Alberta gets a B on 2019 Raise the Bar report card from Restaurants Canada
EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the third time since 2015, Restaurants Canada has taken stock of liquor policies impacting foodservice and hospitality businesses from coast to coast in its biennial Raise the Bar report.
Once again, Alberta has received a B, defending its spot at the top of the class but still with room to grow. The report outlines the reasons for this grade and provides a path forward for the province to achieve an A.
"Alberta's restaurants have been struggling to survive a perfect storm of cost increases, exacerbated by policy changes that the previous government introduced against the backdrop of a weak economy," said Mark von Schellwitz, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Western Canada. "With new leadership that has committed to reduce red tape for small businesses and study the merits of re-implementing the liquor server wage, the province could very well improve on its best-in-class grade."
Full 2019 Raise the Bar report card rankings:
| Grade | Province |
| B | Alberta |
| B- | Nova Scotia |
| B- | Prince Edward Island |
| B- | Quebec |
| C | British Columbia |
| C | Manitoba |
| C- | Ontario |
| C- | Saskatchewan |
| D- | New Brunswick |
| D- | Newfoundland & Labrador |
Thirsting for relief
Licensed foodservice and hospitality businesses are still hungover from the following actions taken by the former provincial government, which led to Alberta being downgraded from a B-plus to a B back in 2017:
- New markups on beverage alcohol;
- The elimination of the liquor server wage; and
- The cancellation of a comprehensive review to modernize provincial liquor regulations.
Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis deserves credit for reaching out to Restaurants Canada for consultation on a number of issues, as well as continuing to modernize outdated liquor policies on a piecemeal basis over the last few years. But more progress is needed on bigger ticket items in order for operational realities to noticeably improve for bars and restaurants.
Survey says...
Compared to two years ago, Alberta's licensed foodservice operators say liquor policies are:
| Better | The same | Worse |
| 21% | 53% | 26% |
How can Alberta raise the bar for licensed establishments?
- Reduce liquor costs for small foodservice and hospitality businesses. Smaller restaurateurs continue to suffer from the 25-case-minimum requirement for wholesale liquor orders, which they say forces them to purchase the bulk of their liquor products at higher prices from retailers.
- Undertake a comprehensive re-write of liquor legislation to cut red tape and reflect changing market conditions. It's time to update rules that are out of step with modern business practices.
- Allow all types of liquor licensees to sell alcohol for off-site consumption. Why should restaurateurs who are trained and trusted to serve alcoholic beverages within their establishments be restricted from selling those same products to their customers to enjoy off-site?
- Re-introduce a liquor server wage. A wage differential for tipped workers allows restaurateurs to allocate more towards higher wages for non-gratuity earning kitchen staff, who are typically harder to attract and retain.
- Reduce excessive markups on beverage alcohol products. The amount of tax collected on liquor in Canada is among the highest in the world. Across the country, a cocktail of federal and provincial taxes and fees currently make up: Nearly 50 per cent of the cost of beer; between 65 and 70 per cent of the final price of wine; and up to 80 per cent of the cost of spirits.
Visit info.restaurantscanada.org/raise-the-bar-2019 to download the full report and join in the online conversation with the hashtag #RaiseTheBar2019.
About Raise the Bar
Raise the Bar is a report produced every two years by Restaurants Canada evaluating the impact of liquor policies on bars and restaurants across the country.
Provincial policies evaluated for the 2019 Raise the Bar report were reviewed within the following four major categories and, after analysis and weighting, each province was given an overall letter grade:
- Pricing and Selection
- Licensing and Regulation
- Customer Sales
- Political/Regulatory Activity
All survey results featured in the 2019 Raise the Bar report were compiled from more than 700 responses to an online questionnaire that was emailed to foodservice operators across Canada between June 12 and Aug. 26, 2019.
About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing the potential of Canada's diverse and dynamic foodservice industry through member programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Canada's foodservice sector is an $89 billion industry that directly employs 1.2 million workers, is Canada's number one source of first jobs and serves 22 million customers across the country every day.
Attachment
News published on and distributed by:
