Pacific Prairie Restaurant News - June 2013

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Fionn MacCool’s established 1996

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The trio transformed what MacFarlane called a “concrete shell” into a one-room, 83-seat, 2,300 square foot restaurant, including a mezzanine above the kitchen.

He said the additional thirty seats the mezzanine provides allowed them to have the menu they wanted and charge less per plate.

The average check is between $25 and $30, including an entrée and wine. Tuc’s entrées are under $20, with the excepFrom left: Roy Flemming, tion of a 12-ounce, James MacFarlane and Colin Ross.

30-day dry-aged, mushroom crusted, rib eye for $28. values surrounding restaurants, but Lunch items are under $13. different styles,” said MacFarlane.

MacFarlane pointed to several He said the idea to start a project strategies the group came up with to together came up casually about a keep the bill relatively low. Bottles of decade ago and in 2010, they started wine are marked up by 50 per cent putting together the concept and and serving Tuc’s four by-the-glass menu and scouting locations. options (two red and two white) on The Downtown Eastside has seen tap allowed them to eliminate spoila number of restaurants move into age and offset bottled wine costs with the area and anti-gentrification prothose savings. tests have been targeted at condo “What we really wanted was for projects and new businesses. people to be able to come and have “Gastown kind of picked us,” he a great dinner, have a bottle of wine, said. The walking and transit comhave a dinner party, essentially, and munity had the combination of high not leave a whole paycheck behind,” density and an identity that worked said MacFarlane. for Tuc’s concept, said MacFarlane.

The menu also reflects their goal “We knew there was a certain style of of keeping money in their customers’ restaurant we wanted to do and that bank accounts. Instead of using a filet meant we had to be choosey with lomignon, Flemming uses hanger steak cation as far as rent goes.” and puts time into the dish, braising

A new type of TUC shop

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By Kristen Smith, Assistant editor, digital content VANCOUVER—A trio of restaurant industry veterans pooled their varied talents to open Tuc Craft Kitchen at 60 West Cordova St. in late April.

The project has been in the works by Colin Ross, James MacFarlane and chef Roy Flemming for the past three years and in the back of their minds for quite a bit longer.

The owners met through stints with Milestones. MacFarlane and Ross currently co-own a franchise and Flemming, who worked in small, high-end Quebec restaurants such as Le Marin and Le Vieux Pêcheur, came to the company after moving west and working in the hotel industry.

“We realized we had similar core

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it for two hours in wine stock to create a bourguignon.

MacFarlane likens the experience to a dinner party at a friend’s home.

The food is great and challenges the palate, he said, but the ingredients aren’t the most expensive.

He said the kitchen is taking good, fresh, seasonal ingredients and putting a lot of effort and time into them to “make them really sing.”

Tuc’s philosophy is that it doesn’t need to be complicated to be great, said MacFarlane, who called the restaurant’s menu a classic, unpretentious approach to food and drink.

“What we really wanted to do is deliver something comfortable and at the same time stylish,” said Flemming. “As the seasons flow, the menu will flow with what’s available.”

He said they are aiming to get a brunch menu together for this month.

“The most important thing is that my family eats there, my friends eat there; I’m out in the dining room talking to everyone I serve,” said Flemming.

MacFarlane said the team, with the help of M Studio, aimed to create a comfortable, unique, warm and rustic room with industrial touches, which would align with Tuc’s style of food. “Almost all the tactile materials are reclaimed from somewhere locally,” said MacFarlane, who trekked around Vancouver with Ross to find light fixtures, design features, beer taps, and wall treatments such as an old galvanized tin roof.

The name is a nod to tucking in or a tuck shop, said MacFarlane, but they dropped the ‘k’ because “no matter what font we chose, it looked like an unsavoury word and we weren’t selling that.”

60 West Cordova St., Vancouver, (604) 559-8999, tucrestaurant.com, @tucrestaurant

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FAST CASUAL GROWTH SPEEDS UP

Photo by Tracey Kusiewicz.

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J U N E 2 013

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Photos by Glenn Cameron for the Canadian Badlands.

By Elaine Anselmi, assistant editor The Canadian Badlands in southeastern Alberta are rich with tales of the history of its people, places and things, and these stories are integral to a new eco-lodge development planned to open in 2015. The eco-lodge is situated on a ranch and former town site at the northern border of Dinosaur Provincial Park—a UNESCO world heritage site.

“There are four stories going on here,” said Deneen Allen, president of Pure North Canada, developer and owner/operator of the Badlands project to PRN. “There’s the most ancient—the paleontology. The next layer is the history, heritage and culture of the Blackfoot people. The next layer after that is the ranching and agricultural history of the area, and the fourth layer is a new way to experience the first three stories.”

The footprint of the planned project is approximately 30,000 square feet, containing a main lodge, a spa building, another outpost Allen refers to as the “expedition barn,” and 24 individual cabins that can house 48 people at full capacity.

Sustainable development projects are at the core of Pure North Canada and this is carried on throughout the Badlands project. While specifics such as foodservice for the resort are still in preliminary talks, Allen said they are looking into the best way to bring local and sustainable food and beverage into their program. “We’re starting to understand what’s available in the region and who the existing suppliers are. Also, what kinds of suppliers we can incubate and support in terms of small business development,” said Allen. “We are quite optimistic and excited about some of the economic spinoffs.

“This has taken six years to get to this point,”

said Allen. “It’s all finally coming together.” A key aspect of the project has been local support and a partnership with Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canadian Badlands Limited – a not-for-profit regional partnership of the municipalities within the Badlands – and The Canadian Badlands Foundation.

“It’s a pretty exciting project because one of the mandates of the Badlands Foundation is being involved in sustainability,” said Cindy Amos, executive director of the Badlands Foundation.

“With this developer, it is all modular products; low impact but luxury accommodation.”

The structures will be brought to the site pre-fabricated, in order to minimize the ecological disruption, said Allen. “We’re using all kinds of renewable energy sources and these are all still in the design works,” she said. These include a rainwater catchment system and reservoir, solar thermal and photovoltaics that convert solar radiation into useable energy, and passive solar building which optimizes the use of the local climate and elements in the design.

With economic benefits for surrounding municipalities as well as the park, Amos said the project will be accessible for tourists from abroad, as well as from within the province— with Calgary located just over an hour away and Edmonton approximately four hours away.

“Any kind of emerging destination knows they have amenity gaps and this certainly helps us fill one—to offer a luxury experience,” said Amos. “We have other franchise hotels that are

fantastic in quality. This is a different type of experience; a niche market.”

The experience provided by the eco-lodge will incorporate its unique environment; from day trips into the park, to visits to any one of the 38 different rodeos among the towns of the Badlands, said Amos.

One of the best-known features of the Badlands – being one of the world’s richest sites for dinosaur bones and fossils – will also be a distinct draw to the lodge. “Pure North is in discussion with the Royal Tyrrell Museum [of Paleontology in Drumheller, AB] to host a paleontologist in residence for the summer,” said Allen. “They’ll be housed at the lodge and we’ll also have this amazingly knowledgeable scientist in our midst who can provide interpretation for the guests.”

