Consumers raise hygiene standards for restaurants

These days, consumers are looking for higher levels of hygiene from the businesses they frequent, including the restaurants they visit. In the past, a quick swipe of the table with a damp cloth did the trick for many, but consumers now want to feel like they are entering a safe and sanitized environment when they […]

Increasing restaurant revenues and profitability

By Travis Traini Restaurant revenues are still in the news as businesses continue to try and recover. After the difficulty of operating through the pandemic, restaurateurs are facing new operating challenges including staff retention and labour shortages (especially skilled labour), significant inflation in food costs, economic effects on customer spending, rising interest rates, and increases […]

Technology helps address staffing shortages and inflation

As we continue to navigate staffing shortages and inflation, the hospitality industry is adopting technology tools to help deliver exceptional guest experiences. According to Lightspeed’s 2022 Global State of the Hospitality Industry Report, businesses are getting creative with tech solutions to stay afloat and get ahead.   Staffing shortages With 50 per cent of businesses […]

Trendi: chasing a greener future

BC company, Trendi, is using robotics and innovation to help drive a global food rescue movement By Jessica Brill Can you imagine a world where food is not wasted, where it’s sustainably produced and accessible to everyone? Craig McIntosh and Carissa Campeotto sure can. They’re walking the walk, tapping into their over 45 years of […]

Automated scheduling is a must for your busy season

By Kris Edwards Restaurants and bars across Canada are prepping for a busy season in the face of many challenges, from labour shortages to the rising cost of ingredients like lettuce. In June 2022, there were 171,715 job vacancies in the foodservice industry, triple the amount of pre-pandemic levels. As a result, restaurant operators are […]

Restaurants looking to lower food waste can turn to tech

Food waste is not a new challenge in the foodservice industry, but with the continued inflation, restaurants may be even more motivated to lower waste and cut costs. Why is there so much waste? Food scraps and surplus inventory are certainly contributors, but there are two other major culprits to blame: kitchen mistakes and disposing […]

Voice technology: a long-term staffing solution?

Ask many experts and they will say that foodservice — despite the pain of the pandemic, inflation, staffing crises, and other problems — is in the middle of a great leap forward in technological advancement right now. Automation in the kitchen, the dining room, and beyond is propelling an evolution of the way restaurants do […]

The critical importance of loyalty members

In today’s crowded foodservice climate, offering a robust loyalty program is a must. Loyalty members visit more, spend more, and provide your business with vital insights into customer behaviour. Those were some of the key conclusions of the new Paytronix Loyalty Report 2022, which found that the top loyalty members are foundational to a restaurant’s […]

Restaurant technology trends to watch for in 2023

By Brittain Brown The foodservice industry has seen tremendous change over the past year. Diners returned to restaurants in droves, but as if the pandemic wasn’t enough, we also had hospitality labour shortages and decades-high inflation to contend with. While it was a tumultuous time, the one constant for restaurateurs throughout the year is — […]

Foodservice brands must walk a tightrope between physical & digital experience

By Dustin Hassett Now more than ever, restaurateurs are operating in an experience economy. Customers are interacting with competitor brands over multiple channels every hour of every day, and they expect every digital experience to measure up to the Amazons and Ubers of this world. Just like the behemoth tech brands, foodservice businesses need to […]