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foodserviceandhospitality.com $4 | MAY 2016
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 3 MAY 2016
PHOTOS: MARGARET MULLIGAN [TOP 30 UNDER 30 COVER SHOT], DAVE STOBBE [CHRISTIE PETERS], DREAMSTIME.COM [BLENDER SPLASHING]
48
12
Features
12 BUILDING A BETTER BURGER
Whether topped with a humble
pickle or the elite foie gras — you can’t best a burger as an ever evolving favourite on a restaurant
menu By Carol Snell
Young, vibrant
and talented — meet the new faces
of foodservice By Danielle Schalk and Jackie Sloat-Spencer
19 TOP 30 UNDER 30
42
How leading foodservice brands are keeping fans engaged with new approaches to the social world By Rebecca Harris
31 BUILDING THE BUZZ
If you’re ready to create and innovate, then
social media is for you
By Sebastian Fuschini
37 SOCIAL SUCCESS
38 MEALS ON WHEELS A food
revolution is rolling out across
Canada By Amy Bostock
28 CHAMPION OF CHANGE
42 NEW DRINKS ON THE BLOCK
Health-conscious consumers
43 FEELING THE HEAT
Mark Wafer talks Canadian disability statistics and the case for inclusive employ
ment in the private sector
By Amy Bostock
2 FROM THE EDITOR
5 FYI
11 FROM THE DESK
OF ROBERT CARTER
48 CHEF’S CORNER: Christie
Peters,
The Hollows and Primal,
Saskatoon
are
fuelling the smoothie and juice
revolution By Graeme Garland
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
Departments
Operators are
of two minds when it comes to
oven choices By Denise Deveau
31
FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MAY 2016
1
FROM THE EDITOR
For daily news and announcements: @foodservicemag on Twitter
and Foodservice and Hospitality on Facebook.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
W
“
Business models are
evolving at such a fast
clip that what used to
work as a general rule
of thumb is now sometimes fodder for the
waste bin
”
2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MAY 2016
e live in a world that constantly evolves — where the
rate of change keeps getting
faster, sometimes seemingly spinning
out of control. Just when you think
you’ve got a handle on a situation,
it morphs into a new reality. But as
daunting as change can be, it can also
open up new possibilities never before
considered.
As millennials prime themselves to
become leaders in their respective fields,
everything we do is up for discussion
and for disruption. For the restaurant
industry, what’s worked in the past won’t
necessarily pass muster today. In fact,
business models are evolving at such
a fast clip that what used to work as a
general rule of thumb is now sometimes
fodder for the waste bin.
Sound extreme? Not according to
David Chang, New York chef extraordinaire, founder of the Momofuku food
empire and outspoken restaurateur.
Earlier this spring, Chang wrote a
biting article called “The Earthquake
that’s About to Hit Restaurants” published in GQ magazine. In the article,
he warns readers about the demise of
the restaurant industry, citing the high
cost of ingredients, the growing disdain
of the tipping model and the sad reality that many good chefs are fleeing the
kitchen. Chang posits what most operators know only too well: restaurants “are
at the mercy of weather, acts of God and
a sluggish economy.” And, with profit
margins so slim, success is more elusive
than ever. Rising rents and changes to
labour laws, says Chang, are also making it increasingly challenging to own a
restaurant.
Sound harsh? Perhaps, but given that
we live in a precarious time, where changing demographics, technology and disruption are rewriting the rules of business, his
sentiments could be echoed by almost any
business operator across any sector.
Still, despite the obstacles Chang cites
in the article — or perhaps because of
them — the innovative chef/restaurateur continues to expand his empire,
adding new revenue streams such as
meal delivery, grab-and-go items, a
magazine, cookbooks, bar and packaged
products to his repertoire. Recently, he
also launched a restaurant called Nishi
where, as a way to hang on to the best
kitchen staff, he implemented a notipping policy, joining a growing legion
of restaurateurs experimenting with the
new model.
Some days, restaurant operators must
feel the world is conspiring against them,
as the litany of challenges mounts. And,
though not every operator can afford
to expand their revenue streams, they
do need to be open to, and deal with,
the changes being foisted upon them,
no matter how painful. Sure, success is
more elusive than ever, but ultimately,
for operators like Chang, and those like
him, willing to work harder, smarter,
and more creatively than ever, it’s there
for the taking.
For the third consecutive year, F&H
magazine is happy to profile a few of
tomorrow’s leaders, culled from the
Ontario Hostelry Institute’s Top 30 under
30 program (see p. #19). Undoubtedly,
these millennials will shake up the status
quo even further and make their mark in
the coming years.
Rosanna Caira
Editor/Publisher
[email protected]
HOW DO YOUR
SANDWICHES
STACK UP?
EDITOR & PUBLISHER ROSANNA CAIRA
[email protected]
ART DIRECTOR MARGARET MOORE
[email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR AMY BOSTOCK
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER
[email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR DANIELLE SCHALK
[email protected]
MULTIMEDIA MANAGER DEREK RAE
[email protected]
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER MEGAN O’BRIEN
[email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGNER COURTNEY JENKINS
[email protected]
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER/U.S.A. WENDY GILCHRIST
[email protected]
ACCOUNT MANAGER STEVE HARTSIAS
[email protected]
ACCOUNT MANAGER MARIA FAMA VIECILI
[email protected]
ACCOUNT MANAGER CHERYLL SAN JUAN
[email protected]
CIRCULATION PUBLICATION PARTNERS
[email protected], (905) 509-3511
ACCOUNTING MANAGER DANIELA PRICOIU
[email protected]
FOUNDER MITCH KOSTUCH
ADVISORY BOARD
CARA OPERATIONS KEN OTTO
CORA FRANCHISE GROUP DAVID POLNY
CRAVE IT RESTAURANT GROUP ALEX RECHICHI
FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED NICK PERPICK
FHG INTERNATIONAL INC. DOUG FISHER
FRESHII MATTHEW CORRIN
JOEY RESTAURANT GROUP BRITT INNES
KATIE JESSOP REGISTERED DIETITIAN
LECOURS WOLFSON LIMITED NORMAN WOLFSON
MANITOWOC FOODSERVICE JACQUES SEGUIN
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM MANAGEMENT,
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH BRUCE MCADAMS
SENSORS QUALITY MANAGEMENT DAVID LIPTON
SOTOS LLP JOHN SOTOS
SOUTH ST. BURGER CO. JAY GOULD
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS JUDSON SIMPSON
THE MCEWAN GROUP MARK MCEWAN
UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTIONS NORTH AMERICA GINNY HARE
To subscribe to F&H, visit foodserviceandhospitality.com
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 3
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Invigorate.
Innovate.
Grow.
The NPD Group’s 2016
Canadian Foodservice Summit
in partnership with Foodservice and
Hospitality Magazine
May 31, 2016
The Glass Factory at 99 Sudbury | Toronto
Immerse yourself in breakthrough insights
on trends shaping the industry. Explore
cutting-edge ideas for growing your business.
Hear from top foodservice executives:
Boston Pizza, Dairy Queen, and more.
Learn from leading chefs of Canada’s
most talked-about restaurants.
Register Today:
npdgroup.ca/go/foodservicesummit
#NPDFoodSummit
MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES FOR THE FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY
CALLING FOR CHANGE
FYI
Restaurant chains are under fire for their gender-specific dress codes
BY DANIELLE SCHALK
CAUSING A STIR
Dress codes grabbed public attention last
fall after an employee from Cara Operations
Ltd.’s Bier Markt appeared on CBC’s Go
Public complaining of the sexist and discriminatory nature of the chain’s new uniform policy. The uniform changes, which came into
effect in October 2015, replaced Bier Markt’s
gender-neutral uniform with a dress code of
jeans, button-down shirt and sneakers for
male servers, while female staff were expect-
R
estaurant dress codes for female
employees have come under public
scrutiny in recent months, making
national headlines and becoming the subject
of a CBC Marketplace investigation.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission
(OHRC) has called for an end to sexualized
dress codes that discriminate against female
and transgender employees in the workplace.
“Sexualized and gender-specific dress codes
are all too common in some restaurants and
bars, and can be found in other services,”
reads its policy position on gender-specific dress codes. “Whether in formal policy
or informal practice, they contribute to an
unwelcome and discriminatory employment
environment for women. Employees may
feel pressured to agree to sexualized dress
requirements because they fear losing tips,
shifts or even their jobs.”
Following the release, Earls Restaurants
announced changes to its dress-code guidelines to include pants as an option for female
front-of-house staff. The Vancouver-based
chain’s statement reads, “Although our female
service staff have a choice in what they wear,
we understand that even our suggested dress
code could be considered discriminatory, as
although pants are allowed on request, the
current suggested dress code is a black skirt,
no shorter than one inch above the knee
for women, where we should be wording
our suggested dress code as a black skirt, no
shorter than one inch above the knee or a
straight-cut, plain black pant.”
Joey Restaurant Group has also indicated
it has dress-code changes in the works. In a
statement to CBC Marketplace, Britt Innes,
VP of Marketing noted the restaurant chain
has been testing new uniforms consisting of
t-shirts and jeans for both male and female
employees.
ed to wear a short, sleeveless blue dress
with heels or boots. Cara later announced
it would change its uniform policy, allowing
female servers the option of wearing jeans, a
button-down shirt and running shoes.
“I think this builds on a groundswell of
attention, coverage and concern on this issue
that has been growing in recent years, which
leads me to believe that there will be more
change to come,” says Bruce McAdams, assistant professor for The School of Hospitality
& Tourism Management at the University of
Guelph. Given the current state of the industry, McAdams warns that public opinion on
the matter should not be ignored. “I think
[companies] have to be conscious of their
brand and the perception of their role as
employers. Women, as well as men, who take
issue with [discriminatory dress codes] are a
huge part of the dining population.”
IN POLICY In Canada, each province has its own Human Rights Code policies regarding employee uniforms
and dress codes. Despite slight variances, each province’s policy essentially states employers have the right to set
reasonable standards for appearance, grooming and dress, but these cannot disadvantage any particular gender or
group, nor interfere with religious beliefs. Ontario’s policy goes one step further to state “While it is acceptable for
men and women to have different uniforms … an employer should be prepared to prove that any sex-linked differences in the dress code are bona fide occupational requirements.”
5
FYI
FUNDING THE
FUTURE
COMING
EVENTS
May 21-24: NRA Show 2016,
McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. Tel:
312-853-2525; email: nra@experient-inc.
com; website: show.restaurant.org
May 22-23: BAR 2016 (formerly
International Wine, Spirits & Wine Event),
McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. Tel: 312853-2525; email: [email protected];
website: bar.restaurant.org
Thanks to a $100,000 endowment, the
Baking Association of Canada–Ontario
Chapter has made it possible for The
School of Hospitality, Tourism and
Culinary Arts at Centennial College in
Toronto to offer more scholarships to its
students. The endowment will fund scholarships to help students overcome financial
barriers and promote academic and career
success in the field of commercial baking.
“We are truly committed to a legacy of nurturing educational relationships through
our scholarship to the baking programs at
Centennial and to the students who will
one day be the future of our industry,” says
Dan Peroff, chair, Baking Association of
Canada–Ontario Chapter. In honour of the
contribution, Centennial will be naming
its new commercial baking lab — slated to
open in September inside the school’s new
$85-million, state-of-the-art Culinary Arts
Centre — after the Baking Association of
Canada–Ontario Chapter.
May 26: Ambition Nuitriton Symposium,
George Brown College Centre for the
Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Toronto.
website: ambition-nutrition.ca
May 31: The Canadian Foodservice
Summit, The Glass Factory, Toronto.
