David Hopkins Whole food for the soul — that’s the mantra behind Mary Be Kitchen, where the food is fresh, the dishes are wholesome, and the recipes are good for you. The concept focuses on substance over style, with a menu that allows customers to build their own, healthy meals, selecting from tried-and-true clean proteins like […]
By David Hopkins With the announcement of minimum wage increasing to $15 by 2019, restaurant owners in Ontario, Alberta and potentially British Columbia will not only see higher rent and utility costs, but also increases in meat prices. The surge in meat prices will add yet another level to profit challenge, making it harder for […]
Press release On May 30, the Wynne government announced a monumental change to the wage structure in Ontario. Effective January 1, 2018, minimum wage will be increasing from $11.40/hour to $14/hour, a 22.8 per cent increase. Then on January 1, 2019, the minimum wage will rise again to $15/hour – a 31.6 per cent increase compared to current rates. This increase […]
By Alex Fraser, Cheryl Gardner and David Hopkins The future of Canadian foodservice holds some exciting new opportunities but a few familiar challenges as well. Fresh new concepts with diversified menu offerings, along with innovations in technology, social media and marketing platforms will gain momentum. However, familiar challenges such as a weak Canadian dollar, acquiring […]
By David Hopkins When I named our company The Fifteen Group in 2001, it was because we believed that any decent restaurant should make at least 15 per cent profit on sales (or potentially more, under the right circumstances). We still stand by that viewpoint today, however if I were naming the company now, it […]