Allen said in finding the right location for this project they sought out an emerging destination, rather than some of the tried-and-true iconic locations in Canada. “What we’ve been searching for are the relatively undiscovered that have the potential to draw visitors. We like to say that these have the potential to inspire a pilgrimage. We think the Canadian Badlands has that power and that draw,” she said. “There’s a profound sense of place in the Badlands and we intend to honour that.”

to investigate, according to the Victoria News.

The attached Accent Inn was not damaged in the fire, but staff evacuated guests from 68 rooms and relocated them to other hotels in town, said the inn’s spokesperson John Espley.

The restaurant employed 25 people who were left need of work, owner Ravinder Parhar told the Times Colonist. He was able to offer positions to half of the staff at his other ABC location on Douglas Street, a move, he said, would come at a cost to the restaurant.

“We’re already working on a mock schedule to see how many [extra] hours we can afford,”

@CANRestonews Canadian Restaurant News

A Victoria restaurateur reaches out after fire VICTORIA—After a fire destroyed the ABC Country Restaurant on April 11, its owner made efforts and appeals to keep his staff working.

The restaurant, located near Blanshard Street and Cloverdale Avenue, was one of five cases of suspected arson that night. Police have arrested a 25-year-old man in relation to the fire and, according to Victoria News, sought out a second possible suspects.

The fire caused the roof of the restaurant to cave in, and investigators said it would need to be torn down before anyone entered the area

pacificprairierestaurantnews.com

Parhar said mid-April. “We could put two or three more shifts here, two or three more shifts there. We take a bit of a hit, but if the staff is happy, that’s the main thing.”

For the remaining staff, Parhar’s wife and ABC manager Morgana Braveraven, reached out to other local restaurateurs to offer positions, said the Colonist.

“I’m appealing to the food and beverage industry to help us out here,” Braveraven said in mid-April. “I have 12 people who are well trained and awesome … All of them are hardworking and dedicated and worth a hire.”

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Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor Elaine Anselmi ext. 226 eanselmi@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor, Digital Content Kristen Smith ext. 238 ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com National Sales Manager Dave Bell ext. 230 dbell@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. 221 sgiammarco@canadianrestaurantnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianrestaurantnews.com

To cook, perchance to eat

W

hen it comes to eating, do you need to be able to cook in order to fully appreciate what’s on your plate?

In today’s food conscious era, there’s a certain virtue ascribed to the person who can cook: healthy, cost-aware, and capable of producing both sustenance and pleasure.

Somehow, society’s fascination with the celebrity of the chef has translated to the idea of celebrity in the act of cooking itself. The mantra has moved beyond the idea that through cooking, you can become a better person into the idea that by cooking, you are inherently a better person.

But what does this shift mean for the noncooks in our midst?

In the defense of non-cooks on Minnesota Public Radio, cookbook author and host of radio program “The Splendid Table” Lynne Roseto Kasper says that this new food aware-

ness leads to additional pressures that go beyond the kitchen and into our value systems.

“We cook to save our identities, culturally, our traditions,” she says. “We cook to strike out against the forces we feel are evil – you name them. We cook because it shows how cool we are.”

With these values ascribed to the nature of cooking food, why is it that in the act of eating – unlike sports or music, where you can be a passive observer rather than participant – there lies the idea that cooking makes you a better eater?

For all that recent years have seen cooking transformed into a visual medium through food media, there’s a growing divide between the idea of cooking and the act of cooking.

“This is peculiar,” writes Michael Pollan in Cooked. “After all, we’re not watching shows or reading books about sewing or darning socks

or changing the oil in our car, three other domestic chores we have been only too happy to outsource.”

This disconnect between the concept of cooking and the act itself manifests itself in many ways: most notably, through the fact that while we spend more time focusing on food itself, the amount of time that the average home cook spends in the kitchen actually producing food has been in decline over the years.

And although this is creating a breed of diner who can’t roast a chicken to save their lives, it’s also a group that is supporting the restaurant industry either due to desire for convenience or curiosity about new experiences. “The noncook is someone who generally can be a great food lover,” says Kasper. “You fulfill a role that has not been acknowledged yet in this country.

But you are a great supporter of all of the other folks who like to cook.”

At the end of the day, non-cooks pay for a restaurant’s overhead by not eating at home, and that, in an era where margins is slim and food costs are high, is something the restaurant industry can certainly appreciate.

Leslie Wu, Editorial Director

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

BITS Brinker acquires 11 Chili’s in AB

Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Volume 19 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: $5.00 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

DALLAS—A subsidiary of Brinker International Inc. has acquired 11 Chili’s restaurants in Alberta from Canadian franchise partner, Speedy Creek. Brinker announced the agreement in a May 21 media release, saying the deal will close in June.

Speedy Creek was Chili’s first international franchisee, bringing the U.S.-based restaurant to Canada in 1999. The 11 restaurants, which will fall under Brinker’s management, generate approximately $35 million annually, according to the release.

Along with the agreement, Speedy Creek’s president and CEO of Chili’s Canada Gerry Inglis will become president of Brinker’s Canadian subsidiary, said the release. Inglis has been with Chili’s since its partnership with Speedy Creek began.

“The strength of the [Speedy Creek] team and market presence established by Gerry will prove invaluable as we strategically develop Chili’s in a country eager for iconic brands from their neighbor to the south,” said Guy Constant, chief financial officer and president of global business development for Brinker International.

McDonald’s all-day breakfast?

OAK BROOK, IL—The idea of all-day breakfast at McDonald’s has been getting buzz after CEO Don Thompson said he was entertaining the idea in a late April interview with CNBC. Thompson said the company is aware of the demand for its breakfast items outside current breakfast hours and would consider serving up hash browns and sausage burritos all day.

He told CNBC that McDonald’s has looked at some “innovative ways” to expand breakfast hours for customers. “I think we’ll be seeing some of those things in the near future.”

McDonald’s hinted at all-day breakfast in 2006. Some overseas locations already offer it and last year, the chain launched “Breakfast After Midnight” at some of its Utah and Massachusetts 24-hour locations.

McDonald’s is also considering delivery, said Thompson.

AND

Vancouver street food program expanding VANCOUVER—Despite concerns from restaurateurs, Vancouver officials expanded the city’s street food vendor program. Mayor Gregor Robertson introduced 15 new food trucks on May 2, according to a news release, bringing the total in Vancouver to 114.

The new food vendors include Salvadoran tamales, Filipino fusion and the city’s first dessert cart.

Traditional restaurant owners asked for a moratorium on food truck expansion earlier this year, according to CTV British Columbia.

Robertson said the carts are to be strategically located in areas with few or no restaurants.

“We’ve been very careful with this, working closely with industry and making sure we’re creating more opportunities than more competition with brick and mortars,” said Robertson, according to CTV. Of the 15 new vendors, seven will be located along Hamilton Street outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and the other eight will be at various locations including the Olympic Village Skytrain Station, near Rogers Arena on Abbott Street and Victoria Square.

BITES per cent expect sales to grow at a steady rate.

In survey results, 67 per cent of operators cited rising food costs as their chief concern, 48 per cent said rising labour costs have impacted business and half blamed bad weather for hurting sales.

About one third claim lacklustre customer demand affected business.

