BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA)

via CTV News August 31, 2024 Full article: https://lnkd.in/gq_Tq59T On restaurant booking platform OpenTable, online reservations for parties of one at sit-down restaurants increased eight per cent for the 12 months ending on May 31, compared with the same time the year prior. An online survey of 2,000 consumers in June commissioned by OpenTable found that 60 per cent of respondents had dined alone in the past year, including 68 per cent of gen Z and millennial respondents. Some people prefer dining solo because it’s convenient, with no cooking or cleaning up at home. Others are actively seeking out solo meals as a way to try new restaurants. Millennials and gen Z are driving the growth of solo dining, according to surveys, restaurant owners and industry observers. Social media has made it easier for people to find restaurants well-suited for a meal alone, and demographic trends have bolstered the trend. The growth of fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Sweetgreen, which cater to solo workday lunches and convenient dinners, has also made it easier for some people to feel comfortable taking the next step and sitting down at a table or bar for lunch or dinner, experts say. Dining trends are a reflection of larger swings in what’s happening around us, said Stephen Zagor, a restaurant consultant who teaches at Columbia Business School. “Here, solo dining is the mirroring of bigger social behaviours.” A record 30 per cent of Americans live alone, and people are marrying later than ever before and less often than ever. Only 37 per cent of Americans ages 25-49 were married with kids, down from 67 per cent in 1970. Surveys show that consumers’ attitudes toward dining alone has also changed. In a 2022 survey of 1,200 consumers, market research firm Mintel found that 60 per cent of respondents felt comfortable eating alone at a casual dining restaurant.

Thank you, Sysco, for your generous sponsorship of the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame! Your support helps us celebrate and honor the incredible talent and dedication within our culinary community. We are grateful for your partnership in making this event a success!

Meet our 2024 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees! Alex Chen and Neil Henderson Wild Blue @wildbluerestaurant Inductee: Local Champion About Alex Chen: Alex Chen led Team Canada to a top-10 finish at the 2013 Bocuse d'Or, won Gold Medal Plates in 2015 and 2017, and the 2018 Canadian Culinary Championships. He was named 'Chef of the Year' in 2018, defeated an Iron Chef on TV, and received the Pinnacle Award in 2019. In 2019, Alex led Boulevard to the No. 9 spot on the prestigious annual list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, and opened Wild Blue in 2022, named as #2 Best New Restaurant in Canada by enRoute Magazine. Neil: Neil Henderson began his Canadian hospitality career in 1992 as a busser at Araxi. He earned a Level 3 certificate from the Wines & Spirits Education Trust followed by an ISG Sommelier Diploma. With over 25 years at the Toptable Group, he led Araxi and Bar Oso to multiple Best Restaurant awards, including the "Premier Crew Service Award" in 2012. Neil also played a key role in Wild Blue Restaurant's success, securing its place on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants lists. Congratulations Alex and Neil!

Meet our 2024 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees! Karri Green-Schuermans Chambar Restaurant @chambar_restaurant Inductee: Active Restaurateur About: Karri is the co-owner of Chambar Restaurant with business partner Chef Nico Schuermans, the co-founder of Café Medina and The Dirty Apron Cooking School. Her background includes advertising, intergovernmental relations and climate advocacy, and continues to work in the convergence of sustainability, ethics and economics. A mother of 3 boys, and when not working can be found in the mountains or on the sea. Congratulations Karri!

How to Improve the Revenue & Profit in your Business: If you’ve ever felt like you should be keeping more money, I have something for you. Our member Joey Cao is holding a special free workshop on August 28, 2024 (Wed) called “How to Improve the Revenue & Profit in your Business”. We all understand that this topic is important! Joey is the founder of Meliora Business Administration Inc. She’s on a mission to help more small business owners make more money. She’s seen first-hand how most business owners are letting profit slip right out the window (and most don’t realize it). And she’s got some simple approaches that will help you fix the leaks and keep more of your revenue. Here’s just a taste of what you’ll learn in this workshop: - The 5 biggest challenges facing 90% of all small businesses. - Why profit is more important than revenue AND why cash is more important than profit. - 4 key steps to go from feeling overwhelmed, stressed about cash, wondering “where’d all the money go” to feeling confident, knowing that you’re running your business like a CEO, with the numbers driving your decision making. Joey is offering a virtual Office Hour (Zoom) for FREE for BCRFA Members only on every Wednesday (2-3pm) starting on Aug 21, 2024. During this hour, you can discuss any questions related to your business. It is a safe place to discuss your challenges. Topics can include: food costs, labor costs, customer traffic, inventory management, and whatever is bothering you.

Meet our 2024 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees! Amelie and Vincent Nguyen Anh & Chi, Me's Marketplace, The Colour Yellow, Munchies to Michelin @anhandchi @mes_marketplace @thecolouryellowyvr @munchiestomichelin Inductee: Rising Star About: Vincent and Amelie Nguyen were raised in Mount Pleasant. Amélie is passionate to tell stories that inspire compassion and change. Vincent was a med-school drop out whose drive for legacy and elevated food and design, committed the sibling duo to advance Vietnamese cuisine in Vancouver. Together, they created the acclaimed Anh and Chi and rebellious, Good Thief. Congratulations Amelie and Vincent!

Attention restaurant owners in beautiful British Columbia! Join us for our FREE online event on September 3rd and 4th! 10am-11:30am (PST) This is a fantastic opportunity to learn, discover the benefits of becoming a member of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA). ▪️Explore valuable topics like marketing strategies and our four annual dining programs. ▪️Hear from our team and gain insights to help your business thrive! Register now to be a member through our website. #BCRFA #BCRestaurants #Foodies #RestaurantCommunity #HospitalityIndustry #Networking #FoodService #SupportLocal #JoinUs

On the heels of the highly successful ‘Save BC Restaurants’ campaign, we now have a designated single point of contact within government for the hospitality industry. The BCRFA, in close alliance with our partner Restaurants Canada, are working collaboratively with Minister Lana Popham to find solutions to the integral issues BC restaurants are currently facing. The focus of these talks is to address: •  Liquor distribution challenges and timelines •  Minors as Agents Program harsh penalties •  Reduction in the processing times for skilled foreign workers to be competitive with the Alberta market •  Environmental issues related to packaging and natural gas •  Worksafe issues related to payroll calculations We are very pleased to be working with Government in this manner and are grateful to have Minister Popham as our designated Provincial cabinet liaison. We will keep our valued members informed of upcoming progress on these and other important issues.

Meet our 2024 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees! Andrew George Skilled Trades BC @skilledtradesbc Inductee: Lifetime Achievement About: I was born in Smithers, B.C and was raised in Telkwa, British Columbia and is of Wet’suwet’en Decent from North Central British Columbia. I am very proud of my heritage am very proud to represent my Nation and Canada on so many occasions “Culture on a Plate” Congratulations Andrew!

via Restaurants Canada, August 14, 2024. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gJMSqJi4 On a year-over-year basis, Restaurant Canada’s Consumer Dining Index (CDI) remains below 2023 levels, at 95.4 in July 2024 compared to 100.0 in July 2023. On a month-over-month basis, the CDI dipped slightly from June’s 95.9 to 95.4 in July. Across all dayparts, Canadians 55 years of age or older made fewer purchases from a restaurant in July compared to last year. Breakfast saw the largest year-over-year decline in visits of any daypart. In July, 55% of Canadians purchased breakfast from a restaurant at least once, compared to 62% in July 2023. This was due to fewer visits by Canadians 55 and older, and by households with incomes of $50,000 to $100,000. Looking ahead, the REACT survey indicates that there will be little change in dining intentions for August. View the full report here.