As we enter the second half of the year, it’s important to reflect on the grit, creativity and leadership it takes to move hospitality forward.
As we enter the second half of the year, it’s important to reflect on the grit, creativity and leadership it takes to move hospitality forward. No one understands that better than those living it every day. Recognizing industry leaders and celebrating their accomplishments allows us to build strong networks and strive for excellence in everything we do.
As an industry insider, your perspective is powerful—help us celebrate the peers and pioneers who are truly raising the bar. Nominate outstanding leaders and help us honour excellence across our industry. Nominations are open until July 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM (EDT).
The winners will be announced at Restaurants Canada’s One Table.
One Table, Restaurants Canada’s signature dinner for industry leaders – buy your tickets and tables now!
Join us September 16, 2025 at The Warehouse Venue (35 Carl Hall Road #2, North York, Toronto, Ontario) for One Table — Restaurants Canada’s new, signature dinner for industry leaders and changemakers. This isn’t a typical awards gala. It’s an exclusive gathering to celebrate success, unlock the latest industry insights, and collaborate on the most urgent questions and breakthrough opportunities shaping the future of foodservice and hospitality.
Don’t miss out on these powerful research tools at your disposal
As many of our members know, one of our most valuable resources is our industry research and insights. If you’re not already using these tools, I highly recommend incorporating them into your regular business planning. Restaurants Canada offers exclusive access to a wide range of proprietary data—from monthly updated dashboards to over 30 in-depth reports annually—designed to help operators and suppliers grow their businesses.
Whether you’re building a business plan, benchmarking performance, or tracking trends, our research provides the competitive edge you need.
Click here for the latest Fast Facts covering April 2025. You can also explore more detailed insights in our dashboard here.
Key Highlights:
- Commercial foodservice sales rose 8.1% compared to April 2024 (note. Easter fell March 31st in 2024)
- Full-service restaurant sales increased by 6.7%
- Quick-service restaurant sales grew by 10.0%
- Quebec and Saskatchewan led growth at 9.0% and 9.4%, respectively
Crime and community safety issues
Last week, we were appalled to hear that a Pizza Pizza owner in Durham, Ontario, suffered a violent swarming attack in her restaurant. Our deepest sympathies are with the victim, her family and her staff, and we hope she makes a speedy recovery.
Our industry, regrettably, continues to be on the front lines of rising incidents of crime and public safety concerns that directly impact businesses. Our recent survey highlights an increase in these challenges, and we recognize the strain this places on you.
We are actively engaging with community safety partners and working closely with governments to develop meaningful strategies to address these issues. At the same time, we’re advocating for stronger support to help you invest in security measures and recover from property damage caused by crime.
Please know that this is a priority conversation at all levels of government. We remain committed to advancing practical tools, resources, and solutions that support your business and address the broader safety concerns in our communities.
Protect yourself from fraud with our upcoming webinar
Fraud is evolving fast—from refund scams to terminal theft—and no restaurant is immune. Join us on July 23 at 1:00 PM EDT for our upcoming virtual workshop, Service with Security: Navigating Fraud Trends in the Restaurant Industry, where Moneris’ Director of Risk Management, Maria Cameron, will break down the latest fraud tactics, share real-world case studies, and offer proven strategies to protect your operations and customer trust.
This Webinar is presented in partnership with Moneris – a Restaurants Canada Preferred Partner.
SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE
From Jillian Rodak | Vice President, Sustainability
July Sustainability Committee Meeting
The Sustainability Committee met on July 3 to discuss environmental and packaging developments at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. We highlighted recent consultations that we have participated in on behalf of members. Restaurants Canada submitted feedback in response to both the City of Toronto’s Long-Term Waste Strategy consultation and the Ontario Blue Box Regulation consultation, and we are currently preparing a submission in response to the Ontario Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act consultation (due July 21). We also provided updates on beverage and packaging recycling programs in Quebec, and municipal initiatives related to commercial waste, single-use, and food waste.
Federal Plastics Registry Phase 2 Proposed Guidance Released
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has released proposed guidance for Phase 2 of the Federal Plastics Registry, with written feedback due July 24, 2025. While Phase 2 reporting is currently scheduled for September 29, 2026, Phase 1 reporting is not yet complete (the deadline is currently September 29, 2025).
ECCC will host one-hour webinars on July 10 to provide an overview of Phase 2 and answer stakeholder questions (French at 11:30 a.m. ET, English at 1:30 p.m. ET).
Restaurants Canada recognizes that the overlapping timelines present challenges and will be meeting with ECCC to raise these concerns. We are also preparing a written submission on the Phase 2 guidance, recommending that consultations be paused until Phase 1 is complete, and proposing a one-year extension to all reporting deadlines.
FEDERAL & QUEBEC UPDATE
Federal government removes all its Canada Free Trade Agreement exceptions
As part of its commitment to remove internal trade barriers by July 1, the federal government announced last week that it is lifting all of its exceptions to the Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).
Federal CFTA exceptions mostly deal with procurement and federally regulated industries, like financial institutions, aviation and telecommunication. We applaud the federal government’s leadership on this file but continue to urge provincial governments to lift their own exceptions, which tend to have a greater impact on smaller businesses and the foodservice sector. Restaurants Canada has been advocating for this and provided the following position paper to Minister Freeland, Minister Leblanc and the Office of the Prime Minister.