Tel: 416-533-6066 email: Erick.Bauer@
npd.com; website: npdgroup.ca/go/
foodservicesummit
June 5-7: Ontario Dairy Council
Convention 2016, JW Marriott The
Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa,
Minett, Ont. Tel: 866-542-3620; email:
[email protected]; website:
ontario-dairies.ca
June 16: Icons & Innovators, Sheraton
Centre Toronto Hotel Tel: 416-447-0888
ext. 235; website:foodserviceandhospitality.com/shop
MORE EVENTS AT http://bit.ly/FHevents
THE BIG UNVEIL
After three years of planning and development, the Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s opened
its doors in March at Sherway Gardens in Toronto. The 18,000-sq.-ft. store houses 10
stations featuring charcuterie, panini, a prosciutteria, an oyster bar, a Nutella bar and
retail space highlighting fruits, produce and take-away food. The company that pioneered gourmet retail food in Toronto more than 30 years ago has spared no expense to
outfit a space that shines and sparkles with “the best-of-the-best,” said Frank Luchetta,
president of Pusateri’s, adding store executives travelled throughout Europe, primarily
Paris, London and Germany, where food halls have long been fixtures, to source ideas.
The store represents the culmination of many years of planning, said Luchetta, and
“takes us to a new level.” Strategic partnerships form a crucial part of the company success, he explained, pointing to suppliers such as Niagara’s Pingue Prosciutto and Ferrero
Rocher’s Nutella brand as key partners in the new store. The Nutella partnership had to
be approved by Ferrero Rocher in Italy before Pusateri’s was able to land the concept.
“These two iconic brands together will help us raise the level of foods. It’s really elevated
the game,” boasted Luchetta. — Rosanna Caira
7
FYI
RESTO BUZZ
Jen Agg’s much-anticipated Montreal project, Agrikol, launched in late February. The
Haitian-themed restaurant is a joint venture
between Agg, her husband Roland Jean
and Win Butler and Regine Chassagne
of the popular Montreal-based band Arcade
Batch
Fire. The resto-bar cranks out rum-based
cocktails to accompany Haitian dishes from chef Marc Villanueva’s kitchen…
Creemore Springs Brewery has opened a “gastrobrewery” offshoot in downtown Toronto. Batch offers a 130-seat dining room, as well as a 50-seat private
dining room. Batch’s menu — designed by chef Ben Heaton — features Englishinspired modern comfort food that focuses on locally grown, fresh ingredients.
Offerings include a house-made rye pretzel served with beer mustard ($4) and
curried chicken flatbread ($12). Ten craft beers are available on tap, six of which
are brewed on-site…Donnelly Group’s new Toronto pub Belfast Love is set
to open early this month. The 200-seat public house will feature 40 beers on tap
as well as a cocktail list curated by bar and beverage director Trevor Kallies.
Opening a new restaurant? Let us in on the buzz. Send a high-res image,
menu and background information about the new establishment to
[email protected].
INVESTING IN
THE FUTURE
A&W Food Services of Canada
Inc. has committed to becoming
the first national quick-service restaurant in Canada to serve eggs from hens raised in better cage-free
housing within two years. “We are investing in innovation to accelerate the pace of change because right now, there are no viable
cage-free egg options that meet our supply standards regarding
the use of antibiotics,” says Susan Senecal, president and COO,
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. “We are committed to change
because we think it’s the right thing for the animals, the industry,
our business and Canada.” The company will invest in improving
and redesigning housing for egg-laying hens and will source eggs
from hens raised without the use of antibiotics, while simultaneously advancing the best practices for egg-laying hens. As a part
of its commitment, a $100,000 A&W grant is being made to Farm
& Food Care Canada, a leading Canadian non-profit organization
dedicated to building public trust in food and farming. The grant
will be used to fund a leadership discussion, potential research and
related work with animal welfare scientists, veterinarians, university researchers, non-government organizations, farmers, egg suppliers and foodservice/restaurant and retail companies.
FOR SALE
*business only
not the real estate
63 Broadway
Orangeville Ont.
SteakHouse63
Restaurant
is seeking new
ownership.
Don’t Just Follow
Your Dreams ...Make
Them a Reality!
Perfect for a Chef,
Front of House Manager
or Restaurateur
Financing Available
Inquiries: [email protected]
More Info at: SteakHouse63.com/restaurantforsale
IN BRIEF
The Dine Out Vancouver Festival broke records this year, with more
than 84,000 customers seated. The 14th instalment of this annual
food-and-drink festival experienced a 14.8-per-cent increase in
attendance over the previous year and contributed more than $4
million to the local economy…Fast-casual burger chain CaliBurger
has opened its first Canadian location in Waterloo, Ont.’s university
district. The restaurant’s menu offers “California-style” hamburgers,
chicken sandwiches, hand-mixed spiked milkshakes and fresh handcut fries. The CaliBurger team plans to open new units in Vancouver
and southern Ontario this year…Baskin-Robbins has added customizable ice-cream sandwiches and sundaes to its menu. Customers can
now mix-and-match flavours of warm cookies and pair them with
any Baskin-Robbins ice-cream flavour. Toppings for the warm sandwiches and sundaes include rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, chopped
almonds, whipped cream, chopped nuts and cherries…Ottawa has
become the first Ontario market to roll out McDonald’s new restaurant experience of the future, which includes the Create-Your-Taste
menu, a McCafé Bakery and a choice of self-order kiosks or counter
service… Same-day reservations at Toronto’s most acclaimed restaurants are now available through DINR, a free mobile reservation service that matches restaurants with last-minute diners. The app, which
first launched in Montreal in 2014, helps fill empty seats that arise
from cancellations and eliminates no-shows.
PEOPLE
Shanna Munro, who joined Restaurants Canada as chief operating
officer last September, is the association’s new president and CEO,
effective June 1. Munro takes over from Donna Dooher, who will
resume her position as director of Restaurants Canada. Restaurants
Canada also named Bill Allen, president of Aulac, N.B.-based Fresh
Casual Restaurants, the new Chair of the Board for 2016 to 2017…
Simon Renaud has taken the helm of the Hilton Quebec. Renaud is
now in charge of the Quebec City-based hotel’s culinary offerings,
including banqueting services and its two restaurants, Allegro and
Resto Le23. With more than 20 years of experience, chef Renaud
has worked at several major hotels in the Quebec City and Montreal
area, including the Hyatt Regency Montreal, Château Mont-SainteAnne and the Delta Hotel in Montreal…Chef Mark McEwan is the
new consulting chef for the in-house culinary operations at Toronto
Congress Centre. McEwan will consult on all culinary activities within the convention facility, including menu planning for conferences,
galas, meetings and events.
Showroom & Stocked in Oakville
Seating with Style...
SUPPLYSIDE
Tim Long is the new national account manager for The J.R. Simplot
Company’s Canadian business. Long, who has 16 years of experience
with Simplot, will be managing the Canadian operator and distributor business on behalf of the company…Aliments ED Foods has
released The LUDA Pro line of five products containing only essential
ingredients, including three concentrated pastes and two concentrated bases. The pastes are available in beef, chicken and vegetable and
bases are available in both chicken and vegetable flavours.
(855)
337−2995
FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MAY 2016 9
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INVIGORATE, INNOVATE AND GROW
First annual Canadian Foodservice Summit offers insights into changing industry trends
T
o grow business, you need to invigorate
your concepts and deliver innovative
products. But how do you do this?
On May 31, the NPD Group will be hosting
the first-ever Canadian Foodservice Summit
in Toronto, in partnership with Foodservice
and Hospitality magazine. The event will focus
on fresh insights on trends shaping the industry, new approaches to reaching high-potential
consumer segments and ideas for growing business in this challenging foodservice landscape.
One of the main objectives of the Canadian
Foodservice Summit is to examine the overall
state of the industry in an effort to determine
where the real opportunities are. The following
is a look at some of the biggest trends in 2015
and how they impacted the marketplace.
years out of five — a concerning trend for all
operators, but especially for independent operators, who have been hardest hit with a traffic
decline of 217 million over the last five years.
Traffic weakness has been an ongoing challenge
for the Canadian marketplace, with flat sales
over all quarters in the year 2015 following a
decline in all quarters for the year prior.
While this has been a challenge for some
operators, others (most notably in the QSR
space) have benefited significantly. For example,
the decline in oil prices has clearly hit Alberta
harder than any other region in Canada; however, given the underlying economic uncertainty in the province, QSR has seen solid gains in
share twice in the past 18 months (see chart). It’s
not surprising then that QSR has outperformed
the market, resulting in stolen share from FSR.
DIGITAL ORDERING
disruptive revolution allowing savvy operators
to steal share from competitors. Foodservice
apps, online service and in-store kiosks are
growing in popularity, offering consumers a
new way to connect with the brands they love.
Not surprisingly, millennials show the highest
interest in using foodservice apps, kiosks and
tablets. In a recent NPD study, 85 per cent suggested they would find a restaurant app useful,
while more than 80 per cent of millennials
believe a self-ordering kiosk would contribute
to their experience at QSR. Clearly, millennials
have embraced technology and are more than
willing to utilize it in a foodservice setting.
Why is this important? It’s a matter of data.
Attracting millennials is vital as this group
has dynamically over-contributed to foodservice visits in Canada. In fact, millennials have
increased their visits to foodservice by over
64 million over the last five years.
In Canada, technology-based digital-door
traffic has tripled in the last four years — a
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MESSAGE
TRAFFIC GROWTH
Customer traffic has become a major challenge
in the foodservice industry. Overall, visits to
foodservice have declined (per capita) four
TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE IN ALBERTA
Oil prices
drop below
QSR Share
$40/barrel
534,112
QSR Traffic (000s)
Oil prices
drop below
522,818
QSR gains huge share twice in the past 18 months
$70/barrel
70.2
68.8
67.7
MAR~
MAY
2015
140,268
JUNE~ SEPT~ DEC~
AUG
NOV
FEB
2014
2014
2015
138,253
138,132
137,959
129,962
MAR~
MAY
2014
125,629
JUNE~ SEPT~ DEC~
AUG
NOV
FEB
2013
2013
2014
132,127
114,600
MAR~
MAY
2013
131,321
SEPT~ DEC~
NOV
FEB
2012
2013
68.2
66.3
65.8
147,459
132,289
65.9
68.9
67.2
66.9
125,676
134,005
66.6
66.9
69.0
JUNE~ SEPT~
AUG
NOV
2015
2015
PCYA: 2%
YE
NOV
2014
YE
NOV
2015
As Canadians cut back on restaurant visits,
the challenge for foodservice providers is
finding appealing ways to draw them back in
and increase check size. Leveraging technology, enhancing menu innovation and focusing on premiumization are tactics used by
some operators, while others are focusing on
locally sourced and ‘better for you’ messaging. Terms such as new, unique and limited
time have proven to pique customer interest,
especially with millennials. A recent NPD
study found that 22 per cent of consumers
will try a restaurant because they have unique
items. So what is your brand doing to invigorate, innovate and grow?
At the end of the day, identifying these
opportunities requires a savvy operator who
understands the industry and the consumer.
While the future of our industry may remain
challenged in the short term, there is plenty
of room for strategic and innovative brands
to make their mark. l
Robert Carter is executive director, Foodservice Canada, with the NPD Group Inc.
He can be reached at [email protected] for questions regarding the latest trends
and their impact on the foodservice business.
11
FOOD FILE
WHETHER TOPPED WITH A HUMBLE PICKLE
OR FOIE GRAS, YOU CAN’T BEST A BURGER
STORY BY CAROL SNELL
to
stay,” says Shant Mardirosian,
whose passion (and religious
education) are epitomized in
the name of his restaurants, the
Burger’s Priest. Although the
GTA-based premium fast-casual
chain is, in the words of its
founder, “a classic cheeseburger
joint,” it has its share of craftburgers, including The Vatican
City ($11.59) — a double
cheeseburger squeezed between
two grilled cheese buns — and
The Low Priest ($5.79) featuring one beef patty, secret sauce,
cheese, pickles, chopped lettuce
and diced onions on a non-sesame seed bun or a lettuce wrap.
Add another beef patty and it’s
elevated to The Pope ($13.19.)
Mardirosian, who is preparing to open his 14th location,
doesn’t put much stock in the
price of beef as a factor in burgers’ popularity, noting that
although prices fluctuate, the
demand for burgers is constant.
But Toronto-based NPD Group
says a strong connection exists
between the price of beef and
the popularity of burgers. Beef
prices rose sharply between 2010
and 2015 and some analysts say
they are unlikely to decrease
significantly. Reasons range from
droughts that drive up the cost
of feed to the recovery time to
bring herds back up after culling — as well as foreign markets willing to pay more than
domestic ones. Still, expensive
ground beef is cheaper than
the premium cuts traditionally
used for roasts and steaks so
for restaurateurs, staking on
steak may be riskier than betting on burgers.
