Protecting your bottom line with plant-based purchases

By Riana Topan Plant-based purchases may be the key to cost savings for restaurants. With food prices alarmingly high and threatening already-narrow profit margins, food service owners and operators are struggling to find ways to contain costs. According to Restaurants Canada, the price of food at grocery stores rose by 10.1 per cent between June […]

Diners expect smaller portion sizes as inflation continues

A new survey from back-of-house restaurant management software company MarketMan has found that three-quarters of Americans believe restaurants will cut down on portion sizes as inflation continue. Responding to the survey, 74 per cent of Americans said they think operators will manage increasing food costs by cutting portion sizes while charging customers the same price, […]

Commercial foodservice sales forecast to rise to $80B in 2022

Restaurants Canada’s latest industry forecast predicts that commercial foodservice sales will grow to $80.4 billion across the country in 2022. That would be a 24.3 per cent increase over 2021 and would result in annual sales that are 4.4 per cent above 2019 levels.  A Restaurants Canada release says the forecast for 2022 reflects the continued […]

Restaurant rent marginally more attainable in October

Operators’ battle to pay restaurant rent continues, but the situation appears to have eased slightly. Alignable’s October Rent Report found that 43 per cent of small businesses and 41 per cent of restaurants were not able to pay their October rent in full. For general small businesses, that’s an increase of five per cent over September, […]

How Canadian foodservice has been forever changed

By now, it seems undeniably apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed Canadian foodservice forever. According to Restaurants Canada’s Foodservice Facts 2021 report, that view is shared by 76 per cent of operators across the country. On the positive side, foodservice sales are rebounding. In July 2021, there was only a five per cent difference […]

OpenTable aims to help halt Canadian reservation no-shows

Canadians are eagerly returning to their favourite spots, with COVID-19 restrictions lifted to some extent everywhere across Canada and restaurants open again across the country. However, OpenTable data suggests that reservation no-shows are persisting as a problem for the industry. The provider of online restaurant reservations found that over 75 per cent of its restaurant […]

Canadians want indoor dining, technology, and to support local

Canadians are looking forward to returning to restaurants as long as safety measures are in place finds the 2021 Discerning Diner Report from Angus Reid and Restaurants Canada. In particular, 89 per cent of Canadians are looking forward to eating out with friends and family, with 64 per cent going so far as to say […]

Restaurants key to restoring Canada’s pre-pandemic employment

It’s not just foodservice that has been suffering a labour shortage. Across numerous industries in Canada, employment levels remain down when compared to before the pandemic. Restaurants could be the key to restoring the balance. “Restaurants are key to bringing Canadians back to work, but precarious conditions over the past 18+ months have created unprecedented […]

Canadian restaurant menu prices rose 3.1% in July

Menu prices at restaurants in Canada were 3.1 per cent higher in July 2021 than they were a year ago, reports Restaurants Canada. This represents the largest increase since January 2019, and is over three times the magnitude of the rise in food prices at grocery stores, which climbed by 1.0 per cent. Since January […]

FSR tickets up amid higher prices, larger orders

New Black Box Intelligence data shows that full-service restaurant (FSR) tickets in the U.S. grew by nearly 20 per cent on a two-year basis as of Q2 2021. The restaurant backdrop improved last quarter as the economy reopened and vaccines increased consumer confidence, helping FSR transactions grow compared to Q1. This has contributed to the latest figures, which were also spurred by higher menu pricing brought in by many restaurants to offset […]