Point of Sale
The core of our all-in-one restaurant management system
From food trucks to FSRs, get the POS built for restaurants.
By Katherine Pendrill
From indoor dining restrictions to record staffing shortages, Canadian restaurants have faced incredible challenges over the past few years. These issues have not only impacted restaurants on an individual basis, but they have also impacted the future of the Canadian restaurant industry as a whole.
With the industry experiencing such massive upheaval, we’re stopping to take stock of what these changes look like and how they have impacted key performance indicators such as sales, bills processed, and average transaction size. By looking at the performance of Canadian restaurants on the TouchBistro platform, our new report aims to provide a better understanding of how the pandemic and other major changes have impacted operators across the country.
Below, you’ll find a sneak peek of the latest Canadian restaurant industry insights collected from venues using the TouchBistro platform. These Canadian restaurant statistics were compiled based on aggregated sales data and all growth rates are calculated on a same-store sales basis for the applicable period of time.
Learn how TouchBistro restaurants have navigated the past few years and how the Canadian restaurant industry is faring overall.
The Canadian sector was hit particularly hard by indoor dining closures and other pandemic restrictions. As a result, many operators saw a major dip in sales in 2020 and into 2021.
However, TouchBistro data shows that by the end of 2021, Canadian restaurants were seeing some impressive growth, with sales up 25% from 2020 to 2021. This growth was especially pronounced among FSRs using TouchBistro, which saw sales jump 26%, while QSRs saw sales grow 23%.
And it wasn’t just restaurant sales that increased; average transaction size also grew significantly during this time. By the end of 2021, the average transaction size at Canadian restaurants using TouchBistro was up 27% from 2019. This increase was even more pronounced at Canadian QSRs, which saw average transaction size jump 37% from 2019 to 2021.
One of the main reasons for the increase in sales at Canadian restaurants was the exponential demand for takeout and delivery. For restaurants using TouchBistro Online Ordering, the results were especially impressive.
From 2020 to 2021, Canadian restaurants using TouchBistro Online Ordering saw a whopping 165% increase in sales. In fact, within just the first three months alone of implementing TouchBistro Online Ordering, Canadian venues saw a 13% increase in monthly transactions, on average. And overall, venues using TouchBistro Online Ordering processed 26% more transactions on average compared to venues with POS only through the end of 2021 and into 2022.
Average transaction sizes were also bigger for Canadian restaurants using TouchBistro. Compared to in-venue transactions, QSRs using TouchBistro Online Ordering saw 77% larger transaction sizes on average through the end of 2021 into 2022. This is significantly more than the increase driven by other online ordering programs (i.e. Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc.), which only led to a 57% increase in average transaction sizes at Candian QSRs.
While the Canadian restaurant industry was dramatically reshaped by the boom in takeout and delivery, shifting guest behaviors also led to big changes.
One of the biggest changes in diner habits was that reservations came roaring back at the end of 2021. In fact, the number of bookings at Canadian venues using TouchBistro Reservations was up by 52% on average from 2020 to 2021.
And all these bookings also translated into more money for restaurants. Within just three months of implementing TouchBistro Reservations, Canadian venues saw a 15% increase in monthly transactions.
Beyond online reservations, loyalty programs also proved the be a valuable tool for boosting restaurant sales. In the first three months alone of using TouchBistro Loyalty, Canadian venues saw a 13% increase in monthly transactions, on average. Even more impressive, Canadian venues with TouchBistro Loyalty processed 45% more transactions than those with just the POS through the end of 2021 and into the first half of 2022.
Not only did Canadian restaurants see greater sales in 2021, but they also became more efficient.
In our Canadian restaurant industry insights report, we found that TouchBistro venues in Canada cut turnover times – the average duration of an order from start to finish – significantly from 2020 to 2021. In fact, the average turnover time for delivery orders fell by a whopping 49%, suggesting that venues have become significantly faster at processing off-premise orders.
The front of house also saw some gains in efficiency. One Canadian restaurant statistic worth noting is that venues using TouchBistro closed 8% more bills per shift hour in 2021 than 2020, suggesting staff were able to turn tables faster over time.
The above is just a quick preview of the latest Canadian restaurant industry insights. To learn more about the performance of Canadian restaurants using TouchBistro and get these Canadian restaurant statistics, download the full TouchBistro Insights Report on Canadian restaurants.
Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.
Get the latest restaurant trends and ideas in your inbox.