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With the holiday rush over, the restaurant industry can finally catch its breath. A new year has begun, with all its challenges, new developments and changes. Get prepared by taking a moment to look at this year’s upcoming trends.

Transparent tipping

In 2025, a good way to strengthen your relationship with your customers is to be more transparent about your tipping practices. If you operate in Quebec, you won’t even have a choice, since a new consumer protection law has changed the regulations on tipping. This means a revision of payment terminal configuration and standardized tip calculation across all restaurants.

In practical terms, suggested tip percentages will be applied to the amount on the bill before taxes, rather than after taxes. As you might expect, the new calculation method will likely result in a drop in income for front-of-house staff. The change will take effect on April 7, 2025.

Whether you’re forced to review your practices or not, as a manager seeking fairness for your staff, you can always propose a tip-sharing agreement. Be careful, however, and check the legislation before implementing such a system, as tipping regulations vary from one province to the next.

Advantages of QR codes
 
You may be familiar with this little two-dimensional graphic, but it’s important to understand the crucial role it plays in your customer relations. In 2025, the Quick Response (QR) code will show its full potential. The good news is this intuitive tool is just as easy for restaurant operators to set up as it is for customers to use.

Simply scanning the image provides access to a PDF file, image, website, geolocation or digital payment. These options offer endless possibilities for communicating and maintaining your relationship with customers. Increasing accessibility, efficiency and profitability, QR codes are a vital tool for restaurant operators.

Faster ordering and reservations

As you’re certainly aware, QR codes provide access to your restaurant’s menu or website. When installed on outdoor-facing window or at the entrance, they allow people to take a virtual tour or make a reservation, even outside opening hours.

Smooth flow of traffic

On a busy night, with customers crowding around your entrance, there’s no need to panic. Using a QR code, guests can sign up for an online waitlist. When their table is ready, the system sends them a notification. And best of all, there’s no need to line up for online order pickup.

Average bill increase of 30%

The system behind QR codes not only updates the menu in real time, but updates offers and adds new items. The goal is to encourage customers to consume, without pressuring them.

100% secure payment

How can you save time when billing the customer? Simply provide a QR code that links to a dedicated mobile app with an online payment system. This makes table turnover faster and more secure.

Customer information

QR codes are a great way to collect a range of data about your customers. This information can help you adapt your marketing strategy, recipes and prices. You can even set up feedback surveys to fine-tune your products as needed.

Technology and opportunities

Whether because of IT security issues or regulatory requirements such as Quebec’s new sales registration module (WEB-SRM), many restaurants using outdated IT systems will be forced to catch up to the 21st century this year.

It’s important to look at the positive side of this requirement. This is an opportunity for you to increase your restaurant’s productivity and improve the customer experience. This includes automation, robotization and standardization, along with high-performance applications and the latest AI technology. To illustrate this point, here are the advantages of these tools and other IT platforms available to the restaurant industry.

• Optimized kitchen operations: You may already be using a collaborative robot, or cobot. By entrusting this device with the more tedious tasks, you save time and efficiency for your kitchen staff, who can devote themselves to other, more rewarding work.
• Customer orders managed in real time.
• Personalized customer experience through order history data.
• Collection and centralization of data on customer consumption habits.
• Weekly meal planning using web-based tools that collect customer data on food preferences and habits.

By learning all there is to know, you’re better prepared to take on the new year. It’s now up to you to optimize your business.

After the holiday season, restaurant business tends to slow down. This can be a difficult time for independent businesses, especially as major chains continue to come up with “aggressive” prices. What’s the trick to staying competitive? QUASEP provides some insight.

Does the January crisis apply to all restaurants? Is the post-holiday drop in sales and average bill price inevitable? It’s all a matter of strategy for restaurant operators, who need to maintain a level of income that covers fixed costs. Offering promotions is key. Keep in mind that the major chains will be even more aggressive in 2025.

Irresistible offers

Every restaurant is unique, and every manager knows their own environment (competition, location, clientele, etc.). You’ve spent the year building relationships with your customers, so make sure you keep them close during the slower post-holiday period.

Offer your customers discounts without cutting back on the quality and “value” of your menu. This can mean tailor-made offers in line with your unique brand, while major chains capitalize on “value” menus and increasingly competitive deals. McDonald’s, for example, is rolling out a wider value menu in the US in the first quarter of 2025, after extending its $5 value menu through summer and winter. The strategy of encouraging additional purchases for high-profit products is gaining momentum.

