Working together with Restaurants Canada, the federal government can help foodservice businesses continue playing an integral part of the social and economic fabric of our communities.

Below are recommendations for measures in key areas where restaurants continue to require government support to successfully transition from survival to revival and keep feeding Canada’s COVID-19 recovery.

Restaurant Survival Support

While 9 out of 10 restaurants have relied on federal rent and wage subsidies to help them survive the pandemic, only 20% qualify for the new Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program. Without better access to financial support, most foodservice businesses will struggle to keep paying their staff, and many will have to consider closing down for good under the weight of crushing debt. Restaurants Canada is therefore recommending:

• An eligibility threshold starting at 10% revenue decline for the new Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, aligned with the criteria for the Canada Recovery Hiring Program.
• Greater forgiveness for all government-backed business loans and an extension of the repayment deadlines for loans through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).
• Tax credits or other sources of funding to defray the exorbitant costs incurred from pandemic safety expenditures.

Labour Development

While total employment in Canada returned to pre-pandemic levels in September 2021, restaurants still haven’t recovered at least 200,000 of the 800,000+ workers they had to let go in the spring of 2020 — that’s 1 out of 4 workers still missing from the foodservice industry. To help the restaurant sector overcome pre-existing labour shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a National Foodservice Labour Development Strategy is needed, including measures such as:

• Support for the expansion of impactful labour pilot programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and Alberta Foodservice Labour Connections.
• An increase in federal funding to ensure efficient and effective processing of immigration applications by reducing wait times, administrative burdens, and increasing information-sharing between sponsors.
• An extension of work visas for a full year and suspension of fees until 2023.
• The addition of a foodservice stream into the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to address seasonal and long-term labour shortages, as well as a redesign of the national occupational classification structure to broaden the categories of positions that foodservice employers can use the TFWP to help fill, as well as a lower administrative burden on small businesses who use the TFWP.

A “Do No Harm” Approach to Taxes, Fees & Red Tape

To create the best possible conditions for recovery after 18+ months of either losing money or barely breaking even, foodservice operations need government to take a “do no harm” approach with taxes, fees and regulations, including:

• A whole-of-society approach to single-use items, built on evidence-based policies and consistent standards across jurisdictions.
• A freeze on any further excise duty increases on beer, wine or spirits.
• A cap on credit/debit card interchange fees and the removal of merchant fees from the tax portion of restaurant bills.
• Indexation of the passive investment income threshold to support restaurateurs making investments to safeguard or grow their operations.

Restaurant Relaunch Measures

To rebuild public confidence in dining out and help the hard-hit foodservice sector return to pre-pandemic levels of operations, restaurants need the following forms of support from the federal government:

• An expansion of the current “meals and expenses” business tax credit from 50% to its original 100%.
• A national dining rebate program allowing Canadians to save 50% when they eat at restaurants, as well as a culinary tourism incentive encouraging Canadians to support local foodservice businesses while travelling across the country.

Help us keep restaurants in the picture!

While Canada’s restaurant operators are innovative and resilient, many establishments are still at risk of closing down in the face of crushing debt.

Here are 5 easy ways you can take action to help save your local restaurants:

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Share our call for action

When it comes to family, you never have to feel bad asking for help when you need it. Spread the word that our restaurant family needs us – share the cause on social media, and ask others to take a few moments to learn how they can help us keep restaurants in the picture.

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.