Research
CRFA provides its members with comprehensive research and analysis of industry trends and performance, and ongoing news and information online. See below for more information on the industry or visit our online shop for CRFA research reports that put the stats into perspective for foodservice operators and suppliers.
| Economic Impact |
- Canada’s restaurant and foodservice industry directly employs more than one million people, generates $60 billion in annual sales and accounts for 4% of the national economy.
- Another 210,000 people are indirectly employed as product and service providers.
- Every one million dollars in restaurant sales creates nearly 27 jobs, making foodservice one of the top five job creators in Canada.
- Dining out is one of the top three tourist activities in Canada.
- Every dollar spent at a restaurant generates an additional $1.85 in spending in the rest of the economy – well above the average for all industries in Canada.
- Over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2009, Canada’s accommodation and foodservices industry created more than 140,000 jobs. In contrast, employment fell in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and manufacturing.
Source: Statistics Canada and CRFA
| Restaurant Industry Overview |
| Segment | Annual Revenues (CRFA’s 2010 forecast) |
Market Share (% of total industry revenues) |
| COMMERCIAL FOODSERVICE: Operations whose primary business is food and beverage service. |
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| Full-service restaurants Licensed and unlicensed fine-dining, casual and family restaurants, as well as restaurant-bars. |
$20.7 billion | 35% |
| Limited-service restaurants Quick-service restaurants, cafeterias, food courts and take-out and delivery establishments. |
$20.4 billion | 34% |
| Contract and social caterers Contract caterers supplying food services to airlines, railways, institutions and at recreational facilities, as well as social caterers providing food services for special events. |
$3.8 billion | 6% |
| Drinking places Bars, taverns, pubs, cocktail lounges and nightclubs primarily engaged in serving alcoholic beverages for immediate consumption. These establishments may also provide limited food service. |
$2.5 billion | 4% |
| TOTAL COMMERCIAL | $47.5 billion | 79% |
| NON-COMMERCIAL FOODSERVICE: Self-operated foodservice in establishments whose primary business is something other than food and beverage service. Branded restaurants in any of these settings are counted in commercial restaurant sales if they are owned by the restaurant chain. |
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| Accommodation foodservice Foodservice in hotels, motels and resorts. |
$5.5 billion | 9% |
| Other foodservice Foodservice in hospitals, residential care facilities, schools, prisons, factories, remote facilities and offices. Includes patient and inmate meals. Also included are retail foodservice and all other foodservice (vending, sports and private clubs, movie theatres, stadiums and other seasonal or entertainment operations.) |
$7.1 billion | 12% |
| TOTAL NON-COMMERCIAL | $12.6 billion | 21% |
| TOTAL RESTAURANT INDUSTRY | $60.1 billion | 100% |
Behind the Numbers
The restaurant industry is at the heart of every Canadian community. We generate jobs and investment, attract tourists, create new food and drink trends, and connect friends and family. We bring more to the table. Here are some of the stories behind the numbers.
A Trusted Industry
Restaurants are one of the most trusted industries in Canada, according to a Harris/Decima poll for Reader’s Digest Magazine.
CRFA’s 2010 Canadian Chef Survey
Local, sustainable and organic food choices top the list of what’s hot in Canada’s restaurant kitchens.
Get the latest stats
Visit CRFA’s online resource centre, RestaurantCentral.ca, for regular updates on:
- CRFA’s 2010 Sales Forecast
- Monthly Foodservice Sales
- And many more restaurant industry stats and trends
| Businesses |
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There are 80,800 commercial foodservice units in Canada, or 24.0 units per 10,000 Canadians. By segment, there are:
36,390 full-service restaurants
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Fully 64% of restaurants
in Canada are independent
brands. Chain restaurants
account for the remaining 36%, and many of
these are locally owned and operated franchises.
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| Employment |
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The foodservice industry directly employs more than 1,084,500 Canadians, representing 6.4% of total employment. More people work in foodservice than in agriculture, forestry, pulp and paper, banking and oil and gas extraction combined.
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The foodservice industry is a major source of entry-level and part-time jobs, and provides nearly 1 in 5 youth jobs in Canada. The industry employs 462,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24, which accounts for 43% of foodservice employees.
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According to a survey of 20 national and regional foodservice chains, the average annual turnover rate for an hourly paid employee is 104.8% at a quick-service restaurant and 62.5% at a casual/family dining restaurant.
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| Profit Margins |
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The average profit margin for the foodservice industry is just 4.4%. Food costs (35.5%) and labour costs (34.8%) account for the two largest expenses borne by foodservice operators.
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The average foodservice operator realized annual sales of $611,143 in 2009 with a pre-tax profit of $26,890.
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New accommodation and foodservice entrants have a 60% chance of surviving beyond their second year and a 22% chance of surviving beyond eight years.
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| Provincial Comparisons |
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On a per capita basis, commercial restaurant sales are highest in the provinces where consumers have above-average levels of disposable income and where there is no provincial sales tax on meals. Alberta leads the country in annual per capita foodservice sales with $1,736.85, while Manitoba trails at $1,084.54.
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* Commercial foodservice includes full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, caterers and bars but excludes non-commercial foodservice.
Source: Statistics Canada, CRFA's Long Term Forecast and ReCount/NPD Group
Total Foodservice by Province (Commercial + Non-commercial)
| Sales (2010 forecast) | Employment | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $747 million | 13,100 |
| Prince Edward Island | $224 million | 5,300 |
| Nova Scotia | $1.6 billion | 30,600 |
| New Brunswick | $1.2 billion | 24,200 |
| Quebec | $12.2 billion | 248,300 |
| Ontario | $22.5 billion | 404,200 |
| Manitoba | $1.7 billion | 39,000 |
| Saskatchewan | $1.6 billion | 32,100 |
| Alberta | $8.4 billion | 124,900 |
| British Columbia | $9.8 billion | 162,700 |
| Canada | $60.1 billion | 1,084,500 |
Source: Statistics Canada and CRFA
| Consumer Spending |
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Meals and snacks sourced from restaurants
account for 1 in 10 meal occasions.
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The average Canadian household spends 23.1% of its total food dollar on foodservice, compared to 41.9% for U.S. households
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The most popular food and beverage ordered
at Canadian restaurants are French
fries and regular coffee.
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The average check size per person at a restaurant is $6.97 including taxes, but excluding tips.
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On a typical day, Canadians make 17.7 million visits to commercial restaurants, totaling 6.4 billion restaurant occasions on the year.
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