Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News - June 2014

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estaurant News R June 2014 Vol. 20 No.3

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No tipping at B.C. restaurant GROWING NEW IDEAS AT TERROIR

6 Smoke ‘N Water staff.

By Jonathan Zettel, assistant editor

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PARKSVILLE, BC—A Vancouver Island restaurateur opened what he is calling Canada’s first no tipping restaurant on June 2.

David Jones, owner of Smoke ‘N Water, said the business model that includes tipping is broken and does not work for restaurants.

“We want to be innovative, we want to create a transformational shift on the business model of how restaurants are run,” Jones told PRN. Jones said, although a handful of restaurants across the U.S. have no tipping policies, no Canadian restaurants currently prohibit the customary practice. The practice of tipping, according to Jones, creates disparity of wages between front of house and back of house employees.

“We’re drawing a line in the sand and saying it stops right here,” Jones said. “No longer will a woman working in the back of the house … for thirty years, be a single mother with an 11-year-old son and be paid $11.50

with no medical or dental. That’s not OK.” Jones said he plans on paying “a living wage” to both cooks and servers and will factor labour costs into menu prices. He said operations is budgeting the cost of labour at 30 per cent and considers his business model one of profit sharing. An additional two per cent of gross sales will go to provide dental and medical care to all employees and one per cent of sales will go into a social fund, of which the use will be determined by staff on a monthly basis.According to Jones, the practice of tipping makes for difficult management situations, citing incidences when servers provide excellent service yet receive a poor tip.

“How does that make you feel as a human being?” Jones said. “How do I, as an owner, tell my server to shake it off?”

Reconsider tipping models Jones said he got the idea of banning tips in his restaurant after listening to University of Guelph professor

of tourism and hospitality Bruce McAdams on CBC Radio.

McAdams—who has more than 25 years experience in the restaurant industry—has researched the effects of tipping and has been a proponent of rethinking tipping and creating a dialogue around the subject.

“The biggest thing is probably the inequity of wages it causes between the front and back,” McAdams told PRN, noting servers can make up to $30 per hour while cooks and dishwashers make between $10 and $14 per hour.

This inequity, McAdams argues, causes real financial consequences for operators because the industry has a high employee turnover. Culinary students coming into the industry leave after a couple years because they are living paycheck to paycheck and some servers come into restaurants to make as much money as possible then leave. McAdams estimates it can cost up to $1,500 to train a new employee.

McAdams said over the past 15 years, operators have tried to balance

the wage disparity by having servers tip-out to the house. Unfortunately, he said, this practice causes trust and transparency issues and puts restaurants in a high-risk situation with the Canadian Revenue Agency because tips collected from servers are “controlled tips” and must be taxed.

The practice of tipping also makes it difficult for restaurants to hire mangers, McAdams said, because managers often make less, have more responsibility and work longer hours than servers.

McAdams said tipping has the ability to influence quality of service, but not as much as one might think.

McAdams said, some restaurants may try a no-tipping policy, boost prices and not pass along the revenue to staff. “You have to try and have faith in the marketplace and you hope that people will move to places where they are treated properly,” he said.

According to McAdams, Canadians tip $6 billion annually.

Continued on page 3

Craft beer at Burger King in new YMM terminal FORT MCMURRAY, AB—Burger King and Subway will serve Canadian craft beer as part of the foodservice at the new Fort McMurray airport terminal slated to open on June 9.

Both QSRs will be located presecurity in the terminal’s food court.

“Obviously, it is one of the first in Canada but I think it’s becoming the trend going forward and it’s usually specialty craft beers that are being sold,” Jim Meyer, senior director of airport business development at SNC-Lavalin Inc., told PRN. Meyer said QSR liquor sales are taking off in the U.S., with some fran-

chises selling wine.

The terminal will also house two full service restaurants. Earl’s Kitchen and Bar will be found post-security and provide customers with features unique to the airport location such as grab-and-go options and a breakfast menu. Pre-security, located near the terminal’s main entrance, Famoso will open its first airport location, offering Neapolitan pizza, salads and a full bar.

Along with Burger King and Subway, a Tim Hortons and a Mary Brown’s Chicken and Taters make up the remainder of the food court,

while a Jugo Juice and a Starbucks are located post-security near the Earl’s restaurant. The Starbucks location is a new concept for the company and has 20-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Meyer said a survey of customers was taken over three years to determine how to best support demand and found the airport had very long dwell times ranging between an hour and a half and two hours.

“We also found that the average income was over $189,000, which is more than double the Canadian average, so they had a lot of cash in their jeans to spend on products,” said

Meyers, adding many travellers are coming from remote camps as part of the oil sands development projects and have not had a chance to spend money in some time. “We tried to align the selection with what the customer was telling us,” he said.

A large percentage of the foodservice is pre-security, which Meyer said goes against current airport trends.

This was done because of long dwell times, to provide easy access for terminal employees and promote the use of an outdoor courtyard.

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Barbecue sundaes at Smoke ‘N Water

Browns Socialhouse heading east

Continued from cover

Browns Socialhouse location in Red Deer, Alberta.

OAKVILLE, ON—Browns Socialhouse is setting up shop in Ontario with plans to develop more than 100 locations within the next five years.

The West Coast, premium casual restaurant currently has 30 locations in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and will open at least another 10 this year in the western provinces.

The flagship Ontario location is currently being built in Oakville, ON, and will open this fall acting as a launching pad for the franchise.

“In the long run, we’ll be in all sorts of communities all over the whole province,” Bruce Fox, chief operating officer and vicepresident of development, told PRN.

Fox said the nine-year-old company has been franchising for the last five years and is currently on a mission to find qualified franchisees.

Locations, Fox said, will ideally fall between 3,500 and 4,000 square feet and cost between $600 and $800 per square foot in development.

“We’re not interested in bigger because bigger compromises the experience that we deliver and the experience that we deliver is very intimate,” he said.

Average check is about $30 and the menu consists of pizza, burgers, tacos and ribs.

In April, Browns Socialhouse received a gold medal for new and emerging franchises from the Canadian Franchise Association.

Customers at Smoke ‘N Water will be greeted with complimentary house-made cheese biscuits and the menu features Southeast American inspired cuisine with vinegar-, mustard- and ketchup-based barbecue sauces, pulled pork, ribs, cheese grits, shrimp, cornbread, steak, triple-fried fries and pizza.

According to Jones, one of the more innovative items on the menu is what he calls a barbecue sundae. The dish is served in 16- and 24-ounce mason jars containing a combination of layered potato, salad, and choice of meat and served with a pickle wedge.

Jones said the bar has 12 draft taps including beer from local craft breweries. The 155seat restaurant’s signature drink is a flight of spiced lemonade mixed with three types of alcohol, each served in miniature martini glasses.

In the middle of the completely remodeled space there is a 6,000-gallon aquarium and the walls is decorated with local artwork.

“We want to make it really family-friendly,” Jones said. “We want to make it a warm and nurturing environment.”

1600 Stroulger Rd., Nanoose Bay, BC. (250) 586-9784, www.smokenwater.com, @smokenwaterBC

Restaurants Canada calls for lift of TFWP ban

Garth Whyte, Restaurants Canada.

CHARLOTTETOWN—Restaurants Canada’s board of directors is calling for an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to address what they are calling a labour crisis in some regions of the country.

In April, employment minister Jason Kenney placed a moratorium on the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) for the foodservice industry after complaints of the program being misused.

“There couldn’t be a worse time for this ban,” Garth Whyte, president and chief executive officer of Restaurants Canada, told PRN in late May. “We strongly agree with penalties for people abusing the system, but it’s hurt some members that are in dire need right now.”

Restaurants Canada held a press conference on May 27 in Charlottetown where the 30-person board of directors gathered for its annual spring meeting.

The group called on the federal government to end the moratorium on the TFWP, strengthen rules of the program to ensure it is not abused and allow operators to hire foreign workers for positions at all skill levels after exhausting all other options to hire Canadian workers. The group also launched a petition that has gathered more than 2,700 signatures.

“This is about protecting Canadian jobs,” Brenda O’Reilly, owner of Yellow Belly Brewery and Public House in St. John’s said in a statement.

“I employ 120 people, including five foreign workers, I’d have to cut back on hours, putting Newfoundlanders out of work. I’ve also turned down an opportunity to open a new restaurant, because I know I won’t be able to staff it,” O’Reilly said.

Gerard Curran, proprietor of James Joyce Irish Pub in Calgary said he had to cut back kitchen hours and is operating at a 30 per cent labour shortage.

