A year of challenge, strength and resilience for Canada’s foodservice sector.
As I reflect on the past year, I am struck by the extraordinary resilience of our sector and by the determination, creativity, and resourcefulness you demonstrate every single day. What restaurant and foodservice operators across Canada have endured and achieved in 2025 is nothing short of remarkable.
January 2025 already feels like a lifetime ago. We entered the year with the temporary GST/HST holiday, which delivered a powerful and much-needed boost to our industry: an 8.6% increase in sales; a 50% year-over-year decline in foodservice bankruptcies; and 24,000 new jobs, surpassing the sector’s total job growth from the entire previous year.
The months that followed would test our sector in unprecedented ways. From tariffs and an escalating trade war to a federal election and a budget nearly 18 months in the making, 2025 demanded resolve, adaptability, and leadership from restaurant operators.
You faced shifting consumer expectations, increased demand for Canadian products, and mounting anti-U.S. sentiment all of which disrupted supply chains, menus, wine and spirits offerings, and already-thin margins. At the same time, the largest pullback in immigration in years meant losing hardworking, trusted team members as permanent residence applications were denied, leaving businesses scrambling to fill critical roles.
And still, our sector moved forward and chose progress, adapting, innovating, and pursuing excellence. That determination is the backbone of this industry. No matter how challenging this year has been, we can look back with pride on what we accomplished together in 2025.
Here’s a month-by-month wrap-up on some of our activities:
January: The GST/HST holiday was in full swing, allowing our industry to increase sales by 8.6% and create 24,000 new jobs, more than the entire previous year.
February: Restaurants Canada dove into the trade and supply chain world, and launched dish., an event and content series designed to celebrate and connect women leaders and up-and-coming talent in the foodservice industry.
March: The new U.S. administration officially launched its trade war by imposing stiff tariffs on Canada. Federal and provincial governments responded with counter-tariffs, pulling U.S. alcohol from liquor board shelves and more. Restaurants Canada sprang into action to advocate for cost relief for our industry and kept members informed.
April: The 80th annual RC Show brought together more than 27,000 attendees, 1,300 exhibitors and 120 speakers for an unforgettable three days. Ontario Premier Doug Ford attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and shared his government’s commitment to our industry.
May: Restaurants Canada launched our Food is Food campaign calling on the government to permanently exempt all food, including prepared meals, from GST. We also released the Hot 10 Restaurant Trends Report, highlighting the biggest trends in foodservice for 2025.
June: We relaunched the MENU Unplugged podcast featuring a fresh format, new hosts and bold conversations that fuel the future of Canadian hospitality. The impact of immigration cuts set us on course to develop our workforce initiative starting with a Restaurants Canada and KPMG report, which supports our ongoing advocacy.
July: We took advantage of the summer House of Commons break to meet with MPs on their home turf on tax relief, the need for immigration in rural, remote and tourism regions and our Food is Food campaign. We also supported the call from Premiers for more access to immigration and attended the First Ministers’ retreat to ensure we were front and centre for conversations on how to stabilize our country.
August: We announced the winners of the 2025 Restaurants Canada Awards of Excellence, which recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals and organizations making meaningful contributions to Canada’s foodservice industry.
September: Restaurants Canada inaugurated One Table, its signature event for industry leaders. Attendees celebrated the 2025 Awards of Excellence winners and got an exclusive preview of this year’s Foodservice Facts report. In Ottawa, we launched our Back to Parliament campaign delivering framed foodservice riding data to MPs to ensure they recognize the impact of our sector on their communities. This has been a popular topic of conversation as we see our frames in offices all over Parliament Hill!
October: We opened a satellite office in Ottawa, allowing us to have more direct access to federal decision-makers. We also relaunched the Canadian Hospitality Foundation, the only national charity dedicated to supporting the next generation of hospitality professionals through scholarships and mentorship.
November: The federal budget was largely disappointing for the foodservice industry, but the Restaurants Canada team has been busy building positive connections with politicians on all sides of the aisle.
December: It was a busy time for advocacy and events across the country with your Government Relations team continuing to represent the foodservice sector and gearing up for our work in 2026. We have shared your concerns with Canadians through more than 12,500 media mentions, 340+ media interviews and 45 press releases throughout the year.
What’s Next?
Our workforce campaign, which has been in development for several months, will launch soon, with new research, a public awareness campaign and a government relations strategy designed to get politicians’ attention.
We are also excited for the 2026 RC Show, which will take place March 8 to 10, at a new, bigger venue, and feature keynotes from luminaries like Chris Hadfield.
Above all, 2025 showed us that when this sector speaks with a united voice, it cannot be ignored.
Thank you for your leadership, your perseverance, and your belief in what this industry represents. It is an honour to stand alongside you and to advocate for you as we move forward together.
Wishing you a prosperous and happy holiday season,
Kelly Higginson
