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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.

In North America, more and more restaurants are turning to Biosphere certification, an international sustainability management and certification system created by the Responsible Tourism Institute, one of the founding institutions of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The tool helps define and offer your business a model for sustainable actions. QUASEP summarizes the system’s potential for you.

Most of the time, certifications for hotels focus on greenhouse gas emissions and cost efficiency for buildings, without taking into account the multifaceted nature of sustainability. Biosphere certification sets higher standards.

The Biosphere organization’s stated goal is to “teach businesses what to do, how to do it and how to measure it, to achieve lifestyles and models aligned with the global sustainability principles and goals.” Based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Biosphere certification mentions efforts in areas such as water-use efficiency, equity, gender and well-being. In other words, there are many avenues to explore and many ways to address these challenges.

Personalized action plans

Biosphere certification is aimed at all tourist establishments wishing to take concrete action through their own personalized models. Hotels, museums and resorts are the main focus for the certification, but restaurants are also beginning to show an interest. A specific committee is set up based on the size of your business, and a plan with specific objectives is implemented.

Whether it’s collecting rainwater from your building, recovering food waste, or creating a vegetable garden on your restaurant’s patio or rooftop to provide customers with your own fresh produce, the possibilities are endless. It just depends on the time and human resources at your disposal. Some restaurants also organize awareness-raising activities with their staff—waste collection, environment seminars or even team-building soccer tournaments. It’s that simple.

Taking part in an action plan to obtain Biosphere certification helps you stay on track. Tourist boards and other organizations in the sector offer customized action plans to support your business. The important thing is to set achievable goals that will help you improve both your approach to environmental issues and your employees’ sense of well-being at work. Choose your criteria, indicators and targets for your action plan, and get started!
 

In bustling city centres and vibrant shopping districts, food halls are all the rage. But before diving into this enticing market for diners and operators alike, what do you need to know to make your mark? Here’s everything you need before launching your food hall concept. QUASEP takes a look.

Start with the basics. A food hall is a collection of mini-restaurants, each serving up prepared-to-order dishes from its own menu, in a shared dining space. Instead of fierce competition, the focus is on delivering a diverse array of flavours to satisfy every palate. Remember, it’s not just about your individual brand—it’s about creating a memorable experience that shines alongside your fellow culinary creators!

Marketing strategy

Invest time in defining your market and menu identity. In food halls, a variety of cuisines compete for customers’ attention, offering an exciting array of choices. What’s the secret to standing out and drawing in customers?

It depends on the location of the food hall, but customers won’t be the same in a city centre as in the suburbs, close to a shopping mall. If your main customer is an investment banker or corporate executive, you know that convenience and preparation time will be important factors in the food you’re selling. With a family or group of friends, these expectations will be less of a priority.

If people already recognize your brand or signature dish outside the food court, it will be much easier to attract customers. The comfort of knowing exactly what they’ll enjoy is a major draw, especially for diners on the go. If you’re still building your reputation, you’ll need to enhance your brand image and restaurant design to make a lasting impression.

Design and technology

The design of your food kiosk is crucial when it comes to captivating customers. A stunning aesthetic paired with a functional layout elevates the dining experience. While it may seem straightforward, ensure that your lighting and decor align perfectly with your culinary theme. If possible, work with designers who share your vision and who know how to create great spaces.

Finally, embracing technology is a must when it comes to efficiency. Implementing digital menu systems that are easy to update adds both convenience and fun to your offering. Are you using a QR code ordering system at the table or counter? Do you provide takeout options? Is there a centralized ordering system in the food hall? And do you have dedicated table service staff? These key considerations are all part of a seamless customer experience.

Setting up shop in a food hall can be challenging, but it also fosters a spirit of professional growth. Even with fierce competition per square foot, restaurateurs can thrive by learning from one another and sharing best practices!

From being more environmentally conscious to finding new ways to reduce its footprint, the foodservice industry has its share of challenges ahead. Why not have your customers join in the effort? QUASEP leads the way.

Local sourcing is a great place to start, but it shouldn’t be your sole objective. Sustainable development should be seen as a long-term process that applies to every aspect of your business. Environmental awareness and strategies to limit your footprint must be built into everything you do—and this goes beyond working with local food suppliers.

Listen to your customers

In addition to food innovation and footprint-reducing alternatives, calling on your customers for help is an excellent strategy to stay motivated. Finding a clear way to communicate your goals is key. Engaging in active listening with your customers as they express their needs and concerns will significantly improve their experience with you. Sustainable development comes with many challenges, some of which you might overlook as a business operator.

