself as a Restaurant Manager close to home, with a well-earned holiday first. Noor will continue working at Conceptional as a Junior Associate, where she supports the team on projects, works on business development, and takes responsibility for organising Conceptional's events.
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