Has restaurant food inflation finally peaked in Canada?

New Consumer Price Index data from Statistics Canada released August 16 reported that Canada’s inflation rate saw its first monthly decline in a year, and food inflation also appears to finally be tailing off. Inflation slowed to 7.6 per cent in July, largely driven by a decline in gas prices. The rate of change had […]

Canadian foodservice started 2022 better than expected, but economy threatens future

The first quarter of 2022 saw the Canadian foodservice industry perform better than expected, according to Restaurants Canada’s Quarterly Forecast, although that report comes with a warning about the likely economic conditions of the next year. Canada’s commercial foodservice industry began the year with a higher-than-expected $16.3 billion in sales in Q1 2022, found the […]

Rising food prices: inflation or “greedflation”?

Food, whether it is in the grocery store or in a restaurant dining room, is significantly more expensive than it was a year ago. While general inflation, as well as the lasting impacts of COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine, have driven this trend, some are placing blame on grocery stores and other sellers for […]

Finding your “vanilla” is key to success

By Scott Moore There are hundreds of ice cream flavours, yet one of the most popular is and may well always be vanilla. One would also wager that the most popular pizza is pepperoni, regular potato chips are still the rage, and chicken noodle soup remains a top seller. There are many other examples of […]

Restaurant sales have exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time

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 […]

How is restaurant chains’ recovery manifesting?

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 […]

Canada’s food manufacturing sales grow despite inflation & turmoil

The annual Farm Credit Canada Food Report, which reviews the previous year’s industry performance, concluded that the food manufacturing sales sector held up well in 2021, rebounding significantly from 2020, and paints an optimistic picture for 2022. Noting that several external factors impacted Canadian food industries greatly in 2021, including inflation, continued COVID-19 restrictions, supply chain […]

Organic food sales climb by record amount in 2020

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 […]

Retail plant-based food sales surged in 2020

New data from the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA) and The Good Food Institute (GFI) shows that U.S. retail plant-based food sales grew 27 per cent to US$7 billion in 2020. The growth in plant-based food sales was consistent across the nation, suggests the report, with more than 25 per cent growth in every U.S. census […]

Prominent restaurant chains withstanding pandemic

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 […]