Organizing special environmental days and activities is a great first step towards raising awareness and taking concrete action. A customer’s ideas may very well spark a lasting change in practice.

Work with your customers 

For health reasons, reuse is largely prohibited within the industry. When it comes to packaging and container deposit-refunds, a number of alternatives are emerging as organizations partner with businesses to tackle the issue of waste. Food reuse is something to think about in advance. Why not take what was considered food “waste” and repurpose it as ingredients for a recipe, which will reduce food waste and cut costs for a particular menu item? Generally speaking, you’ll want to test these ideas before implementing them on a permanent basis, and that’s where your customers come in. More than likely, they’ll be happy to help you, as it will make them feel valued.

As a way of recognizing these initiatives, a number of certifications and ecolabels have been introduced over the years. These are another great starting point to show customers what your goals are. In North America, more and more restaurants and institutions are displaying ecolabels to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. For tourism-related businesses, for example, Biosphere certification can help you draw up a personalized plan to suit your needs and possibilities.
 

EDI is an acronym that comes up often. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion should not only be part of your vocabulary, but be reflected tangibly within your business. These values can also make you more attractive as an employer. QUASEP takes a closer look.

There’s no magic formula for making your organization more inclusive. Start by making sure you promote values through concrete actions that are recognized as such by your team.

Respecting diversity means ensuring your staff feel valued within your business. We often think of people from immigrant backgrounds, but this “target” group is far from homogeneous, and we shouldn’t treat them as such. A more inclusive approach is in order: “How can I include a person with a temporary or permanent disability in my team? How can I ensure that this person feels as involved and valued as everyone else?” These are often taboo questions, but they need to be addressed internally.

Beyond the hiring process

Job vacancies are a fact of life in the industry, and it’s generally a good idea not to close any doors when it comes to hiring. Inclusivity will help you gain access to resources you would have otherwise never considered.
 
Making your establishment more accessible to people with mobility impairment, for example, will help you bring in a new clientele and establish your reputation as inclusive. Having someone on your team who experiences the daily challenges of navigating public spaces and businesses will offer you a reliable perspective.

EDI is a cross-functional framework that goes beyond human resources. Incorporating these initiatives into your employer branding is a great way to add value to your business. Working with suppliers who are environmentally conscious in their sourcing is a fairly classic approach, but you can apply this approach to other areas that are important to you and in line with your business strategies.

From a business standpoint, moving forward on these issues sends a strong message and serves as an opportunity. Word of mouth goes a long way, and the customer experience will improve.

A number of organizations and associations offer training on the subject. While these sessions will help you understand the concept of EDI, it’s up to you as an operator to set up the right environment for your employees and to “use” it for your business. Something to think about!
 

Tip sharing between servers and kitchen staff is a great way to attract workers in the foodservice industry. But be careful when implementing these policies, as they may have tax implications.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) distinguishes between controlled tips and direct tips. Any tips that the customer is required to pay, for example if a predetermined service charge is added to the bill, are considered controlled by the employer. Tips that are collected by the employer and redistributed to employees based on the employer’s tip-sharing rules are also considered controlled. These tips are seen as part of the employee’s regular pay, and therefore subject to federal tax systems such as Employment Insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan contributions. This minor detail can make all the difference, since tips can significantly increase the employer’s contribution to these plans.

No contributions for direct tips

On the other hand, direct tips, i.e. tips paid voluntarily by the customer, are not considered taxable by the CRA and therefore do not count towards the calculation of tax deductions. It is important to note, however, that voluntary tips paid electronically are only considered direct if they are given to employees at the end of each shift. In any other case, tips are considered controlled.
Tips distributed under a sharing system agreed upon by the employees are also considered direct tips, even if the employer is in charge of redistribution.

Also, if your establishment is in Quebec, employees are required to declare all tips to their employer, regardless of the manner and circumstances in which they were received. The employer must then report this information to the tax authorities. In other words, the rules for controlled tips apply to all tips in Quebec.

Restaurant operators who want to review their tipping policies should pay close attention to these tax considerations and provincial regulations, which vary significantly from one province to the next.
 

Food cost percentage is perhaps the most widely used performance indicator in the restaurant industry.
“When two restaurant operators meet, the question, ‘What’s your food cost?’ is sure to come up,” says François Pageau, an instructor at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). “But most of the time, the figures they come up with aren’t exactly right, because there are many food costs and many ways to make mistakes when trying to calculate the metric.”