Technology serves up dining suggestions CAMBRIDGE, MA—Restaurateurs take note: the next decision on where to go for dinner may come from a piece of software. A U.S.based restaurant recommendation engine, Nara, builds a personal recommendation profile for users based on likes and dislikes, is now allowing groups of users to match up personal profiles to generate an appropriate recommendation for the cohort.

The Cambridge, MA-based company has databases for 50 North American companies, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

The social layer will match “digital DNA” to determine the restaurant which would suit the taste of a currently unlimited group size.

A sunny outlook for restaurants this summer

Chinese restaurants exhibited in Alberta museum

TORONTO—With patio season blossoming, more than one third of restaurateurs expect sales to pick up over the next half year, according to the first quarter results of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s (CRFA) Restaurant Outlook Survey.

“With the bad weather behind us, restaurant operators are feeling more positive about business in the coming months,” Garth Whyte, CRFA president and CEO, said in a May 7 release. “As a result, restaurateurs will be on a bit of a hiring spree—27 per cent plan to hire more employees over the next six months, up from 16 per cent in [the fourth quarter] of 2012,” he said.

According to the survey, which saw 206 respondents representing more than 6,672 foodservice establishments, 19 per cent expect a slowdown over the next six months and 47

EDMONTON—An exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum looks into the succession of Chinese restaurants in small towns across the Prairies.

Having opened in late April, “Chop Suey on the Prairies: A History of Chinese Restaurants in Alberta” will show for a year, according to Metro Edmonton.

The exhibit offers the history of Chinese restaurants and in turn, the Chinese immigrants who came to Canada at a time when they were strongly discriminated against, Linda Tzang, curator of the exhibit told Metro. Immigrants had to pay a tax to enter the country and were often prevented from joining professions.

“They had to make their own opportunities and so the opportunities were in establishing their own businesses,” Tzang said.

J U N E 2 013

SIAL 2013

Ishcom appointment notices:

Top left: SIAL show floor. Top right: Entries in the Olive D’Or. Bottom left: The team from Viau Meats. Bottom middle: Tastes of Morroco. Bottom right: Chef Rod Bowers.

TORONTO—SIAL Canada (Salon International de l’Alimentation) came to Toronto for the second time, filling the 230,000 square foot main show hall at the Direct Energy Centre with retail and foodservice products from around the globe.

770 exhibitors from 44 countries showed their wares to 12,825 visitors from 61 countries between April 29 and May 2.

Spotted on the show floor were chefs Christine Cushing and Rod Bowers (who was doing a sandwich demo at the Boulart booth), as well as Francois Gendron, deputy premier and minister of agriculture, fisheries and food.

Equipment companies were also part of the show this year, with SET (Salon National des Equipements et Technologies en Alimentation/ Equipment and technology in food exhibition) returning to Toronto in conjunction with SIAL.

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Mississauga, ON-based Barocco Coffee took home two awards in the blend section of the Coffee Cup competition: the Gold Bean for L’Espresso and the Silver Bean for Appian.

Smoked Atlantic Salmon pâté from A Acadien Atlantic took home the top prize for the SIAL innovation awards, an annual, juried competition. The Golden Drop award in the Olive D’or 2013 competition went to Deprado, Portugal (Light), Igp Toscano Frantoio Franci from frantoio franci, Italy (Medium); and Venta Del Baron from Almazara de muela, S.L., Spain (Intense).

Other winners at the show included Town and Country’s chef jacket draw, with six winners taking home a prize: Joanne Schmidt, Port Hood, NS, Julie Austin, Peterborough, ON, Risa Barkin Worth, Toronto, Eric Frenzel, Toronto, Maria Martins, Toronto and Bill Macy, Ottawa.

The 2014 edition will return to Montreal.

Steven Isherwood, publisher of Ontario Restaurant News, Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, Atlantic Restaurant News and Canadian Lodging News, is pleased to announce three new members to the team.

Kim Kerr is a new account manager, covering territories across Canada for Ishcom print and digital products. Her sales experience includes nine years at W.T. Lynch Foods Ltd. and nine years at Intercorp Excelle Foods Inc. (Renee’s), in account manager roles. In the course of her career, Kim has dealt with a wide variety of clients in the foodservice industry, from chefs to distributors on a national scale.

Stephanie Giammarco is production co-ordinator, handling daily advertising design and client interaction for the production of all Ishcom magazines. Stephanie’s experience includes graphic design and production pre-press roles with small and medium sized businesses, including restaurant branding, as well as freelance work for external clients. She has an advanced diploma in graphic design from Humber College.

Kristen Smith comes to Ishcom as assistant editor, digital content. With newsroom experience as a reporter at the Orillia Packet & Times and a multimedia journalist at the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin, Kristen has also interned at the National Post following her postgraduate journalism diploma at Humber College.

Kim Kerr

Stephanie Giammarco

Kristen Smith

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T

he 38-unit, Calgary-based Good Earth Café recently ran a campaign asking customers about their favourite barista.

They received more than 450 responses. Some respondents noted that, even if they did not want a coffee, they still dropped by just to chat with their barista, says chief operating officer Gerry Docherty. The winning barista, Thomas, from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Good Earth location received more than 75 votes. One fan even wrote a song about him.

The contest is a testament to the loyal following that fast-casual-concept Good Earth has built over the years.

“Good Earth has built a very credible brand,” says Mike Calverley, vice-president of sales and marketing, Kitchen Partners Limited, a custom food manufacturer that supplies Good Earth.

“They are creating a point of difference with their brand story. The combination of authenticity and being able to execute it is just huge if you can nail it like Chipotle in the U.S. You have to have a great product.”

Senior director of marketing and foodservice for Maple Leaf Consumer Foods Scott Strickland identifies speed of service, specialty ingredients and globally-inspired flavours as trends.

“The fast casual model targets a customer who understands and is willing to pay more for the customer experience and quality of products,” says Strickland. He says there is little margin for error with these.

“Canadian consumers have adventurous palates

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and are willing to try bolder flavours. Chefs are able to scale back on high-end menus to demonstrate quality, flavour and unique preparation with only a few ingredients,” he explains.

Fast casual is just beginning to emerge in Canada, says Alex Rechichi, president, CEO and co-founder of Extreme Brandz, which offers the Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Via Cibo brands in the fast casual sector.

“It is successful because it raises the experience and food quality to a level the customer has only experienced previously in casual dining.

With fast casual, you get chef-driven offerings at the speed of QSR but in a more upscale environment. I think we will begin to see variations of fast casual models start to evolve in Canada over the next three years,” he says.

“What makes the fast casual segment successful in Canada is customization or ‘build your own,’” says Brittany Sovak, marketing team leader for JL International, which offers more than 25 manufacturers’ products to the market.

“This segment gives customers the increased ability to customize their food from the type of carrier to all the toppings they could dream of, even if offered at an added cost. Customers are willing to pay for the added value from this segment.”

The challenge for an operator, Sovak says, is ensuring that menu items are priced correctly and that more expensive or gourmet toppings are priced at a premium level to reflect costs.

“From our vantage point, the fast casual segment is growing for a few key reasons,” says Joseph Di Maria, JL International business development manager.