FUN
FACT
THE BURGER
with the
HIGHEST
PEDIGREE
has a price tag of
250,000 Euros
($371,507).
It’s an experiment
involving muscle
stem cells from a cow
grown into what
“food-futurists”
Bellwether Food Trends
calls “in-vitro” meat.
A few cells could,
theoretically,
grow tons of beef.
The test patty includes
beet, saffron, bread crumbs
and salt. Sides are extra.
PHOTOS: DREAMSTIME.COM
BANNER BURGER YEAR
NPD Group called 2014 “a banner year for burgers,” noting bulk
ground beef shipments to both
quick-service and full-service
restaurants were up in the U.S.,
a trend also reflected in Canada.
The result for diners has been a
burgernanza of choices as competition for market share grows.
In a world with more choices
than time, marketing needs to be
remarkable. Seth Godin, author
and marketing expert, points
to increasingly popular annual
Burger Week events as a great
example of putting burgers in
the spotlight. These events vary
across the country and while
some raise money for charity,
others are the burger equivalent
of fashion shows, featuring the
ultimate in what a burger can be.
Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary,
Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal,
Quebec and Halifax see hundreds of restaurants participate
collectively. The patties are often
100 per cent beef, much of it
Angus, but beef-plus-pork and/
or veal, bison, vegetarian, lamb,
salmon, tuna and poultry — like
the Don’t Have a Cow, Man turkey burger from Bernstein’s Deli
in Winnipeg — offer a plethora
of flavour profiles for the dis-
criminating burger customer.
In March 2016, 79 restaurants
participated in Halifax’s Burger
Week, “a city-wide burger-eating
celebration and fundraiser.” Over
half the participants offered
prix fixe ($6) burgers. The rest
donated a portion of the price to
a local charity. One talked-about
offering from Halifax-based
Darrell’s Restaurant, which
included an Angus beef patty,
13
FOOD FILE
TOWER OF TASTE The Tower of Babel from Burger’s Priest
features two beef patties and deep-fried portobello mushrooms
sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches
bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese and
peanut butter for that “stick to the
roof of your mouth difference.”
The Kangaroo Burger ($25)
at the Press Gang in downtown
Halifax was the most expensive
burger on offer during last
year’s Burger Week. This towering specimen features a ground
kangaroo patty, manchego
cheese, pancetta, grilled portobello mushrooms, taro crisps,
red onion rings, tzatziki sauce,
beet confit, iceberg lettuce,
trevio and sliced tomato on a
brioche bun.
In Belleville, Ont., Burger
Revolution’s PB burger is part
of a larger burger revolution
going on in the city. The fastcasual restaurant is owned and
managed by the husband-andwife team of Jeff Camacho and
Rayling Lei, who met at culinary school in Niagara-on-theLake. Although Camacho started
out in fine-dining, he quickly
realized burgers were where it’s
at. “Everyone loves burgers,” he
says, adding “Every burger is
kissed with fire that brings out
the flavour of the char.”
Burger Revolution’s appeal
is broad. “There’s no person or
demographic that’s excluded,”
Camacho says. Different meats
and vegetarian burgers are featured with one special “burger
of the month.” All the beef used
at Burger Revolution is sourced
from a nearby producer in
Tweed, Ont. The lamb for his
burgers is also local, from Prince
Edward County. Water buffalo comes from Stirling, Ont.
and he sources pork, chicken
and cheese locally as well.
Supporting the community is a
popular trend and in return, he
says, the community supports
him. “People always come, no
matter what the price is,” he says
when asked about the effects of
rising ingredient costs. “They
know we can’t survive without
the price adjustment.” Prices at
Burger Revolution range from
$6 to $12.
NACHO LIBRE: This burger
from The Works adds tricoloured tortilla chips for
added crunch
WHAT LOVELY BUNS!
The familiar sesame seed bun
continues to be a popular choice
in the world of burgers and not
just in the chain restaurants, while
kaisers remain a perennial favourite.
Brioche is big, especially in Quebec
where variations include black-beer
brioche and handmade buttertoasted brioche.
Ciabatta buns have carved out a
place on burger menus, including
QSRs A&W and McDonald’s; bagel
buns can be found at Wendy’s and
in one Winnipeg eatery, “daily-baked
Winnipeg rye” is the top pick. The
King + Bronutyne in Winnipeg has
the “Big Tasty”— a house-made
patty using a special blend of brisket
and chuck, hand-cut, sweet-roast
pork belly, pickled red onion, arugula, spicy pineapple mustard and
roasted beet ketchup in between two
custom-made goat cheese glazed
bronuts ($12.50).
Those who find that alarming
could ask for their patty wrapped
in lettuce instead of a bun. At
Fatburgers, that’s a Skinnyburger.
At Burger Revolution in Belleville,
the sturdy pretzel bun rules but it
also serves two deep-fried slices
of plantain as a bun.
Although Mardirosian and
Camacho differ in how they
prepare their burgers (the former favouring a flat-top griddle
and the latter a flame grill),
they, like other successful burger
restaurants in their category,
combine a love and respect for
good ingredients — carefully
prepared and presented with
skill and quirky humour.
For Mardirosian, that manifests in his biblically named
burgers, while Camacho uses
a revolutionary theme. The
Outcider ($11.99) from Burger
Revolution is a beef burger
with grilled marinated pork
skewers, cheddar cheese and
County Cider mustard mayo.
The Chèvre Guevara ($10.75)
features a beef (or vegetarian)
patty with goat cheese, roasted
red pepper, bacon and smoked
tomato jam. Both are served on
pretzel buns, which Camacho
likes for their ability to hold up
to moist toppings.
Asked about burger trends,
Mardirosian and Camacho have
differing views. The Burger’s
Priest owner foresees a return
to what he describes as a “really
classic burger” and a move away
from the “outrageous.”
Camacho predicts the local
ingredient push will continue
and believes comfort-style and
ethnic foods are growing trends
for the burger segment. He also
feels his Filipino background
and his wife’s Chinese roots
influence their ingredient choices, which includes an Italian
salami spread called ’nduja. “A
burger can be elevated,”
says Camacho. “A burger is
our canvass.”
MOVE OVER BEEF
When it comes to hamburgers, beef is not the only game
in town. Pork producers will
be heartened to see pork’s use
FOOD FILE
flourishing in the craft-burger
movement. Like beef, pork’s
popularity is affected by price
fluctuations, an aging population that eschews red meat and
religious restrictions on consumption. On the other hand,
Canada’s multicultural community has developed many specialized pork products.
In Canada, hog and pork
prices generally follow a fouryear North American price
cycle, according to Canada Pork
International (CPI), an export
promotion agency. Usually, two
years of below-average slaughter
and higher-than-average prices
are followed by two years of
higher- than-average slaughter
and lower hog prices.
Canadian pork is leaner than
its American counterpart and a
lot of emphasis is now placed on
increasing its tenderness and
flavour, while giving it a more
pleasing colour. In one online
promotional video, Michael
Young, a director with CPI,
demonstrates a recipe using
lean ground pork — which he
describes as under-utilized in
the foodservice industry. Young
describes ground pork as “a
real performer,” saying it holds
up well under cooked conditions, is mild and takes on
other flavours well.
Lamb also has its proponents, including the Canadian
Lamb Producers Cooperative.
It hopes to benefit from the
public’s preference for buying
Canadian products — the more
local the better. Producers see a
rapidly growing ethnic market
in Canada that is accustomed to
eating lamb.
TOP
THIS
Shane Kennedy,
corporate chef at The
Works says while
“we have forever put
tomatoes, lettuce and
cheeses on burgers,”
these toppings were
the early stages of a
Reece’s PBC from The Works
garnish revolution that
began with the humble ketchup and mustard. Now, Kennedy says,
chefs are turning the simple toppings into something unique — mixing
up the lettuce varieties or roasting and seasoning the tomatoes. “In the
future, toppings will continue to push the envelope of what is seen on
a burger.” Skeptics need go no further than The Works’ Reese Peanut
Butter Cup stuffed and topped burger. Kennedy also notes the growing influences of global flavours in sauces, spices and combinations as
helping burger toppings to continue evolving.
“Our guests’ favourite toppings, not including standard toppings
like lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles, include bacon, caramelized
onions, goat cheese and bacon ketchup. Toppings have evolved and
will continue to do so as we strive to add more favourites on top of the
always-favourite burger.” — GRAEME GARLAND
fresh
thinking.
A true classic, our big and juicy VIRTUOSO® beefsteak tomatoes are a perfect match
for any grilled burger. Proudly Canadian, Windset Farms® provides a wide range of
greenhouse grown tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and specialty varieties!
WINDSETFARMS.COM
FOOD FILE
SUSTAINABLE
SANDWICHES
In a world facing global warming and an aging population,
sustainability and health concerns are increasingly important factors for the burger
business. It’s no longer good
enough to sell tasty burgers
— consumers are concerned
with animal welfare and the
environmental impacts of raising livestock. They are looking
for less artificial colouring and
more natural ingredients.
Consumers’ appetite for
sustainability is at the heart
of A&W’s business. The QSR
giant boasts it’s the first, and
only, national burger restaurant
in Canada to serve beef raised
without hormones or steroids.
McDonald’s, for its part, vows
to serve 100 per cent more fruit,
vegetables, low-fat dairy or whole
grains by 2020 and to promote
Canadian farm products.
Another consideration for the
burger segment is the ubiquitous
older cohort who is cutting back
on red meat. One response is
“the trend to blend” — incorporating up to 35 per cent chopped
mushrooms into beef patties.
The result, says Steve Solomon,
culinary director of the U.Sbased Mushroom Council, is
a blended burger with fewer
calories and less fat and sodium.
Solomon says the blend offers
a pleasing umami and a moistness that allows it to be held
for service. Are burger restaurants aware of this? Solomon
doesn’t name names, citing
confidentiality agreements, but
says hundreds of American
restaurants and schools are into
“the blend.” Shannon Bryan,
a manager with Mushrooms
Canada says her organization
works with its American counterpart and with Ontario beef
farmers. The Canadian emphasis
A SIDE
FROM
ALL THAT...
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The
majority of restaurants offering burgers think fries ain’t broke and neither
are onion rings — although both
can use some tweaking.
Let’s put some panko on those
onion rings. A dunk in beer batter
is also good. Fry potatoes and
describe them in a way that just
reading the menu causes weight
gain. But let’s not stop there —
fry sweet potatoes and offer them
with regular potatoes on one plate.
Make them into chilli-cheese fries.
Breaded zucchini fries? Bring
them on.
Not up for fries? How about pita
chips with garlic dipping sauce?
Other side-dish predictions
include pickled vegetables
(paleo-friendly, gluten-free and low
calorie) and spiralized vegetables.
Poutine has upped its game
with toppings such as foie gras
and white truffles now making an
appearance. And let’s not forget
about burgers where poutine is
used as a topping — a side on
the inside.
Another trend evident in restaurants across both QSR and casual
categories in the U.S. is the movement of sides to à la carte status in
an effort to boost sales figures in a
recovering market.
is on the consumer rather than
the foodservice industry but
Bryan says that diners pick up
on trends they experience when
dining out, including while on
American vacations. l
STORIES BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER AND DANIELLE SCHALK PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGARET MULLIGAN
19
A PASSION FOR CHEMISTRY fuelled
Casey Kulczyk’s fascination with wine production, so he left his studies in applied
pharmaceutical chemistry and joined the
Niagara College Wine & Viticulture program. There he not only honed his tasting
abilities, but studied winemaking and viticulture as well. After achieving the Wine &
Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level-three
certification, Kulczyk landed an internship
at Flat Rock Cellars in Lincoln, Ont., before
investigating winemaking abroad under
the tutelage of New Zealand winemaker
Ross Wise. His journey continued to the
Santa Cruz Mountains in California at Rhys
Vineyards before leading him back to the
Niagara Peninsula and a head winemaking position at the family-run Stonechurch
Vineyards, where he helped introduce the
vineyard’s first icewine in more than a
decade. Since 2012, he’s been the assistant
winemaker at Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate
and is taking his love of wine to the next
level. Working under head winemaker Marco
Piccoli, Kulczyk participates in the vineyard’s
blending and classification decisions, helps
coordinate annual capacity planning, finds
cost savings through inventory management
and even acts as a brand ambassador at
public events. “His career is just at the beginning of a long and successful journey,” says
Piccoli, who praised Kulczyk’s contribution
to wine-quality improvement. “Casey has
worked very professionally, aligning his skills
with the values of the biggest wine producer
in Canada, maintaining focus on quality
under higher levels of pressure.”