“The situation is taking a toll on all my employees, including one who is in the hospital right now due to stress created by an increased workload and a lot of uncertainty,” Curran said.

The CBC reports the federal government will make the changes to the TWFP to raise the cost of using the program and promote Canadians being hired first.

“Our government has been clear: Canadians must have the first chance at available jobs,” Kenney said in a statement on April 24.

“We have repeatedly warned employers that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program must only be used as a last and limited resort when Canadians are not available.”

The moratorium put a stop to any new or pending labour market opinion (LMO) applications related to the foodservice sector. However, president and chief executive officer of Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association Dave Kaiser told PRN Service Canada has clarified hotels operating their own foodservice do not

fall under the moratorium.

Prior to the moratorium, McDonald’s Canada voluntarily suspended its use of the TFWP, following reports the program was being misused at some of its franchised locations.

“We have committed to undertake an independent third party audit of all our corporate and franchised restaurants that employ temporary foreign workers,” the company said in an April release.

Of the 1,400 restaurants in Canada, McDonald’s said only 268 restaurants employ temporary foreign workers, which make up four per cent of the company’s Canadian workforce.

On May 28, McDonald’s Canada announced it has hired Deloitte to conduct a third-party review of the company’s use of the TFWP. “If any discrepancies are uncovered through the audit process, we will act swiftly and effectively to continue to make things right,” Len Jillard, chief people officer of McDonald’s Canada, said in a release.

In a statement Tim Hortons called the TFWP vital. “[We] believe suspending access to responsible users of the program is not an answer to critical labour shortages faced in some markets,” the company stated.

The federal moratorium came on the same day the C.D. Howe Institute published a report on the TFWP stating changes made to the program between 2002 and 2012 have made it easier to hire foreign workers which has accelerated the rise in unemployment in Alberta and British Columbia.

Restaurants Canada paid for full-page newspaper ads in areas where the TFWP is frequently used. The ads describe severe labour shortages and how restaurants only turn to the program as a last resort.

According to the National Post, 338,000 temporary foreign workers were employed in Canada as of December 2013.

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Some YMM foodservice open to nontravellers Continued from cover

The terminal will also hold seven retail outlets including a Nicholby’s convenience, Best Buy Express and several gift shops.

“We didn’t want too much food and beverage in the location because then the concessionaires would suffer and you don’t want too little because customers would miss out,” Meyer said.

For each unit, he said, there were at least three applications, giving operations a lot of foodservice outlets to choose from.

“One of the key issues is always labour or the availability of labour,” Meyer said, who spent time in the preliminary stages working with potential tenants to asset how labour would be sourced.

“Labour shortages and labour costs are kind of a joint problem,” he said.

Shortly after opening, the tenants will form a merchant’s committee to come up with marketing and promotions for retail within the terminal.

Meyer said local residents are being encouraged to use the terminal as a source for their food and beverage needs with discounted parking and other incentives.

According to Meyer, the terminal will see 1.3 million passengers this year.

Over the past two years, the terminal has seen growth of more than 25 per cent, he said, and this year it is currently tracking growth of 15 per cent.

“We see continual growth for the next decade,” Meyer said. “There’s over $100 billion of capital investment in that area and that all translates into traffic movement of passengers.”

He said a study was recently completed which predicted terminal expansion in three years.

Plans are also underway for a four-star hotel connected to the terminal. The hotel is set to open in 2016 with 210 rooms, a restaurant and a bar, room service, a business centre, meeting rooms, a gym and a pool, as well as heated underground parking and a climatecontrolled pedestrian walkway.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity in terms of potential revenue,” Meyer said.

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RestaurantNews

Comm e n t

Food or fad?

www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor Jonathan Zettel ext. 226 jzettel@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor, Digital Content Kristen Smith ext. 238 ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Account Manager Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com Account Manager Kim Kerr ext. 229 kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com Production Stephanie Giammarco ext. 0 sgiammarco@canadianrestaurantnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianrestaurantnews.com

PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

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imilar to the fickle world of fashion— where trends paradoxically follow twenty year cycles, but also flow from a celebrity’s arm to the back of a suburban minivan at an ever increasing speed—food trends are careening from small independents to chains, from high end to low brow, from one culture to another and then back again.

“We are living in a gold rush of food trends, mined with ladles and saucepans instead of pickaxes and dynamite,” writes David Sax in his new book The Tastemakers: Why we’re crazy for cupcakes but fed up with fondue. As operators try to make their cronut or pork bun spell commercial success, our industry spends millions of dollars a year monetizing, distilling and converting trends. What may be lost in the roar is the idea that trends are not only arbiters of taste, but may also distract us from how food actually tastes.

When it comes to trends, why do we tend

toward categorical breakdowns rather than taste, touch or any of the senses? We are inundated by trend summaries, detailing everything from leafy greens to ancient grains, from types of cuisines to cooking methods, but rarely do we see a list broken down into what the customer experiences first and foremost: taste.

Through a concept such as comfort food, the diner experiences fatty richness and salt, soothing textures and homey warmth that all fuel a sense of nostalgia. What, then, makes this trendworthy over other similar items?

“Why does food have to be trendy? Why can’t it just taste good on its own merits?” asks Sax. “I often find myself just wanting to be given a grilled cheese and then left alone. Not artisanal aged cheese, mind you, or ancient grain bread. Just cheese. And bread.” Are trends the drivers of our tastebuds, manufactured by tastemakers across the globe as Sax envisions,

or are they markers of existing ideas bubbling in our collective consciousness?

Trends can make us better, more informed eaters by widening our comfort zone, but they can also send us galloping down the same taste trails in a mass herd, destined to repeat the same cycle year after year until its planned obsolescence drives a newer model forward: “Cauliflower is the new kale! Artisanal toast is the new bruschetta!”

Whether you ignore them or follow them, trends are important signposts of not only how we eat, but how we think about what we eat.

The irony is that although trends speak to and promote certain commonalities of mindset, operators often find success through their individuality: creating food they do well and forging their own directions. Perhaps the true value of trends lies in separating that personal sense of taste from a crowd of popular opinion.

Leslie Wu Editorial director

How to reach us: Tel (905) 206-0150

Bi t s Red Robin purchasing 32 franchises Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Volume 20 Number 3 Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News is published 6 times per year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes: Ontario Restaurant News, Atlantic Restaurant News, Canadian Lodging News, Canadian Chains Directory 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Tel: (905) 206-0150 Fax: (905) 206-9972 In Canada 1 800 201-8596 Subscriptions: Canada & USA: $24.95/ year or $39.95/two years Single copy: $5.95 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1702-3483 GST number R102533890

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO—Red Robin Gourmet Burgers announced on April 30 it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire 32 Red Robin franchised restaurants in Canada and the U.S. for about $40 million.

The 14 U.S. locations are owned by Mach Robin, LLC, a subsidiary of 5B Investments, and the 18 Canadian restaurants are owned by the company’s Canadian affiliate.

Those 18 locations account for all Red Robin’s Canadian units and are located in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, where the casual dining restaurant chain has operated since 1985.

“We are excited for the opportunity to acquire a group of established Red Robin restaurants and welcome the over 2,500 team members who have been instrumental to their success in these markets,” Steve Carley, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers chief executive officer, said in a release.

According to the release, the 32 acquired restaurants are expect to generate $88 million in annual revenue.

The acquisition is expected to close by fall.

Darden sells off Red Lobster ORLANDO, FL—Darden Restaurants, Inc. is selling off its Red Lobster business and related assets to San Francisco-based private equity investment firm Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion in cash. The sale, announced on May 16, is expected to close in the first fiscal quarter of 2015.

The move comes as part of a change in Darden’s strategic direction and is intended to help “regain momentum at Olive Garden,” as well as reduce the company’s existing debt, Clarence Otis, Darden chairman and chief executive officer, said in a release.

The news comes six months after a mid-December 2013 announcement by Darden that it would spin off Red Lobster into a separate company within the year.

“As a stand-alone company, we will be free to focus in a more single-minded manner on the many current and prospective guests who find what Red Lobster brings to the marketplace highly

a nd

relevant,” Kim Lopdrup, Darden’s president of specialty restaurant group and new business, said in a release at the time.

According to Darden, the 705 Red Lobster restaurants across Canada and the U.S. saw annual sales of approximately $2.6 billion in the 2013 fiscal year.

BCHF sommelier awards VANCOUVER—The BC Hospitality Foundation handed out its annual sommelier scholarships at the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards in late April. Held at the Sheraton Wall Centre, the $1,000 scholarships went to five professionals currently in the hospitality industry to continue their wine education, and was sponsored by the Okanagan Crush Pad’s sommelier mentorship program, Okanagan Wine Campus.

