Eighty-six per cent of Canadians don’t want province-wide shutdowns of indoor dining when COVID-19 cases increase in their communities, according to a new Restaurants Canada survey.

TORONTO — A majority of Canadians trust restaurants are doing a good job keeping them safe and do not want province-wide shutdowns of indoor dining, according to a new Restaurants Canada survey.

“Canadians have told us loud and clear that restaurants are doing a good job of keeping them safe and are an important part of their local communities and economy,” said James Rilett, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Central Canada. “Ontario’s restaurants have quickly and effectively adapted to evolving public health guidance over the course of the pandemic and can be trusted to continue providing safe spaces to enjoy meals with friends and family throughout the ongoing crisis.”

Survey reveals Canadians are confident in restaurants to keep them safe

In response to a recent Restaurants Canada survey:

• 87 per cent of Canadians said restaurants are doing a good job keeping their customers safe.
• 86 per cent said they don’t want province-wide shutdowns of indoor dining when COVID-19 cases increase in their communities.
• 92 per cent of respondents said restaurants are an important part of their community.

Survey Methodology

Findings in this release are from a survey conducted by Restaurants Canada from Sept. 17-18, 2020 with a nationally representative sample of 1,504 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a random sample with this sample would result in a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Restaurants Canada

Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing the potential of Canada’s diverse and dynamic foodservice industry through member programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario’s foodservice sector was a $37 billion industry, directly employing more than 480,000 people, providing the province’s number one source of first jobs and serving 9.1 million customers every day. Ontario’s foodservice industry lost more than 215,000 jobs by April and is on track to lose as much as $17.8 billion in sales in 2020 compared to 2019 due to the impacts of COVID-19.

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For more information, contact:

James Rilett
Vice President, Central Canada
Restaurants Canada
C: 416-738-9546
jrilett@restaurantscanada.org

Marlee Wasser
Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Restaurants Canada
T: 416-649-4254
Toll-free: 1-800-387-5649 ext. 4254
media@restaurantscanada.org