“Economics are forcing people to trade down, however, they still want to eat out.

Growth in fast casual is an indication that people want to sit down for meals but don’t have the time to stay for an extended period.”

Indulgent versus healthy One operator who has no doubts about where he sits on the health continuum is Ryan Smolkin, founder and director of Canadian-based Smoke’s Poutinerie, which has 50 units and is on the cusp of expansion.

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astCasual

A fast mover

“We have a guarantee that we are below 20,000 calories per serving and can hit all four food groups if you choose the right item!” he laughs. Smolkin does half his business from midnight to 4 a.m., Thursdays through Saturdays.

“While we do have five vegetarian options with veggie gravy, people order Triple Pork Poutine with veggie gravy, too. We don’t try to pretend we’re a health craze. French fries are the base of my product. People still want to indulge when midnight cravings hit,” he says.

Smolkin says the reason his concept is popular with customers is the value of the product, including a three-pound “Wow” size.

“We’re selling way more than fries, curds and gravy. And that’s what brings them back,” he says.

On the other side of the health spectrum lies Freshii, which was started in Toronto as a healthy eating option. Founder and CEO Matthew Corrin “didn’t want people to have an excuse not to eat healthy,” explains public relations manager (and former nutritionist) Mia Jacobs.

“We’ve created a new fast casual segment— health casual. People are realizing their health is in their hands and they want healthier choices. It’s our job to show them that it can be quick and delicious, but doesn’t have to be a bowl of plain lettuce,” says Jacobs, who adds that the chain of 70 stores (with 22 in Canada and more than 100 in development worldwide) buys organic and sources locally depending on availability.

She sees “super foods” as a current trend and Freshii has introduced fresh-pressed juices to stores to capitalize on that trend. Kale as a substitute for lettuce is selling well, as is the chain’s recently introduced gluten-free Green Wrap.

By Marni Andrews

Buying into burritos Halifax-based Burrito Jax is making a name with its imaginatively flavoured, customizable burritos. President and CEO Gordon Delano visits Mexico for flavour inspiration several times a year with his wife and company cofounder Eleanor. He says their concept is “close to a health food store.”

“We believe our ingredients and spice profiles offer incredible flavours with no excessive salts and no commodity sauces except the mole.

Everything else is store-made,” he says.

Delano looks forward to a Korean-Mexican fusion – which he calls one of the big food trends in California. Burrito Jax buys into this trend with one of the chain’s monthly features: a Korean burrito with kimchi.

“Gourmet burgers and Mexican are very trendy right now,” agrees Morgan Van Horne, vice-president of foodservice for Amca Sales and Marketing, whose Mexican-inspired ED Smith Saucemaker Sauces (Baja Chipotle and Pepitas Mole) are popular. Amca is also selling a lot of “guaranteed to separate” flour tortillas from Solis Mexican Foods.

Rechichi says that Extreme Brandz introduced a different type of Mexican food to the Canadian market six years ago with Mucho Burrito “when everyone thought Mexican was $0.69 tacos and we came in with a $7 burrito and grew the chain to 70 restaurants in a short span.”

Building identity The Ghost Pepper Burrito, a Mucho Burrito creation, and the taco trip promotion celebrating Cinco de Mayo surrounding it, used social media in a way that captured its consumer base and enhanced the chain’s identity, according to Hayes of JL International.

Chains that are building identity by offering a unique, limited-menu selection have successfully built consumer loyalty because people

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J U N E 2 013

know what to expect, says Michel Houle, sales director, foodservice for Berthelet Food Products, which offers 28 categories and nearly 1,000 SKU’s to the fast casual market.

Rainer Mueller, CEO of Williams Fresh Café, with 37 locations in southern Ontario, understands the power of building brand through events. In February, Mueller hosted a surprise 21st birthday celebration at his Waterloo location for twins attending school, away from home.

“Their mother in Colombia contacted us about wanting to buy her daughters a piece of cake for their birthday. We decided to treat them to a free surprise dinner for four and we got mom on Skype to talk to her daughters on their birthday,” says Mueller.

For some chains, catering can help create identity. Fast casual chains are leading growth in catering with almost one-third of consumers now catering this way, according to Advertising Age. Rechichi of Extreme Brandz says catering makes up a significant percentage of system sales. A single corporate order this summer that will impact a handful of restaurants across

the country will total almost $200,000 in revenue over two to three days.

Panera Bread has also grown its catering business significantly. In addition to its wellpublicized practice of donating leftover baked goods at the end of each day, it also introduced a “secret” menu on a trial basis in New York last November.

This type of menu, which is generally promoted only through word of mouth, is one of the cheapest marketing tools around and has the cachet of exclusivity since not everyone knows about it. Panera’s “secret” menu – offered only in the U.S. – is listed on its website but the items (all of them lower-calorie and low-carb) are not described.

Looking at labour Labour is always a key issue in the restaurant industry, says Houle. When you combine this with the fact that the breadth of the fast casual menu is larger than a QSR restaurant, it becomes difficult to manage.

While labour shortages are not unique to the fast casual category, Mueller acknowledges the problem is prevalent.

Fast Casual

“We require a team member with a higher level of emotional maturity because they are dealing with almost a full service environment at times,” he says. “Our focus is helping franchisees hire the right people. Recruiting is a big focus because you can’t turn a porcupine into a peacock.”

Gord Delano of Burrito Jax notes that since Halifax is a university town, he decided to offer very flexible shifts and employee discounts.

On weekends, he offers six-hour shifts so work won’t affect study time or friend time. “We have staff who have been with us all through college and still work with us part-time,” he says.

“We need to allow foreign labour in all provinces,” suggests Alex Rechichi of Extreme Brandz. Organizationally, his company is focused on creating a strong culture with a concentration on people development and helping team members identify a career path early on.

“The more people realize this is more than a part-time job and they see where they can end up in three to five years, the more they stay committed,” says Rechichi.

On the other hand, Gerry Docherty of

Good Earth Café, says that labour problems are practically a non-issue for him. Most of the chain’s recruitment is done through word of mouth from current employees.

“We attract employees who are like-minded and live their lives with many of the values that our brand represents. In addition, we offer an upscale, relaxed environment w h e r e e m p l oy ees are encouraged to be themselves and cultivate relationships with their customers.

Great coffee and music doesn’t hurt either,” he says.

Concept Snapshots

Who: Good Earth Café How Many: 38 locations in Western Canada (10 in development, expanding nationally).

Started: August 1991 in Calgary Philosophy: A coffeehouse with good food.

Average Footprint: 1,700 square feet Average check: $6.75 Best Seller(s): Direct trade drip coffees and Americanos paired with a fresh-baked muffin or scone.

Brand identity: The best ways that we have found to market our products is through storytelling. Storytelling enables us to connect consumers to the people involved in delivering these great products. We love to talk about our coffee farmers. The Mierisch family in Nicaragua, for example, have built a schoolhouse on their farm so that the children of their coffee pickers, as well as the children of the community, can be provided with a quality education.

Who: Extreme Brandz, a group of privately-held Canadian companies with brands including Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Via Cibo-Italian Street Food.

