Date: Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020
Time: 11:00 AM EST
Virtual Conference: RSVP at https://www.livemeeting.ca/register/?meet=6219&rel=6216
TORONTO, Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On behalf of Canada’s vital foodservice sector, Restaurants Canada is inviting representatives of the media to a virtual press conference to discuss:
- the current viability of restaurant operations;
- anticipated closures and job losses;
- challenges ahead on the road to recovery; and
- the need for coordinated national action to take the industry from survival to revival.
Restaurants Canada is calling for a national working group to pave the way for the foodservice sector’s revival, building on the commitment in the federal government’s 2020 Fall Economic Statement to provide targeted, sector-specific support to restaurants and other “hardest hit” businesses.
WILL BE PRESENT:
- Todd Barclay, Restaurants Canada President and CEO
- David Lefebvre, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Federal and Quebec
- Brenda O’Reilly, Owner/Operator of O’Reilly’s Irish Newfoundland Pub and Yellowbelly Brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Mohamad Fakih, CEO and President of Paramount Fine Foods in Ontario
- Patrick Saurette, Owner/Operator of The Marc Restaurant Group in Alberta
FACTS THAT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
:
J
ob losses:
N
o other sector is
still
experiencing such a
shortfall
- Between March and April, more than 800,000 workers in the Canadian foodservice sector lost their jobs or had their hours of work reduced to zero.
- 426,900 restaurant jobs were recovered between May and September, but then the industry began to lose ground again in October.
- According to the November Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, there are still more than 260,000 fewer jobs in the foodservice sector than there were in February.
- This is 21% of the restaurant workforce still not recovered. No other industry continues to face this level of shortfall.
Restaurants are a critical, load-bearing pillar of
our culture and
economy
- Literally and figuratively, restaurants are key to feeding Canada’s recovery: Even during the best of times, the average establishment keeps only about 50 cents of every $10 spent on a restaurant meal.
- 95% of restaurant sales go back into the economy in the form of jobs, food and beverage purchases, contributions to charity and more.
- The restaurant sector is a reflection of Canada’s incredible diversity: Women make up 58% of the foodservice workforce, 31% of restaurant owners, operators and staff belong to a visible minority and half of all Canadian restaurants are run by immigrants.
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, Canada’s foodservice sector was a $93 billion industry, directly employing 1.2 million people, providing Canada’s number one
source of first jobs and serving 22 million customers across the country every day. T
he industry has since lost hundreds of thousands of jobs and could lose as much as $
31
billion in sales in 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19
.
For more information, contact:
Marie-Christine Garon
Director
NATIONAL Public Relations
C: 514-409-0031
[email protected]
Marlee Wasser
Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Restaurants Canada
T: 416-649-4254
Toll-free: 1-800-387-5649 ext. 4254
[email protected]