Bing Smith, former BCHF Chair, presented the awards to: Samantha Casuga (Veneto Tapa Lounge at the Rialto Hotel, Victoria), Jen Kinna (Little Jumbo Restaurant, Victoria), Carmen Parry (Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria), Shiva Reddy (Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Vancouver) and Chris Turyk (Unsworth Vineyards, Cowichan Valley). Judges included West Restaurant sommelier Owen Knowlton, Neil Wyles, owner of the Hamilton Street Grill and Dawn Donahue, BCHF scholarship chair.

Jay Jones, executive bartender for The Donnelly Group, also took home the BCHF’s Bartender of the Year.

CAPS BC kicks off VANCOUVER—The BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers launched in mid-April with an event at the Hotel Georgia.

“We are here to provide a forum for community, networking, and education for our members that promotes the sommelier profession and furthers our vibrant wine culture here in BC. Our first priority is to encourage the competitive spirit amongst our sommelier talent,” said president Michelle Bouffard to 150 wine trade and hospitality members.

The 11-person board consists of Bouffard,

Bi t e s vice presidents Barb Philip, MW and DJ Kearney, secretary Roger Maniwa, and treasurer Jonathan Lai, as well as people in charge of the following areas: education - Mark Davidson; international relations - Sebastien Le Goff; communications and public relations - Keith Nicholson; events - Mark Taylor; competitions and language specialist - Terry Threlfall and membership - Lesley Brown.

The BC Sommelier finals will be held on Oct. 6.

Menchie’s hits 400 stores KITSILANO, BC—Frozen yogurt franchise Menchie’s opened its 400th location in late April in Kitsilano, BC. According to a release, the California-based company, which operates in 14 countries, plans continued growth with 500 units in the development pipeline. By the end of 2014, 120 additional locations are slated to open in addition to the 30 units which have already opened this year.

Canada picked for McDonald’s sustainable beef pilot CALGARY—Canadian beef will be front-andcentre for a pilot project launched by McDonald’s designed to supply the restaurant with sustainable beef.

According to Alberta Farmer, the exact terms of the pilot have yet to be finalized and there has yet to be a definition of “sustainable beef.”

“It is still in the preliminary stages, so there are a lot of details to be worked out, but everyone is on the same page,” Greg Bowie, chair of Alberta Beef Producers told Alberta Farmer. “They’re working with industry to come up with something that is sustainable long term, for the entire industry.”

Bowie said McDonald’s is the largest buyer of Canadian beef and has pledged it will not impose rules on how to raise cattle. Instead, the restaurant will collaborate with producers, feeders and packers to create practical guidelines.

McDonald’s announced in January it would begin sourcing what it calls verifiable sustainable beef by 2016. According to the company, McDonald’s Canada sources all of its beef from Canadian suppliers.

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Terroir: Growing new ideas

By Kristen Smith TORONTO—At one time, a chef ’s recipes were closely guarded secrets, but a new generation of Canadian chefs and foodservice professionals are sharing knowledge and working together to bolster the craft and a spirit of collaboration pervades the culinary community.

Chefs, food writers, suppliers and wine experts gathered at Arcadian Court in Toronto on May 12 for the Terroir Symposium, which brought together 89 speakers. The eighth annual edition of the hospitality industry event focused on the theme “Growing Ideas: Community building and creative collaboration in the world of food.”

Chair Arlene Stein said she was proud of the sense of community that has been established over the years at the event, which has grown to more than 500 attendees this year.

In his opening remarks, Peter Oliver of Oliver and Bonacini Restaurants called Terroir the foodservice industry’s most important event.

He noted that the average customer has shifted from one demanding consistency to one expecting change. “If you don’t change, you’ll go out of business,” he said, advocating for increased entrepreneurship and innovation. Oliver encouraged attendees to make Toronto a food destination.

Momofuku Restaurant Group founder and chef David Chang noted that Toronto has the resources—population, diversity and infrastructure—to be a great culinary city.

“On paper, Toronto should have one of the best food scenes in the world,” Chang told PRN. “It’s good, it’s growing, there’s a movement of youth, but I think that there seems to not be a real unifying goal.”

Chang noted that his intention isn’t to upset anyone—he wants Toronto to thrive and

a forum like Terroir is a good place to get the discussion rolling.

“I think part of that discussion is hearing things you don’t necessarily want to hear.

Medicine doesn’t always taste good and I’m not the doctor, I’m just a person that’s a fan of Toronto,” said Chang.

“I’m invested in Toronto—we’ve had our ups and downs as a restaurant. It’s been really hard and we’re still around,” said Chang. “Restaurants are still closing at an alarming rate and I don’t think enough attention is being put on why these restaurants close.”

He thinks one chef coming from Toronto and “crushing it” could change the game like René Redzepi did with Noma in Copenhagen.

“There is great product here, there is amazing talent here,” said Chang. “We should become our harshest critics.”

Albert Adrià, chef of Tickets and 41o, shared some of his creations with attendees. He called using a fork and knife “boring” and recommended removing any elements from the environment that could detract from a dish. He said it is important to hear and smell while eating—either the experience is emotional or it’s not.

Kevin Patricio, chef and restaurateur of La Madame and founder of Basqueland Brewing Projects, shared the story of creating a food community in San Sebastian, Spain.

“We don’t set out to challenge the status quo—we don’t set out to build community,” said Patricio, calling these results a byproduct of the journey to accomplish a goal.

Patricio identified there was a lacking vegetable culture in the Basque community and a missing connection between chefs and farmers. Along with misinformation, he said, this resulted in a lack of demand from customers and a lack of biodiversity, with farmers grow-

State of the industry The NPD Group’s executive director Robert Carter outlined the key facts and figures when it comes to Canadian restaurant use.

According to Carter, Canadian restaurants saw 6.6 billion visits in 2013, which is down by one per cent (72 million visits). Despite the decline in visits, total foodservice dollars rose by two per cent to $53 billion and overall, Canadians are eating more meals.

During the past 10 years, traffic growth has risen by two percent while new unit growth is up by 12 per cent. According to Carter, the decline in visits shows an increased battle for profit share among restaurants.

Millennials, Carter said, are the number one source of traffic growth, adding up to 28 per cent of annual visits.

Opportunities for growth Tom Kowalski of Interbrand Design Forum identified five key growth opportunities for restaurants.

• Avoid sameness. Kowalski said restaurants must have a signature ingredient or product differentiating it from competitors.

• Provide a journey. Incorporating the story of where your products come from into the design of the space can provide

customers with a sense of being taken on a voyage.

• Know the millennials. According to Kowalski, this demographic can be hard to understand, but is important to the overall health of the business, noting millennials want to hear a story for each product.

• Seamless technology. Kowalski said mobility is the key technology driver.

• Optimizing scale. Kowalski said restaurants should not overextend themselves and be mindful of their footprint.

Cara and Fairfax Amanda Lang moderated two discussions: Bill Gregson, president and chief executive officer of Cara and Paul Rivett, president of Fairfax, spoke about turning the Cara brand around following Fairfax’s purchase of the company; and Peter Senst, president of Canadian capital markets at CBRE, Blake Hutcheson, president and chief executive officer of Oxford Properties and Craig Wright, chief economist at RBC capital markets spoke about Canada’s economic outlook and the real estate market.

Rivett spoke about opportunities for turnaround within Cara and Prime brands.

“All nine brands have some very distinct aspects to them,” said Rivett, noting the brand teams for each have been left intact. He said Fairfax and Cara believe in all nine brands, noting that some are more robust than others, with Swiss Chalet as its biggest.

Gregson spoke of the recent brand renovation at The Queensway and Islington Avenue

Albert Adrià.

David Chang.

ing only five types of vegetables.

Patricio arranged for farmers to come from nearby France once a month for a market on private property of the beach expanding the varieties of vegetables available to the community and its chefs.

From there, the food culture began expanding on the street food side of the business and then Patricio delved into education on hops.

Now, there is a street food festival and a beer festival, where competitors gather together on the beach.

Chef Daniel Boulud encouraged collaboration between peers, staff, media, customers and suppliers. “The suppliers are our lifeboat—good cooking wouldn’t exist without them,” he noted.

Boulud added that he is looking forward to seeing what the new generation of chefs will continue to build.

Toronto’s Group of Seven Chefs spoke of the importance working together. “It’s so nice to be in a kitchen with different chefs,” said Bertrand Alépée, The Tempered Chef.

Chris Brown, Citizen Catering, said the group has accomplished a lot since 2010.