How Many: 375+ in North America Started: Extreme Pita, 1997; Mucho Burrito, 2006; Via Cibo, 2013 Philosophy: Extreme Pita is fresh is healthy sandwiches.

Mucho Burrito is fresh, handmade gourmet Mexican food.

Via Cibo is Italian street food.

Average Footprint: Extreme Pita: 1,200 to 1,300 square feet.

Mucho Burrito: 2,200 to 2,400 square feet.

Via Cibo: 2,500 to 3,000 square feet.

Average Check: Extreme Pita, $9. Mucho Burrito, $14. Via Cibo (estimated), $17 to $20.

Best Seller(s): Extreme Pita, grilled Chicken Pita. Mucho Burrito, Med. Pollo Burrito. Via Cibo (not yet established).

Notable Comments: Talking about your products using social media is today’s word of mouth. Getting [customers] exposed to new and interesting combinations and creating a food mantra for your brand is more relevant than it has ever been. Guests want to know what you and your food stand for. When that is clear it makes it easier for them to connect with the brand and talk about it.

Who: Smoke’s Poutinerie How Many: 50 from St. John’s to Vancouver.

Started: 2008 in Toronto Philosophy: “Taking traditional poutine to the next level with 30 varieties and clogging arteries since 2008.”

Average Footprint: 1,000 square feet Average Check: $8.80 Best Seller(s): Pulled Pork Poutine from day one. Challenged by Bacon Double Cheeseburger Poutine and limited-time offers such as BLT Poutine, Kraft Dinner Poutine with Bullseye BBQ, Slaughterhouse Poutine and Pierogi Poutine.

Notable comments: I source everything direct with top-notch suppliers. We custom seed our own potato fields. We use our own brand of potatoes, a premium yellow flesh variety, and Yukon Gold.

Page 8 photos: From top to bottom: Customers at Good Earth Cafe. Maple Leaf Crispy Shrimp Tacos.

Good Earth Café, Cranston, Calgary.

Page 9 photos:Top: Barista at Good Earth Café.

Bottom: Chicken Rice Box from Williams Fresh Cafe.

www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com

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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

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE RESTAURANT CHAINS WITH GROSS SALES IN MILLIONS R ank 2013

R ank 2012

S ales 2013 ($ millions )

S ales 2012 ($ millions )

Units 2013

Units 2012

1

1

Tim Hortons (TDL Group)

1368.56

1275.74

796

753

2

2

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. **

1290.00

1212.75

483

481

3

5

Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd. **

540.63

500.82

963

905

4

4

Boston Pizza International Inc.

527.21

503.95

194

191

5

3

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

524.50

513.56

428

423

6

6

Starbucks Coffee Co.*

469.00

469.00

469

469

7

7

KFC Canada (YUM!)

226.98

226.98

236

236

8

8

Keg Restaurants Ltd.

208.82

208.82

44

43

9

9

Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc. **

203.05

203.05

129

129

10

10

White Spot Limited

150.00

150.00

64

64

11

11

Earl's Restaurants **

144.00

144.00

55

55

12

12

Dairy Queen Canada

142.00

142.00

284

284

13

13

Pizza Hut Canada (YUM!)

129.25

129.25

135

135

14

14

Panago Pizza Inc.*

122.25

122.25

166

165

15

15

Moxie's Restaurants L.P.* **

118.40

118.40

38

38

16

16

Cactus Restaurants Ltd.

116.60

116.60

24

21

17

17

Burger King Restaurants of Canada Inc. **

116.04

116.04

86

86

10-15 new locations per year throughout Canada, focusing on primary markets in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Expansion will be considered in secondary markets upon market reviews. Newfoundland has great expansion possibilities.

18

32

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar

100.00

NA

57

51

Expanding aggressively.

19

18

Quiznos Canada Restaurant Corporation **

99.12

99.12

200

200

30 new units planned for 2013.

20

NA

Kelsey's Restaurants (Cara)

147.00

NA

72

15

21

20

Montana's (Cara)

86.00

80.70

33

31

22

19

Denny's of Canada Inc. (Dencan Restaurants)

85.00

85.00

39

39

23

22

Pizza 73 Inc. (Pizza Pizza)

78.80

76.76

89

89

24

21

Ricky's All Day Grill (Rickys) **

78.60

78.60

66

66

25

23

Milestones (Cara)

71.00

73.40

22

22

26

25

Swiss Chalet (Cara)

69.00

62.60

40

35

27

24

Domino's Pizza (Canada's Pizza Delivery Company) **

64.51

64.51

128

128

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

28

26

Booster Juice

60.64

60.64

154

121

With ongoing development in Canada and internationally, the chain plans to open 50 new Canadian locations and 30 new international locations in 2013. The chain will soon top 300 stores worldwide.

29

27

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.

59.50

59.50

42

42

30

28

Taco Time (MTY Group)

56.50

56.00

113

112

N ame

E xpansion Notes New units planned for 2013: 160-180.

Aggressively seeking franchisees in all areas of Canada.

Planning to open 150 new stores across Canada in 2013.

Planning to open 5 new locations in 2013.

3 units in Ontario opening soon, 2 units in western Canada opening soon; pursuing expansion into eastern Canada.

Ricky’s has 12 units under development currently.

Plan to open 5 new units in Ontario, 5 new units in Western Canada.

31

NA

Papa John's

54.15

NA

57

NA

32

29

Second Cup Ltd. **

53.60

53.60

104

104

Opened 18 new cafes, closed 17 and renovated 19 in 2012.

33

30

Red Robin Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

52.00

52.00

18

19

Continued growth throughout western Canada.

34

31

Arby's of Canada

50.04

50.04

59

59

35

33

Humpty's Family Restaurants

49.60

49.60

49

48

36

46

Jugo Juice (MTY Group)

47.00

NA

94

94

37

36

Little Caesar of Canada Inc.

46.50

36.00

93

90

Expanding across Canada.

38

NA

Mr. Mikes SteakhouseCasual

45.00

NA

21

NA

Newest location in Yorkton, Saskatchewan now open.

39

41

Edo International Food Inc.

44.50

32.80

89

82

Plan to open 6 units in western Canada.

40

34

Joey's Only Franchising Ltd. **

39.01

39.01

52

52

41

70

Orange Julius (Dairy Queen Canada Inc.) **

37.00

15.1

74

51

42

35

Smitty's Canada Ltd.

37.00

37.00

74

74

43

40

OPA! of Greece

35.50

33.00

71

66

Opened 10 new stores in 2012.

44

37

ABC Country Restaurants Inc.

35.00

35.00

30

30

Plan to open two more units within western Canada.

45

38

East Side Mario's (Prime Restaurants)

33.83

33.83

17

17

46

39

Extreme Pita (Extreme Brandz) **

33.11

33.11

85

85

Across Canada and USA; international development began in 2011.

47

42

Old Spaghetti Factory Canada Ltd.

32.50

32.50

12

12

Plan to open 2 new locations in 2013.

48

43

Blenz The Canadian Coffee Company Ltd.

31.50

31.60

63

63

49

47

Red Lobster (Darden Restaurants) **

30.71

30.71

7

8

50

58

Chili's Grill & Bar **

30.00

30.00

13

13

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

Note: Some sales figures are estimates.**

Three locations opened in 2012.

