By Jeni Marinucci Many are celebrating Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s decision to push the provincial minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019. Smaller changes to pay will take place first, bumping the current general minimum wage of $11.40 to $14 at the opening of 2018, providing a year for small businesses to hopefully get […]
By Jeni Marinucci Air travel and “gourmet dining” are terms not typically used synonymously. In fact, if you think about how excited we get when an airport terminal coffee comes close to “acceptable,” it’s clearer than ever that food standards at travel hubs are not generally top notch. Food choice and palatability is not something […]
By Jeni Marinucci Who doesn’t love Ikea? It’s a one-stop shopping for affordable, take-it-with-you home needs and décor, and let’s be honest: the place showcases some amazing furniture engineering marvels. But is the food in the store cafeteria a real feature? Do people travel there from across state lines (upwards of 30 per cent of […]
By Jeni Marinucci It’s been a common destination for American diners for years, and four decades have passed since The Cheesecake Factory arrived on the restaurant scene in the United States. Now, after innumerable burgers grilled and large slices of dessert served, the chain is making inroads in the Canadian market with the announcement that […]
By Jeni Marinucci How many times have you eaten a restaurant meal that made you think, “I wouldn’t pay two dollars for this?” Likely a few, although to be fair, we’ve also all dined at places where the quality of the food far outpaced the low cost. An Abbotsford, BC man is rethinking the way […]
By Jeni Marinucci It wasn’t long ago that traditional kids’ meals were adult meals – just smaller. But with dining out becoming an ever-growing part of our culture, for reasons including easing time constraints on busy families, many parents still face challenges finding healthy meals kids will actually eat. Is the scourge of the “dinosaur-shaped chicken […]
By Becka Crowe Gluten. What do you know about it? How many of your customers enquire daily about gluten-free options? Is your kitchen set up to accommodate it? ‘Gluten-free’ has become a trendy term in the food industry associated with healthy eating. However, for many individuals it’s not followed to be up on the latest […]
By Jeni Marinucci There is almost no ingredient that chefs around the world haven’t managed to turn into a burger of some sort; adventurous restaurant-goers willingly eat anything served between two delicious halves of a roll. There’s the old standard, beef or beef mixtures, or veggies/grain mixes, and even Portobello mushroom caps. Culinary creativity knows […]
By Jeni Marinucci It appears Canadians really love their smoothies and salads. The fresh food QSR Freshii released plans yesterday outlining their projected growth into the restaurant marketplace, noting that they expect to increase storefronts by up to 160 locations this year alone. While there is a definite trend right now towards availability of fresh, […]
By Jeni Marinucci Employee uniforms are standard form at most restaurants. And for a great many places, a uniform makes sense: they can help ensure safety standards, enhance brand awareness, or simply add to the user experience by furthering aesthetic goals of an establishment. Whether it’s a formalized chain wide uniform or simply a suggested […]