Brown said they might start incorporating an educational element into The Group of Seven Chefs’ repertoire and “show future chefs and future cooks the power of collaboration.”

He said it’s through this vehicle that chefs can build the industry and create better food.

“Our goal is to unite the world,” he added.

Industry snapshot at restaurant summit TORONTO—The Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit (CRIS) brought together some of the restaurant industry’s top executives to network and discuss opportunities for growth on May 7 at the Eaton Chelsea in Toronto.

PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Daniel Boulud.

Awards of excellence The third annual GE Monogram Terroir Awards of Excellence in Hospitality Awards were chosen by industry peers and awarded during the symposium. Calgary’s River Café picked up two awards with proprietor Sal Howell and chef Andrew Winfield (pictured above) named Best Restaurateur in Canada and Outstanding Chef, respectively.

Kristin and Dan Donovan, of Hooked in Toronto, received the inaugural OceanWise Award for Advocacy in Sustainable Seafood.

Outstanding Service Professional went to Guy Rawlings of Bar Isabel in Toronto.

Jonathan Forbes of Toronto-based Forbes Wild Foods was named Outstanding Supplier.

From left: Fairfax president Paul Rivett, Cara CEO and president Bill Gregson and moderator Amanda Lang.

location—it created a “wow” factor, but cost $1.5 million do so.

“The challenge is creating that ‘wow’ at a price the franchisee can afford.

For us, that’s about $300,000,” said Gregson.

Rivett said Fairfax’s plan is to go with an IPO. “I think we’ll like to see ourselves as a Fairfax restaurant company,” he said. “We’d love to do additional investments.”

Real estate People are putting too much of an emphasis on increasing interest rates, said Hutcheson during the second panel. “It’s going to be measured, incremental bumps,” he said.

Senst said the Canadian real estate landscape should be fairly positive.

With urban and suburban markets seeing gains, Senst said the market is going to see landlords trying “pull great concepts in as amenities.”

Senst suggested restaurateurs start thinking about space in 20 to 30-year-old buildings as good real estate locations because people are going to be vying for the commercial openings in new condo developments. “The old building will be crying out for restaurants,” he said.

Fast casual With a seven per cent revenue increase and

traffic up nine per cent, GE Capital Canada chief operating officer Peter Ringler noted that fast casual appears to be the hot sector.

“Fast casual seems to be much further along in the [U.S.],” said Warren Solochek, NPD Group vice-president. He said if the segment follows the same path in Canada as in the U.S., “don’t take your eye off it.”

He describes fast casual as having an average ticket of between $2 and $2.50 higher than QSR and, while traditional quick service focuses on speed of service, that falls to number three on the priority list of a fast casual concept behind food quality and guest experience.

Alex Rechichi, Crave It Restaurant Group CEO, said the fast casual segment is beginning to break out into two tiers: those focused on customization and those that feature a chefdriven menu.

Over the past eight years, 17,000 fast casual units opened in the U.S. Five Star North America COO Darven Erickson said there will be more concepts entering the segment as popularity grows. “We welcome the competition but there will be a shakedown,” said Erickson.

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Quesada plans to double locations TORONTO—Following the opening of two new franchises, Quesada announced plans to double growth within a year.

The four-year-old company recently launched two Ontario locations with another 10 locations currently under construction nationally.

By July, the burrito company will have 35 national locations and plans to continue doubling its franchise numbers annually.

“The two big limitations are finding quality franchisees and finding quality real estate,” Quesada president Tom O’Neill told PRN.

Currently, Quesada has eight area developers who are contracted to open 240 locations. O’Neill said within the year, the company will have a developer for the Atlantic provinces which would position the company from coast to coast.

The company is also looking for an area developer in Manitoba.

Each location is roughly 1,200 square feet with 20 to 30 seats, however, O’Neill points out the footprint is dependent on cost. “We don’t want our franchisees choking on rent,” he said.

While the company is not yet large enough to consider national advertising, O’Neill said Quesada has hired on Field Day Inc. as the company’s official advertising agency and will focus on regional marketing.

According to O’Neill, Field Day Inc., produced a study on how consumers perceived the brand.

“The perception of our brand is that it’s very affordable and that our product quality is very high,” O’Neill said, pointing to several products prepared in-house including the company’s salsa and seasoned meats.

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A new direction for Nando’s Canada

Nando’s revamped Calgary location.

MISSISSAUGA, ON—South African chicken restaurant Nando’s Canada is taking on the fast casual market with a rebranded look that reflects the chain’s intentions across Canada.

Two locations piloting the look include a revamped Toronto location on Bay Street and a site in Calgary on 32 Ave. NE, both of which were unveiled this year.

The company also recently moved its headquarters from Richmond, BC, to a new site opening in Mississauga in July to signal its focus on central Canada.

“It was a strategic decision to concentrate growth in Alberta and Ontario,” said Ron Cecillon, president and chief executive officer of Nando’s Flame Grilled Chicken Canada, to PRN. “Our concentration had been on the West Coast and we thought Ontario is such a great growth vehicle for us.”

Part of the rebranding reflects the decision three years ago to change Nando’s in Canada from a master franchise agreement and allow founders and shareholders to buy back the rights, Cecillon said.

Although the brand has been in Canada for almost two decades, the changes are targeting a different demographic and business model. “For the first 18 to 20 years in Canada, Nando’s was playing in an expensive fast food market,” said Cecillon, a former vice-president of operations with Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s. “With the traditional South African model of very high-end takeaway and low guest engagement, because we were selling chicken, pricing wasn’t congruent with our competitors.”

This disconnect led to a global decision to migrate the majority of Nando’s units to the full fast casual model. “We were cheap and cheerful, and wanted to get into market with the least investment, which at the time, was right for the brand as it was 100 per cent franchised,” said Cecillon.

The chain will use a blended model moving forward, with the next four or five sites being company owned.

Nando’s current plans involve moving from a footprint of 1,500 to 1,900 square feet to 2,800 to 3,500 square feet, creating more of a dining experience than takeout. “Ideally, people dining at a QSR would trade up, and people dining mid level would feel comfortable rounding down,” he said.

Working with local artists in Africa for fabrics and paintings, and farmers in Mozambique and Malawi, base and table sauces, as well as the art on the walls, will reflect the brand’s South African heritage.

The flagship Bay Street Toronto location, at 4,600 square feet and 160 seats, reflects the direction of the design for all existing Nando’s restaurants in Canada in the next three years, said Cecillon. In Calgary, the chain spent “over six figures” on the renovation of the 3,000-square-foot, 92-seat space, he said. With open kitchens, wood and leather furniture, all touchpoints will be reimagined for the larger footprints.

“We’re a chain that doesn’t want to look like a chain,” he said. “When you visit the new Nando’s, you don’t expect the type of fixtures that you see when you’re paying a $14 average check.” Every restaurant will be designed differently moving forward, with artwork unique to each location. An Etobicoke, ON, location will be opened by early fall, with a second one to follow in Toronto later this year, said Cecillon. Another three units will open in the province and one in southeast Calgary in 2015.

“What we’d like to do in the next five years is double our locations to get us to 60 locations across Canada,” he said.

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PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

hen it comes to trends, it’s easy for the operator to succumb to information overload. Although some themes such as local eating, consumer awareness of ingredients and sustainability are starting to emerge year after year, trends often move quickly in today’s market, driven by factors such as increasingly engaged customers and social media.

“The restaurant industry is the research and development sector for trends,” says Garth Whyte, president and chief executive officer of Restaurants Canada. “We’re the ones that drive excitement to the consumer. But it’s not just a push, but also a pull: trends reflect consumer demand as well.”

Staying on top of trends can be a balancing act for the operator: ensuring new customers are attracted by an up-to-date menu, while staying true to the restaurant’s identity and existing clientele. “You have to move from your strengths and know your customers,” warns Whyte. “Trying to do everything is no longer what people want. You don’t have to throw out the whole menu.”

Whether you’re ready to take the plunge into the trend pool, or just want to test the waters, PRN takes a look at how operators are finding success with four of this year’s top trends.

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By Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News staff

GLUTEN FREEDOM Olymel corporate chef Marc Laroche says restaurants are realizing they ought to be ready for requests for gluten-free menu items.

According to Laroche, it is bit of a challenge for some restaurants— not due to a lack of available gluten-free products—but because logistically it can be difficult to make separate prep and cooking areas to avoid cross-contamination.

“But they understand that they have to go that way because, even if it’s one per cent of the population that is gluten-free, it affects the whole family around those people,” Laroche told PRN. Laroche says gluten is very volatile and even small particles can be left inside deep fryers which results in some restaurants looking for gluten-free products that can be baked instead.