Continued development across Canada.

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J U N E 2 013

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TOP RESTAURANT CHAINS

BY CATEGORY

E

TOP 50 CHAINS 2013 Report Research by Peter Elliott

A

lthough consumer habits are changing, with breakfast and snacking dayparts remaining as strong segments, the Canadian chain restaurant landscape continues to transform.

The move of American-based companies into Canada continues with fast casual chains such as Panera and Qdoba Mexican Grill, which made its entry into Canada with a Brandon, MB location and plans to expand 70 to 85 locations across the country in 2013.

Canadian chains also explored this space, such as Extreme Brandz’ upscale street food Via Cibo concept in Ontario and Alberta.

In terms of marketing, companies such as Jack Astors and Swiss Chalet moved into the food truck realm by using them as unique promotional vehicles to distribute food samples to passersby.

Categorically, burgers stores show no sign of slowing, with McDonald’s, Original Joe’s Restaurant and Bar posting growth in both units and sales, and Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse joining the list this year.

This year, the listings reflect a new positioning, replacing fastest rising chains by sales growth with a new measurement: the top five chains by units, nationally, giving a snapshot of how Tim Horton’s, Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks and A&W are progressing across the country. We’ve also included a new listing of international flavours, showing the top 10 chains in this category.

In terms of the category breakdowns, the top chains listings include only companies where the primary mandate of the company is involved in the list where it appears (for example, those companies appearing in the top burger chains list must have burgers in its primary offerings).

Thanks to those companies that provided us with their sales and unit information, helping us to offer accurate numbers. Where necessary, some estimates or numbers from last year’s rankings have been included.

TOP 5 CHAINS BY UNITS, NATIONALLY S ales 2013 S ales 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

N ame

Units 2013

Units 2012

C hange

Tim Hortons

5907

5564

3436

3291

145

Subway

1600

1500

2850

2710

140

McDonalds

3750

3550

1404

1408

-4

Starbucks 1

943

920

877

836

41

A&W

851

831

773

754

19

13051

12365

9340

8999

341

NA

NA

17522

17690

-168

26862

26689

173

Total for the Big 5 All the rest 2 Total

Notes for Top 5 Chains chart This number is for Starbucks stand-alone locations only. Sales are estimated.

There are about 477 restaurant chains in Canada currently. A chain is any organization with two or more stores.

1 2

Please email any changes to data for our online listings or next year’s report to lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com, subject line: Chains Report 2013 changes.

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE BURGER CHAINS R ank R ank 2013 2012

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE PIZZA CHAINS R ank R ank 2013 2012

N ame

S ales 2013 S ales 2012 Units 2013 Units 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

1

1

Boston Pizza International Inc.

527.21

503.95

194

191

2

2

Pizza Hut Canada (YUM!)

129.25

129.25

135

135

3

3

Panago Pizza Inc.*

122.25

122.25

166

165

4

4

Pizza 73 Inc. (Pizza Pizza)

78.80

76.56

89

93

5

5

Domino's Pizza**

64.51

64.51

128

128

6

NA

Papa John's

54.15

NA

57

NA

7

6

Little Caesar of Canada Inc.

46.50

45.00

93

90

8

7

Extreme Pita (Extreme Brandz) **

33.11

33.11

85

85

9

8

Fresh Slice Pizza

30.00

30.00

60

58

10

9

Pizza Pizza Limited

20.34

20.34

30

30

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

Note: Some sales figures are estimates.**

N ame

S ales 2013 S ales 2012 Units 2013 Units 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

1

1

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. **

1290.00

1212.75

483

481

2

2

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

524.50

513.56

428

423

3

3

Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc. **

203.05

203.05

129

129

4

4

White Spot Limited

150.00

150.00

64

64

5

6

Burger King Restaurants of Canada Inc. **

116.04

116.04

86

86

6

NA

Triple O Burgers

18.00

NA

36

NA

7

16

Fatburger-Frankie's Burger Enterprises (Rickys)

15.50

NA

31

NA

8

14

Harvey's (Cara)

15.00

19.30

22

18

9

18

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

12.00

8.50

24

17

10

15

Sammy J. Peppers **

8.00

15.20

4

7

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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

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE SUB/SANDWICH CHAINS R ank R ank 2013 2012

N ame

S ales 2013 S ales 2012 Units 2013 Units 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

1

2

Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Ltd. **

540.63

500.82

963

905

2

4

Quiznos Canada Restaurant Corporation **

99.12

99.12

200

200

3

5

Second Cup Ltd. **

53.60

53.60

104

104

4

6

Arby's of Canada

50.04

50.04

59

59

5

7

Extreme Pita (Extreme Brandz) **

33.11

33.11

85

85

6

9

MR. SUB (MTY Group)**

14.25

14.25

56

50

7

10

Sandwich Tree

7.00

7.00

14

14

8

11

Badass Jack's Subs & Wraps Co. Ltd. **

6.65

6.65

14

14

9

12

Cultures (MTY Group) **

4.50

4.50

9

9

10

13

Great Canadian Bagel, Ltd., The

3.76

3.76

6

9

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE CHICKEN CHAINS R ank R ank 2013 2012

S ales 2013 S ales 2012 Units 2013 Units 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

N ame

1

1

A & W Food Services of Canada Inc.

524.50

513.56

428

423

2

2

KFC Canada (YUM!)

226.98

226.98

236

236

3

3

Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc. **

203.05

203.05

129

129

4

4

Earl's Restaurants **

144.00

144.00

55

55

5

5

Swiss Chalet (Cara)

69.00

62.60

40

35

6

6

Chicken Chef Canada Ltd.

25.21

25.21

33

35

7

7

Chicken Delight

16.00

17.50

19

41

8

8

Nando's Flame Grilled Chicken

14.00

14.00

21

21

9

10

Mary Brown's Inc.

8.00

8.00

14

14

11

Church's International (Cajun Operating Company) **

7.60

7.60

17

17

10

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE COFFEE/PASTRY CHAINS R ank R ank 2013 2012

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

Note: Some sales figures are estimates.**

N ame

S ales 2013 S ales 2012 Units 2013 Units 2012 ($ millions ) ($ millions )

1

1

Tim Hortons (TDL Group)

1368.56

1275.74

796

753

2

2

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. **

1290.00

1212.75

481

481

3

3

Starbucks Coffee Co.*

469.00

469.00

469

469

4

4

Second Cup Ltd. **

53.60

53.60

104

104

5

5

Blenz The Canadian Coffee Company Ltd.

31.50

31.50

63

63

6

6

Good Earth Cafes Ltd. **

21.00

18.50

42

37

7

7

Esquires Coffee House **

15.00

15.00

17

25

8

8

Waves Coffee

14.50

13.00

29

26

9

9

Robin's (Chairman's Brand Corp)

13.50

13.50

27

27

10

10

Serious Coffee

13.00

13.00

26

26

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BeverageNews A BI-MONTHLY REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Photo by Scott Turnbull, courtesy of TAPS Magazine.

“As far as we know, it’s the first Canadian collaboration beer of its kind,” said co-ordinator Matt Lockhart of Phillips Brewing, the brew site and driver of the Great Canadian Craft Beer Collaboration.