According to Danilo Gargiulo, an analyst specializing in restaurants at Bernstein Investment Research, “It’s going to be at least the first six months of 2025, when we’re going to be seeing elevated promotions, but it’s likely going to be the entire 2025.”

Optimize time and resources

This slower period is not only a great time for you to work on your menu, but also for staff to take a vacation after the holiday rush. Use this opportunity to reduce your opening hours.

It’s also the ideal time to do maintenance work, revamp the dining area, or carry out any other such tasks.

Closing up shop altogether for one or several weeks might not be a bad solution either, if you know that January will mean low orders or empty tables. Giving yourself a break can also be a sensible strategy to help you start fresh towards building a solid, competitive pricing strategy in the year ahead.
 

The pandemic has transformed consumer habits, and remote working has pushed people away from daily commuting. As a result, more and more people are treating themselves to a moment alone at the restaurant. This means you’ll need to be ready to accommodate these solo diners. QUASEP takes a closer look.

The solo dining trend is growing in restaurants. According to online reservation platform OpenTable, solo dining reservations in the US have risen 29% over the last two years. Whether it’s with a book, a tablet or nothing at all, solo diners are enjoying their restaurant experience in their own way. In a 2022 survey of 1,200 American consumers, research firm Mintel found that more than 60% of respondents felt comfortable eating alone at the restaurant.

Adapt your space

No matter how they view the practice of solo dining, restaurant operators have a vested interest in creating a welcoming space that caters to these customers. According to an August report by online platform Lightspeed, aimed at drawing restaurant operators’ attention to the phenomenon, “No one wants to feel like they are singled out for going solo.” The trend offers significant business opportunities that shouldn’t be overlooked.

When it comes to accommodating these customers, the layout of your restaurant is key. According to Montreal-based interior designer Zébulon Perron, having a bar area that’s separated from the wall is the best way to make solo diners feel comfortable. The business owner, who has been working with the hospitality industry for many years, insists that people eating alone want an experience “just like any couple, group of friends or work colleagues at a business dinner.”

Accommodating solo diners is key. They don’t necessarily want to interact with other customers or with staff. Placing tables in more secluded spaces can help boost the profitability of your dining area.

Adapt your menu

Not only can the layout of your restaurant be adapted for solo diners, but so can your menu and portion sizes. Try offering promotions such as partnerships with hotels—especially, but not exclusively, for business travellers.

In an August interview with CNN Business, OpenTable’s chief growth officer Robin Chiang explained that solo diners see eating alone as “a way to unplug and treat themselves” while enjoying a special moment on their own. Solo dining isn’t a fad, but rather a lifestyle choice—so don’t be afraid to tap into this promising market!
 

As people often say, "The best restaurant in your area is often the next one to open." That’s never been truer than it is today. At least that’s what food guides, food critics and bloggers all seem to be saying. At the top of the list are usually the newest restaurants, the ones that everyone wants to go and try for themselves. It’s a great way of getting the word out about your business, and it usually requires little effort.

A bridge in Quebec was once blocked off because an influencer had given a restaurant’s poutine a rating of 9.8 out of 10. His viral video brought in customers from all over the province, who spent hours in line to try the dish. But in the fast-paced world of today, the hype often dies down just as quickly as it starts.

Beyond the initial hype

You might offer the best food and service in town, but once the hype surrounding your new restaurant wears off, people might stop talking about it, and you’ll quickly fall to the bottom of the list of local restaurants, or your online presence will drop.
While it’s easier for high-end restaurants to get listed in guides, all restaurant operators need to maintain their visibility and media presence.

The importance of online reputation

In today’s highly competitive restaurant industry, dedicating time to your online reputation is an absolute must. This means you’ll need to respond quickly to comments on social media and maintain an active online presence. Many consumers are accustomed to using online guides and reading articles when choosing a restaurant, or being able to make reservations and even order meals online. Being invisible on these platforms will not only deprive you of potential new customers, but will prevent your existing clientele from finding you.

A strategy for visibility

You need to take the time to come up with a strategy for staying on top of the list of restaurants in your area. And that won’t happen on its own. Find different ways to get customers talking about you. Add new dishes to your menu, share photos and videos on social media, create new customer experiences, organize contests or come up with a variety of content.
To maintain your visibility in food guides, you’ll need a proactive, diversified approach. Keeping a strong online presence will not only help you attract new customers and retain your existing ones, but it will increase your chances of making it into guides. You’ll become the “must-try” restaurant, and your business will take off.
 

Fifteen years ago, restaurant profit margins averaged between 15 and 18%[LL2], depending on the type of business. This meant substantial profits during peak periods, which allowed these restaurants to survive the slower seasons.