At Olymel, Laroche says the company has more than 130 gluten-free items and has produced a brochure outlining how operators should handle gluten-free products.

“It’s all about training your staff,” Laroche says. Managers, servers and kitchen staff must be aware of how easily gluten can be transmitted, he says.

Olymel produces its gluten-free items first thing in the morning to avoid cross contamination with other products, Laroche says.

While people who suffer from celiac disease must remove gluten from their diets, Laroche says some people are avoiding gluten as a way to lose weight.

In Toronto, the inaugural Gluten Freedom Week in Toronto was launched as a showcase of gluten-

THINKING LOCALLY Making connections with local producers starts with getting out in the community.

John-David Jacobsen, executive chef at the Kitchener, ON, Borealis Grille & Bar, visits farmers’ markets, farms and local abattoirs and butchers. During the winter, The Neighbourhood Group, which also operates a Guelph location and The Woolwich Arrow, uses the Ontario greenhouse program.

Jacobsen says the pictures of producers that hang in the bar help

share the story about where the food comes from.

Borealis Grille & Bar group leader Court Desautels says there are a number of reasons to support local food, including its positive impact on the local economy.

“At the three restaurants, we serve about 7,000 people a week; that’s a lot of food,” says Desautels.

As the restaurant group grew, it maintained its local mandate by adjusting the menu so there wasn’t too much of one ingredient, being less

free meals in the city.

The event saw 20 restaurants across the city offer a three-course gluten-free meal at a set price, modelled after Summerlicious and Winterlicious.

“I wanted to create an event that I could attend and that others in my situation could also enjoy, where you could dine out and enjoy a three-course meal from a variety of cuisines,” co-ordinator and founder Rachael Hunt says. She says she developed a gluten allergy two years ago and decided to seek out gluten-free options in the city.

Hunt says restaurants have been very receptive and recognize there is a gluten-free trend.

Hunt is currently working to organize another Toronto event in November and expand the project to other Canadian cities. specific about the types of vegetables, and allowing for more chef’s features and market soups and salads.

Andrew Aitken is the chef at Wild Caraway Restaurant & Cafe, a 45seat restaurant in Advocate Habour, NS, on the Bay of Fundy.

“We have a mandate to use as much local produce as we can,” says Aitken, who with partner Sarah Griebel, forages and grows herbs and vegetables on the property.

“Obviously, we can’t grow everything we use. You would need a full farm to support a restaurant of our size,” he says, adding they keep the radius for sourcing as tight as pos-

Olymel corporate chef Marc Laroche.

sible, but local food has to meet a certain quality standard as well.

They grow a wide variety of herbs and focus on specialty vegetables that aren’t easy to find in the area, such as different types of radishes, heritage carrots and various beets.

“We need to change the menu every two weeks, so we try to grow enough of one thing so it’s a highlight on the menu for two weeks,” Aitken says.

Aitken says it’s important to the customers and the people in the fishing village community that they serve local food.

Desautels suggests a restaurateur

who wants to start implementing local food on the menu should start by going to a farmers’ market.

“Ask questions, that’s a big one, because it’s amazing how many fronts there are,” he says.

Aitken also warns of farmers’ markets being fraught with people bringing in items from elsewhere, but notes it’s easy to tell when someone has a passion for the product.

“Then find out what their supply is like,” says Desautels.

He suggests starting with locally sourced feature items, such as one appetizer, main and dessert, to learn about the process of sourcing locally.

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GREENER RESTAURANTS If a restaurant is going to be sustainable in its food sourcing, it’s counterproductive for this not to extend to internal operations, says Paul McGreevy, corporate chef for CRAFT Beer Market, which has had two of its three locations certified by Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF). The Edmonton location is undergoing its audit process.

McGreevy says sustainable operations are a part of the company’s

philosophy. “It shows that you’re not just open for business, but you care about the community you’re in,” he says.

LEAF certification requires an onsite environmental audit by a local consultant, which includes inspection of the lighting and water fixtures, equipment, food and supplies: “absolutely everything that goes on within the functioning of the restaurant,” says LEAF president Janine Windsor, adding the certification re-

LEARNING TO SHARE Four years ago, Michelle LeBlanc, chef and co-owner of Chinched in St. John’s, started serving charcuterie. At the time, she says, there weren’t many serving it in St. John’s, so they approached it in a very mild way.

“Our charcuterie board certainly has evolved tremendously since we first opened,” LeBlanc says.

Chinched started with terrines and chicken liver and country pâtés to introduce the different food items and provide exposure to charcuterie in general. As staff and customers got more comfortable, she says, the charcuterie boards became much more adventurous. LeBlanc says the kitchen spent a lot of time researching traditional methods and different curing techniques and began producing dry-cured items such as prosciutto.

“Now people know us for doing charcuterie and having a variety of fresh items,” LeBlanc says.

Moose, beef and seal along with many pork items are often available. LeBlanc says it is important to her to use local meat and use the entire animal—from nose to tail—“to treat it with the respect it deserves.”

While charcuterie is popular with customers, she says convincing them to try sharing platters is a bit more of a challenge.

“It’s hard to convince people to eat like that,” LeBlanc says, indicating people are familiar with Chinched charcuterie board. the popular Photo by Tim Corbett. appetizer, entrée and dessert progression of a meal.

This past winter, Chinched introduced a seasonal dinner for two designed for a couple to share and restructured the menu to be appetizer-heavy so there are several items ideal for sharing.

“It is certainly catching on and people are more receptive to it,” LeBlanc says. “It’s more of a connection to the food.”

According to LeBlanc, sharing smaller portions is perfect for tourists visiting St. John’s.

“We have lots of people who are here only for a day or two and they want to try several things on the menu and it gives a better overview of our food style,” she says.

LeBlanc says she looks forward to a time when the entire menu is made up of one-sized plates, perfect for sharing as a multi-course meal, but notes the price must match the portion. The goal, says LeBlanc, is for people to enjoy and feel full, and to ensure that guest are not “feeling ripped off.”

quires the restaurant to prohibit the use of Styrofoam.

Since the organization launched in 2009, about 50 restaurants have achieved the designation. This year, 11 restaurants were certified by June.

“Each year, we’re getting more and more interest, and it’s modest, yet steady growth that we’re pleased with,” said Windsor.

“I think there used to be this conception that it always costs money to do anything that is green or environmentally friendly and it’s actually not true. Whenever you’re doing

things to reduce your energy, reduce your water, reduce your food waste, that’s actually putting money in your pocket,” Windsor says.

“Checking for leaks is a simple thing that you can do to make sure that you’re not wasting water,” she advises.

Other low cost starting points are adding low flow faucet aerators, setting up a lighting policy and determining a start up and shut down schedule for equipment.

McGreevy says waste management at the three locations is dif-

| 11 ferent depending on municipal services. In Calgary, a third-party waste management company picks up waste items that are sorted by staff.

“Whereas, in Edmonton, [the city] sorts it for you,” he says.

McGreevy says waste reduction is becoming prevalent in the industry and in restaurant practices— CRAFT gets its deliveries in reusable containers and uses energy efficient equipment.

“The choices are becoming more and more abundant,” says McGreevy.

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BeverageNews A REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Black Hills opens Vineyard Kitchen Bringing

Best Bar None to B.C.

Vineyard Kitchen.

OLIVER, BC—Black Hills Estate Winery has announced it will join forces with Joy Road catering to open Vineyard Kitchen onsite.

The kitchen will provide foodservice for the winery’s tasting room called the Wine Experience Centre and will begin serving food on June 19.

Black Hills president Glenn Fawcett said the union came as a result of a six-week trial period last summer, which paired wood-fired pizza with the estate’s wine.

“It was just a natural thing,” Fawcett told PRN. “[Joy Road] wanted to grow their business. They wanted a permanent facility and we wanted someone who could really do the food aspect well, so we could focus on what we do best, which is making wine.”

The Wine Experience Centre was built in 2012 and has 26 seats inside, a 75-seat patio and a 25-seat cabana near the winery’s pool.

According to Fawcett, Joy Road will focus on what they call “cuisine du terroir,” working closely with regional farmers and use fresh, inseason ingredients.

“This new partnership with Black Hills enables us to continue [our] catering business while growing a daily food service operation in one specific location,” Joy Road co-owner Dana Ewart said in a statement.

Fawcett said Black Hills, founded in 1999, built a tasting room in response to the rapid increase of tourism in the region. He said, five years ago, most visitors were staying in Penticton or Kelowna, but hotels being built in near-

by Osoyoos provided the infrastructure to cater to people visiting the southern portion of the Okanagan Valley.

