Le Lézard
Classified in: Covid-19 virus
Subjects: FOOD/COOKING, MISCELLANEOUS

Restaurants need sector-specific support to survive devastating pandemic debt


TORONTO, Aug. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada is calling on all parties seeking to form the next federal government to help hard-hit foodservice businesses recover from their pandemic debt so they can continue feeding Canada's recovery.

According to the latest Restaurants Canada survey conducted in July:

"Our member surveys throughout the pandemic have consistently revealed that foodservice businesses will need at least a year to recover from this crisis," said Restaurants Canada President and CEO Todd Barclay. "Canada's hard-hit restaurant operators deserve a reopening plan that will ensure they can preserve their livelihoods, continue employing 1.2 million Canadians and keep contributing to vibrant communities across the country."

Sector-specific support needed to revive hard-hit restaurant industry

Canada's restaurant operators are innovative and resilient, but many are still at risk of closing down from crushing debt that they are continuing to incur due to the ongoing pandemic.

Eight out of 10 foodservice business operators responding to the latest Restaurants Canada survey said they are continuing to lose money or are barely scraping by:

This reflects the reality that the majority of Canadian foodservice establishments are still operating at reduced capacity due to restrictions still in place within most jurisdictions across the country. In addition to these ongoing limitations, consumer confidence in restaurant dining is still rebounding after a year and a half of "stay at home" messages from political leaders and health officials.

Working together with Restaurants Canada, the next federal government can help foodservice businesses continue playing an integral part of the social and economic fabric of our communities. Below are recommendations for measures in key areas where restaurants continue to require government support to successfully transition from survival to revival and keep feeding Canada's COVID-19 recovery.

Restaurant Survival Support

As Canada's hardest-hit industry, restaurants continue to need sector-specific support to survive the ongoing pandemic, including:

Restaurant Relaunch Measures

To rebuild public confidence in dining out and help the hard-hit foodservice sector return to pre-pandemic levels of operations, restaurants need the following forms of support from the federal government:

Labour Development

To help the restaurant sector overcome pre-existing labour shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a National Foodservice Labour Development Strategy is needed, including measures such as:

A "Do No Harm" Approach to Taxes & Red Tape

To create the best possible conditions for recovery after 17+ months of either losing money or barely breaking even, foodservice operations need government to take a "do no harm" approach with taxes and regulations, including:

About Restaurants Canada

Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing the potential of Canada's diverse and dynamic foodservice industry through member programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada's foodservice sector was a $95 billion industry, directly employing 1.2 million people, providing Canada's number one source of first jobs and serving 22 million customers across the country every day. The industry has since lost hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in sales due to the impacts of COVID-19.

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