Top 5 books for restaurant owners

By Megan Prevost Many professional fields provide opportunities to grow through the pursuit of outside research and books. Taking a little time to read up on your work can pay back huge dividends in performance, but often this doesn’t ring true for fields where experience is king. Experience is the best teacher in many arenas, […]

Despite labour crisis, 4 in 10 restaurants can’t afford to hire

As the labour crisis continues to plague restaurants, we are reminded yet again that there is no simple solution. Many restaurants are still struggling desperately to maintain a viable level of staffing, and there is no easy answer. The labour pool has shrunk dramatically with many former gig workers leaving the industry, leaving operators to […]

Health, environmental consciousness driving plant-based demand

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 […]

Many diners keen on metaverse, but restaurants must mitigate

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 […]

What do Canadian diners want from technology in restaurants?

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 […]

Some Canadians have lost interest in meal kits

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 […]

Vegan pasta and vegan flour markets expected to show strong growth

The markets for vegan pasta and vegan flour are expected to grow significantly over the next few years, according to reports from Future Market Insights. The growth in both markets is propelled largely by an increasing preference for plant-based ingredients in food products. Affluent millennials in particular have been the central driver of the worldwide […]

Restaurants turn to gift cards to aid pandemic recovery

As restaurants recover from the devastating effects of 2020 and face new virus-, labour-, supply-chain and inflation-related challenges on an ongoing basis, gift cards are proving a vital tool to provide much-needed additional revenue and to acquire new customers. That’s according to a new Restaurant Gift Card Sales Report 2022 from Paytronix and PYMNTS, which […]

Plastic packaging may increase food waste, finds report

Not only does wrapping food in plastic packaging hurt the environment by producing more plastic waste, it can also increase food waste by forcing customers to buy more than they actually need. That’s according to a new 18-month study by sustainability charity Wrap, reported in the Guardian, which concluded that supermarkets, grocers, and other food […]