Lockhart said a fellow ale maker pitched the idea to join forces while in town for the Canadian Brewing Awards.

“We thought ‘why not open it up to everybody?

There’s such a strong brewing community across the country’,” said Lockhart.

He said it didn’t take long to determine – through a giant email dialogue – that the brewers would create an imperial wit. With some Ontario

A made in Canada collaboration VICTORIA—In true Canadian spirit, 26 breweries from six provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Ontario – got together at Phillips Brewing on May 10 during the annual Canadian Brewing Awards to create the Red and White Imperial Wit.

Mixed industry reaction to private liquor stores in Saskatchewan

SASKATOON, REGINA—The province of Saskatchewan announced it is allowing the addition of private liquor stores in Regina and Saskatoon. Both cities will see existing retail stores build or expand their brand with the addition of liquor outlets not operated by Saskatchewan’s Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), according to the SLGA. Both Sobeys and Co-op will build one liquor store across the parking lot from their respective stores or fuel stations in Saskatoon, according to an April 30 release. Co-op and Sobeys—both currently operating private liquor stores in Alberta—were granted the right to the stores through an open Request for Proposals (RFP) put out by the SLGA. In Regina, two standalone stores will open, one by Sobeys, the other an expansion of the Willow Park Wine & Spirits brand. Also selected through an RFP, the two operators will build new stores, both set to open mid-2014,

according to the release. The move drew mixed reactions from the Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association (SHHA), whose members include owners of the province’s off-sale outlets.

Saskatchewan currently has 79 public liquor stores, and the province has said it will not build any more. Otherwise, liquor is sold at approximately 185 private rural liquor franchises and 440 private off-sale outlets, said the release.

Off-sale outlets include hotels, motels and bars in some communities. The Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association reacted to the new liquor sale announcement by saying that off-sale outlets contribute positively to the province.

“Private retailers are good corporate citizens who pay their taxes, employ staff and make generous contributions to their community,” SHHA president Tom Mullin said in the release.

“In many cases, hotels are the main gathering

red fife wheat on offer, it got its name—a nod to the national colours.

In the interest of creating something with a true collaborative nature, breweries were invited to bring local ingredients, said Lockhart. “There are a lot of local honeys involved and local grains and even some locally grown hops,” he said, adding that a recipe was created from the sourced ingredients.

The draught will be released in Victoria and Vancouver and Lockhart said it should be ready in early June. He said Phillips is going to try to get some of the beer to the participating breweries and all proceeds will go to a charitable cause, such as a brewing scholarship.

Lockhart suspects the wit will have a sweet quality, noting he is not entirely sure what effect the orange peel and Tofino, B.C. elderflowers will have, but the brewers tried to keep it balanced.

“It’s an animal entirely on its own, ” said Lockhart. “It’s going to be a big beer, that’s for sure.”

He said it would be quite a challenge to recreate the brew.

“We had a ‘recipe,’ but when it came down to it, the collaborative process kind of took a life of its own once you had everybody involved and kind of having fun with it,” said Lockhart.

“I think it really is truly a one-off in the strictest sense of the word.” point in a community and their owners volunteer their time and energies to support worthwhile local initiatives.”

At the same time, the association is concerned that the private stores are getting some advantages not available to off-sale outlets.

Mullin told PRN that existing private sellers of alcohol are strictly regulated when it comes to pricing of alcohol, and said its profit margins are lower, compared to the margins of SLGA stores. “Our position is that we want to get treated the same way as the new private stores,” Mullin said. “The new stores get 16 per cent commission on all products, and they can set their own pricing provided it is not lower than a minimum price. They carry a full range of products, and they can sell cold domestic beer, which has always been our domain. We get an average of 12 per cent on beer, and nothing on liquor.”

Cineplex Entertainment confirmed in late May, following changes to provincial alcohol regulations, that alcohol sales and in-seat liquor service will be offered at the Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon next year, according to Metro Regina.

Canadian Brewing Award winners

BR I E F S

VICTORIA—Breweries of all sizes put their best brews forward at the 11th annual celebration of Canadian brewing excellence, held at the Inn at Laurel Point from May 9 to 11.

Vancouver’s Powell Street Craft Brewery took home Beer of the Year for its Old Jalopy Pale Ale at the Canadian Brewing Awards. The beer earned the B.C. brewery a gold medal in the North American-style pale ale (bitter) category.

Ontario’s Great Lakes Brewery was named Brewery of the Year. It picked up hardware in the category of wood and barrel-aged beer with its Bourbon Barrel Aged Robust Porter and the wood and barrel-aged strong beer with its 25th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout. Great Lakes Brewery also earned gold with Harry Porter and Karma Citra IPA. The brewery brought home silver with its Crazy Canuck Pale Ale in the North American-style pale ale (bitter) category.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in a variety of styles and categories after 25 certified beer judges considered entries for aroma, flavour, appearance, mouth feel, and overall impression.

For a list of gold medal winners, see the Prairie/Pacific Restaurant News website.

A northern microbrewery YELLOWKNIFE—The Northwest Territories’ capital city could get a microbrewery pub this summer from local architect and businessman Wayne Guy. The proposal to transform the Old Town government dock was conditionally accepted by the council in its May 6 meeting, provided that Guy puts 12 parking spaces at the location, according to the city document.

The dock, which had become storage and free parking space, was cleared last year after the city took over control from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the CBC reported in August 2012. The proposal went to council for approval, with community members able to provide comment. The proposed brewery would be the only one in the NWT and second north of the 60th parallel, after Yukon Brewing in Whitehorse.

PEOPLE

Chefs and other members of the foodservice industry turned out to honour the memory of chef Josef Raymond Vonlanthen on May 11.

Vonlanthen, who passed away on May 3, served as a mentor to many chefs in Canada during his time as executive chef at the Regal Constellation Hotel in Toronto, including Mike Shapiro, owner of Sweet Angel Chocolates, Glen Gardner, executive chef, Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel, Peter George, executive chef, 360 Restaurant, CN Tower, and Mark McEwan, chef and owner of the McEwan Group.

Gardner estimates that there were “over 300 apprentices and countless professionals, cooks, and

chefs who worked at ‘the Connie’ over the 30 plus years that Vonlanthen was there.

“He was a real professional with whatever he did,” Shapiro told PRN. “‘Make it perfect,’ that was his motto.”

Whether in the kitchen or at his cottage in Campbellford, ON, where he sometimes invited apprentices to stay, Vonlanthen was always willing to share his knowledge about cooking.

“He didn’t keep secrets,” said Shapiro.

For the last 10 years, an annual Constellation Hotel reunion has gathered chefs to reunite and reminisce.

The next reunion will include golf and fishing tournaments in honour of Vonlanthen’s interests in those activities, said Shapiro.

Left to right: Glen Gardner, executive chef, Sheraton Parkway, Grant Carson, executive chef, Lionhead Golf & Country Club, Ana George, Peter George, executive chef, C.N.Tower, Mark Jachecki, chef, Barik Consulting, Hans Christian, executive chef, Mike Shapiro, CEO Sweet Angel Chocolates Ltd, Tony Andrady, executive chef, Terrace on the Green.

