THE FOOD ISSUE - HOW RESTAURANTS CAN STAY AHEAD IN 2020 - THE RISE OF FAST-CASUALS INCREASE YOUR RESTAURANT PROFITS INSTAGRAM MARKETING TIPS ...
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HOW RESTAURANTS CAN STAY AHEAD IN 2020 THE FOOD ISSUE THE RISE OF FAST-CASUALS INCREASE YOUR RESTAURANT PROFITS INSTAGRAM MARKETING TIPS THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 1
The mission of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) is to support, connect and enrich Edmonton’s Downtown community. The DBA is one of 13 Business Improvement Areas MESSAGE FROM (BIAs) in Edmonton. Businesses within the defined BIA geographical area pool resources and work together through THE DBA CHAIR the DBA to promote the economic development of the commercial district. eflecting back on the last 10 years, it is encouraging to see how much R Downtown Edmonton has changed. New office towers and condominiums have altered and reshaped our skyline. Companies new and old are investing and expanding in Downtown. There are new promenades, parks, restaurants—and there’s a whole new selection of developments slated to be built in next few years. Around every corner, I can feel the buzz of a growing urban lifestyle that all great Downtowns have. At the DBA we are excited about what is going on, what is upcoming and what is The Downtown Advantage Newsletter next in the year ahead. One of our key priorities is to launch a Downtown marketing is published quarterly by the Downtown campaign that tells our story to the wider Edmonton community and beyond. Over Business Association of Edmonton. the next couple months, we’ll be meeting with various stakeholders and the public to identify what makes Downtown unique and different from other city destinations. EXECUTIVE MARKETING Whether people do business here, live in the core or come Downtown to visit, we want DIRECTOR COORDINATOR Ian O’Donnell Kayla Shapka to deliver an amazing experience and create more reasons to come here and celebrate MARKETING AND OFFICE MANAGER Downtown. COMMUNICATIONS Mary Davies Under the association’s new strategic plan, we are also committed to engaging MANAGER PHOTO CREDITS more with our members and gaining a clearer understanding of the issues facing them. Tracy Hyatt Cover: Curtis We’ll be rolling out industry panel discussions, townhall meetings and professional Comeau development opportunities throughout the year to start the conversation. At last month’s restaurant panel discussion, we heard from many, new and old, restaurateurs about ongoing struggles, success stories and what’s working well in this industry and in our Downtown community. Our annual MBA intern business report will focus on the ‘lifestyle’ of our most urban community and talk about what’s needed, how to double STAY IN TOUCH! the population and create an amazing neighbourhood for families, seniors DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION and everyone else. 10121 Jasper Avenue, Over the past year, we’ve been talking about the booming Downtown foodie Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 4X6 Phone: 780.424.4085 scene and there’s no better time to get a taste of it than during Downtown Dining info@edmontondowntown.com Week running March 11 to 22. Why not go on a Downtown-wide eating spree and visit just opened hot spots or revisit old favourites? Downtown Dining Week celebrates fine EDMONTONDOWNTOWN.COM dining, but there’s a whole other set of fast-casual establishments that can’t be ignored. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER We’ve highlighted a handful throughout in the following pages. Let this issue be your AND INSTAGRAM: guide to Downtown. @DBAYEG Robert Bothwell Chair, Downtown Business Association 2 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
THE NOTEBOOK BY THE NUMBERS Growth of fast food restaurants in Canada 2014–2019 3.4% Total revenue of fast food restaurants in Canada 2019 $26 billion Growth of coffee & snack shops in Canada 2014–2019 4.8% Total revenue of coffee & snack shops in Canada 2019 $5 billion Growth of full-service restaurants in Canada 4.2% SEOUL FOOD f you think dining at a fast-food restaurant Total revenue of full- service restaurants in Canada I 2019 $35 billion means sacrificing flavour for speed, you might need a little BUOK Fresh Korean Kitchen in your life. The 30-seat, fast-casual restau- rant is the latest brainchild of Henry Song, an Source: Statistics Canada GRAB-AND-GO easygoing Korean with a fierce entrepreneurial streak. “In the fast-casual space many people just buy franchises. They’re not committed to making food that really tastes great. They’re only committed to making money and having Fast casual restaurants exploded last year, serving everything from everything set up for them,” says Song who formerly operated Four Rooms restaurant in Asian dumplings to plant-based BLTs. A simple guide to some of the Edmonton City Centre. best counter-service Downtown when you’re pressed for time. BUOK channels the flavours and techniques AL CENTRO TIFFIN INDIA’S FRESH KITCHEN of Song’s mother into authentic Korean dishes This beautifully designed room has It’s love at first whiff when you walk into like beef bibimbap, pork dumplings and kimchi. emerged as one of Downtown’s hottest this Indian restaurant that dishes out 18 It’s not fine dining. Nor is it fast food. It straddles “fine casual” counter-service spots. different curries. On hand are plenty of that space in between quick service (usually Savoury breakfast paninos, Roman style standouts from the butter chicken to chains) and casual dining restaurants. “There’s pizza, flavour-packed salads are just right chicken fenugreek to goat masala. Made- a place for every type of service but I wanted for breakfast and lunch. Say yes to a to-order cauliflower latki and fish pakora to be in a category where I see growth,” says pre-show cocktail from their extensive are splendid. Song. In Canada and the US, growth of fast- drink menu. 10404 Jasper Avenue 9892 Jasper Avenue casual restaurants is out pacing every restaurant LOADED PIEROGI category in response to changing demo- MELT SANDWICH CO. This Jasper Avenue outpost is THE place Photograph by Heather Muse graphics and dining habits. “There are more The humble sandwich is elevated to a to find Ukrainian food Downtown. The people that are single than ever before that whole new level at this breakfast and majority of the 12 pierogi dishes are now eat alone. At BUOK, we’ve created a space lunch-time spot located in the Bell Tower beyond the classic onions and sour cream where everyone is comfortable, whether they pedway. Our favourite, the grilled cheese toppings. Wild mushroom and truffle, come in a big group or all by themselves. and sandwich and tomato soup, stirs up Montreal smoked meat and buffalo chicken still have food that’s flavourful.” childhood memories. offer something for everyone. 10104 103 Avenue 10815 Jasper Avenue THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 3