“It could also be that the Western Canadian consumer is now getting more interested in the food and wine pairing,” Fawcett said. “We are certainly getting a lot more people showing interest in the wine and culinary experience.”

Although the bulk of visitors to the winery are between the ages of 35 and 65, he said millenials are also attracted to the winery in an interesting way.

“We’re finding an increasing number of people in the 25 to 35 area that get dressed to the nines and do winery tours,” Fawcett said.

Black Hills produces about 10,000 cases of wine annually with hand-picked grapes.

VANCOUVER—British licensing lawyer Nick Landells and B.C. hospitality veteran Vance Campbell are working to launch the Best Bar None (BBN) program in British Columbia communities.

Originating in Britain more than a decade ago, BBN programs are being used in Alberta and Ontario.

The voluntary program is intended to promote the safety of patrons and communities by encouraging liquor licensed establishments to meet BBN criteria to receive accreditation. “If you want be seen as a wellrun, safe establishment, here’s the blueprint,” Landells told PRN. Landells worked with a licensing firm in Britain, which helped BBN schemes get up and running in communities and operators to get establishments in line with compliance.

The pair has met with the Surrey and Burnaby boards of trade and is working on getting communities and sponsors on board with the voluntary compliance program.

“It’s really accepted as being the standard to achieve compliance and raised standards within liquor establishments within the United Kingdom,” said Landells.

He said criteria for accreditation can vary depending on the community and between categories of establishment in order to be as inclusive as possible. For example, a restaurant would have to meet different criteria from a nightclub “so you’re not comparing apples and pears,” said Landells, noting that criteria wouldn’t require a restaurant to have security on hand but it might require a nightclub to have these precautions.

He said BBN encourages operators to look at their establishments and raise standards across the board, while tapping into the natural competitive nature of bar operators, which is why the program succeeds as voluntary.

“Everybody gains by the people running these establishments improving their operations,” said Landells.

Campbell is currently associate vicepresident at Arthur Griffiths and Associates, where he manages the liquor portfolio on behalf of clients.

“With the recent recommendations accepted by our provincial government stemming out of Parliamentary Secretary John Yap’s Liquor review, I believe it is timely for municipalities and perhaps the province to have a meaningful conversation around the implications of the perceived levelling of the playing field with respect to liquor rules in the province’s licensed premises,” said Campbell in an email.

Landells called Yap’s report “timely, thoughtful, innovative” and in line with other jurisdictions, but suggested municipal and provincial governments might welcome industry support as a partner in promoting best practices for the operation of licensed premises.

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TOP 50 CHAINS

2014 Report

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Top 10 Unit Increases nationally

he list, right, showing unit changes during the past year, tells an interesting story. Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd. and Tim Hortons led the pack. Subway grew by 140 stores in 2012, and then added 213 more this past year. Tim Hortons added 145 stores in 2012, and 142 last year. The surprise is number three on the list—Menchies Frozen Yogurt had just 19 units reported last year, but at press time, the self-serve pay-by-weight frozen yogurt chain listed 84 locations on its website, with 20 more planned, mainly in Ontario and Western Canada.

Chains on the rise in Western Canada include Carl’s Jr., which has increased from one to nine stores this year. Brown’s Socialhouse now has 30 locations with plans to open 10 more this year. Famoso Pizza has four new stores in Alberta and two in BC for a total of 23. Mid-size coffee chains seem to be doing well, with Good Earth Cafes Ltd., Robin’s and Waves Coffee all adding units. Original Joe’s has added seven new restaurants this year—five in Alberta and one each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba—for a total of 54.

Kelsey’s has only its Fernie, BC eatery remaining in the West; last year they reported five Western stores. De Dutch Pannekoek House has closed three stores—Langley, Richmond and Victoria—and now has 19 in total.

Triple O Burgers, a division of White Spot, grew from $47 million to $57 million in sales in one year, although they added only a single unit for a total of 53.

Please email any changes to data for our online listings or next year’s report to lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com, subject line: Chains Report 2014 changes.

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Units 2014

Units 2013

Change

Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd.

3063

2850

213

Tim Hortons (TDL Group)

3578

3436

142

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt

84

19

65

Starbucks Coffee Co.

940

877

63

Dairy Queen Canada

643

583

60

Booster Juice

308

261

47

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

802

773

29

Pita Pit

182

156

26

Pizza Pizza Limited

629

605

24

Pizza Hut Canada (Yum! Brands Inc.)**

345

324

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TOP RESTAURANT CHAINS BY CATEGORY TOP 10 BURGER Chains, PACIFIC/PRAIRIE sales 2014

sales 2013

($ millions)

($ millions)

Units 2014

Units 2013

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.*

1290.00

1290.00

483

483

2

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

540.90

524.50

432

428

3

3

Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc.

203.00

203.05

129

129

4

4

White Spot Limited

166.00

150.00

64

64

5

5

Burger King Restaurants of Canada Inc.**

85.00

116.04

85

86

6

6

Triple O Burgers (White Spot)

57.00

47.00

53

52

7

7

Fatburger-Frankie's Burger Enterprises (Ricky’s)

18.50

15.50

37

31

8

8

Harvey's (Cara)

15.00

15.00

22

22

9

9

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

13.00

12.00

26

24

10

NR

Vera's Burger Shack

8.50

7.50

17

15

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

1

1

2

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Photo by Caro Leite.

TOP 10 CHICKEN Chains, PACIFIC/PRAIRIE sales 2014

sales 2013

($ millions)

($ millions)

Units 2014

Units 2013

KFC Canada (Yum! Brands Inc.)

275.00

226.98

275

236

5

Swiss Chalet (Cara)

69.00

69.00

40

40

3

8

Nando's Flame Grilled Chicken

21.00

14.00

21

21

4

6

Chicken Chef Canada Ltd.

16.00

16.50

32

33

5

9

Mary Brown's Inc.

15.60

8.00

21

14

6

7

Chicken Delight

10.50

1.60

21

19

7

10

Church's International (Cajun Operating Company)

6.50

7.60

13

15

8

N/A

Buffalo Wild Wings

5.00

2.50

2

1

9

N/A

Wild Wing Corp.

4.50

3.50

9

7

10

N/A

Chicken on the Way

2.50

2.50

5

5

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

1

2

2

name

Photo by Roger Kirby.

* Numbers from previous year. Did not respond this year.

Note: Some sales figures are estimates.**

www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com

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TOP RESTAURANT CHAINS BY CATEGORY continued TOP 10 pizza Chains, PACIFIC/PRAIRIE UnitS 2014

UnitS 2013

527.21

203

194

140.00

129.25

145

135

Panago Pizza Inc.

122.00

122.25

163

166

4

Pizza 73 Inc.

82.70

78.80

89

89

5

5

Domino's Pizza

64.50

64.51

128

128

6

6

Papa John's

57.00

54.15

57

57

7

7

Little Caesar of Canada Inc.

46.50

46.50

93

93

8

9

Fresh Slice Pizza

25.50

30.00

51

60

9

10

Pizza Pizza Limited

20.13

20.60

31

31

10

N/A

Western Pizza Express

14.00

14.30

19

22

name

SaleS 2014

SaleS 2013

($ millionS)

($ millionS)

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

1

1

Boston Pizza International Inc.

551.00

2

2

Pizza Hut Canada (Yum! Brands Inc.)**

3

3

4

TOP 10 Sub /sandwich Chains, PACIFIC/PRAIRIE SaleS 2014

SaleS 2013

($ millionS)

($ millionS)

UnitS 2014

UnitS 2013

Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd.

545.87

540.63

1045

963

2

Quiznos Canada Restaurant Corp

91.00

99.12

182

200

3

4

Arby's of Canada

38.23

50.40

49

59

4

5

Extreme Pita (MTY Group)

33.00

33.11

85

85

5

6

MR. SUB (MTY Group)**

25.50

28.00

51

56

6

7

Sandwich Tree (Rest-Con Management Systems Ltd.)

7.00

7.00

14

14

7

8

Badass Jack's Subs & Wraps Co. Ltd.

6.50

6.00

13

12

8

9

Cultures (MTY Group)

4.50

4.50

9

9

9

10

Great Canadian Bagel, Ltd., The

2.50

3.76

5

6

10

N/A

Country Style Food Services Inc. (MTY Group)*

2.00

2.00

4

4

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

1

1

2

name

Photo by Daniel Duchon.

TOP 10 Coffee/pastrY Chains, PACIFIC/PRAIRIE

Photo by Eziquel Boita.

