Foodservice 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 postHow are restaurants handling the on-going food shortages?
December 2, 2022
The ongoing inflation and supply chain issues are sending many restaurants scrambling to edit items from their dishes and re-jig their menus to manage food shortages. According to Restaurants Canada, 96 per cent of restaurants have been affected by this issue, struggling to balance cost and menu design with guest expectations. With things like romaine lettuce ...Read more about this postHow inflation has impacted Canadian Thanksgiving
November 10, 2022
The ever-increasing food prices are affecting Canadian households across the board, from grocery shopping to family celebrations. Going into Thanksgiving, Canadians were looking at this year’s holiday a little differently, with 88 per cent expecting to be impacted by inflation and 18 per cent expecting to spend less than last year. From turkey to sides, prices ...Read more about this postCan dynamic pricing work for your restaurant?
November 4, 2022
As Canadians continue to face inflation and the possibility of a recession, many restaurants are looking to recoup costs without abruptly raising menu prices. Dynamic pricing could be the answer. What is dynamic pricing? In simple terms, it’s the idea that prices fluctuate across the board on a schedule several times a year. While this still ...Read more about this postThe critical importance of loyalty members
September 20, 2022
In today’s crowded foodservice climate, offering a robust loyalty program is a must. Loyalty members visit more, spend more, and provide your business with vital insights into customer behaviour. Those were some of the key conclusions of the new Paytronix Loyalty Report 2022, which found that the top loyalty members are foundational to a restaurant’s bottom ...Read more about this postIndoor dining is back & customers want quality, rewards
September 15, 2022
Prices may be up, cost of living may be up, but indoor dining is nevertheless back on the menu big time. The recent TouchBistro 2022 Diner Trends Report released Wednesday and based on surveys conducted in June and July found that 44 per cent of consumers are now indoor dining at a restaurant at least once ...Read more about this postPumpkin spice season is leading the early charge into fall
September 9, 2022
It used to be that pumpkin spice and fall-related flavours arrived on the shelves just before Thanksgiving, but these days, retailers have been capitalizing on these seasonal offerings since as early as mid-August. As 54 per cent of operators said that limited-time offers (LTOs) are a central part of their business, they plan to release ...Read more about this postBeer sales are declining as restaurants continue to struggle
September 1, 2022
As restaurants try to return to “business as usual” while battling labour shortages and supply chain delays, beer sales are on the decline. Total beer sales are down over seven per cent across Canada, dipping over eight per cent below pre-pandemic numbers. By province, beer sales have decreased by 12.6 per cent in Saskatchewan, 10.7 per ...Read more about this postTaking a closer look at rising food costs
August 31, 2022
Rising food costs have been in the news for months, with consumers, grocers, and restauranteurs continuing to feel the pinch. In an effort to combat the continued inflation and offset restaurant costs, U.S. menu prices jumped 7.6 per cent in July, just a slight decrease from June’s 40-year high. Though there has been a recent dip in ...Read more about this postWorkers returning to offices are still keen on buying breakfast
August 29, 2022
Breakfast traffic was hit hard during the height of the pandemic as the daily routine of the office worker was overhauled. The emptying of offices meant that those regular stops at diners and drive-thrus virtually vanished almost overnight. With many of those workers now back in their offices, breakfast traffic has rebounded in recent times, even ...Read more about this postAre consumers going full steam ahead with plant-based protein?
August 17, 2022
With plant-based protein gaining momentum in the marketplace, retailers have got their eye on product performance. Studies show that plant-based diets are gaining popularity, with retailers struggling to catch up with growing demand. Plant-based eating is rapidly becoming the norm, with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) predicting that total protein production will double, ...Read more about this post