Foodservice Sales

  • Restaurant gift cards set to be a popular stocking-filler

    November 22, 2021
    Customers have shown their loyalty to and support of local restaurants throughout the difficult circumstances of the pandemic, and that looks set to continue this holiday period. The U.S. National Restaurant Association estimates that nearly two-thirds of consumers hope to receive restaurant gift cards for presents this winter. New research from the NRA found that 62 per ...
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  • Canadian trends: Looking ahead to 2022 in foodservice

    November 19, 2021
    By Aimee Harvey and Katie Belflower The past two years brought unforeseen challenges to the foodservice industry, leaving many operators scrambling to adapt. With that experience under their belt, operators will go into 2022 more readily settling into solutions for these challenges while priming for some that have yet to emerge. What are some of the ...
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  • Many more Canadians saying no to meat during pandemic

    November 18, 2021
    Sustainability is a growing concern for Canadian consumers, and one way that is manifesting itself is through an increasing desire to steer clear of meat — or at least to have the choice to do so. A new survey from Impossible Foods conducted by members of the Angus Reid Forum, found that one-quarter (24 per cent) ...
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  • Delivery aggregators & the costs of convenience

    November 18, 2021
    A new report has shed light on the extended effects of the pandemic on food delivery aggregators and third-party delivery apps. The inaugural The Digital Divide, Aggregators: The Cost Of Convenience, a collaborative PYMNTS and Paytronix report, examines the spending habits of restaurant customers in the U.S. It found that many consumers came to rely on delivery ...
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  • Have we seen the death of the takeout lunch?

    November 16, 2021
    For decades, many restaurants and food retailers have done great business at lunchtime, due in no small part to the vast influx of workers stepping out of their office and into a foodservice establishment, whether that is full-service, quick-service, or grocery store. That daypart, naturally, was near-eradicated during the height of the pandemic given the myriad ...
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  • How chains are tackling the ongoing labour shortage

    November 15, 2021
    The fact that foodservice is facing a continued labour shortage has been well-documented by this point. While staffing levels have rebounded to some degree in some areas, restaurants are still struggling to attract the quality and quantity of workers that they need to handle the resurgent growth in indoor dining in Canada, the U.S., and ...
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  • Canadian milk prices set to soar by more than ever before

    November 1, 2021
    The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) announced on Friday, October 29 an unprecedented 8.4 per cent increase in milk prices. The increase, which equates to six cents per litre, affects the cost of milk used to make dairy products for the retail and restaurant sectors effective February 1, 2022. However, the impact will actually be far greater ...
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  • Trend Watch: Lovage, umeboshi, barberry

    October 28, 2021
    By Katie Belflower We’re firmly into fall 2021 already and menus across Canada are looking as always to adapt to the most recent menu trends in foodservice. RestoBiz and Technomic’s latest edition of Trend Watch focuses on three hot-ticket items that are in vogue in Canada right now: lovage, umeboshi, and barberry. Lovage A perennial plant most often found in ...
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  • Gen Zs, millennials driving growth of plant-based foods

    October 27, 2021
    The popularity of plant-based foods has been growing in recent years, and Gen Z and millennial consumers are likely to continue pushing that growth. That’s according to a recent report from The NPD Group, which found that the consumer demand for these beverages and foods for in-home meal prep has continued throughout the pandemic. Both dairy ...
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  • Whole Foods Market highlights top 10 trends for 2022

    October 20, 2021
    Whole Foods Market global buyers and experts have unveiled their top 10 anticipated food trends for 2022 in the retailer’s seventh-annual Trends predictions. According to the predictions, made each year by a Trends Council, buzz-less spirits, yuzu, Reducetarianism and functional beverages made with prebiotics and botanicals are among the food influences expected to rise in popularity in the ...
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  • How Canadian foodservice has been forever changed

    October 18, 2021
    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 shortfall in ...
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  • Outdoor dining demand has been driven up by Delta variant

    October 13, 2021
    New data from the U.S. National Restaurant Association has shown how the delta COVID-19 variant drove up the demand for outdoor dining. In a September 2021 survey fielded by the Association, 78 per cent of operators said their restaurant experienced a decline in customer demand for indoor on-premises dining in recent weeks, as a result of ...
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  • Understanding loyalty programs in the pandemic age

    October 8, 2021
    Several key lifelines emerged for restaurants and other foodservice operations during the worst of the pandemic, from online ordering to curbside pickup and delivery and contactless payments. Another prominent trend was recognition of the importance of loyalty programs. Loyalty programs not only create a lasting connection between patrons and a restaurant and/or brand, but they also ...
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  • 78% of US restaurants report decline in dine-in business

    October 1, 2021
    A new report from the National Restaurant Association suggests that the effects of the pandemic on US restaurants are far from over. According to new data, 78 per cent of US restaurants reported a decline in customer demand for indoor dining in recent weeks due to the rise of delta variant COVID-19 cases. In addition, 63 per ...
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  • Tea and coffee trends: What today’s consumers want

    September 28, 2021
    Aside from water, coffee and tea are the most-consumed beverages in Canada. With the market constantly changing and today’s consumers looking for certain things when selecting a beverage, a new report has assessed ongoing tea and coffee trends across the country. A collaboration between Technomic, Restaurants Canada, the Coffee & Tea Association of Canada, and the ...
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