SaleS 2014

SaleS 2013

($ millionS)

($ millionS)

UnitS 2014

UnitS 2013

Tim Hortons (TDL Group)

1462.17

1368.56

853

796

3

Starbucks Coffee Co.

503.00

469.00

503

469

3

4

Second Cup Ltd.

50.63

53.60

96

104

4

5

Blenz The Canadian Coffee Company Ltd.

31.50

31.50

63

63

5

N/A

Bean Around The World Coffees

24.00

24.00

24

24

6

6

Good Earth Cafes Ltd.

22.50

18.50

45

37

7

9

Robin's (Chairman's Brand Corp)

19.50

13.50

39

27

8

8

Waves Coffee

19.50

14.50

39

29

9

7

Esquires Coffee House

17.00

15.00

17

17

10

10

Serious Coffee

13.50

13.00

27

26

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Rank 2013

1

1

2

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PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

SaleS 2014

SaleS 2013

($ millionS)

($ millionS)

UnitS 2014

UnitS 2013

Tim Hortons (TDL Group)

1462.17

1368.56

853

796

2

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.*

1290.00

1290.00

483

483

3

4

Boston Pizza International Inc.

551.00

527.21

203

194

4

3

Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd.

545.87

540.63

1045

963

5

5

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

540.90

524.50

432

428

6

6

Starbucks Coffee Co.*

503.00

469.00

503

469

7

7

KFC Canada (Yum! Brands Inc.)

275.00

226.98

275

236

8

8

Keg Restaurants Ltd.

209.00

208.82

43

44

9

9

Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc.

203.00

203.05

129

129

10

10

White Spot Limited

166.00

147.00

64

64

11

12

Dairy Queen Canada

164.50

142.00

329

284

12

11

Earl's Restaurants

159.00

144.00

53

55

13

13

Pizza Hut Canada (Yum! Brands Inc.)**

140.00

129.25

145

135

14

14

Panago Pizza Inc.

122.00

122.25

163

166

15

16

Cactus Restaurants Ltd.

116.60

116.60

25

24

16

15

Moxie's Restaurants L.P.* (NOR)

111.00

118.40

37

38

Opened Kitchener, Downtown Toronto and Montreal in the last 12 months. Closed Nanaimo.

17

18

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar (Franworks)

110.00

100.00

64

57

Seven new stores in 2013. Five in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba.

18

42

Smitty's Canada Ltd.

105.00

107.00

82

82

19

19

Quiznos Canada Restaurant Corp

91.00

99.12

182

200

20

22

Denny's of Canada Inc. (Dencan)

86.00

85.00

42

39

21

21

Montana's (Cara)

86.00

86.00

33

33

22

17

Burger King Restaurants of Canada Inc.**

85.00

116.04

85

86

23

23

Pizza 73 Inc.

82.70

78.80

89

89

24

24

Ricky's All Day Grill (Ricky’s)

80.00

78.60

71

66

Ricky's has a number of units currently under development.

25

25

Milestones (Cara)

73.50

71.00

21

22

Three new stores opened in Ontario in 2013 (Ottawa, Sudbury and Richmond Hill). One store closed in BC (Burnaby).

26

26

Swiss Chalet (Cara)

69.00

69.00

40

40

27

28

Booster Juice

67.20

60.64

168

154

The chain plans to open 34 new Canadian locations in 2014.

28

27

Domino's Pizza

64.50

64.51

128

128

Plan on opening 25 more units across Canada, specifically in Ontario and Western Canada.

29

30

Taco Time (MTY Group)

60.50

56.50

121

113

Plans to open five new units in Ontario, five new units in Western Canada.

30

38

Mr Mikes Steakhouse Casual (RAMMP)

60.00

45.00

24

22

Mr. Mikes newest location is Kitimat, BC.

31

29

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.

59.50

59.50

42

42

32

31

Papa John's

57.00

54.15

57

57

33

N/A

Triple O Burgers (White Spot)

57.00

47.00

53

52

34

33

Red Robin Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

52.00

52.00

18

18

35

35

Humpty's Family Restaurants

51.00

49.60

50

49

50th restaurant opened in Red Deer in 2013.

36

32

Second Cup Ltd.

50.63

53.60

96

104

Opened 15 new cafes, closed 19 and renovated 22 in 2013. They opened a net of four in the first quarter of 2014.

37

N/A

Brown's Socialhouse

49.00

27.00

30

15

Recently opened in Red Deer, Moose Jaw, Coquitlam and New Westminster. Plans to expand into Ontario.

38

37

Little Caesar of Canada Inc.

46.50

46.50

93

93

39

39

Edo International Food Inc.

44.50

44.50

89

89

40

36

Jugo Juice (MTY Group)

44.50

47.00

89

94

41

40

Joey's Only Franchising Ltd.

39.00

39.01

53

52

42

43

OPA! of Greece

39.00

35.50

78

71

43

31

Arby's of Canada

38.23

50.40

49

59

44

N/A

Ric's Grill

38.00

36.00

19

18

45

41

Orange Julius (Dairy Queen Canada Inc.)

37.00

37.00

74

74

46

N/A

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt

36.00

5.00

36

5

47

47

Old Spaghetti Factory Canada Ltd.

34.00

32.50

13

12

48

44

ABC Country Restaurants Inc.

33.00

35.00

28

30

49

N/A

Extreme Pita (MTY-Extreme Brandz)

33.00

33.11

85

85

50

48

Blenz The Canadian Coffee Company Ltd.

31.50

31.50

63

63

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

1

1

2

name

* Numbers from previous year. Did not respond this year.

Note: Some sales figures are estimates.**

expanSion noteS

New Canadian units planned for 2014: 140-160. 168 new Canadian stores in 2013. Another 16 were closed.

Twelve stores added in 2013. Six in the West, four in Ontario and two in Quebec.

Starbucks opened 69 stores and closed three across Canada in 2013.

Location on Thurlow St in Vancouver has closed. A new location to replace it is opening in the summer of 2014. A third location in Quebec (Point Claire) has opened.

Red Deer and the Winnipeg/Pembina Highway locations have closed in the last year.

Panago's current development focus is Eastern/Atlantic Canada with 16 Ontario stores now open along with two stores now open in Fredericton, NB.

Three Ontario locations were closed in 2013— Ottawa, Sarnia and Windsor.

Plan to open more units in Western Canada.

Closed six stores in Ontario, opened seven in Alberta in 2013.

www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com

J U N E 2 014

S U P P LY L I N E S

Helping B.C. chefs source local beef

Beef photos courtesy of BC Association of Abattoirs.

VANCOUVER—The BC Association of Abattoirs recently launched an online ordering tool intended to serve a growing demand for local meat. BC Beef Network is a website that connects British Columbia chefs with local producers and processors of Certified BC Beef.

It officially launched at the BC Association of Chefs’ mini food show on April 15 in Burnaby, BC. At www.bcbeefnet.ca, chefs can browse producer profiles including the story of how their beef was raised—whether the cattle grazed in the Comox Valley or in the foothills of the Cariboo Mountains. The profiles also break down pricing and production schedules.

Certified BC Beef is processed from cattle that are born, raised, finished and processed in British Columbia—none leave the province at any stage.

Three executive chefs piloted BCBeefNet: Chris Hammer, executive chef, Royal Colwood

Golf Course, Victoria, BC; Mike Swann, executive chef, The Plaza Hotel, Kamloops, BC; and Brian Fetterly, executive chef at Best Western Vernon Lodge & Conference Centre in Vernon, BC. “I think, not only is BCBeefNet good for sustainability, but it’s also nice to be able to support our local economy here on [Vancouver Island] and know that the money is going back into our community,” Hammer said in a release.

“Like most chefs I spend most of my time in the kitchen not in front of a computer, so BCBeefNet’s ease of use was fantastic,” said Swann. “I can choose how I want my beef cut and how I want it sent to me.”

BC Beef Network was developed with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the province’s Ministry of Agriculture through the Canada-BC Ranching Task Force Funding Initiative.

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| 17

PED sees pork prices soar TORONTO—Pork prices have risen “dramatically” over the past two months as a direct result of the PED Virus, according to an industry expert.

“It seems to have taken a breather and prices seem to have eased back over the last three weeks,” Kevin Grier, senior market analyst for the George Morris Centre told PRN in late April, adding that “prices have come up dramatically in the last two months,” overall.

Grier said prices were firm going into 2014 and he thought restaurants and retailers were going to be buying a lot of pork.

In January, the first cases of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus were reported in Ontario.

“The primary reason [for the price increase] is this pig disease,” Grier said.

