Foodservice Facts

Canadian foodservice facts & trends.

The numbers shaping Canada's restaurant industry in 2026: sales, margins, jobs, guest traffic and the outlook for 2027. Every figure links to its original source.

At a glance

The industry in four numbers.

~$130B^¹: Projected annual restaurant sales in 2026, more than double 2011
1.2M^¹: People employed by Canadian restaurants, including nearly 500,000 youth
24M^¹: Restaurant visits Canadians make every day
4.1%^¹: Average pre-tax profit margin across the industry

Sales vs. profit

Sales are up. Profits are not.

A 4.1% average margin is roughly the same as earning a profit only on the last day of a 30-day month. Rising food and labour costs and limited room to raise menu prices are squeezing operators even as top-line sales beat expectations.

5.1%^²Projected growth in commercial foodservice sales for 2026
67%^²Operators reporting lower profitability than a year ago
41%^¹Restaurant companies operating at a loss or just breaking even, up from 12% in 2019

Guests

Guests are cutting back.

The biggest jump in cutting back came from households earning $100,000 or more (78%, up from 70% in 2025). Value, menu engineering and guest experience matter more than ever.

80%^¹Canadians eating out less often because of the cost of living, up from 75% a year earlier
44%^²Operators reporting fewer guests than a year ago
61%^¹Canadians who would visit table-service restaurants more with more disposable income

Outlook

Operators are cautious about 2027.

Expect a 2027 focused on cost control, productivity tools, staffing efficiency and smarter marketing spend.

44%^²Operators pessimistic about 2027, versus 30% optimistic
38%^²Operators expecting profitability to decline next year; 21% expect improvement
29%^²Operators expecting to employ fewer workers; 9% expect to hire more

Economic impact

Restaurants feed the wider economy.

Restaurants are Canada's fourth-largest private-sector employer and sustain nearly 300,000 spin-off jobs in other industries. When operators struggle, suppliers, farmers and distributors feel it too.

$43B^¹Food and beverage products restaurants buy each year
68%^¹Share of those purchases from Canadian suppliers (80%+ for dairy, chicken and beef)
$2.25^¹Economic activity generated by every dollar spent in a restaurant

Keep up

Get the stories behind the numbers.

Ashton Media covers what these trends mean for operators, chefs and suppliers through interviews, newsletters and live events across Canada.

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Sources

Figures are reported by Restaurants Canada and are not Ashton Media research. Projections may change as new data is released.