Restaurant success through the pandemic and beyond

If the foodservice industry has learned anything in recent years, it’s that resilience and creativity can mean the difference between success and failure. The restaurants and managers who were able to forge a new path, pivot, and try new things are still standing today, despite continued labour shortages, inflation, and supply chain delays.   Restobiz […]

British Columbia lifts mask mandate, proof of vaccination to follow

British Columbia has removed the order requiring masks to be worn in all indoor public spaces as of March 11, and the province says that the proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement is likely to be lifted on April 8. However, individual businesses will still be allowed to require masks if the owner decides they would like to, and the […]

Ontario removing mask mandates & most other health measures

Ontario continues to lift its COVID-19 public health measures. As of March 21, mask mandates will no longer be in effect in most settings, including restaurants. The dropping of mask mandates will see the province take the next step in removing restrictions after it recently ditched mandated proof of vaccination and reopened businesses at full […]

Bringing millennia of culinary history to life in the 21st century

By Tom Nightingale In the heart of Saskatchewan, three kilometres north of Saskatoon, sitting above Opimihaw Creek and not far off the Saskatchewan River, is a place that typifies Canada’s rich cultural history: Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Wanuskewin’s archeological resources represent 6,400 years of the Northern Plains peoples – twice the age of Egypt’s Pyramids of […]

Two new grants available to Canadian restaurants

Eligible Canadian restaurants now have two further grants potentially available to help cope with the impacts of COVID-19. On March 4, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the launch of the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) to help Canadian small and medium-sized businesses. The program aims to assist these businesses, including restaurants, in growing their online […]

18,000 US restaurants added outdoor dining since start of pandemic

Outdoor dining has been a lifesaver for many restaurants throughout the turmoil and the pain of the last two years of pandemic, and new data from Yelp suggests that around 18,000 businesses in the U.S. have newly listed outdoor dining as an attribute since the pandemic began. The total number of establishments listing outdoor dining […]

What next for Ontario restaurants at full capacity?

By Tom Nightingale The rollercoaster that Ontario restaurants have been on throughout the last two years makes Canada’s Wonderland look tame by comparison. Operators and staff have had to get used to drastic shifts to how they can operate, often at short notice, on numerous occasions throughout the pandemic. The latest of those came earlier […]

Ontario lifts restaurant capacity limits, vaccine mandates to follow

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on February 14 that the province is lifting all restaurant capacity limits starting at 12:01 a.m. on February 17, three days ahead of schedule. Mandatory proof of vaccination for restaurant guests will then be scrapped from March 1. Last month, Ontario had released its plan to lift public health measures and restrictions, […]

Numerous provinces lifting various COVID-19 restrictions

Several Canadian provinces are tweaking their plans for the next few weeks and relieving some of their COVID-19 restrictions. On February 8, the Alberta government announced that effective at midnight that night, it is scrapping its mandatory proof of vaccination policy. Premier Jason Kenney said his “careful and prudent” plan will allow the province to […]