AMBERLYNNE PLOURDE always
knew she was destined for a culinary career. In 2014, after spending
several years in Niagara-region
kitchens, the Niagara College graduate joined Toronto’s vibrant culinary scene. She quickly established
herself as an integral member of
The Drake Hotel’s culinary team,
advancing from her original position of chef de partie to sous chef
in less than a year. In her current
role, Plourde manages the team of
more than 20 cooks responsible for
The Drake’s dining room, lounge,
café, sushi bar and patios, as well
as special events and catering
operations. Plourde finds a constant
source of inspiration and motivation in her experiences headingup catered events, dreaming up
themed menus with offerings such
as a peanut butter and jelly-inspired
dish of duck liver mousse with
roasted peanut rosemary cream and
sweet potato orange compote. Eager
to take advantage of every opportunity, Plourde finds joy in participating in events beyond The Drake’s
daily operations and has represented the hotel at community events
such as Grow for The Stop and Eat
to the Beat. She has also supported
chef de cuisine Alexandra Feswick
in competitions such as Gold Medal
Plates. “Amberlynne is one of the
most adaptable, intelligent and
humble chefs I have had the privilege to work with,” says Feswick.
“Not only is she extremely respectful, she handles responsibility with
grace and kindness.”
21
BRIAN CHENG’S STORY BEGINS with an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of cooking. The George Brown College
graduate honed his skills in Canada, first as a cook at Angus
Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., then as a cook apprentice at Soho Metropolitan Hotel’s Senses Restaurant, before
jet-setting to La Spezia in Italy to master the traditional
dishes of the Liguria region. He soon nabbed a position
with the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi, India, where he
championed Canadian cuisine to international dignitaries.
“He was consistently able to produce delicious and beautiful
meals with a Canadian flair, using the often limited ingredients available to him,” says Stewart Beck, former High
Commissioner for Canada in New Delhi. Today, the chef is
the owner of The Edible Story, a modern kitchen, catering
business and cooking school in downtown Toronto that he
runs with partner Alanna Fleischer. In addition to overseeing
kitchen operations, Cheng is responsible for menu planning,
customer relations and product sourcing. Giving back to
the community is a part of the chef ’s mandate, whether it’s
donating food for 300 attendees at the Rally for Kids with
Cancer or offering event space to host charity events. “He is
constantly supporting the college by employing students and
alumni as well as supporting the local BIA to establish his
entrepreneurial presence,” says Cindy Gouveia, president of
the George Brown Foundation. “He has demonstrated passion and respect throughout his career.”
WHILE WORKING AS A farm hand at
an organic farm and apple orchard in
Copetown, Ont., Tarique Ahmed made a
discovery that would ultimately launch his
career in the burgeoning craft-cider industry. Ahmed uncovered a forgotten antique
apple press that inspired him to teach himself all he could about making hard ciders.
Recognizing there was a niche to fill in
Ontario, Ahmed took what he learned and
opened Revel Cider Co. Since launching
the business in early 2015, his unique cider
creations have garnered industry recognition — including Bronze at the Great Lakes
International Cider and Perry Competition
and a Gold medal from the 2015 Ontario
Cider Awards. Revel’s range of ciders are created using only 100 per cent Ontario apples,
hops, yeast and botanicals, resulting in ciders
such as Spirit of the Woods, which is aged in
Chardonnay barrels and finished with fresh
Niagara peaches. To celebrate the company’s
recent anniversary, Ahmed orchestrated and
released a series of limited-edition smallbatch ciders, dubbed the Revelations series.
These brews were made available at bars
and restaurants across the province already
carrying Revel ciders — including Toronto,
London, Guelph and Hamilton. “A start-up’s
success is intimately tied to the character of
its leader,” says Kevin Boon, client services
manager and mentor at Innovation Guelph.
“I am confident that Tariq has the tenacity,
entrepreneurship and expertise to continue
pushing boundaries for the continued success of his business.”
23
THERE IS NO denying Andrew Eade’s
passion for his craft. With 13 years of
industry experience, Eade cooked his
way through some of Toronto’s most
notable kitchens, including Splendido,
Scaramouche and Auberge du Pommier,
before landing at Pusateri’s Fine Foods.
Eade’s passion and drive became evident early in his career. While attending George Brown College for culinary
management, the young chef founded
and successfully ran his own boutique
catering company. During his time at
George Brown, he also co-founded the
college’s Tastes of Tomorrow guestspeaker series. In his current position
as chef de cuisine, Eade manages a staff
of 60, heading up Pusateri’s food production facility which supplies retail
locations — including the company’s
new Saks Food Halls. In 2015, Eade
placed first at the Grocery Innovations
Canada Show and won Nella Cucina’s
Discovered Culinary Competition.
The ambitious chef also set his sights
on developing 50 new products for
Pusateri’s, a goal he exceeded, creating
items such as Sriracha peanuts, Thai
coconut cauliflower soup and 15-hour
slow-smoked St. Louis ribs. “Andrew
fosters the passion for food in the food
industry,” says Shannon Shorter, kitchen
manager for Pusateri’s. “He constantly
sets goals and exceeds them.” Eade
eagerly shares his wealth of knowledge
with others, whether through mentoring
culinary students or scouting secondhand stores for cookbooks to stock
Pusateri’s lunchroom shelves.
MARIBETH MCKEY HAS made a name
for herself organizing and overseeing one
of the biggest days in her clients’ lives.
As the catering manager at Jordan, Ont.’s
Inn on the Twenty, McKey is responsible
for running special events — including
weddings and corporate events — and
the inn’s fine-dining restaurant. McKey
got her start in the industry as a teenager,
spending her summers as a banquet server at Fairmont hotel properties, inspiring
her to pursue a career in the hospitality
industry. She first joined the Inn on the
Twenty as a seasonal worker while attending Brock University. “Maribeth rapidly
grew to be so indispensable that she was
made a junior manager within two years,”
recalls Helen Young, owner of the Inn on
the Twenty. Event bookings have nearly
doubled since McKey joined the team,
leaving her to oversee approximately 100
events per year. McKey’s attention to
detail and unwavering commitment to
customer experience have elicited great
praise from the inn’s many satisfied clients. “Maribeth is a brilliant team builder
who puts an exemplary level of energy
into meeting the sometimes complex
demands of special event and wedding
clients,” says Young. “Despite her age, her
innate fairness and willingness to pitch in
has made her many fans among the staff.”
25
EMILY MEKO BEGAN laying the foundation
for Eat What’s Good while studying Applied
Human Nutrition at the University of Guelph.
During the summer months, Meko returned
to her hometown of Chatham, Ont. where she
began selling her vegan meal creations at a local
farmers market — a project that grew steadily
each year with the support of the local community. The venture was so successful that after
two years she made the business her full-time
summer job. Meko went on to complete the
culinary skills chef-training program at George
Brown College and in 2014 opened as a bricksand-mortar operation in Chatham. Eat What’s
Good offers vegan, gluten-free, whole-food meal
solutions and desserts — think Thai coconut
soup, black bean and edamame salad, white bean
blondies and vegan cheesecakes — as well as
packaged organic dry goods, cold-pressed juices
and kombucha (fermented, lightly effervescent
sweetened black or green tea drinks). In less
than two years, Meko has expanded her business’
reach to offer Eat What’s Good products in other
communities across Ontario through partnerships with local businesses. Meko’s passion and
drive have not gone unnoticed by her peers.
During her post-secondary career, she received
the Canadian Association of Foodservice
Professionals’ (CAFP) Aramark Gold Plate
award an unprecedented four years in a row at
the regional level and once at the national level.
She also won the Arlene Dickinson Award in
2014 in recognition of her entrepreneurial spirit.
“Emily has exhibited unparalleled entrepreneurial skills from the start,” says Rosie Maclean,
CFE, president of Maclean Food Consulting Inc.
and former national president of the CAFP. “She
is a dedicated, hardworking young lady and is
constantly looking for new and original ideas to
meet the needs of her specialized market.”
HE MAY HAVE A reputable last name in the culinary community (his father
is the executive chef at Toronto’s fine-dining mainstay, Scaramouche), but
Benn Froggett is making a name for himself in the front-of-the-house. The
University of Guelph Hotel and Food Administration graduate began his
foodservice career as a dishwasher at Scaramouche in 2010, before working his
way up to increasingly responsible roles such as server assistant, host, server
and maître d’. More recently, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)
Level-three holder became part of a new culinary venture, The Glen Tavern,
in Georgetown, Ont. with partners Keith Froggett and Carl Korte in late 2015.
Since then, he has taken charge of all front-of-house operations, motivating
staff, training employees — even bridging the pay gap between back- and
front-of -house. “Like his father, Benn is slow and steady, great with people
and sharp as a tack,” says Bruce McAdams, assistant professor at the University
of Guelph, and co-chair of the Top 30 Under 30 selection committee. In his
role as host and general manager, Froggett has developed a comprehensive
wine, beer and cocktail list that ranges from classics such as the Whiskey
Smash to Cave Spring Riesling from Niagara. The restaurant has been praised
as an immediate success by partner Carl Korte. “This, in no small part, has
been due to Benn’s diligence and hard work. Most importantly, he has shown a
great ability to develop guest relationships and loyalty, a key ingredient in the
success of any restaurant.”
THE REST OF THE BEST FROM THE OHI’S TOP 30 UNDER 30
Evan Baulch director of restaurant operations OLIVER & BONACINI RESTAURANTS Jessica
Bearss stewarding manager THE WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE Andrew Buwalda financial controller SKYLINE DEERHURST RESORT INC. Stephanie Duong pastry chef & owner
ROSELLE DESSERTS John Forcier sous chef OLIVER & BONACINI RESTAURANTS Daniella
Germond junior sous chef CULINARY TEAM CANADA MEMBER, BENCHMARK RESTAURANT
Laura Grau Manager, Human Resources, Americas FRHI HOTELS & RESORTS Lauren
Hambleton pastry chef PELLER ESTATES WINERY RESTAURANT Caitlin Kern general manager retail sales & events THE FOREIGN AFFAIR WINERY Jamie Knoepfli assistant manager/
GM CAFÉ BOULUD AND DBAR, FOUR SEASONS TORONTO David Lau director, revenue management THE FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK HOTEL Aaron Laurie student leader UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
Justin Lesso head chef TWO SISTER’S VINEYARD Ricardo Maharaj meetings and events
manager SHERATON CENTRE TORONTO HOTEL Alex Marconi social media manager FOUR
SEASONS HOTEL TORONTO Melissa Murphy food & beverage manager DRAKE ONE FIFTY,
DRAKE HOTEL PROPERTIES Paula Navarrete chef de cuisine MOMOFUKU DAISHO Oksana
Ni general manager DUKE OF WESTMINSTER, IMAGO RESTAURANTS Farookh Rajwani assisstant manager JUMP Restaurant OLIVER & BONACINI RESTAURANTS Victoria Simmons
assistant director of banquets THE WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE Christopher Terpstra owner
and operator ALIMENTARI FOODS INC. head butcher SANAGAN’S MEAT LOCKER Stefanie
Théroux retail sales representative STEAM WHISTLE BREWING
27
M
ark Wafer has channeled
his own personal challenges to become a driving force in the pursuit
of inclusive employment
in Canada’s private sector. As the owner of
six Toronto-area Tim Horton’s franchises,
Wafer’s company Megleen Inc. has witnessed
first-hand the business case for hiring people
with disabilities.
Wafer, who was born deaf, faced a number of barriers growing up — mostly from
well-meaning teachers and coaches — and
upon entering the business world, quickly
realized people with disabilities were fac-
ing the same, if not greater, barriers that he
had. “My disability didn’t actually prevent
me from continuing with other things,” says
Wafer, who has about 20 per cent hearing
and relies heavily on lip-reading.
