Shrinkflation hits restaurant diners
March 28, 2023
We’ve certainly heard a lot about inflation in the news lately, but how is “shrinkflation” affecting the foodservice industry? According to Sylvain Charlebois, professor at Dalhousie University, shrinkflation is when a food manufacturer reduces the quantities its producing, but sells the product for the same price. Because this practice is increasing, the Canada Revenue Agency has ...Read more about this postRestaurants and bars to be hit with Canada’s new alcohol tax hike
March 27, 2023
Amid the foodservice industry’s struggle to recover, the Canadian government is getting ready to introduce the largest alcohol tax hike in history. On April 1, the federal alcohol duty is set to go up 6.3 per cent. The yearly increase has always been considered a nuisance for the industry, as alcohol excise duties are imposed at ...Read more about this postConsumers raise hygiene standards for restaurants
March 22, 2023
These days, consumers are looking for higher levels of hygiene from the businesses they frequent, including the restaurants they visit. In the past, a quick swipe of the table with a damp cloth did the trick for many, but consumers now want to feel like they are entering a safe and sanitized environment when they ...Read more about this postIncreasing restaurant revenues and profitability
March 20, 2023
By Travis Traini Restaurant revenues are still in the news as businesses continue to try and recover. After the difficulty of operating through the pandemic, restaurateurs are facing new operating challenges including staff retention and labour shortages (especially skilled labour), significant inflation in food costs, economic effects on customer spending, rising interest rates, and increases in ...Read more about this postA look at today’s rising menu prices
March 17, 2023
As rising food costs continue to make headlines, many restaurants have raised their menu prices to help find a balance and offset their increased expenses. Rather than simply upping prices across the board, it’s a good time for restaurants to evaluate their margins, engineer their menus, and adjust pricing to better the bottom line. RELATED: Is ...Read more about this postCanadian restaurant chains are going greener
March 13, 2023
As the recent single-use plastic ban takes effect in Canada, more restaurants are going greener, adjusting their practices to reduce their environmental impact, and addressing consumer demand for higher sustainability from the businesses they frequent. RELATED: Sustainability matters to Canadian consumers With 57 per cent of diners looking for more sustainability from QSRs, some of the biggest ...Read more about this postFast-food restaurants face competition from convenience stores
March 8, 2023
The fast-food market is becoming even more competitive, as convenience stores continue to get attention in this space. With persistent labour shortages, supply chain delays, and the significant growth of off-premise dining, many stores are expanding, capitalizing on higher food margins to help grow their profits. Can convenience stores deliver what diners are looking for? Consumers ...Read more about this postLower wait times to raise your restaurant’s revenue
March 3, 2023
As a restaurateur, prioritizing your guest experience is vital in garnering return visits, and longer wait times could be hindering your restaurant’s success. Nobody likes waiting, and your diners are no exception. In fact, a study of 94,000 diners found that the revenue of a popular restaurant increased by 15 per cent when wait times ...Read more about this postCanadian diners are ordering more items off the menu
February 28, 2023
According to Technomic’s latest report, the last quarter of 2022 showed diners are ordering more off the menu, even as menu prices saw an increase of about six percent across the board. Only the kids’ menu category saw a decline in menu counts, finishing off the year with numbers down 2.2 percent overall. According to the ...Read more about this postAre value items on the menu for 2023?
February 23, 2023
As many diners seem to be adjusting to rising prices, some restaurants are introducing value items to their menus to attract those consumers looking to eat for less. While some experts are looking at inflation as a catalyst for positive change, other sources are suggesting that lower pricing can help boost profitability. From breakfast additions to ...Read more about this postFoodservice today and tomorrow: looking ahead to a bright future
February 22, 2023
We’ve spent a lot of time in recent months looking back at the last few years, analyzing the journey, but now it’s time to look at how far we’ve come and ahead to a bright future. With the continued challenges of persistent inflation and labour shortages, it’s important for restaurateurs to get to know their ...Read more about this postIs there an upside of inflation for restaurants?
February 22, 2023
Restaurants continue to struggle with food costs and labour shortages, but some experts are seeing inflation as a catalyst for positive change. David Hopkins, president of The Fifteen Group, sees the situation as a great opportunity for restaurants to tighten their operations and increase efficiency. Adjust pricing to address inflation “Restaurants have always had to face challenges ...Read more about this postTechnology helps address staffing shortages and inflation
February 9, 2023
As we continue to navigate staffing shortages and inflation, the hospitality industry is adopting technology tools to help deliver exceptional guest experiences. According to Lightspeed’s 2022 Global State of the Hospitality Industry Report, businesses are getting creative with tech solutions to stay afloat and get ahead. Staffing shortages With 50 per cent of businesses working with ...Read more about this postRevenge dining: how Canadians are supporting their favourite restaurants
December 21, 2022
Canadians have been supporting their favourite restaurants more than ever this year, and some people are calling it “revenge dining.” According to OpenTable data, restaurants saw a 79 per cent increase in dining this year between January and October over last year, noting that meals between $41 and $65 per person were the most popular ...Read more about this post2023 sees food prices rising even higher
December 5, 2022
As consumers and restaurants continue to struggle with record-high food prices, there’s no end in sight for Canadians. Even though the Bank of Canada has helped to lessen some of the causes of food inflation, but global factors like gas prices and the value of the Canadian dollar will play a part in what happens ...Read more about this post