Why yes, I would like a lick of your flavour bar*

I know there are many who think that bacon-with-everything has been played out — though as a vegetarian, I beg to differ — and yet who among us would turn down the opportunity test-drive a bacon-flavoured lollipop?
Ranking #4 in the list of “Seven Bacon Products You Probably Didn’t Know Existed,” Das Foods’ brilliantly named Man [...]

Read Full Post »

Good news for Juan Valdez

I think one of the neatest questions I’ve been asked in my time at CRFA was, “Can you tell me how much Arctic char is sold in Canadian restaurants?”  I did not have an answer to that question, btw.
But if you want to know what the most popular food and beverage items are at Canadian [...]

Read Full Post »

Putting a price on delicious

In our second sneak peek at this year’s Foodservice Facts, we look at average check size per person.

The average check per person rose 3.5% to $7.10 in 2008, from $6.86 in 2007.  Gains at quick-service and family/midscale restaurants were largely responsible for this increase, but growth is expected to be restrained in 2009 as customers [...]

Read Full Post »

Two-thirds of Canadians eat mom’s turkey casserole whether they like it or not

According to NET Canada/NPD Group, only 9% of meals and snacks consumed by Canadians are sourced from a restaurant.
Whenever I cite this number, I’m invariably met with disbelief — either because the disbeliever is convinced that they don’t visit restaurants that often, or because the opposite is true, and they swear they haven’t eaten at [...]

Read Full Post »

Coming soon to a mailbox near you …

… you lucky ducky CRFA member!
This year’s edition of Foodservice Facts is hot off the presses, complete with that luscious “new publication” smell. Over the next couple of days I’ll be previewing some of the content, notably:

Where Canadians source their meals (hint: results may not be accurate for 30 year old guys who still [...]

Read Full Post »

No relation to “Subservient Chicken”

Several years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to the term “desperation chicken.”
That’s the pre-cooked/roasted whole chicken that you pick up at from the deli counter at the grocery store, because it’s already 7:30 p.m. and there is no way in Hollandaise sauce you are going to go home and make a whole dinner [...]

Read Full Post »