“When I opened my first [Tim Horton’s]
store and needed to hire somebody to look
after the dining room, the person that came
through the door was a man by the name
of Clint Sparling.” He was Wafer’s first
employee with an intellectual disability. “I
worried if he kept walking down the street
knocking on doors that he would face the
same types of barriers I did. I was afraid
he wasn’t going to find a job, so I gave him
a chance — and he’s still working for me
today, 21 years later.”
It soon became clear to Wafer that when
you train people with a disability to do a
job, they will do it only one way and that’s
the right way. “They will only do it the way
you teach them how to do it, and of the 41
employees I had at the time, Clint was the
best. He came to work early and we couldn’t
get him to take a break. The loyalty he had
for the job was beyond anything I’d seen in
other employees.”
As business grew, Wafer added people
with varying degrees of disabilities in meaningful positions and made sure they were
paid the same as everyone else. Within two
years of starting the practice of inclusive
employment, Wafer began to see a change
in his business. Staff turnover and sick days
declined, workplace safety and productivity increased. “People with disabilities have
a different set of problem-solving skills
— they think outside the box to get things
done and that drives innovation.”
“
“
PHOTO: JOHN HRYNIUKT PHOTO OF MARK WAFER WITH EMPLOYEES]
PROFILE
Over the past 20 years, Mark and his
wife Valerie have hired 127 people with
disabilities — from entry level to logistics,
production to management. They currently
employ 46 people with disabilities in a
workforce of 250.
It didn’t take long for the Wafers to
become well-known for their hiring practices, winning a number of awards and garnering media coverage. Soon, government and
agencies began to reach out, curious to discover what the Wafers were doing differently.
“I kept focusing on the economic service,”
says Wafer. “If you want other employers to
buy into progress, you can’t tell them it’s the
right thing to do, because then they might
hire one [token] person [with a disability].
But if you start to look at the statistics and
the market data, the business case becomes
clear — I’ve got a great safety rating (zero
claims), great productivity, much lower
turnover (38 per cent turnover rate in an
industry that experiences 75 to 100 per cent)
and much lower absenteeism.”
Wafer feels there’s a misconception
among employers that if you hire people
with disabilities, your safety rating is going
to suffer “because they are going to fall and
hurt themselves; they are going to claim
WSIB. But it’s the opposite. Take me for
example. I’m deaf and I can’t cross the road
without looking — I’m more aware of my
surroundings. People with disabilities tend
to be less of a risk factor. The proof — in 21
years I have never filled out a WSIB claim
for a disabled employee.”
SPEAKING UP
In 2006, Wafer found himself as the keynote
speaker at a disability conference after the
original speaker failed to show up. “I’ve
never done anything like that before but I
went up and told my story. Afterwards, a
few people approached me and said ‘we have
never heard anything like this before and we
have somebody we would like you to meet.’”
Within 24-hours, he was at Queen’s Park sitting in the office of the Lieutenant Governor
of Ontario, discussing how, in order to
decrease the economic burden on the government, people with disabilities needed to
be integrated into the work place. “We’ve got
to do it by showing businesses that there is
an economic case for inclusive employment.
There are programs out there, the government is spending over $11 billion a year but
most of that money is spent to keep people
with disabilities at home. It’s unsustainable
and it’s an economic issue not just for companies but for society.”
According to Statistics Canada, 15 per
cent of Canadians have disabilities —
that’s the entire population of Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and Alberta combined —
constituting Canada’s largest minority by far.
Seventy-per-cent of those people are unemployed and today, the country has 500,000
recent graduates from the last five years who
haven’t worked a single day only because
they have a disability. “The talent pool is
massive,” says Wafer.
Almost 60 per cent of people
with disabilities require no
accommodations at all. Of
those that do, the typical
one-time expenditure by
employers is $500.
Workers with disabilities have
63 per cent less time away
from work due to accidents
Ninety per cent of people with
disabilities rated average or
better on job performance
than their non-disabled
colleagues
Ninety-eight per cent of people
with disabilities rated average
or better in work safety than
their non-disabled colleagues
There is a 72 per cent staff
retention rate among persons
with disabilities, saving millions
of dollars
SOURCE: CANADIAN BUSINESS SENSEABILITY
29
PROFILE
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The foodservice industry, especially the QSR
segment, is one of the largest employers of
people with disabilities, especially those with
visible disabilities, thanks in large part to the
work of agencies such as Community Living,
says Wafer. “These agencies, which represent
people with disabilities and help them find
work, are not going to go to General Motors
and try and find a job for somebody with
Down syndrome. They are going to go to
McDonald’s or Tim Hortons and get them
a job working in the lobby, doing dishes,
cleaning tables or taking the garbage out.
Typically, the largest percentage of people
with those types of disabilities who are
working are working in foodservice.”
The problem, Wafer says, is the position is
usually a token one — managers aren’t looking at their business critically and realizing
that positions such as team leader or trainers
can be filled from the disabled community.
“If you look at how we are doing in the
foodservice industry overall when it comes
to inclusive employment, we are doing poorly — we’re discounting the disabled community when it comes to hiring line cooks,
sous chefs, managers, matradees, servers and
bartenders — people with disabilities can do
all of those jobs. There is no job in a restaurant or in the food industry that cannot be
done by a person with disability. It’s about
finding the right fit, making sure the person
is capable of doing that job and involving
them in the conversation around how they
are going to do the job.”
CHANGE IS COMING
Five years ago, Wafer recalls trips to Queen’s
Park and Ottawa for meetings with MPs
who rushed him out the door — if they’d
meet with him at all. Fast-forward five years
and government now comes to him.
“There’s more interest [in inclusive
employment] now. Businesses, especially
large corporations, need to realize this
untapped labor pool can help solve the
problem of labour shortages. You’ve got
all these people in your own backyard, not
working. You don’t need to go to Mexico
and the Philippines to get somebody — they
can hire somebody qualified and invested
right here at home.”
WALKING
THE TALK
From 2011 to 2014, Mark Wafer worked on
a federal panel for marketplace opportunities where, through work with the Ministry
of Finance, he helped author, “Rethinking
Disability in the Private Sector: Report from
the Panel on Labour Market Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities.” “I believe the
number-1 thing we can do to change an
employer’s attitude towards people with
disabilities is engagement in applications
— but that’s expensive, so governments
have a role to play in providing resources.
Employer engagement legislation is the key
to success; we need to change the attitude
of employers and sell them on the economic
benefits of inclusive employment.
Wafer is the co-founder of the Canadian
Business Sensibility and is Canada’s
national strategy lead for hiring people with
disabilities. He is a member of Ontario’s
economic development partnership council
and was recently inducted into the Canadian
Disability Hall of Fame. In March, he was
awarded Restaurants Canada’s inaugural
Leadership Award for his work in advancing
employment opportunities for people
with disabilities.
Inclusive employment has come a long
way but, says Wafer, we still have a long way
to go. “The disability community is the last
community or demographic in the world
that we can still openly discriminate against
— we don’t do that with any other demographic. No matter how smart or how educated a person is, people see somebody in a
wheel chair and the first thing that comes to
their mind is a judgement on that person’s
disability — that’s why they can’t get jobs.”
But Wafer says he also sees an increase
in the number of advocates for people with
disabilities in the workplace “and I think the
activism is important. That’s how we will
make significant change over the next five to
10 years.”
But a significant barrier to disabled people succeeding in the workforce continues to
be training. Not a lack of available training,
but a lack of understanding by large corporations whose training programs weed out
— whether intentionally or not — people
whose disabilities interfere with their ability
to carry out the training as it is set out.
“For example, I’ve had an employee for
10 years who has a very significant learning
disability but she is one of the best people
on the front counter — she can serve 10
customers to everyone else’s one. She is
a dynamite employee but she can’t sit in
front of a computer and learn about a new
product using the [traditional] training
program.”
At this point, he says, many employers
choose to discount that person, rather than
modifying the training program. At Wafer’s
restaurants, he has a trainer show the
employees how to make new products. “It
takes 30 seconds; it’s not rocket science.”
He cites programs outside of the business,
such as George Brown College, as examples
of institutions making sure people with disabilities come out of schools with skills to
help them find jobs. He also runs a co-op
program with Centennial College, which
gives students with significant disabilities a
chance to try out the restaurant business.
“They spend three days a week working at
my stores so when they graduate they’ll have
practical experience and will be able to get a
full time job at a Tim Horton’s or anywhere
else in the industry.” l
SOCIAL MEDIA
BUILDING
THE
BUZZ
HOW LEADING FOODSERVICE
BRANDS ARE KEEPING
FANS ENGAGED WITH
NEW APPROACHES TO
THE SOCIAL WORLD
BY REBECCA HARRIS
ore than 350,000 Facebook
fans? Check. Eighteen thousand Twitter followers?
Check. Nearly 5,000
Instagram devotees? Check.
Now, what’s a foodservice company to talk
about?
Over the past few years, brands have been
working hard to acquire social-media followers, heeding the call to “join the conversation” and have meaningful dialogue with
their customers. “Everyone grew these social
platforms to have an audience, and now,
what else do you say to them?” says Drew
Campbell, national Marketing manager,
Digital and Social Media, at Mississauga,
Ont.-based Boston Pizza.
The question highlights a big challenge
in today’s social media environment: how to
get fans and followers to stay on the page,
particularly as social-media channels are
maturing and there’s a glut of content. To
stand out and keep things fresh, foodservice
brands need to find new and unique ways to
keep their social-media followers engaged.
“The public has grown to expect more
value out of social-media channels than
they originally did,” says Campbell. “It’s no
longer good enough to use a social-media
channel to broadcast information about a
sale or discount. You can’t just go back to
the public when you need something from
them. People are now looking for entertainment value and participation in ongoing
conversations.”
For Boston Pizza, one of the keys to
31
SOCIAL MEDIA
LET’S MAKE A
DEAL #DeadlineDay
generated 2.9 million
impressions on
social media
engagement is being part of everyday conversations, with content that
reflects timely issues. For example, if
people are talking about something
happening in the sports world, the
brand looks for ways to be included
in that dialogue. “We refer to it as
looking for opportunities to win the
moment,” says Campbell.
Earlier this year, one such sports
conversation inspired the company
to launch a social-media campaign
called #DeadlineDay. In March, the
NHL’s trade deadline sees a flurry
of player trades from one team to
another and generates a great deal of
discussion among hockey fans about
which players will get traded.
“We’re very familiar with NHL
trade deadlines and for our guests
who are connected to sports, it’s a hot
topic for them,” says Campbell. “It’s
interesting because everyone dreams
of suggesting a great trade and participating in the trade process.”
Leading up to the NHL trade
deadline, Boston Pizza asked its
social-media followers to make
them a trade offer by Feb. 29 in
exchange for 10 individual pizzas. The campaign, which ran on
Facebook and Twitter, was wildfire,
says Campbell. “We received thousands of trade proposals — everything from a gentleman who was
willing to get a tattoo of the Boston
Pizza logo on his body in exchange
for 10 pizzas, to somebody who
was willing to donate 20 hours of
volunteer time at his local youth
sports charity.”
On March 1, Boston Pizza named
three winners and #DeadlineDay
generated 2.9 million impressions
on social media. “It was a way to win
that moment and participate in a
social-media conversation already taking place,” says Campbell. “And it was
a great way to reward our guests.”
Rewarding fans with real-life
experiences is another way brands
stand out and create fan engagement. Social-media expert Jess
Hunichen, co-founder of Torontobased Shine PR, says consumers have
so many media and entertainment
options today so it’s important to
bring social media into the real
world every so often.
“While people do so much on
social now, they still look for reallife experiences… No one wants
to live their life behind a screen,”
she says. “Brands need to offer the
audience something valuable, and
not necessarily a financial value,
but an experience.”
One socially savvy restaurant
chain that rewards fans with unique,
real-world experiences is Taco Bell
Canada. Last summer, fans could
enter a contest for the chance to
be included in a firefighter-themed
calendar to promote Taco Bell’s new
Fiery DLT. Twelve winners — one for
each month — were photographed
posing with hoses, fire trucks, axes
and the new spicy taco.
