Consumers demanding more ordering and loyalty options
September 8, 2021
Restaurant customers want to use multiple ordering and purchasing options and restaurants must respond if they are to capture more business, finds a new report from Paytronix. The Delivering on Restaurant Rewards: The Value of Multichannel Ordering Options report from Paytronix and PYMNTS also recommends that restaurants should reimagine their loyalty engagement strategies and expand the ...Read more about this postRestaurant takeaways: what we learned from takeout
September 3, 2021
By Mo Chaar Closures and restrictions during the pandemic left many restaurants in dire straits in 2020 as they fought to retain customers and reach new audiences. In many cities, the fact that offering takeout and delivery was the only means of service forced restaurants to pivot quickly and develop new and creative ways to generate ...Read more about this postCanadian restaurant menu prices rose 3.1% in July
August 30, 2021
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 2019, menu ...Read more about this postWhat Canadian hospitality can learn from Australia
August 20, 2021
By Peter Dougherty This time last year, the future of the Canadian hospitality business — and hospitality in general — seemed unsure. Fortunately, things have changed. The hospitality industry is re-emerging to serve Canadians who are excited to be back at their favourite restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. But we’re not out of the woods yet. ...Read more about this postCanadian restaurant count fell by 5,000 in 2020, reports NPD Group
August 6, 2021
Recent data from The NPD Group has found that the Canadian restaurant count fell by 5,000 during 2020. Before the pandemic, there had been around 66,000 Canadian restaurant units since 2016. Then, 2020 happened. The NPD Group data reports the industry lost 5,000 units, a decline of eight per cent, last year. Independent restaurants lost 3,000 units, ...Read more about this postCanadian food prices rising amid higher production costs & climate change
August 4, 2021
Canadian grocery and food prices are slowly but surely rising in recent times, and one expert cites not just the pandemic but rising production costs and the toll of climate change as reasons why. “For the longest time, the last 12 months or so, we were able to import our way out of food inflation or ...Read more about this postIs it time to include tips in menu prices?
July 16, 2021
By Sylvain Charlebois and Poppy Nicolette Riddle Tipping is a cultural practice strongly supported in Canada, with most patrons feeling good about their experiences. However, tips can have hidden consequences for those working in foodservice. With staff recruitment a problem as the easing of pandemic guidelines are allowing restaurants to reopen, our research suggests it may be ...Read more about this postRestaurant technology: What to invest in & what to skip
July 5, 2021
By Mo Chaar The restaurant industry is an ever-changing technological landscape. The pandemic has shifted guest expectations and restaurants are now required to be tech-savvy and offer online ordering, pay-at-the-table functions, third-party delivery, and more. However, with restaurants already struggling in the current climate, most businesses don’t have the financial resources to invest in expensive restaurant ...Read more about this postTipping remains important but are attitudes shifting?
July 1, 2021
Canadians largely recognize that tipping is becoming increasingly important for the foodservice and hospitality industry amid the devastating impacts of COVID-19. However, there are some signs that attitudes may be changing. Foodservice and hospitality has always relied on tipping to a significant extent. The pandemic, though, is causing something of a reevaluation of how the industry ...Read more about this postOnline grocery supplementing physical shopping, not replacing
June 21, 2021
Online grocery shopping has seen increased uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic but it appears that has mainly been as a supplementary option alongside in-store shopping, rather than a replacement for it. More than half (53 per cent) of Canadians are now doing some of their grocery shopping online, while an additional 30 per cent say they ...Read more about this postCanadian F&B manufacturing estimated to grow 15% in five years
June 9, 2021
As Canadian foodservice continues to begin to rebound from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing is expected to see more positive days ahead. BDC’s latest Food and Beverage Manufacturing Outlook estimates that food and beverage manufacturing, Canada’s second-largest manufacturing industry, will grow by 15.6 per cent in the next five years. The sector is anticipated to grow by 2.4 ...Read more about this postWhat today’s diners are looking for in patios
June 8, 2021
With outdoor dining on various provinces’ agendas heading into summer, David Hopkins offers the need-to-know. By David Hopkins Two years ago, consumers ranked restaurant patios primarily based on their “vibe”, their menu, and their crowd. Now, getting on for 16 months into the pandemic, that can’t be further from the truth. In 2021, it’s all about transparency, ...Read more about this postHow food retail and grocery are changing
June 7, 2021
Ryerson University’s Brookfield Institute has released a report detailing key ways in which the food retail and grocery industries are changing amid the backdrop of COVID-19. The new report, “Shake-up in Aisle 21: Disruption, Change and Opportunity in Ontario’s Grocery Sector,” concludes that the food retail and grocery industries are transforming at greater speed and with ...Read more about this postPredicting post-pandemic food consumption trends
May 31, 2021
A new report from Deloitte assesses what the future could look like beyond the pandemic when it comes to Canadian food consumption trends. “The conflicted consumer: 2021 food consumer survey” report concludes that beyond the COVID-19 pandemic “food retailers will need to continue demonstrating authenticity, empathy, transparency, and genuine commitment to their communities, the wider world, and ...Read more about this postOrganic food sales climb by record amount in 2020
May 26, 2021
Amid the uncertainty and change of the past year, organic food is prospering. U.S. organic sales jumped by a record 12.4 per cent to US$61.9 billion in 2020, according to the 2021 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). That marks the first time that total sales of organic food and non-food products have surpassed ...Read more about this post