Restaurants Canada has discovered some very interesting restaurant stats that will surprise you…
Let’s Get to It… STAT
• There are 95,000 restaurants, bars and caterers across Canada to which there are 18 million visits everyday, generating $80 billion in annual sales, representing 4% of the Canadian GDP, and directly employing 1.2 million (6.9%) Canadians.
• People are going out for breakfast more than for dinner, and most are going out for snacks. The preference is quick service.
• Restaurants are getting into retail to expand their brand. Small operators are becoming involved in urban farming for quality control and to cut costs.
• The #1 priority for operators is reducing operating costs. The operator side of the industry is moving toward tech, and the tech gap is widening. In some cases mobile apps are replacing wait staff.
• Hot trends include: “clean meats” and plant-based alternatives. Craft beer is the #1 trend, but on the horizon? 3D printing.
• Millennials represent the largest category of food service spenders in Canada and are the most knowledgeable. This demographic seeks instant gratification. They care about sustainability and authenticity. They prefer the “Juice Crawl” to the “Pub Crawl” and the Coffee House to the Bar. The latter reflects a change in attitudes toward alcohol; the kind of social environment desired; where, how and on what to spend money; the behavioural change that results from drinking caffeinated beverages as opposed to alcoholic beverages, and how that, too, affects spending.
For more on dining trends, read our article Food Trends to Discover at the 2019 RC Show.