“We want to make sure we give
our fans the best experiences,” says
Veronica Castillo, head of Marketing
and R&D at Taco Bell Canada.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
PUCKER UP
New York
Fries tested by
Snapchat,
inviting followers
to submit photos
of themselves
kissing fries
“We have a very strong relationship with our fans and it continues
to grow. They’re waiting for us when
there’s a new initiative because they
know we truly engage and they can
be heroes and have five minutes of
fame.”
Taco Bell Canada, which targets
millennials, has a history of turning up the heat on social media.
Last year, its #proveit campaign
rewarded three lucky fans with a
trip to the company’s headquarters
in California, including a visit to its
famous test kitchen. Contest participants had to share evidence of
their excitement for Doritos Cheesy
Gordita Crunch (DCGC) before the
product even launched in Canada.
Social-media personality Chris
Carmichael also went on the trip.
Carmichael is known as one of
the world’s first stars on Snapchat,
a mobile app and social-media
network that launched in 2011.
Snapchat allows users to send photos
and videos, or “snaps,” that are automatically deleted after being viewed.
Carmichael took over Taco Bell’s
Snapchat to share his experiences on
the trip. “We are bringing influencers into our world and we engage
with them on a more offline level,”
says Castillo. “We think they’re
going to be a great way for us to
[attract] new fans.”
Starbucks Canada works with
social-media influencers to generate buzz and boost engagement for
the brand. This past summer, for
example, the coffee chain partnered
with Canadian YouTube star Lauren
Riihimaki (known as LaurDIY),
to bring to life the story around
Starbucks’ new Sparkling Teavana
Iced Tea juices. Riihimaki, who has
nearly three million subscribers
to her YouTube channel, introduced the new beverage to her fan
base through videos, social-media
posts and in-person meet-ups in
Vancouver and Toronto.
“She was the perfect combination
of fun, young, creative and collaborative,” says Jessica Mills, director of
Brand Communications at Starbucks
Canada. “These events were wildly
successful as it gave Starbucks
an opportunity to be the catalyst
between social storytelling and inreal-life experiences with LaurDIY
and the product.”
Aside from engaging well-known
influencers, brands are also working directly with passionate fans,
or “super fans,” to help spread the
word. Two years ago, Taco Bell created “Mas Nation,” an advisory board
of fans it recruited from Facebook
and Twitter. Taco Bell meets with
about 20 board members on a quarterly basis to learn more about what
they like, brainstorm new product
and marketing campaign ideas and
give them a sneak peek at upcoming
product innovations.
“It’s not only great in terms of
collecting insights from them, we
also create brand ambassadors for
the future,” says Castillo. “They are
so engaged and passionate, and they
feel that they are part of the decision
making.” When Taco Bell launches
new products, the advisory board
members help spread the word on
their own social-media channels.
“They are great advocates of the
brand,” says Castillo.
Whether a brand’s message is
spread via influencers, super fans, or
a company’s own team, social media
allows brands to create an emotional
connection with consumers. Alyssa
Berenstein, brand manager at New
York Fries, says brands are storytelling now, instead of selling. “Socialmedia platforms provide opportunities to brands to be more human and
more natural,” she says.
To engage its young customers,
New York Fries is staying ahead of
the curve by testing out Snapchat,
which most marketers have been
slow to adopt. Just before Valentine’s
Day, the brand launched its first-ever
#TEATIME
Starbucks
partnered with
YouTube star
LaurDIY to
promote its new
tea beverages
Snapchat promotion, “French Your
Fry,” inviting consumers to send a
“snap” of themselves kissing fries in
exchange for a coupon for free fries.
“We saw a whole new way that fans
were engaging with us and it was
one-to-one,” says Berenstein. “They
were sharing snaps with us directly,
then we had conversations with
them, one-on-one.”
New York Fries’ foray into
Snapchat was the first time the
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SOCIAL MEDIA
company considered itself a pioneer within a social-media platform. When New York Fries first
launched on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram, it researched what other
brands were doing before diving in,
wanting to ensure it fully understood each platform.
“However, we felt there was an
opportunity for us to start playing within the Snapchat platform
because a lot of our customers are
within the Snapchat sweet spot
demographic of 13 to 25,” says
Berenstein. “We decided to just go
for it and not be an observer to the
same degree we were with the other
channels.”
Working with its agency, Torontobased Instigator Communications,
New York Fries continues to post
content to Snapchat, including
spoof videos featuring its mascot,
Spud. “It’s just really fun and casual,
and the great thing about it is it
doesn’t have to be perfect,” says
Berenstein. “It’s not a videographer
who’s doing it and that’s why it
works so well.”
While New York Fries is experimenting with Snapchat, it’s also
tweaked its approach to long-standing social-media channels. In the
past, New York Fries tried to get fans
to share photos on Facebook, but it
didn’t have much traction, according to Berenstein. The most successful fan engagements on Facebook
are fun, easy contests, such as
“would you rather have a poutine or
fresh-cut fries?” with the chance to
win a free order of fries. “A simple
question paired with a deliciouslooking image of our food can get
us 1,000 likes and 500 comments,”
says Berenstein. “It’s amazing what
a free order of fries can motivate
people to do using Facebook.”
The business objective of New
York Fries’ social-media strategy
is to increase customer frequency.
Most of its locations are in food
courts and there aren’t many new
malls being built in Canada. “That’s
why we’re putting a spotlight on our
social strategies, because customer
frequency is how we’ve been able
to grow,” says Berenstein. Without
doing any paid social-media posts
or sponsorships, New York Fries has
seen an increase in customer count,
same-store sales and average cheque.
“It’s been a wonderful journey
for our brand because we don’t take
ourselves too seriously — we do sell
French fries and poutine for a living,” says Berenstein. “That allows
us to really see a lot of success in the
social arena.” l
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SOCIAL MEDIA
MAKING A
SPLASH
The ALS Ice
Bucket Challenge
raised $220
million
SOCIAL SUCCESS
If you’re ready to create and innovate,
then social media is for you
BY SEBASTIAN FUSCHINI
PHOTOS: DREAMSTIME.COM [ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE]
W
hile there are no precise blueprints to a
successful viral marketing campaign, there are some
common principles to guide
you to a long and prosperous
adventure in social media —
and originality and practicality
are key.
The best example came
from the ALS Association’s Ice
Bucket Challenge. In the summer of 2014, people living with
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(Lou Gehrig disease) raised
awareness of the condition by
having people all over the world
dump buckets of ice water over
their heads and post the video,
with “each person challenging the next” as the dominant
theme. The results were overwhelming: 17 million videos
from 159 countries — including
ones created by high-profile
participants such as Will Smith,
Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and
Mark Zuckerberg — generated 70 billion video views and
raised $220 million. The campaign cost nothing to promote
and 440 million people saw it.
Adweek reports that Torontobased brand strategy consulting
firm Millward Brown polled
more than 13,500 multiscreen
viewers — people who own
both a TV and either a smartphone or tablet — in 42 countries to determine their engagement with video advertising.
The primary discovery: an average consumer (16 to 45) takes in
204 minutes of video a day, split
equally between TV and online.
So what does that mean for restaurant operators and how can
they cash in on the new social
generation? Brands have to talk
to, and with, their customers,
maintain and build dialogue
whenever possible. Learning to
go beyond traditional norms
associated with corporate communications will pave the path
toward social-media success.
Then, have some fun with it;
create and listen for updates on
how your brand is doing. Here
are some examples of foodservice players who have embraced
social media in innovative —
and profitable — ways.
CHEAP, CHEAP
Sometimes the most effective
campaign is the simplest. A
U.K.-based pizza chain recently
challenged its audience to #letsdolunch and rewarded them
for using the hashtag between 9
a.m. and 11 a.m. on a particular
day by dropping the price of
a large pepperoni pizza with
each tweet. The response to the
Twitter campaign was swift and
effective and a $15.95 pizza sold
for $7.74.
PLAYING FAVOURITES
The Denver, Colo.–based Qdoba
Mexican Eats chain ran the
Quesobliss Showdown, a contest
that asked customers to vote
for a particular flavour of the
product. The difference? Twitter
blasts announcing current
“results” in real-time kept the
contest top-of-mind for days,
encouraging them to vote often
for their favourite while proving that the brand was actually
listening to its customers.
THE FUNNY BONE
Sam Adams beer ran a sly April
Fool’s video commercial in
which the company’s founder
Jim Cook, introduces a new version of the beer featuring the
new ingredient, heli-YUM. In
it, Cook pours a glass, takes a
sip and his voice begins to take
on the funny helium gas quality
we associate with balloon accidents. Only the most gullible
beer drinkers fell victim to the
April Fool’s joke and at the time
of writing this piece, the commercial had amassed more than
1.3 million views on YouTube.
Yes, social media can be funny,
especially when you sound like
Donald Duck.
STRATOSPHERIC FAME
Beginning in 2006, Frito-Lay
invited millions of football
fans to Crash the Super Bowl
by creating their own Doritos
ads. The winning fan-created
ad would run during the big
game. In later years, Doritos
has offered bonus prizes ranging from $400,000 to $1 million. As a result, 36,000 entries
have been received in the last
decade. That’s a lot of engagement and penetration into
communities. l
Sebastian
Fuschini is VP
of Franchising
for Pizza Pizza
Ltd.
37
SEGMENT REPORT
MEALS O N WH EELS
A FOOD REVOLUTION IS ROLLING OUT ACROSS CANADA
In the last five years,
the street vendors’ segment has evolved from
providing basic food options such as hot
dogs and fries to supplying a diverse range
of gourmet meals — thanks in large part to
the increased number of food trucks popping up in Canada’s major urban centres.
According to the 2015 IBIS World
Industry Report “Street Vendors in Canada”
by Andrew Alvarez, support from municipal
governments has helped encourage industry
growth by offering permits to vendors that
serve unique and diverse food, allowing
food trucks to tap into consumer trends —
namely the demand for higher-quality food,
greater variety and better presentation.
“An increasing number of urban dwellers seeking proximate and convenient
food options bodes well for street vendors
because most industry revenue is earned
in cities,” says Alvarez in the report. “Most
importantly, regulatory barriers have been
lowered in many municipalities to enable
a greater number of food trucks to serve
a growing number of consumers seeking
gourmet food options.”
Robert Carter, executive director,
Foodservice Canada with Toronto-based
NPD Group estimates that although the percentage of food truck sales in Canada represents a small portion of the market (about
0.5 per cent of overall restaurant sales), the
awareness and conversation around it is
much higher.
“A lot of the awareness of the food-truck
phenomenon is coming up through the U.S.
and people in Canada jumped on the bandwagon — especially in the Vancouver area,
which has a very healthy food truck business,” he says.
Even Calgary, which boasts both unique
food-truck concepts and extensions of existing brands, and Toronto have embraced
food trucks, although Carter says “In
Toronto [the segment] seems to have sputtered and not really taken off as it has in
Vancouver” due mainly to the city’s restrictive bylaws.
“The reality is that in large urban centres
we’re running into traffic problems and congestion,” says Geoff Wilson, a founding principal of FsStrategy in Toronto. “[Toronto]
Mayor [John] Tory has been focusing on this
for some time and it was part of his election platform. Politicians never want to put
business people into situations where they
potentially lose business — the traffic issue
is becoming more of a flash point for voters.
We’re going to see cities being more aggressive in terms of where you can and cannot
park a food truck.”
He says the City of Toronto Mobile Food
Strategy has specific measures in order
to be fair to food-truck operators while
balancing other parts of public life such as
commuting, transit and unrestricted emergency vehicle access. Restrictions include
STORY BY AMY BOSTOCK
not having more than three food trucks
on the same block, at the same time, and
trucks required to park a specified number
of feet away from a restaurant.
CULINARY CONFLICT
According to Wilson, bricks-and-mortar
restaurant operators often resent the presence of food trucks because they don’t pay
property taxes, they don’t have the overhead
costs and sometimes, it is argued, they aren’t
subject to same regulations as bricks-andmortar locations. “Food trucks are a thorn
in the side of people paying rent to be in a
location — a food truck pulls up and parks
outside your door and cuts your market.”