The formula for calculating food cost is simple: take the cost of the food used over a given time period and divide it by food sales over the same period. Then multiply the total by 100 to arrive at a percentage. According to Pageau, most mistakes restaurant operators make are in the “cost of food used” portion of this calculation.

It may be tempting to simply divide your purchases by your sales, but this operation leaves out an important detail: inventory flow.
“If you place a large order right before the beginning or end of a given period without factoring it into your calculation, simply adding up your purchases will leave you with an entirely different result,” says the ITHQ instructor. It’s better, he points out, to calculate the value of your inventory at the start of the period, add your purchases, and then deduct the value of your inventory at the end of the period. This is a much more accurate representation of your actual food cost.

Putting the metric in context

“On its own, an accurate calculation of your food cost won’t tell you how your business is performing,” says Pageau. “At the end of the year, managers looking at their books will find any number of small items that weren’t factored into the calculation, which will inflate the expenses and therefore the food cost.”

For example, mistakes with proportion, losses, waste, staff meals or even theft will add up over time and affect the bottom line.
The ITHQ instructor also points out that food cost depends on sales, meaning it can vary significantly based on what customers order. “For example, the food cost of coffee is always very good, since it costs almost nothing to produce. So, selling a lot of coffee can significantly decrease your overall food cost,” says Pageau. “But if you sell a lot of a very expensive dish, even if its food cost isn’t as profitable, it will bring in more revenue. Sometimes it’s better to make a small percentage of a larger revenue than a large percentage of a smaller revenue.”

This is why, Pageau explains, you should be wary of making food cost a criterion for evaluating a chef’s performance. “The metric is closely linked to sales, so it tells us at least as much about the quality of the wait staff.”

That said, knowing your food cost is a great way to benchmark against the rest of the market and assess your profit margins—as long as you calculate it properly.
 

In 2023, we saw fluctuating economic conditions, with inflation, rising interest rates and labour shortages. Despite these challenges, Canada’s dynamic franchise industry continues to thrive. In fact, franchising is the 12th largest industry in Canada—the country with the second largest franchising industry in the world, behind the U.S. In 2023, the franchise industry income accounted for $120 billion of Canada’s GDP, according to the Canadian Franchise Association. But how should you go about finding the right location for your franchise?

The phrase “location, location, location” still stands.

Location is key to the success of a business, as it establishes the volume of traffic it can bring in, as well as the quality of that traffic. The density of target customers around a location determines how likely they are to enter your business. Let’s consider an example from the Canadian Franchise Association: If your franchise is located at a busy intersection where 30,000 cars go by every day, and 20% of these are target customers, you have 6,000 potential customers daily. This number of potential customers may be reduced depending on the competitors around you. If you have nine competitors near your location, you’ll be sharing these potential customers with them, which means you’ll have access to 600 potential customers daily and fight for the remaining 5,400 with the other businesses. That’s why choosing the right location for your franchise is crucial.

“It’s better to be first in a village than 10th in a city.”

The answer to where you should set up shop may very well be a rural area. Xavier Chambon, President and CEO of the Conseil québécois de la franchise, says as much: “There’s huge potential for certain franchises to stand out in rural areas. As my grandmother used to say, it’s better to be first in a village than 10th in a city.”

In Canada, Ontario dominates the franchise economy when it comes to the number of locations, representing about 65% of all operating franchise units. In that province, eight out of ten businesses are franchises, proving there’s plenty of room for growth in other places such as the Prairies, the Atlantic and the West Coast markets. In terms of percentage, the largest growth is expected in British Columbia, where the number of franchise locations is set to grow by 1.16%, according to the Canadian Franchise Association.

A win-win situation

Rural franchise locations come with unique advantages such as typically lower real estate costs, potentially less competition, and local communities that tend to support new businesses. In other words, franchises can benefit from an environment conducive to expansion, all while contributing to local economic development.

This kind of decentralization can open up opportunities otherwise unavailable in larger urban centres. A franchise’s future depends largely on its ability to adapt and develop in rural areas. This strategy not only diversifies geographic locations, but also strengthens the local economy, creating a win-win situation for franchisors, franchisees and the communities they serve.

SOURCES

https://www.octanner.com/fr-ca/articles/10-ways-to-ensure-all-your-employees-feel-valued-and-appreciated-at-work

https://www.octanner.com/fr-ca/global-culture-report/2019-appreciation

https://cfa.ca/franchisecanada/canadian-franchising-an-industry-overview/