January 28, 2021: Restaurants Canada to welcome Small Business Minister Mary Ng along with other government and industry representatives for the virtual launch of its National Foodservice Recovery Task Force, which will take place at 5 p.m. ET today.

“I am pleased to join the launch of the Restoration Restoration Task Force. These leaders have been tireless advocates for the sector and the workers and communities they support, said Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. Since the start of the pandemic, we have worked with owners and restaurant workers and will continue to support them and accompany them on the road to recovery. "

"We appreciate this wonderful show of support from the Government of Canada aimed at ensuring that restaurants are ideally positioned to help revive the Canadian economy," said Mr. Todd Barclay, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. Our industry is the ideal starting point to rebuild a stronger and more resilient Canada that continues to reflect our country's enviable diversity. "

Between March and April 2020, more than 800,000 workers in the Canadian food service sector lost their jobs or saw their working hours reduced to zero. According to Statistics Canada's December Labor Force Survey, the sector still employs 316,000 fewer jobs today than in February 2020.

Restaurants Canada has formed the Restaurant Restoration Task Force not only to help restaurant owners recover from the COVID-19 crisis, but also to ensure they are in a good position to achieve the success in the post-pandemic economic environment.

The Restoration Restoration Working Group will be made up of the following members:

Government officials
The Honorable Mary Ng, P.C., MP Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
Rachel Bendayan, MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
Irek Kusmierczyk, MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Francesco Sorbara, MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
Kate Young, MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages ??(FedDev Ontario)

Industry representatives
Tina Chiu, Chief Operating Officer, Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation
Warren Erhart, President and CEO, White Spot Hospitality
Dr. Mohamad Fakih, President and CEO, Paramount Fine Foods
Duncan Fulton, Chief Corporate Services Officer, Restaurant Brands International
Frank Hennessey, CEO, Recipe Unlimited Corporation
Alan Howie, President and Chief Operating Officer, Northland Restaurant Group
Guy Laframboise, President, Les Restaurants Subway Québec Ltée
Brenda O'Reilly, Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer, O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub, Mussels on the Corner, Yellowbelly Brewery & Public House, ET YellowBelly at YYT
Patrick Saurette, Owner, The Marc Restaurant Group John Sinopoli, Partner and Senior Chef, Ascari Hospitality Group
Cindy Simpson, Executive Vice President, Imago Restaurants Inc.
Nivera Wallani, President and CEO, KFC Canada, Yum! Brands

About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada is a national not-for-profit association that helps the vibrant and diverse Canadian foodservice industry realize its full potential through programs, studies, advocacy, resources and events for its members. members. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian foodservice sector was a $ 95 billion annual turnover industry that directly employed 1.2 million workers, was the main source of first jobs in Canada and served 22 million customers every day in all regions of the country. Since then, the industry has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue due to the impacts of COVID-19.