June 30, 2022 A new report has found that 43 per cent of all small business owners in Canada reported they could not afford to pay their rent in June. Alignable’s June Rent Report notes that figure was up four per cent from May amid record rising inflation. More than half (55 per cent) of Canadian small business owners say they’re ...Read more about this post
June 28, 2022 Consumers’ physical health goals and concerns about the environment continue to be the leading factors in driving demand for plant-based food. That’s according to the new “2022 Plant-Forward Opportunity” report from Datassential in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, Food for Climate League, and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative. The research found that more than one in five (21 ...Read more about this post
June 23, 2022 A new report has warned of the importance of making sure that a restaurant’s delivery drivers are treated equally and making even tips. Paytronix’s “No trip, no trip” report notes that drivers not getting their fair share of tips could become a blow to a restaurant’s bottom line through unclaimed orders. While delivery drivers have been ...Read more about this post
June 22, 2022 There is still no let-up when it comes to higher prices in restaurants, retail, and every corner of life, as the Canadian inflation rate has hit 7.7 per cent — its highest point since 1983. Canada’s inflation rate rose at its fastest pace in almost four decades years in the year up to May, found Statistics ...Read more about this post
June 21, 2022 The rapid evolution of technology has long been redefining restaurant consumers’ concept of “normal”. Think of the move from laminated print menus as a standard to QR codes or ordering kiosks. Now, the next step may well be the metaverse. A new Paytronix and PYMNTS Report, The Digital Divide: Technology, The Metaverse, and the Future of ...Read more about this post
June 17, 2022 New data from Yelp has shown that diners are returning to restaurants in droves, flocking to dining rooms in 2022 as the memory of heightened pandemic fears and restrictions fades. That has brought its own problems, though, as complaints about short-staffed restaurants have soared. The new state of the industry report found that customers have been ...Read more about this post
June 15, 2022 Breakfast took a big hit during the last two years of the pandemic, but it appears the daypart is rebounding slowly but surely. With so many people moving out of the office on a temporary or permanent basis, consumer traffic at breakfast fell drastically after the onset of the pandemic, with people increasingly sourcing breakfast at ...Read more about this post
June 10, 2022 New data from Technomic suggests that fast-casual diners are beginning to expect drive-thrus at restaurant locations, similar to the standard that has been established with quick-service restaurants. Some even say they would dine elsewhere if there wasn’t a drive-thru option. The “Future of LSR: Fast food and fast-casual” survey found that nearly half (45 per cent) ...Read more about this post
June 3, 2022 Restaurant sales in Canada surpassed their pre-COVID-19 levels for the first time since the pandemic began in March, according to Statistics Canada. New data shows that Canadian bar and restaurant sales increased by 6.5 per cent monthly in March to $6.8 billion, reports the Canadian Press. Year-over-year, sales were up 35 per cent compared with March ...Read more about this post
May 29, 2022 By Asad Amin No, this title is not the opening to a classic Sidney Poitier remake, although one does exist. It regards the new diner who visits restaurants after a two-year hiatus. It’s not that nobody ordered from foodservice through the pandemic, but considering our lives are very different now than in 2019, there are significant behavioural ...Read more about this post
May 28, 2022 Foodservice operators have been doing all they can to attract more restaurant workers but, amid soaring inflation and food costs, measures like hiking wages, introducing benefits, increasing flexibility, and trimming menus just aren’t getting the job done. Canada’s restaurant industry was devastated by two years of shutdowns, repeated layoffs, and strict capacity limits, and about 13,000 ...Read more about this post
May 26, 2022 The restaurant industry has dramatically changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and online ordering trends such as delivery and takeout continue to see massive growth worldwide. In Canada, off-premises consumption has experienced 27 per cent year-over-year growth in same-store orders, according to DoorDash. The delivery company and Restaurants Canada have partnered up to release the ...Read more about this post
May 24, 2022 You’ll have heard this before by now, but the pandemic has changed the restaurant industry forever. Datassential’s fourth annual Firefly 500+ restaurant report highlights many of these core shifts, such as restaurant chains focusing on key markets and unit growth rather than simply sales. The food industry market research and insights company’s Samantha Des Jardins recently ...Read more about this post
May 19, 2022 When it comes to the foodservice industry, consumer trends have rapidly and significantly evolved over the course of the pandemic. One development that has proven it is here to stay, however, is the integration and use of technology in restaurants. Technology has been there to ease restaurants’ concerns, from labour shortages to changing dining operations to supply ...Read more about this post
May 16, 2022 Meal kits were growing in popularity before the pandemic, and sales boomed during the first year of COVID-19 with restaurants shut and diners adjusting to a different life of consumption. But it appears some Canadians have since lost their appetite for the services. A recent survey conducted by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in partnership ...Read more about this post