Why a restaurant’s brand is more important than ever

By Sydney Ahmadian Long before multi-coloured window panes symbolized Microsoft, ranchers used brands to distinguish their cattle from other herds. A brand was a symbolic representation of the rancher’s business, manifested in real life on the haunches of their cows. A great brand acts as a physical or symbolic representation of your business to help […]

Pushing to fuel a pandemic breakfast resurgence

Amid statistics suggesting that the way in which consumers eat breakfast is evolving, major brands are launching high-octane breakfast marketing campaigns. They include Kellogg Canada, which is kicking off a decade-long marketing campaign as part of a strategy to get more consumers eating at the start of the day again. The “We’re For Breakfast” initiative […]

Restaurant Branding During COVID-19: Being memorable

The final chapter of our three-part look at restaurant branding during the pandemic looks at how to build a unique brand identity to stand out in a crowded market. By Doug Radkey Within this series, we’ve learned the importance of a brand guide along with consistent brand messaging, and come to understand the elements of connection […]

McDonald’s Canada appoints new Chief Marketing Officer

McDonald’s Canada has announced that Alyssa Buetikofer has joined the Canadian Executive Team as the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Buetikofer joins the Canadian business after nearly 15 years working with the brand in key U.S. and global marketing leadership roles She brings significant expertise across strategy, creative, branding, analytics, and traditional and digital […]

Restaurant Branding During COVID-19: Developing your brand guide

In Part I of a new three-part look at restaurant branding during the pandemic, we assess how operators can lay solid marketing foundations By Doug Radkey Hospitality, since the beginning of time, has been about building connections. That right there is not going to change, even with a global pandemic thrown our way. Even though […]

Triple Threat: The top three challenges facing Canadian restaurant owners in 2019

By Liz Teordini If you are a professional in Canada’s restaurant and foodservice industry, chances are you’ve got a lot on your mind. While the myriad, everyday worries of running a restaurant are as diverse as the restaurateurs dealing with them, a recent study found that three concerns in particular, sustaining growth, maintaining cash flow […]

Millennials changed foodservice. Now their kids are doing the same

By Mark Jachecki Millennials are entering parenthood, and not surprisingly, their kids are picking up on their food savvy, creating an increasingly important family demographic in commercial foodservice in Canada. Brands have noticed, too. Operators and chains that didn’t offer kids’ menus previously, like Tim Hortons, have recently rolled out menus intended to appeal to […]

Study finds that nearly half of U.S. diners tried a restaurant because of social media

Press Release MGH, a full-service restaurant marketing agency, today announced the results of a study that examined how influential a brand’s social media marketing can be when it comes to driving restaurant trial and customer loyalty. The survey determined that nearly half (45 per cent) of U.S. diners said they’ve tried a restaurant for the […]

Back to Basics: Why mastering hospitality is the key to marketing your restaurant

By Gregory Furgala Remember charcoal? Remember how it was suddenly affixed seemingly every menu? If you don’t, here’s an incomplete list of what it made its way into: burger buns, pizza, lemonade, ice cream (and cones), lattes, macarons, croissants, crepes, waffles, wontons, ravioli, mozzarella and crusted on tuna. Chatelaine proclaimed, “This dark and moody food […]