Canada Foodservice Sales Jump In Third Quarter

A strong quarter at full-service restaurants helped drive overall same-store sales gains in Canada during the third quarter, according to the latest Restaurant Outlook Survey from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. Operators remain moderately optimistic about prospects during the next six months.

The overall percentage of foodservice operators who reported rising same-store sales in the third quarter vs. the same quarter in 2012 jumped to 40% from 34% in the second quarter. Among full-service operators, 38% saw same-store sales gains, up from 31% in the previous quarter.

The outlook for future sales was relatively unchanged from the Q2 survey, with 31% of those responding expecting increased sales but a slightly higher percentage, 19%, forecasting slower sales. Quick-service operators are the most optimistic about the near-term future, with 36% anticipating sales gains and only 12% foreseeing lower sales.

In spite of a three-point bump to 60% in the percentage of operators reporting higher food costs, only 33% plan to raise menu prices, down from 38% Q2 and 51% a year ago Q3. Rising food costs were cited by 66% of those responding as having a negative impact on their businesses. Among other issues having a negative impact, rising labor costs, a weak economy and a shortage of skilled labor were the next most commonly mentioned factors.

The complete Restaurant Outlook Survey can be found at crfa.ca.”””