Carter, however, believes there’s room
for both players. “We have a pretty strong
restaurant industry from a bricks-andmortar/unit count standpoint and half
of the Canadian population goes out to a
restaurant every single day — that’s a high
penetration rate so it’s hard for food trucks
to break in.”
He says the offerings food trucks can
provide limit the number of times customers visit them in a week. “How many times
can you have a pulled pork sandwich in a
week?” Therefore, food trucks are perceived
to be more of a special treat, as opposed
to a regular, ongoing foodservice occasion
— making it challenging for operators to
generate enough
consumer traffic
to maintain a
worthwhile business.
Steffen Marin, owner of the Torontobased Heirloom food truck, believes the
city’s restrictive food-truck bylaws are causing the segment to stagnate here. “Toronto
is the biggest city in Canada. There should
be food trucks on every corner like there are
in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. The
mayors of those cities are open to [the presence of] food trucks being there.”
He says the competition complaint from
bricks-and-mortar restaurants doesn’t fly
since, especially in cities like Toronto, streets
are lined with restaurants fighting for market
share. “Realistically, if a customer has plans
to eat at a specific restaurant and they see a
food truck parked outside, they aren’t going
to cancel their reservation to go eat a sandwich off a truck.”
Jenn Burko, owner of Bake Three Fifty,
a custom cupcake and ice-cream sandwich
truck, doesn’t rely on city streets to build
her business. “I focus on food festivals and
events rather than on the streets because you
are guaranteed a steady stream of customers
coming to you rather than parking on the
side of a street and hoping 100 people come
to buy your food.”
SWEET AND SOCIAL
In its first year of operation, Bake Three
Fifty, a food truck serving custom icecream sandwiches and cupcakes, won
the People’s Choice Award at Food
Truck Festival Ontario 2015. Owner Jenn
Burko built her brand quickly, thanks in
part to a savvy social-media strategy.
The truck currently has 2,124 Instagram
followers, 343 Twitter followers and
150 Facebook friends. “Every time we
sell something from our truck we encourage customers to take a picture and
post it; after every festival we have tons
of tweets and tags. We repost them
and do shout-outs. When we
post our own photos,
we also let people know
where we’re going to be
COST OF ENTRY
The final price tag on the truck was
$65,000 — a worthwhile investment in his
culinary future, says Marin. “I don’t even
have friends anymore,” he jokes. “Getting
my name out with the food truck, going
to different cities, it’s building a name for
the future.”
When Jenn Burko, who began her culinary
career as a cake decorator, was planning
her own business, she researched the costs
involved in both a store front and a food
truck. “When all was said and done, it was a
no-brainer to go with the truck,” says Burko,
who opened Bake Three
Fifty in July 2015 at a cost of
A HARD ROAD
approximately $50,000. The
TO TRAVEL
price tag included the purchase
It’s a tough part of the industry
According to
of the truck itself, interior
to be involved in, Carter says
Technomic’s
renovations, vinyl wrapping, a
of the food-truck segment in
2015 Canadian
street license, equipment, lawCanada. “Within the Canadian
Ethnic Food & Beverage
yer fees and insurance.
marketplace, the biggest chalConsumer Trend Report,
“The biggest challenge
lenge is obviously the weather.
14 PER CENT
was getting the paperwork
Also, you have limited urban
of consumers say
filed and processed, getting
centres (Vancouver, Edmonton,
they visit food-truck
inspections done on time for
Calgary, Toronto, Montreal
locations that offer
our opening — we bought
and Halifax) in which to operethnic items once
the truck in May and our first
ate; the population is not large
a month or more.
event was July 28,” she says.
enough here and it’s too sparse
This number is higher
Because of the type of equipto really have a thriving food
among men
ment needed, the turnaround
truck industry.”
than women. time was relatively quick.
Burko extends her food truck
“We didn’t have deep fryers or
season by operating as a preovens or propane tanks — only fridges, freezferred vendor at Toronto’s Enercare Centre,
ers and a generator. Our cookies and cupcakes serving up tasty treats at indoor events all
are baked at a kitchen we rent space from
winter long. “In the winter I can’t be on the
because if you have propane on the truck, it
street or at festivals because my icing will
limits where you are allowed to set up, espefreeze; let’s face it, no one really wants ice
cially if you want to do events indoors.”
cream outside in -10 weather.”
For Marin, a 23-year-old graduate of
Other challenges for food-truck operators
London, Ont.-based Fanshawe College’s
come from within the foodservice industry
Artisanal Culinary Arts Program, the choice
itself, according to IBS World’s, report which
to go mobile was not just about the cost-sav- shows the level of competition has increased
ings, but about personal branding. “When I
in the past five years as more enterprises
started the food truck I was 22 years old and
have entered the industry in an attempt
didn’t have [the money] to start a restaurant. to offer products that are perceived to be
So the food truck was the only way to go to
underserviced by existing operators. “The
get your name out there with a lower cost,”
foodservice sector is large and diverse, offersays the young chef, whose Heirloom food
ing all manner of cuisines at different price
truck serves locally sourced and sustainably produced food such as braised lamb
sandwiches, duck sandwiches and whipped
cheesecake (all of Heirloom’s
menu items are under $10).
FAST
FACT
at that time,” says Burko.
39
points. Street vendors need to compete within
this broader sector against cafés, restaurants
and other quick-service food providers. The
industry also competes indirectly with supermarkets, grocers and convenience stores.”
In order to remain competitive, foodtruck operators must effectively market their
products to consumers, while capitalizing
on areas in which there is a high amount
of food traffic and opportunity for fast and
consistent turnover.”
LOCAL ON THE GO
At every event it attends, Heirloom, helmed by chef
Steffan Marin, brings something new to the table.
“Our menu always changes to showcase what’s in
season and what’s available from the farmers I work
with,” says Marin, who also has four gardens he
planted to supply the truck.
Marin has partnered with farmers he met during
his time in the Artisanal Culinary Arts program at
Fanshaw College in London, Ont. “Even our flour is
local — it comes from a flour mill in Arva, Ont. and
it’s the oldest flour mill in all of north America.”
Meats sourced from local farmers feature promi-
A SIDE OF SOCIAL
Social media and food trucks are a match
made in heaven. The very nature of the segment makes it impossible to use traditional
media to communicate, so it’s no surprise
social media has become the channel of
choice “If you’re mobile, the cost of advising people through traditional media about
where you’re going to be each day is horrendous. Social media is an instant marketing
tool,” says Wilson.
According to Robert Burko, president
nently on the menu, such as the Duck on a Truck
sandwich made with pulled duck from Newmarket
Ont.’s King Cole Ducks. All of Heirloom’s menu
items are $10 or less.
and founder of Elite Email in Toronto, the
most important reason for food trucks to
use social media is also the most obvious.
“Bricks-and-mortar businesses don’t move,
so for traditional restaurants, the goal is to
drive foot traffic to their location; you’re
always there, so the way you market and
drive awareness is based on your knowledge
of your geographical area and how far people are willing to travel to your restaurant.
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you don’t really have to focus on location
anymore, focusing instead on your menu,
your chef or your specials.”
When you’re a food truck, he says, the
game changes. “It becomes a game of
‘Where’s the food truck’ because it could be
on Front St. one day and in Richmond Hill
the next. From a marketing perspective, just
conveying your location goes from something you’d put in the completely irrelevant
column to being amazingly important,
because if people can’t find your truck they
can’t buy your food.”
Social media also offers a powerful branding tool for smaller operators who lack large
marketing budgets. “They inherently need
a grass-roots social-media advertising campaign,” says Burko. “Prior to social media, it
was really challenging to build a brand for
a small enterprise like a food truck. Now all
of a sudden you have Twitter and Instagram
and Facebook and Snapchat and a small
business with an owner/operator/chef who
is also the marketing manager and social-
media coordinator. They are doing a brandbuilding exercise whether they know it or
not — the more times they post on social
media, the more people like it, the more they
share it, the more they comment on it —
that’s driving awareness.”
ROOM TO GROW
As a result of Canada’s culinary explosion,
IBS World’s report shows traditional street
foods, such as hot dogs and poutine, have
given way to a diverse range of gourmet
street cuisine. “Furthermore, as consumers
took a liking to the new and diverse offerings, food trucks have been able to satiate
this demand through niche product offerings and high-quality gourmet options,”
the report states. “Coupled with a rise in
consumer spending, industry operators
have been able to maintain strong demand
for their products as a result of providing
diverse offerings to consumers.” For these
reasons, the report says the industry has performed better than the broader foodservice
sector, which has suffered from diminished
spending by consumers amid less options
and higher prices.
“Food trucks are following the food
trends in general,” says Wilson. “Local food,
the ability to do fresh and prepared à la
minute, customization — all those things
can happen with a food truck and operators
can quickly latch onto trends.
No one cuisine jumps out as being the
go-to cuisine for food trucks, he adds. “That’s
not the point. The point is flexibility.”
As Carter says, overall, food trucks are
seen as providing a unique push on innovative food offerings that caters to some of
the bigger trends taking place in the market
— particularly in Canada — with a focus
on stronger flavour profiles and ethnic offerings. “A lot of the successful trucks were
ones with unique positioning in terms of the
product offering,” he says. “A good point of
difference, strong flavour profiles and unique
menu offerings — all things that are resonating with today’s restaurant consumer.” l
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NEW DRINKS
ON THE BLOCK
Health-conscious consumers are fuelling
the smoothie and juice revolution
BY GRAEME GARLAND
W
pany Technomic names strawberry-banana the perennial flavour
combo, while mango and blackberry are rising stars.
Smoothies first started to
make noise back in the early
1970s when Steven Kuhnau made
drinks from frozen fruit, ice and
fruit juice. Kuhnau opened The
Smoothie King smoothie bar in
1973, which has since grown to
650 locations.
Smoothies have also made
their way onto bar menus, says
Geel. “You can add a small
amount of rum and now you
have an alcoholic beverage.
Meanwhile, a new player on the
restaurant scene, cold-pressed
juices, have only recently started
to gain traction. According to
Pier-Luc Dallaire, GM of Marché
Sous Chef in Westmount, Que.,
cold-pressed juice has climbed
the ranks thanks to both its
health benefits and its taste.
High in vitamins, minerals and
enzymes, cold-pressed juice helps
the body by protecting it from radical damage. It also helps prevent
disease and illness, and allows the
body to maintain a healthy pH balance — all while being absorbed
into the body immediately and
providing the benefits of fruits and
vegetables.
Cold-pressed juices are
made from fresh cold-pressed
fruits and vegetables, which are
crushed and pressed using a
hydraulic press, which gives off
little heat. (Heat can diminish the
nutrients and enzymes contained
in the produce).
Starbucks recently introduced
a line of high-pressure processed
cold-pressed juices as part of
its Evolution Fresh juices. After
chilling, blending and bottling
juice, it uses a technology called
High-Pressure Processing (HPP)
to help retain the flavours and
nutrients while maintaining
food safety. Varieties include
Defense Up, a fruit smoothie
with orange, pineapple, mango,
acerola cherry and a boost of
vitamin C, or the Evolution Fresh
Pineapple Coconut Water.
Smoothies and cold-pressed
juices won’t be overtaking coffee’s popularity any time soon,
but the trend is growing. “Fresh
juice is more than 70 per cent
of our sales and growing every
week,” says Dallaire. l
FOLLOWING NATURE’S LEAD Health gurus touting the benefits of electrolyte-packed, heart-healthy coconut milk are
mixing it into their smoothies, and operators are quickly catching on. Yogen Früz recently introduced a new line of smoothies
featuring coconut milk. “We are always seeking to provide healthy and delicious options for all customers, including those
who have dietary restrictions,” says Aaron Serruya, president and CEO of Yogen Früz. “Coconut milk is highly nutritious, provides numerous vitamins, is lactose- and dairy-free. It has a mild taste, so it works really well in our newest green smoothies,
Tropical Green and Apple Coconut. All the smoothies on the menu can be made dairy-free.” ($3.75, small).
ith the millennial generation clamouring
for healthier choices,
cold-pressed juices and smoothies
are turning up on menus across
all segments of the restaurant
industry. From QSR chains such as
Starbucks to smoothie- and juicecentric brands such as Jamba Juice,
Canadian consumers are slurping
more blended drinks.