Today, these margins typically range from 3 to 7.5%. With the increase in most restaurant expenses (rent, raw materials, etc.), profits generated during peak periods are nowhere near what they used to be, and can no longer make up for off-season losses.

The days of being able to spend the winter renovating your restaurant are long gone. You have to keep your business going, reduce costs and increase profits. One possible strategy is to opt for a percentage lease when renegotiating your rental agreement.
In 2022, according to Statistics Canada [LL3], restaurant operating profit margins in Canada averaged 4.3% for full-service restaurants, 4% for limited-service restaurants—mostly fast-food restaurants—and 5.1% for special food services.

Adapt to an evolving landscape

As a restaurant operator, you’ll need to be cautious, flexible and creative if you want to increase profits, even during peak periods. Plan ahead to avoid temporary closures and layoffs during slower months, when you might be short on cash. This will help you avoid losing key staff members.
Have you noticed this new trend? Have you had to adapt your business so that it no longer relies solely on peak periods?
It’s absolutely essential to adopt a business-savvy approach and review your profits over the course of each year, rather than focus on seasonal figures.

Get creative and cut costs

Many restaurant operators are adapting by diversifying their businesses with ready-to-eat takeout meals, catering services, mise en place or subcontracting—first during the slow season, and then throughout the year.

Think outside the box

As profit margins decline, the key to survival in the restaurant industry lies in flexibility and creativity. Operators need to be ready to adopt new year-round strategies and rethink their business and profitability models.

As we know, the restaurant industry is all about novelty and bringing in new customers. But making sure they come back is even more important. It won’t replace good food and service, but using a mobile app that suits your needs is a great way to build customer loyalty.

These solutions are no longer just for major chains. A wide range of systems are now on the market, meaning independent restaurants won’t have to invest large sums of money to use them.

Not only do loyalty apps offer rewards, encouraging customers to come back more often, but they provide you with valuable data on purchasing patterns. These insights will help you optimize your marketing strategy and menu, while maximizing your returns on promotions and combos.

Personalize your message

These apps are all about personalization. They’ll help you identify your target market and improve your customer communication strategy. For example, you can send out personalized newsletters based on each customer’s preferences. Let steak lovers know about your meat dishes, and show vegetarians all of your menu items that suit their diet.

Instead of sending out a generic message, create a one-to-one connection with each customer. Mobile apps allow for direct communication, without relying on social media algorithms that can easily drown out your message.

Some apps even allow you to run exclusive offers. This means higher profit margins than with generalized offers, and more rewards for your most loyal customers.

At the same time, overdoing it with these types of promotions can have the opposite effect. It’s best to catch people’s attention without being aggressive, because installing a mobile app can be a big ask for some customers—especially those who aren’t great with technology.

If you manage to strike the right balance, your hard work will surely pay off. Give it a try!

Tip sharing is a great way to make your restaurant’s kitchen positions more attractive and promote fairness within your team. But before you introduce a new system, be sure you’re aware of any applicable regulations, especially if you’re operating in multiple provinces.

In Quebec, as well as in Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, only the staff can choose to set up tip-sharing systems. And they’re still the only ones who can decide how to split everything up. This isn’t quite the case in New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia, where employers have more of a say on the matter.

In Ontario, employers can even take home a share of the tips, as long as they’re working a position that normally receives tips. For example, a restaurant manager who replaces a sick employee at the cash is entitled to a share of the day’s tips. However, the same would no longer apply the next day if that manager spends the shift in the office doing accounting work. There are no specific tip-sharing rules in the other provinces (Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta) and territories.

A reward for the team

Whether or not you have a legal obligation, it’s always best to involve your staff as much as possible in setting up your tipping system.
This is especially true for your service team, since you’ll want each person to get their fair share of the pie.
Why not combine front-of-house staff tips with kitchen staff tips? After all, the two teams rely on each other’s work in order to earn that money. If great food is coming out of the kitchen, it will likely be reflected in the tips received by servers. Most people are team players, but sometimes they just need a reminder. This will make it easier for you to justify sharing these earnings across the whole staff.

For everything to go smoothly, you’ll need to set up a reliable, hassle-free tip collection process for your staff. There are a number of low-cost mobile apps designed to facilitate tip distribution.

Once your system is up and running and your whole team is on board, keep an eye out for any changes in tipping regulations, which often change drastically from one season to the next.
 

For your restaurant to succeed in today’s market, simply delivering a quality menu is no longer enough. To keep customers coming back, you’ll also need to provide them with a memorable experience.

