How effective scheduling can help reduce your restaurant costs

For restaurant owners, finding ways to cut costs amid ongoing labour shortages and inflation is the name of the game, and focusing on staffing and effective scheduling can put you in a position to protect your margins. Building a schedule means looking at demand, costs, wages, and availability. It’s a daunting task, but it’s better […]

The importance of workplace safety in hospitality

By Yasmine Mustafa The hospitality industry can be very lucrative for people at all levels of the business. However, many companies in the industry struggle to comply with the workplace safety and health standards required of them, something that has taken on increased importance against the pandemic backdrop. Ultimately, lack of compliance can lead to […]

Boosting the appeal of foodservice as a career destination

The foodservice industry’s reputation has suffered some damage in recent years and under the harsh spotlight of the unprecedentedly difficult circumstances created by the pandemic. But, for its flaws, it remains a labour of love and an industry in which talented and committed chefs and cooks can flourish and forge long and successful careers. The […]

There still simply aren’t enough restaurant workers

Foodservice operators have been doing all they can to attract more restaurant workers but, amid soaring inflation and food costs, measures like hiking wages, introducing benefits, increasing flexibility, and trimming menus just aren’t getting the job done. Canada’s restaurant industry was devastated by two years of shutdowns, repeated layoffs, and strict capacity limits, and about […]

Mitigating labour shortages with automation could drastically impact workers

By Geraint Harvey Last month, unemployment in Canada reached a record low of 5.2 per cent. Alongside low unemployment, many industries saw — and are still seeing — a worker shortage, with the number of job vacancies in Canada reaching 900,000 in January. Both of these things are good for workers, right? Prospective employers, desperate […]

How to help restaurant staff avoid COVID-19 burnout

For many Canadian workers, particularly in intense industries like foodservice, the burnout is real. A recent survey found that 84 per cent of Canadian employees have experienced burnout, with 34 per cent reporting high or extreme levels. Will easing public or workplace restrictions around COVID-19 automatically reverse employees’ pandemic-related burnout? For restaurant staff such as kitchen workers […]

Canada relaxes Temporary Foreign Worker Program to help ease labour constraints

Canada has announced important changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program under the Workforce Solutions Road Map with the intention of lessening the impact of labour shortages on businesses in heavily affected industries. One of those industries is foodservice and food manufacturing. Operators will be granted more efficient and effective access to this crucial program. […]

Canada investing in agri-food careers in wake of labour crunch

Amid the labour shortage that has plagued food production and processing, the governments of Canada and Ontario have announced they are investing up to $4 million to promote agri-food careers. A release says the investment will “help build a strong and competitive agri-food workforce that will ensure people can continue to access the safe and […]

Assessing how restaurant shifts have been changed by COVID-19

A common topic of discussion in the latter half of 2021 within the foodservice industry was the ongoing labour shortage. That has been well-documented, but what about those staff who have been clocking in to their restaurant shifts throughout the pandemic? COVID-19 hasn’t just caused the workforce to shrink and stretched restaurant operations in both […]

Minimum wage hike presents opportunity for restaurants

By David Hopkins Ontario’s minimum wage is going up again on January 1, 2022. And this time, unlike in the past, the minimum wage for servers will also rise significantly. It is set to increase almost 20 per cent, from $12.55 to $15 per hour. This comes at a time when most restaurants are trying […]