April 9, 2021 Alberta indoor dining has been shut down again as the province moves back to Step 1 of its pandemic-recovery plan until further notice. Alberta restaurants are restricted to providing only takeout, delivery, and patio service as of Friday, April 9. This is the third time since last March that Alberta restaurants have been forced to close their ... Read more about this post
April 8, 2021 The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has revealed the finalists for the 28th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. The finalists represent the 124 most impressive new food and consumer packaged goods products launched into the Canadian market in 2020. Submissions include established companies as well as new suppliers, smaller boutiques, and family-owned retailers across Canada. “Canadians ... Read more about this post
April 6, 2021 The Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) and Restaurants Canada have sent an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford requesting immediate action to reverse the impacts to Ontario’s foodservice sector as a result of “needless” restaurant closures. ORHMA notes that as a result of last week’s shutdown announcement, Ontario’s restaurants have spent more ... Read more about this post
April 6, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a variety of new workplace safety challenges in foodservice, and they just keep coming with the spread of new, more transmissible variants of the virus. The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) has reached out to the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, and Motel Association (ORHMA) to ask for help in ... Read more about this post
April 5, 2021 The 50 largest restaurant chains were able to withstand the pandemic far better than smaller chains or independents, according to Technomic’s 2021 Chain Restaurant Report. Sales at the 500 largest restaurant chains in the U.S. declined more than eight per cent last year, according to the report. Chain restaurants closed fewer locations than expected and gained ground ... Read more about this post
April 1, 2021 Ontario is shutting down all indoor and outdoor dining for a minimum of 28 days in response to rising COVID-19 cases. The province’s self-styled “emergency brake” response includes prohibiting all Ontario dining indoors and on patios, just weeks after many establishments had been allowed to re-open for dining and open patios. Takeout, delivery, and drive-thru options will ... Read more about this post
April 1, 2021 Is a grocery code of practice a good idea? That’s the question being discussed at the moment across Canada. Canada’s second-largest grocery retailer, Empire, and an industry group representing food manufacturers recently agreed to a draft grocery code of practice that they say takes aim at unfairness in the market. Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) ... Read more about this post
March 31, 2021 Starbucks Canada is expanding its Canadian food donation partnership with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, to more than 700 company-operated stores across the country. By expanding Starbucks FoodShare nationally, the company says it will provide local communities with ready-to-eat meals, including breakfast sandwiches, paninis, protein boxes, yogurt, milk, and dairy alternatives like soy, oat and ... Read more about this post
March 31, 2021 Canadian breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurant Pür & Simple is opening its first Alberta location at Kingsway Mall in Edmonton on Friday, April 2, 2021. The location is the Canadian eatery’s 20th storefront and will employ 25-30 Edmontonians. It will have seating arranged with physical distancing measures in place, including Plexiglas partitions to provide a ... Read more about this post
March 30, 2021 U.S. made-to-order restaurant Saladworks is set to open 30 “non-traditional” locations in Canada by the end of 2021 in partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands. Saladworks, which serves entrée salads, wraps, soups, and sandwiches, is doubling its footprint across the United States and Canada with the deal, which will also see 60 new U.S. locations open. Many of these new kitchens ... Read more about this post
March 30, 2021 B.C. indoor dining has been temporarily banned by the British Columbia government as part of new COVID-19 restrictions designed to curb an alarming surge in cases. The ban on indoor dining at provincial restaurants, bars, and other foodservice establishments is expected to remain in place for the next three weeks, until April 19. Patio dining and ... Read more about this post
March 29, 2021 Canadian foodservice sales are expected to rebound somewhat in 2021, albeit still remaining way below pre-COVID-19 levels. Commercial foodservice sales in Canada are forecast to improve to $61.4 billion in 2021, says a new report from Restaurants Canada. This would represent an 11.8-per-cent increase compared to 2020 but would still be 20 per cent below pre-pandemic ... Read more about this post
March 26, 2021 Amid widespread debate on the issue during the pandemic, caps on third-party delivery fees are being implemented in an increasing number of Canadian provinces in response to COVID-19. Saskatchewan is the latest province to make the move, capping delivery fees charged to restaurants by third-party apps until the end of April under The Emergency Planning Act. Delivery fees ... Read more about this post
March 25, 2021 On March 24, 2021, the 2021 provincial Ontario Budget was released, and it includes a number of measures pertinent to Ontario’s foodservice and hospitality industries. Notably, the Ontario budget announced the extension of an existing support grant for small businesses, as well as a new financial support specifically for tourism and hospitality. Ontario Small Business Support Grant The ... Read more about this post
March 24, 2021 Ontario restaurant workers will be added to the list of essential workers who can get priority access to COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 2 of the province’s vaccination rollout. On March 5, officials had released a detailed list of people who would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2. In that list, foodservice staff were ... Read more about this post
