Ontario’s restaurants and other foodservice, hospitality, and tourism businesses have been dealing with something of a labour crisis in recent months. That has been attributed to a variety of factors, including staff leaving the workforce for good due to the effects of COVID-19, a perceived lack of job security, government benefits offsetting the financial costs […]
As we close out 2021 and approach another new year for Canadian foodservice, Lightspeed’s State of the Hospitality Industry report has shone some light on the current sentiments from restaurant operators and guests. Chief among the conclusions of the report, based on a wide survey of operators and customers in Canada and beyond, was that […]
After a challenging couple of years, restaurateurs have learned how to adapt to keep their doors open and their businesses thriving. The rise of off-premise dining and third-party delivery point to online ordering as a key component of engaging today’s customers with the convenient, fulfilling experiences they crave. A new report by DoorDash, 2021 Restaurant […]
Customers have shown their loyalty to and support of local restaurants throughout the difficult circumstances of the pandemic, and that looks set to continue this holiday period. The U.S. National Restaurant Association estimates that nearly two-thirds of consumers hope to receive restaurant gift cards for presents this winter. New research from the NRA found that 62 […]
Sustainability is a growing concern for Canadian consumers, and one way that is manifesting itself is through an increasing desire to steer clear of meat — or at least to have the choice to do so. A new survey from Impossible Foods conducted by members of the Angus Reid Forum, found that one-quarter (24 per […]
The introduction of a vaccine mandate has caused strife for restaurant operators and staff in Canada and beyond. In New York, a new survey by the New York State Restaurant Association has illustrated just how deep those problems have been running. The survey found that more than 90 per cent of the 125 restaurants surveyed have […]
Operators’ battle to pay restaurant rent continues, but the situation appears to have eased slightly. Alignable’s October Rent Report found that 43 per cent of small businesses and 41 per cent of restaurants were not able to pay their October rent in full. For general small businesses, that’s an increase of five per cent over September, […]
Costco Wholesale has been chosen by the Canadian public as Canada’s Most Respected Grocery/Food Retailer. After more than a year-and-a-half of unprecedented challenges providing groceries and food items to the Canadian public, Costco was rated the top national retailer against 13 peers in a Dart poll of 3,784 Canadians during the month of September 2021. […]
New data from the U.S. National Restaurant Association has shown how the delta COVID-19 variant drove up the demand for outdoor dining. In a September 2021 survey fielded by the Association, 78 per cent of operators said their restaurant experienced a decline in customer demand for indoor on-premises dining in recent weeks, as a result […]
Canadians are looking forward to returning to restaurants as long as safety measures are in place finds the 2021 Discerning Diner Report from Angus Reid and Restaurants Canada. In particular, 89 per cent of Canadians are looking forward to eating out with friends and family, with 64 per cent going so far as to say […]
