Quebec’s restaurant and hospitality industry is asking the federal government for help in easing its labour shortage, calling for the loosening of foreign worker rules in time for the summer season. This summer, with open restaurants and COVID-19-related restrictions at their lightest since the pandemic began, is expected to be the busiest season for foodservice […]
By David Hopkins It’s difficult to believe it but we’re already more than a third of the way through 2022. Now, more than two years into the pandemic, Canadian foodservice businesses are continually facing challenges while also experiencing new successes and new innovations. Even as we’re only in the fifth month of the year, there […]
By Mo Chaar If COVID-19 has shown restaurants anything, it’s that we live in an unpredictable world. In large part, the industry was unprepared for the pandemic, which had ramifications for every aspect of running a restaurant, from the health and safety of guests to staffing challenges. After two years that saw the industry grappling […]
The labour shortage — “The Great Resignation”, as some have termed it — is continuing at varying levels across North American foodservice. But why is is persisting, and what can be done? A new labour report from TouchBistro and 7shifts found that four in five restaurant operators say they are short at least one position. […]
A new report from Nudge, a Toronto-based mobile platform for internal communications, that examined the state of the Canadian foodservice workforce found significant levels of dissatisfaction among hospitality and foodservice workers. The study found that 40 per cent of foodservice workers don’t feel heard by their organizations and nearly the same proportion (38 per cent) […]
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 […]
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 […]
Coming out of 2020, few restaurant types were better prepared for the new normal than quick-service and fast-casual, with their streamlined menus, prominent digital presence, and natural inclination towards off-premises consumption. Sales in these restaurants are trending up, and it appears they are also rebounding fairly well from the labour constraints of the last year. […]
By Tom Nightingale After such a damaging and painful two years, how does the Canadian culinary and restaurant industry keep young and talented chefs motivated and keen to build a career in the industry? That just might be the million-dollar question amid the high-profile and lingering talk of a labour crisis and the magnified challenges […]
British Columbia has become the first province in Canada to tie its minimum wage to the rate of inflation. B.C. is pushing its minimum wage, already the highest among Canada’s 10 provinces, up from $15.20 to $15.65 an hour starting June 1. The increase is the first to be tied to B.C.’s annual inflation rate, […]