PED virus poses no risk to human health but is usually fatal for young piglets. The dis-

ease is significantly reducing the number of hogs slaughtered, driving prices higher.

According to the Globe and Mail, PED virus killed about 6 per cent of the U.S. pig population since being discovered a year ago. In Canada, the virus has spread through contact with feces in Quebec, Manitoba and P.E.I. but has largely been concentrated in Ontario where 35 farms have reported cases.

According to the CBC, exposed sows can develop immunity to the virus and pass it on to their offspring, which could bring an end to the epidemic.

As for putting bacon on the menu, Grier said, “The wildcard is we really don’t know what the summer will have in store for us.”

Grier said restaurateurs can also “look forward to a long-term trend of high beef prices,” because farmers will hold back female cattle for reproduction, bringing fewer heads to market.

Quebec cheese takes tops at Canadian Cheese Awards TORONTO—The inaugural Canadian Cheese Awards winners were announced in April in Toronto. Fromagerie FX Pichet’s Le Baluchon, made in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, QC, took home the top prize of Cheese of the Year. The awards will be held every two years rotating between Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Georgs Kolesnikovs, founder of the annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Prince Edward County, ON, launched the awards to celebrate natural and artisanal cheese made from cow, sheep, goat and water buffalo milk.

Seventy-six producers from across Canada submitted entrees, which were evaluated by eleven judges in a blind tasting.

Best British Columbia Cheese went to Farm House Traditional Clothbound Cheddar by The Farm House Natural Cheeses in Agassiz, BC. Sylvan Star Cheese’s Natural Smoked Gouda in Red Deer, AB, won Best Alberta Cheese.

Kolesnikovs said the positive response has been very gratifying. “The Canadian Cheese Awards obviously was an idea whose time had come,” he said in an email. “When we announced the awards on Jan. 7, we expected perhaps 100 cheeses entered in the competition ... By the time entries closed at the end of February, with 291 cheeses entered, the inaugural event had become Canada’s biggest cheese competition ever.”

The Marketplace

PE OPLE

Justin Leboe.

Chef Justin Leboe and Calgary restaurant and hospitality company, Concorde Group, announced a joint partnership in late April to create a new collection of independent restaurants.

Leboe will serve as president of the new company, overseeing day-to-day operations and the culinary direction of the portfolio, and will work with Concorde Group’s Victor Choy and Brad Morrison.

Initially, the company’s portfolio will include Model Milk restaurant and its new “private dining room experience” (PDR) slated to open this fall, as well as the group’s first new concept, Pigeonhole, scheduled to launch in Calgary this winter.

Further details on PDR and Pigeonhole are not available until this summer.

The company will operate independently of Concorde Group.

Franchise development professional Jeff Young joined Ricky’s All Day Grill and Fatburger.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeff to the team and know that he will be an asset for us as we unfold our plans for expansion in current and new

Jeff Young.

Mirella Amato.

Danny Smiles.

markets,” Frank Di Benedetto, chief executive officer of the Ricky’s chain and Frankie’s Burger Enterprises, and the Fatburger franchisor for Canada, said in a release. “Jeff has a proven track record for developing and expanding retail and quick service/fast casual restaurant brands throughout Canada.”

Young will spearhead new franchise development opportunities in Eastern Canada for Ricky’s restaurant options that include the original Ricky’s All Day Grill, a full Ricky’s with an RG’s Lounge, a limited edition Ricky’s hotel concept, and the newest iteration, Ricky’s Café, a new breakfast and lunch concept.

He will also direct franchisee expansion efforts for new co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express restaurants in Canada, including select locations that will feature Marble Slab Creamery counters to increase daypart sales. The chain is now approaching 45 locations in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The first location in Ontario opened in late May. Young was previously vice-president of development for the OPA! Souvlaki Franchise Group in Toronto.

He has also served at as vice-president of franchise development for Country Style Food Services and held the same title with Quiznos Canada.

12-kilogram hopper load and a 370watt motor. The chip size can be adjusted by changing the blade and the overall machine is easy to clean. According to the company, the chipper can process 25 kilograms of potatoes in less than a minute. The peeler has a 25-kilogram capacity and can process 600 kilograms an hour. For more information visit: www.hopkinspei. com.

offers breakfast consumer’s convenience value, nutrition and variety.

For more information: www.olymelsolutions.com.

Danny Smiles is representing Canada at the 2014 S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup held in Venice, Italy on June 13 and 14.

The two-day event includes a signature dish competition with 10 chefs preparing dishes in the galley of a sailboat while crews race to make the best course times.

This is the first time a Canadian has competed in the event in its 14year history.

The chef de cuisine at Montreal’s Le Bremner called the event a unique cooking challenge.

“Creating a winning dish in a sailboat galley while it’s racing around a course in the Venetian lagoon is hard to imagine. But I’m definitely up for it and honoured S. Pellegrino selected me to compete as its first Canadian competitor,” Smiles said in a release.

Mirella Amato recently published Beerology, a book aimed at understanding the world of beer.

The Toronto resident is a na-

tional level Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) judge and has sat on juries for the Canadian Brewing Awards, the Great American Beer Festival, the European Beer Star and the World Beer Cup. She also provides staff training and consulting to pubs, restaurants and breweries.

Beerology covers tips for beer storage and cellaring and breaks down beer styles into four categories coverng the history and origin of specific brews and brands that exemplify each type. It also covers beer cocktails and pairing brews with food.

“There is a beer for every mood, food and occasion. And, with the growing number of beer festivals popping up worldwide, beer is finally getting the attention it deserves,” states a release.

Since 2007, Amato has dedicated herself to promoting local beer and beer appreciation and was the first non-U.S. resident to earn the title master cicerone.

Starbucks recently announced new leaders for two key positions.

Starbucks Canada executive vicepresident and president Annie Young-Scrivner has been named ex-

Annie Young-Scrivner.

ecutive vice-president and president, Teavana. Nine-year retail operations executive and employee resources senior vice-president Rossann Williams has been appointed senior vicepresident and president, Starbucks Canada. Teavana founder and chief executive officer Andy Mack, having helped with the integration of Teavana with Starbucks, has decided to retire from the company.

Yum! Brands, Inc. announced in May that its chairman and chief executive officer David Novak will become the company’s executive chairman in January, at which time Greg Creed will take on the role of CEO and join the board of directors.

Novak has served as CEO since 1999, building a global restaurant company with more than 40,000 restaurants in 125 countries.

Until Jan. 1, Creed will continue to serve in his current role as CEO of Taco Bell and work with Novak to develop the company’s 2015 operating plan.

The company named Brian Niccol, currently Taco Bell’s U.S. president, as the chain’s next CEO, filling the role to be vacated by Creed.

PrOductS Soup’s on Campbell’s has launched two new soups: the Korean Style BBQ Beef contains beef simmered in an Asian broth with rice, shitake mushrooms, spinach, garlic and green onions; and the Jumpin’ Jambalaya, which contains chicken, sausage, ham, longgrain rice, onions and green peppers in a tomato-infused chicken stock.

Both soups are marketed under the company’s Verve Soups line. For more information visit: www.campbellsfoodservice.ca.

For the spuds The HC1 Potato Chipper and the HP25/26 Potato Peeler by Hopkins PEI boast cutting prep time and producing little waste. The chipper has a

Gluten-free breaded chicken After four to five minutes in the fryer, and Olymel’s new gluten-free breaded chicken are ready for service. The puffed-rice breaded chicken come in strips or pieces. Olymel has also introduced a turkey sausage patty for use in breakfast sandwiches.

According to the company, the patty

Seagram coolers Brick Brewing Co. has launch several new coolers heading into the summer months. The Seagram 80 Mixed Berry is being toted by the company as having a third of the calories of leading coolers and is sweetened with stevia. The company also announced the release of Seagram Lemon Lime and Seagram Orange Mango, which will be distributed in a new 12-can mixer pack along with Seagram’s Iced Lemon Tea and Wildberry coolers.

For more information visit: www. brickbeer.com.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Campbell’s jambalaya and Korean beef soup. 2. Hopkins PEI potato peeler and chipper. 3. Olymel’s gluten-free chicken pieces.

4. Seagram’s coolers.

Profit from our expertise You may know us as the people behind the IÖGO brand. But the truth is, Ultima Foods has been making and selling yogurt for over 40 years in Canada. Maybe that’s why our food service team has a pretty good insight into your needs. It’s also why we never stop listening. If there’s any way we can help you improve your bottom line, we’re all ears.

1-800-363-9496 food.service@ultimayog.ca or visit us at iogo.ca

Maryse Leboeuf Mark Delany

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