However, building an effective experience in line with your business values is no easy feat, according to Jacques Farcy, President of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), a Crown corporation that, in recent years, made improving its customer experience a top priority.

In his view, restaurant operators seeking to fine-tune their customer experience need to understand one key concept: “It’s not about the part of our brain that takes in the experience, but instead the part that remembers it.”

A customer’s experience within a store or business is not an objective assessment of the service provided. In other words, there’s no need to perfect every last detail imaginable. The important thing is to create a positive overall impression.

One great way to do this is to offer customers something that will grab their attention and truly wow them. For restaurants, this might mean a complimentary item such as a signature hors d’oeuvre or palate cleanser.

Special attention from the service staff, for example remembering a regular customer’s name and favourite menu item—with the help of any number of reservation and point-of-sale solutions—can go a long way to enhance the experience.
“If customers feel they’ve experienced something special, it will completely change their perception of the rest of their visit,” says Farcy.

Ending on a high note

Another key component of the customer experience is the way it ends. “We always remember the end more than the beginning. You can have a wonderful evening, but if things turn sour in the last few minutes, that’s all you’ll remember,” says the SAQ president.

Customers might leave with an altered perception of their experience if they wait too long for the bill or, on the opposite end, feel rushed to leave their table to the next guests. On the other hand, a couple who had problems with their order might forget about the situation if they’re invited to extend their evening seated comfortably at the bar.

“The key is to make a positive impression on people. If you can do that, the rest of your interactions will be perceived in a much more positive light,” says Farcy.
 

Neurodivergent people are often viewed as ill-adapted to our society, which is full of all kinds of interactions and stimuli. Even innocuous situations can be very difficult to cope with. Understanding neurodiversity and making simple adjustments within your business will help you make these types of people feel more welcome. QUASEP offers a few suggestions.

Neurodiversity, which includes autism and attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD), causes a person’s brain to process information differently, compared to a neurotypical person’s brain, which functions in ways that are associated with the majority of the population. An estimated 15% to 20% of the population is said to be neurodivergent. Studies have shown that about one third of these people experience difficulties in finding employment.
 
In a 2022 survey by Texthelp, a company that develops inclusive education technology, 61% of workers who identify as neurodivergent said they experienced stigma or felt misunderstood in the workplace.

Creating a neuroinclusive space

At first glance, you won’t be able to tell which members of your team are neurodivergent, making it difficult to pinpoint the challenges they may face. Take care of these employees and make them feel valued by remaining flexible and making adjustments where necessary.

The first step is to get informed. There are organizations that can help you understand the implications of neurodiversity and how to create a neuroinclusive culture within the workplace. According to the organization Nüense, which helps companies build neuroinclusive spaces, measures are often easy to implement, such as flexible schedules, physical adjustments to the work environment, work accessories, assistive technology and even adjustments to the job description.

Adaptability is key. For example, if a staff member has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prefers working with background noise, it’s important to allow them to wear headphones. The goal is to make the workplace accessible and accommodating for these employees without stigmatizing them, all while demonstrating curiosity, openness and empathy.

Welcoming customers

Factors such as a restaurant’s lighting can be crucial for neurodivergent customers. Providing areas with subdued lighting is a fairly simple solution. In Canada, some establishments even provide sensory kits to reduce surrounding noise, with earplugs or noise-cancelling earmuffs.

Working with neurodivergent people is an opportunity to adapt to youradapt your space. Best practices for human resources usually foster an inclusive environment, while focusing on clear processes, psychological safety and open-mindedness.
 

An estimated 1.5 million tonnes of food are lost in Canadian restaurants every year—about 13% of all food wasted or lost throughout the country—according to a report by food rescue organization Second Harvest.

These findings are prompting more and more environmentally conscious restaurant operators to adopt organic matter collection and composting systems within their businesses. However, these practices can be not only costly, but ineffective if not implemented correctly, experts warn.

In fact, it’s better to try to prevent rather than cure, ensuring less waste ends up in bins, instead of trying to manage losses after the fact, says Véronique Perreault, a researcher at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).

There are a number of tips that can help restaurants reduce these losses. For example, serving bread only on request, reducing portions for certain dishes, or adjusting your menu to get the most out of every ingredient you use can go a long way in reducing food waste, says Perreault.

Reducing loss for environmental reasons will also lower food costs and boost profits. It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone, says the researcher.