Research from Ipsos Reid
shows smoothies are most popular among the younger generation — 21 per cent of smoothie
drinkers are 18 to 24 years old.
They also account for 11 per cent
of all beverage consumption in
Canada.
According to Suzanne Geel,
VP of Marketing at Tampa, Fla.based Monin, the benefits of
smoothies have long been overlooked. “They are an ‘any time of
the day’ snack, a breakfast, a dessert,” making the beverage easier
to market, she says.
Smoothies and juices give restaurants more options for their
drink menu and allow customers
to mix it up by adding extras such
as Greek yogurt to boost the nutritional value.
Insights from research com-
EQUIPMENT
FEELING THE HEAT
Operators are of two minds when it comes to oven choices
BY DENISE DEVEAU
C
hefs know ovens are the centerpiece of the kitchen. Whether it’s
conventional range and convection systems or the latest rapid cook and/
or combi-oven innovation, it’s an investment decision they take seriously.
In talking to operators however, there
is a divide between lovers of traditional
cooking methods and those keen to try
the next best thing. Much of that boils
down to types and sizes of operations as
much as personal taste.
PHOTOS: LAINOX NABOO [COMBI-OVEN], AMANA [HIGH-SPEED OVEN], MANTIOWOK [GARLAND OVEN]
HOME ON THE RANGE
Overall, ranges are a relatively static category given the technology is fairly basic,
says David Zabrowski, general manager
for the Food Service Technology Center
in San Ramon, CA. “That said, it doesn’t
mean innovation isn’t happening in that
quarter. One company pushing unique
ideas in range design is [Californiabased] Hestan Commercial. They’re trying to break the mould for good quality
equipment for high-end chefs, coming
up with interesting nuances in design.
Montague (in California) is doing interesting work with cold rails and other
practical elements.”
Convection is also making great strides
towards improved efficiency. Whereas
ovens once averaged 40 to 44 per cent
efficiency ratings, they are now reaching
60 per cent, thanks to design improvements in the way of insulation, ventilation control and air flow, Zabrowski says.
“All changes aren’t immediately apparent
as manufacturers strive to meet Energy
Star specs, but they are happening.”
For executive chef Michael Steh of
Chase Hospitality Group in Toronto —
owners of The Chase, Littlefin, Colette,
Grand Café, Kasa Moto and The Chase
Fish & Oyster — when it comes to equipment choices, it’s all about conventional
appliances. In fact, you won’t find a
combi- or rapid-cook oven in any of its
operations. Instead, Steh sticks to triedand-true range suites from Mississauga,
Ont.-based Garland, some of which he
inherited, while others have been purchased as the company has expanded. “I
stayed with Garland suites mainly because
of the wide availability of service.”
His reasoning is simple. “The less components involved, the less likely it is to
break and the easier things are to fix. The
more technology you introduce, the more
likely fixing it will cost more,” he says.
However, Steh appreciates the Wi-Fi
capabilities of “some pretty sweet baking
ovens” from Swedish company SvebaDahlen, which he purchased at a cost of
$35,000 to $40,000 per unit. “The Wi-Fi
gives us a bit of time because we can use
it to connect to the ovens at 4 a.m. and
not have to come in until 5 a.m.”
The Chase is also home to two SvebaDahlen mini deck ovens ($25,000 each).
“I love the decks over convection for
cooking certain dishes that need crisping
at the top. You can have the top deck at
a different temperature than the bottom stone,” he explains. “And they are
a perfect fit given we only have about
1,000-sq.-ft. of kitchen space for cooking
and refrigeration equipment.”
COMBI- AND RAPID-COOK NEWS
Zabrowski says there are “changes galore”
on the combi- and rapid-cook oven
front as manufacturers bring in much
more robust and flexible features. One
area of improvement has been the userfriendliness of the controls, he notes.
“Sometimes they’re too crude or too
complicated. Manufacturers are doing
a much better job of touchscreen and
Android-type control platforms that are
much more intuitive.”
A major showcase for the latest
combi and convection oven technology
can be found at CFB (Canadian Forces
Base) Borden in Ontario. It has recently
1
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43
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LEARNING
THE ROPES
With the number of models available,
Patrick Watt, principal with Day in Life
foodservice consultancy in St. John,
N.B., notes that operators should do their
homework before selecting a combi or
rapid-cook oven. “There are now so many
segments, sizes and features, you really
need to educate yourself.”
Some of the key considerations when
looking at systems include:
n Capacity and flexibility — how much do
you need to cook at any given time and
how quickly do you need it?
n How much space do you have?
n What type of ventilation is available? In
some venues a ventless system might
be a more logical choice (bearing in
mind local regulations).
n How often do you change your menu?
n How is the water quality in your region?
Watt advises getting water treatment
PHOTOS: LAINOX NABOO [COMBI-OVEN], HESTAN COMMERICAL [KITCHEN SUIZE],
specialist to test the quality to see if you
need a water softener to reduce wear
and tear on your equipment.
n Do you need grease interceptors? Selfcleaning systems can end up flushing
a lot of grease down drains which can
ultimately plug the plumbing system.
“If you’re not doing a lot of heavy
protein it’s not an issue,” Watt says.
“Otherwise, make sure you have grease
interceptors.”
n Will the drainage pipes hold up to high-
AXP
Power & Speed
at Your
Fingertips
unveiled what it claims to be the “most hightech kitchen in Canada”, serving between
1,500 and 2,000 people per meal. The
kitchen, prep, server and dishwashing area
account for 35,000 sq. ft. of the operations.
Gary Lummis, president of Lummis &
Co. foodservice consultancy in Fredericton,
N.B., says the new kitchen houses $5-million worth of equipment. “And there is not
one single range in there.”
The kitchen has a combination of
Convotherm boiler combi-ovens and
double convection ovens from Garland.
“All of them have programmable controls,
as well as self-cleaning and self-diagnostic
features,” says Lummis. One particular feature of the Convotherm that stands out for
Lummis is the Crisp & Tasty feature that
evacuates moist air at the end of a cooking
cycle to crisp the product.
Lummis notes that for the project, they
opted for gas boiler combis instead of a
boilerless model. By way of explanation,
boiler combis produce steam injected
into the oven, which
can reach a 97-percent saturation of
steam in a gaseous
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drainage pipes can withstand higher
temperatures that come from working
with steam. Cast iron pipes may be
preferable to PVC because they are
less likely to rupture.
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EQUIPMENT
form. Boilerless models spritz water into
the chamber as the oven heats up to create
moisture in a liquid form.
DOWN TO SIZE
A major trend is the availability of halfsize countertop combi systems, which has
opened new avenues for smaller operators
to enjoy the benefits of the technology at a
reasonable price, Zabrowski says. “The nice
thing is you can buy a mini combi for just a
couple of thousand more than a countertop
steamer and do more with it. A lot are also
being implemented with catalysts so they
can operate vent-free, depending on local
code requirements”
Doug Feltmate, owner of St. Martha’s
Brasserie d’Orleans in Ottawa says 60 per
cent of his menu is handheld by two mid-size
Rational White Efficiency stacked countertop
models that cost about $20,000 apiece and
hold six full size pans. The balance of the
menu items are produced in a Wood Stone
Fire Deck pizza oven.“We can use the combis
for everything from sous vide and smoking to
overnight roasting and finishing.”
He plans to take advantage of the wireless functionality when he opens a second
location where he plans to add two more
Rational ovens. “Then we will be able to
link them all.”
THE POWER OF TWO
As combi-ovens shrink and rapid-cook
ovens add functionality, operators are
increasingly turning to configurations using
a combi for pre-production and rapid-cook
systems for finishing. “They make a powerful
combination,” Zabrowski says. “TurboChef ’s
i-Series and Merrychef ’s eikon series are
introducing some great stuff. A couple of
newer products offer versions with hearthstones for artisanal pizza making.”
Patrick Watt, principal with Day in Life
foodservice consultancy in St. John, NB.,
confirms there is growing adoption of rapid-cook and combi on the part of smaller
operators. “Before it was mainly chain
STONE HEARTH & SPECIALTY
Commercial Cooking Equipment
operations and hotels with more money to
spend. Now they come with an acceptable
price tag so are moving to critical mass.
Throwing in a TurboChef or two at $9,000
apiece is less expensive than expanding
your operations.”
Sam Rossi, CEO of Rasco Food Inc. in
Ottawa says his Merrychef rapid cook ovens
are a mainstay in his cafeteria operation,
alongside his Rational White Efficiency
Self-Cooking Centre. The 10-pan combi
unit costs $23,000; while the rapid cook
ovens cost $7,000 apiece. “I can boil, bake
and roast in the Rational and do the finishing in the rapid cook oven. They do a
fantastic job and save us a lot of time and
labour during production. We love it.”
Whether opting for traditional or hightech — or a combination thereof — Steh
says the decision is more about substance
than style. “Ultimately, every equipment
choice we make is based on efficiency,
consistency, maintenance and your style of
cooking.” l
Frankly,
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47
CHEF’S CORNER
GREEN
QUEEN
Chef Christie Peters puts an
emphasis on sustainability at
her two Saskatoon restaurants
BY DANIELLE SCHALK
A
As part of its offerings, The Hollows features a five-course tasting
menu as well as a regular menu. Here, guests can discover what Peters
describes as “the true cuisine of Saskatchewan” through dishes such
as rotating cuts of lamb served with polenta, beet-stem conserve and
mint ($30); a “two-minute salad” made with greens grown in The
Hollows’ basement garden ($12) and a root cellar carrot cake with
cream cheese foam and lime zest ($10).
Primal boasts a casual atmosphere with a menu focused on Italianinspired dishes created using seasonal ingredients, such as beef heart
bolognese with house-made tagliatelle ($18); red-fife spaghetti tossed
in olive oil with chillies, garlic and parsley ($16); and lemon cream with
preserved fruit, organic whipped cream, meringue and fresh basil ($7).
As executive chef of both locations, Peters divides her time between
the two restaurants and the permaculture garden that supports them.
Though running two restaurants is time-consuming, Peters wouldn’t
have it any other way. “My hobby and my leisure time is actually my
work,” she says. “Having two restaurants and still being able to have
balance in my life and be so happy and excited to go to work every
day — that’s a big accomplishment.”
With The Hollows entering its fifth year, Peters wants to preserve
the essence of the restaurant for years to come. Since the space is
rented, there’s no telling when the restaurant will come to an end. “I
really want to start working on a cookbook dedicated to The Hollows
and all we’ve done here,” she says. “There is just so much to share.” l
BITS & BITES
If you weren’t a chef, what
would you be? “A gardener
or an interior designer”
Culinary bucket list: “I really
want to go to Copenhagen
and eat at Noma”
PHOTOS: DAVE STOBBE [CHRISTIE PETERS], DREAMSTIME.COM [BITS & BITES]
s a teenager, Christie Peters was intrigued by the glamour of
restaurant ownership. But it wasn’t until she finished high
school that the Saskatoon-native first expressed an interest
in cooking.
At the age of 21, Peters moved to Vancouver and took a job at Feenies,
a position that proved instrumental in the course of her career. Not only
did it mark the beginning of her culinary education, it’s where she first
met her husband Kyle Michael, as well as Scott Dicks, who would later
become the chef de cuisines for Peters’ two restaurants.
The three went their separate ways for a time, gathering knowledge and experience along the way. Peters held positions at De Kas in
Amsterdam and Coi in San Francisco, fuelling her passion for seasonal,
farm-to-fork cooking.
In 2011, Peters and Michael returned to Saskatoon with plans to
open a restaurant. “I wanted to go away from home, learn a skill
and then bring something back,” she explains. The pair opened
The Hollows in an old Chinese restaurant site and three years later
launched a second restaurant, Primal.
Both restaurants, located in Saskatoon’s Riversdale neighbourhood, focus on high-quality, seasonal and sustainable fare, which goes
beyond sourcing local produce and pastured animals — they also
butcher whole animals, compost food waste and even make soap from
old bacon fat and canola oil. The restaurants also have a horticulturalist on staff to help produce a variety of produce.
Hobbies: “Hot-tubbing
is number-1. My life is
just one giant hobby though”
What do you cook at home?
“Soups and stews”
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