We are encouraged to see the government commit to announcing progress from its discussions with its provincial counterparts on July 8th and will keep you updated as those details become available.
Restaurants in Quebec will soon be allowed to charge reservation no-show fees
The Quebec government has finally published the regulations accompanying the amendment to the Consumer Protection Act concerning the ability of restaurants to charge penalty fees for no-show reservations.
As of July 17, restaurants will be authorized to charge fees to consumers who fail to honour their reservations if the following conditions are met:
- The stipulation is expressly brought to the consumer’s attention before the reservation is made;
- The reservation is for a group of at least two people;
- The merchant communicates with the consumer by technological means to confirm the reservation in writing within 6 to 48 hours before the scheduled time, unless the reservation is made within that same time period;
- The written confirmation contains a hyperlink allowing the reservation to be easily canceled;
- The merchant makes available at all times a technological means allowing the consumer to cancel the reservation;
- No member of the group shows up at the scheduled time of the reservation;
- The consumer did not cancel the reservation at least three hours before the scheduled time;
- The fees charged do not exceed $10 per person and are not charged before the scheduled time of the reservation.
This marks a great step forward for our members in Quebec! As usual, don’t hesitate to reach out should you have any questions or concerns.
CENTRAL CANADA UPDATE
From Kris Barnier | Vice President, Central Canada and the North
We remain focused on public safety, profitability, environmental policy, and workforce stability. On public safety, we are keeping up our outreach with other stakeholders, and we’re also focused on seeing Manitoba follow through on its commitment to deliver a Business Security rebate program that is responsive to the needs of our industry.
On profitability, we are amping up media to drive our outreach to elected officials in support of our push to remove the GST from restaurant meals, and we’re pushing for additional relief on WCB costs in Manitoba.
On environment and sustainability, Restaurants Canada is actively participating and making submissions on consultations being led by the Ontario Government and City of Toronto (see below), and I recently represented our industry as the new representative on the Board of Directors of the Farm Animal Care Council of Canada.
And on labour, we thank the members who have participated in roundtable sessions on workforce sustainability and we will continue to fight for flexibility on immigration policy to ensure our industry is able to find and keep workers in skilled positions and in regions where it is hard to find locally sourced workers.
Taste of Manitoba (August 28 – Sept 1)
I am looking forward to joining MRFA at its Taste of Manitoba Event in Winnipeg. This premier event features live music and an opportunity to enjoy some of the province’s most incredible, fun, and iconic food creations. The event expects to draw 7-10K visitors, and will also be well attended by industry, sponsors, and elected officials.
Click here to learn more about the event and opportunities to participate.
Manitoba: Workers Compensation Surplus
With strong investment returns and performance on safety, WCB was again able to rebate back 50% of 2024 premiums paid by eligible employers. This distribution was something we called for and praised. Even with this distribution the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) shows a funding sufficiency ratio of 165.3%, well beyond its target ratio of 130%. In fact, WCB is sitting on a notably larger surplus than any other province in Canada. We will continue to be vocal and push Manitoba to utilize its extreme surplus position to deliver cost relief to foodservice and other businesses.
Yukon: New Premier
Restaurants Canada extends our congratulations to Mike Pemberton, who was sworn in on June 27th as the Province’s 11th Premier.
Ontario: Extended Producer Responsibility
With input from the members of our Sustainability Committee, we recently responded to an Ontario government consultation on Blue Box Regulations. We outlined our support for the government’s plans to delay the expansion of the program and to ensure that targets are reasonable and attainable. We also called on the government to further study the impact of a multi-pro system on transparency, effectiveness, and cost. We believe the government’s approach demonstrates that it understands the financial realities facing foodservice and other businesses, and that it understands that more work needs to be done to strengthen the efficiency/cost and effectiveness of the program.
Toronto: Phase 2 Consultation on Long Term Waste Management Strategy
As the City of Toronto considers opportunities to reduce waste and to protect the environment, Restaurants Canada has called on the City to consult heavily with our industry ahead of announcing any significant policy changes. We have highlighted to the City the financial realities facing our members as you fight to protect jobs and restaurant locations. We are helping them better understand actions many of our members are already taking to demonstrate leadership in sustainability. These include factors like cost, the impracticality of municipal governments creating rules and requirements that deviate from provincial/federal standards, potential impact on restaurant space/demands on employees, health and safety considerations, and the reality that we have limited ability to control consumer behavior when customers dispose of their waste.
Ontario Permitting Alcoholic Beverages on Pedal Pubs
The Ontario government is allowing alcohol to be served and consumed on large quadricycles, commonly known as pedal pubs. As of July 1, this applies to pedal pubs which currently operate in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor, with space for 12 or more people travelling between restaurants and bars. See more here.
Supports for Growing Small Businesses
We recently reached out the Ontario Government to ask about supports available to help new and growing businesses. With much thanks to the Honourable Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, please click here to see a list of offerings they shared with us.
All my best,
Kelly Higginson