If you want your efforts to pay off, however, you’ll need to focus on the right strategies. “Throwing away a tonne of onion skins has a much lower environmental footprint than throwing away a few hundred grams of meat,” says Perreault. “If we get hung up on the volumes of waste, we can overlook what truly costs the most, both for our budget and for the environment.”

For everything else, there’s composting

Reducing waste at the source is not a foolproof method, and no matter how much restaurant operators try to optimize their processes, there will always be some degree of food loss. For any remaining waste, compost collection is a viable solution, especially as such services become more widely accessible across the country.

Practical as they may be, these services can be costly for restaurant operators, who have to contend with increasingly tight margins.

Fortunately, there are a number of tricks for reducing your collection bills. If your restaurant shares a building with other businesses, for example, you can arrange a joint collection system with bins or containers to divide these costs.

It’s always a good idea to ask your local municipality about any programs to help businesses reduce their environmental footprint. Many municipalities have programs that can help businesses offset the costs of setting up organic waste management systems. In some cases, they even offer to collect the compostable material themselves.

Since the cost of organic waste collection can vary significantly based on volume, the most cost-effective solution will always be to reduce loss at the source.
 

Christmas parties are a golden opportunity for restaurant operators to end the year with a bang and fill every seat in the house. To make the most of this festive period, being fully prepared is essential.

A smart way to kick off your holiday preparations is by reviewing past seasons to better anticipate the upcoming one. Which loyal groups are coming back each year? Have they already secured their reservations? And don’t forget those business clients who’ve hosted other events with you this year—they might want to book their Christmas party at your venue!

Once you’ve identified potential customers, it’s a great idea to contact them in advance to remind them to book their event. Not only will this help with planning, but it will space out your customers so they’re not all scrambling at the last minute to try and book tables for the Thursday before Christmas.  

But once your schedule is set, don’t just sit back. Reach out to your groups again—especially those who booked early—to remind them of their commitment. It’s the perfect chance to check if their needs have changed and offer extra services to elevate their event experience, potentially boosting your revenue.

Making sure you have everything you need

To get through the busy season, it’s best to adjust your orders as early as possible to make sure you’re fully stocked. This step is especially important for those with a special holiday menu.
Your QUASEP representative can help with more than just making sure you’re stocked up—they can introduce you to new products to inspire your holiday menu. 

Signature cocktails

For restaurants with a bar, cocktails are a fantastic way to boost profits, especially during the festive season when customers are in a celebratory mood and eager to treat themselves. Introducing one or more signature cocktails that reflect your restaurant’s vibe or the holiday spirit can significantly enhance your revenue per customer, since they typically offer a great profit margin.

Making sure you’re well staffed
Hosting large groups several times a week for over a month can really take a toll on your staff. It might be a smart move to bring in some extra help to get through this busy period—if you can find it. For restaurant operators who hire students during the summer, offering them a few shifts on the busiest nights can help ease the strain without the hassle of training new staff. They already know your restaurant and its procedures, and they’re typically available to pitch in during those crucial weeks at the end of the season.
 

Harnessing the power of sales data can elevate your restaurant above the competition. With every transaction generating valuable insights from the sales system, knowing how to leverage this data is a big plus. But first, you’ll need to know what to do with it.

Before diving into this journey, assess the treasure trove of data at your fingertips. Most restaurants’ POS systems can provide rich insights that are easy to export and process.

Your systems hold key insights, for example the exact breakdown of every order—which items were purchased together, quantities and custom modifications. This is a powerful tool that will help you cut food costs and supercharge your sales.

For instance, if you notice that one of your top sellers is frequently ordered with the sauce on the side or with an extra topping, it might be time to make that modified version a staple on your menu. Similarly, if you discover two items competing for customers’ attention, consider running special promotions that showcase both options together in a small, shareable dish.

The right stock at the right time

Your POS data can also shed light on your menu’s seasonality. Do some dishes sell extremely well in summer but hardly at all in winter? Are others rarely ordered on weekends or evenings but prove to be lunchtime favourites?

These kinds of insights allow you to adjust your ordering strategy, helping you avoid overstocking seasonal menu items and significantly reduce waste. Your Quasep representatives can assist you in fine-tuning your order-taking process to better align with these fluctuations in demand.

Cross-referencing data

Beyond sales systems, other data sources can be gold mines for restaurant operators seeking to streamline their operations. For instance, third-party online services like Uber Eats and Skip offer insights into the customers browsing your menu on their platforms. Credit card data can also reveal key details about your clientele. This information paints a clearer picture of who your customers are, allowing you to refine your promotions, shape your marketing strategy and evolve your brand.