Restaurant owners are still battling the aftermath from the pandemic and unrelenting rises in inflation. But is it enough? Over half of Canada’s restaurants are already ‘on the brink of failure’, according to a federal report submission from Restaurants Canada. This member-based trade association goes further by pushing for urgent long term action to improve business conditions for those in the foodservice industry. This includes lowering small business tax rates, maintaining a cap on alcohol excise tax, and pushing for restaurant meals to be completely deductible business expenses.
In an effort to drive up restaurant sales, while promoting local fare, the new Dine Ontario initiative is being launched in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Restaurants across the province are being invited to participate, free of charge. Dine Ontario is planned to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Ontario Agriculture week, which every year celebrates and promotes the high-quality food that grows here.
Dine Ontario hopes to establish more relationships between Ontario farmers/distributors and restaurants across the province. Dine Ontario encourages restaurants to take advantage of the great produce right there on their doorstep, and to create dishes that showcase what the province has to offer. This may seem like a no brainer, most restaurants proudly serve local don’t they? Because of inflation that might not be the case in 2023. Dine Ontario hopes to encourage local chefs and farmers to continue to support each other.
The city already has more than its fair share of food events every year – Winterlicious, Taste of the Danforth, Ribfest, VegTO Fest…to name just a few. We would expect no less, in this deliciously diverse city, food is never far from our minds. Dine Ontario hopes to capitalize on that when it hits the city next month, with the goal of getting more local food on local menus.
Restaurants involved in Dine Ontario will be asked to feature Ontario food and an Ontario beverage such as a beer, wine, spirits or cider. Some restaurants may already be using Ontario produce in their menus, and if this is the case, this should be highlighted for the event. To help promote participating restaurants, Dine Ontario has produced printed promotional materials that restaurants can use, as well as digital menu inserts, posters, and branding. If your restaurant is considering taking part in this culinary celebration, applying online at the Dine Ontario website is relatively simple to do.
It won’t fix inflation, but anything that can help our local restaurants, farmers and food purveyors is a step in the right direction.
CHI is dedicated to keeping up with local and national trends in the Restaurant Industry to help serve our customers better and keep them one step ahead. If you are interested in opening, purchasing, or selling a restaurant CHI Real Estate can help. Get in touch with our team today.