Restaurants permanently closed in Canada since March 2020.
Restaurants Canada
When we mark a milestone or a special event, we go to a restaurant and the staff becomes part of the celebration. When we’re feeling down, we seek out the cheerful vibes of our favourite bar & grill, or the comforting quiet of a booth in a dimly lit cafe. When we’re homesick, there’s a restaurant that can make it like they do back home, no matter where in the world that may be.
Like family, restaurants know exactly what you need, even when you don’t. That daily special that sounds just right, or a dessert you can’t say no to. (“But, bring two spoons!”)
Finding a familiar chain when you’re far from home is like visiting family that moved away. And discovering someplace new is like being introduced to family you never knew you had.
Imagining life without restaurants is like imagining life without family – liveable, but oh, so lonely.
#RestaurantsAreFamily
01 Take Action
Restaurants do more than nourish the body and the soul. They also feed the economy — before COVID-19, foodservice was the fastest-growing industry in Canada, generating $95 billion in sales in 2019. Now more than a year into the pandemic, nearly half of all restaurants are at risk of closing due to crushing debt from operating at a loss for months on end.
Fill out the form below to send a postcard to your Member of Parliament and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland asking them for sector-specific support and to request a meeting with our Restaurant Survival Coalition.
Show us what restaurants mean to you
Share your favourite restaurant memories from your social feed, camera roll, scrapbooks, and albums with us, and we’ll share it with the nation so everyone gets the picture – restaurants are family.
Simply use the hashtag #RestaurantsAreFamily and tag the restaurant.
02 Stories
In communities across Canada, restaurants play an essential role. They drive our economy by creating jobs for all skill-levels, and supporting our farmers and a vast network of suppliers and producers. Just as importantly, restaurants bring character to neighbourhoods by providing a warm place for people to gather, fulfilling a human need for connection. We need that, now more than ever.
Restaurant operators and their teams represent the diverse makeup of Canada, not only in the meals they create but also in the people that serve them. Read their stories and learn why when restaurants thrive, so do the communities they call home.
03 For Restaurants
Tell Us Your Story
Participate in our Restaurant Survival Coalition by telling us your story. Help us amplify voices in the foodservice community by submitting a video telling us how the pandemic has impacted your business and life.
Our Restaurant Toolkit has what you need to help you raise your voice and share with your local communities the impact your restaurant makes.
04 Thank You
As the voice of Foodservice in Canada, we thank all of our industry partners, and the campaigns and initiatives that have collectively added support to help our message be heard.