S U P P LY

LINES

New milk class changes cheese designation in Canada OTTAWA—As of June 1, the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC) has approved a new milk designation for Canadian mozzarella cheese used specifically on fresh pizza.

“It was a 15 year journey,” said Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) to PRN. “We’ve done everything, such as go to court, appeal to the trade tribunal, appeal to the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), and put out ad campaigns over this because of the inequity between frozen pizza and fresh pizza, using the same mozzarella.”

Whyte said there is, on average, a 30 per cent difference in the price paid by frozen and fresh pizza makers, for the same mozzarella.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada and the CRFA have been collaborating with the CMSMC for over a year on this specific designation, said Whyte. “What we

try to do is try to find a win-win-win scenario,” he said. This includes lower prices for the customer, getting more dairy on restaurant menus to benefit industry members and helping Canadian farmers by selling more of their product.

The classification will cover Canadian mozzarella cheese used only for fresh pizzas by CDC-registered establishments.

Whyte said more details on what registration will entail will come from the dairy commision, but “basically you have to prove you’re a restaurant.

Grocery stores need not apply.” He said they hope to make it an easy, 15-minute process, where restaurateurs show that they operate a registered restaurant and report the amount of mozzarella used.

“The mozzarella has to be in two and a half kilo blocks, diced or shredded and used for pizza,” said Whyte. A fresh pizza maker will see a reduction of up to 70 cents per kilo in their mozzarella cheese cost, he said. For a small pizzeria these savings could be up to $3,000 a year, for larger ones, up to $100,000.

“It’s unprecedented, really, to give a new classification to an entire sector – it’s a big deal,” said Whyte.

Chef Hamid Salimian has left the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver’s Diva at the Met to pursue a teaching position at Vancouver Community College. Salimian will be an auxiliary instructor on a program focused on modern cuisine, he told PRN. “Diva has been around for 16 years, and everyone has brought something new to the team,” said Salimian. “All chefs, no matter where we cook, are all teachers,” said Salimian, who has been in the industry for 23 years.

The Iranian-born chef was trained at the VCC, and brought Persian flavours to his cooking at Diva at the Met. His experience also includes executive sous chef at The Westin Bear Mountain Victoria and executive chef at the Westin Wall Center, Richmond, BC. Another change in Salimian’s future is his new role as the captain of Culinary Team Canada. “Canada has a very strong culinary program, and we have members that represent all the regions,” he said. “I really look forward to presenting a united country when it comes to cooking together.”

B.C. chef Clement Chan, owner of Le Tigre food truck, was also named to the Culinary Team. Chan was a contestant on Top Chef Canada and is a graduate of culinary arts at VCC and Dubrulle French Culinary School. He was named the National Association for Chefs and Cooks 2010 National Chef of the Year.

Hamid Salimian Photo by Tracey Kusiewicz.

Marc Caira

As of July 2, Caira will replace Paul House in the top position, who will become non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

Caira’s last posting in the foodservice industry was global CEO of Nestle Professional. He was also a member of the executive board at Nestle, where he led 10,000 employees in approximately 100 countries.

Marc Caira has been appointed president and CEO of Tim Hortons Inc.

Former Top Chef Canada competitor Curtis Luk is moving into the chef position at Vancouver restaurant The Parker. Luk was formerly the chef de cuisine at the city’s farm-to-table focused Fable Restaurant, opened by fellow Top Chef alumnus, Trevor Bird.

Luk will introduce new menu options at the vegetarian restaurant to continue its seasonal offering of local produce and zero waste operations.

The Parker’s former chef, Jason Leizert, is leaving for Ontario and then further travel in South America.

Ontario-born Luk worked in kitchens in Ottawa, Toronto and

Gold Medal Plates names 2013 chefs

• •

The competitors for the 2013 Gold Medal Plates tour have been named.

B.C.’s leg of the tour – previously hosted in Vancouver – will be held in Victoria.

Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation in support of high performance programs.

Winnipeg: Oct. 25, Winnipeg Convention Centre: • Timothy Palmer, Velvet Glove Fairmont • Eric Lee, Pizzeria Gusto • Kelly Cattani, Elements/Diversity • Tristan Foucault, Peasant Cookery • Terry Gereta, Mise, Haute Prairie Cuisine • Melissa Hryb, Bridges Golf Course • Michael Schafer, Sydney’s at the Forks • Jamie Snow, Amici at Niakwa Regina: Nov. 1, Conexus Arts Centre: • Giles Gobin, Le Macaron • Leo Pantel, Conexus Arts Centre • Ricardo Rodriguez, The Artful

Dodger Cafe & Music Emporium Dave Straub, Flip Eatery & Drink Jonathan Thauberger, Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar • Laurie Wall, Wallnuts Expressive Catering • Martin Snow, The Creek in Cathedral Bistro • Rob Harrison, Rushton’s Catering Saskatoon: Nov. 8, Prairieland Park: • Kevin Dahlsjo, Two By Dahlsjo • Mike McKeown, Prairie Harvest Cafe • Moe Mathieu, White Birch Catering • Mike Link, Western Concessions • Anthony McCarthy, The Saskatoon Club • Simon Reynolds, Simon’s Fine Foods • Trevor Robertson, Radisson Hotel • Kevin Tetz, executive chef • Robin Andreas, Sheraton Cavalier Hotel Edmonton: Oct. 24 at the Shaw Convention Centre: • Paul Campbell, Café de Ville • Shane Chartrand, Vons Steak House and Oyster Bar • Andrew Fung, XIX Nineteen

Lake Louise and holds a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.

The Restaurant at Painted Boat Resort Spa and Marina re-opened May 1 with newly appointed head chef Marcus Bugoy steering the way. Bugoy recently completed his certified chef de cuisine training at Vancouver Community College.

A British Columbia native, Bugoy grew up in Smithers and has worked across Canada including under chefs such as Anthony Walsh at Toronto’s Canoe, Lee Parson at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Daniel Buss at the Banffshire Club at the Banff Springs Hotel and Michael Bonacini at Auberge du Pommier in Toronto.

Bugoy cooked for attendees at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, AB that included George W. Bush and Jean Chretien. Bugoy said in a release he will work with suppliers to source sustainably and locally grown ingredients for the restaurant.

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Jesse Morrison-Gauthier, The Common • Doreen Prei, Edmonton Petroleum Club • Mike Scorgie, Woodwork • Paul Shufelt, Century Hospitality Group • Alex Sneazwell, The Manor Casual Bistro • Jan Trittenbach, Packrat Louie Calgary: Nov. 2, Telus Convention Centre: • Roy Au, Anju • Ray Bear, Rush • Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, CHARCUT Roast House • Geoff Rogers, MARKET • Rogelio Herrera, Alloy • Duncan Ly, Yellow Door Bistro • Darren Maclean, downtownfood • John Michael MacNeil, Teatro Victoria: Nov. 7, Victoria Conference Centre: • Marc-André Choquette, Tableau Bar Bistro • Daniel Hudson, Hudson’s On First • Louise Pickles, Black Rock Resort • Brian Skinner, The Acorn • Chris Whittaker, Forage.

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