Page 35 - MENU May June 2017

There are three key elements restaurant operators need to watch when it comes to Canada’s population: It’s changing. It’s aging. And it’s slowing. All of these will have a direct e ect on your operation—if you haven’t felt their impact already.
IMPACT OF CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
Let’s start with “It’s changing.” It’s often said that change brings oppor- tunity. This is certainly the case for foodservice operators where trends can change rapidly.
In the 1970s, the majority of immigrants came from Europe and the United States. Fast forward 45 years and now most immigrants are arriving from Asia. Of the more than 270,000 immigrants that arrived in Canada in 2015, 40% came from either the Philippines, India or Chi- na. With Canada becoming more multicultural each year, a number of operators are adapting their menus to cater to the needs of these new customers. Next to traditional burgers and fries are Indian curries and Asian stir-fries.
Philippines
India
China
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BACK OF HOUSE
in flux
HOW CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS WILL RESHAPE CANADA’S FOODSERVICE LANDSCAPE
BY CHRIS ELLIOTT, SENIOR ECONOMIST AT RESTAURANTS CANADA
Re ecting on Canada’s 150th birthday, it’s remarkable how the country has transformed itself economically, politically and most noticeably: demographically.
Economic growth (along with the occasional recession) and new gov- ernment policies can have an immediate in uence on foodservice sales. Demographic changes, however, are more subtle and change gradually. Yet they can have a profound long-term impact on every element of your operation: from the customers that walk in the door, to the people that you hire, to the food on the menu.
Iran Pakistan Syria USA France UK Nigeria
0 30K
Source: Government of Canada
TOP 10 SOURCES OF IMMIGRATION TO CANADA BY COUNTRY OF BIRTH - 2015
0 10000 20000 30000
40000
MA5Y00/0J0UNE 206107000MENU 35
60K