SOUND ADVICE It’s time to get back to the basics. Restaurant tips for taking your operation to the next level. | ARTICLE COURTESY OF SYSCO CANADA, FOODIE MAGAZINE During his 34 years in the foodservice 3. KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY CHANGES industry, Greg Prokopowich has seen a lot of The foodservice industry is changing fast. changes. But as Director of Business Resources Millennials and Gen Z-ers are becoming the for Sysco Canada, Prairies Region, he’s also primary consumers, driving things like plant- “Get your staff engaged seen a lot of the same problems over and over based menus, wild flavour mashups and the ex- in your goals and bring again. We asked him how Downtown food plosive growth of third-party delivery services. operators can avoid these profit pitfalls. “It’s a very new landscape for restaurants, and the whole staff into the owners frequently don’t know how to capital- conversation.” 1. FOCUS ON SALES ize on these developments,” says Prokopowich. When doing everything right, says Prokopo- It’s important to stay abreast of current trends. wich, restaurants should be realizing an annual profit of 5 per cent. Yet many do not, and the 4. MAKE AN ACTION PLAN reason is simple, according to Prokopowich: As with any other business, a restaurant’s They are often too focused on saving money owner can become so caught up in the details, they neglect the big picture. In foodservice, Sysco Canada is a proud sponsor and not spending enough energy on driving sales. When you drive sales, you drive profit. “the owner is often the cook, washing service of Downtown Dining Week and serve too,” says Prokopowich. Instead, if 2. ENGAGE YOUR STAFF possible, owners should have others do the March 11–22. Is your restaurant Whether you are a small mom-and pop outfit day-to-day work so they can develop the maximized for profitability? Request or a chain, your staff is your greatest asset. action plans. “You’ve got to train and invest in your staff,” When you come in to meet your local a consultation with your Sysco Prokopowich says. “Get them engaged in your Sysco Business Resources team, you can Marketing Associate about products goals; bring the whole staff into the conversa- learn a range of strategies, from how to drive tion about strategies and customer experience. sales to training and engaging staff—and it’s and solutions for your business. Start by holding pre-shift huddles to build all free. “We’re not here to sell you anything energy and morale.” except success.” n 4 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
THIS IS JUST THE VEGANNING hankfully, vegan food has evolved beyond rice bowls T and pasta. The dishes are so good, you wouldn’t even know they’re vegan. And in some cases, they’re not even telling you there’s no meat. We talked to Shelly Halle, co-owner of Peche Cafe, to see how business is going at Downtown’s newest vegan spot located in The Quarters. Why a fast-casual vegan restaurant? Why so hush-hush about being a vegan café? Fast casual is where the growth is. Young people are eating out often It was a conscious marketing decision to sell great-tasting food that and they want an option that’s affordable, great tasting and convenient. speaks for itself, not food that fits into a category. We don’t want people to choose us because we are vegan. More often than not, people are What’s flying out the doors? thrilled to find out that we’re vegan. When we first opened, we saw a We make a buffalo chicken that we sell a ton of these each day. We lot of people dropping by to see what we are all about. We lost some add our own in-house vegan gorgonzola cheese to the sandwich. The customers because they’re not into vegan food, but we’ve also seen an cheese is made from cashews and it’s super creamy and has a beautiful increase in destination eaters, people coming from further away. It’s been tang to it. Our best seller is probably our pastries though. We can barely a balancing act. keep up with the demand. We really try to keep our menu fresh and exciting for our customers. We heard it’s a whole different food concept at night? What’s We added new dishes last month like a pickle grilled cheese sandwich going on? and a BBQ ribbz burger. Yeah, at 5pm we switch over to Seitans of Disciples. It’s classic fried chicken but vegan. Double-fried dipped Seitan, one of the oldest fake You make your own cheese? meats in the world. Made from washed wheat. The Chinese have been Yeah, we have a cheese factory in the back with state-of-the-art making it for over 2,000 years. equipment. It’s insane back there. Anything we can make in-house, The first two weeks we opened we couldn’t keep up with the we do. demand for fried chickun. We were selling out every single night. Chickun burgers. Chickun wings. Everything. In the evening, we dim Vegan or plant based? What’s gives? What’s the difference? the lights and project b-movies on the back wall. Veganism emphasizes animal cruelty and exploitation, implying that not only have you eliminated animal products from your diet, Your other restaurant Die-Pie is in Oliver. Why did you come but you’ve eliminated it from all aspects of your life. Plant-based Downtown to 97 Street? means you don’t consume animal products, but you might wear We think this area has been underserved for a long time and it has so leather shoes. Veganism and plant-based are really different shades much potential. This block should be crazy. This block should be bonkers of grey. We keep the café 100% vegan. We don’t have anything in here with the RAM, the AGA and the Winspear all in close proximity. And it that’s derived from animals. will be! n THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 5
With Instagram being one of the fastest growing networks, it’s easy to see restaurants value it for marketing and customer engagement. Which Downtown Edmonton restaurants are killin’ it on Instagram? We scoured dozens of accounts and found those who are winning customers and followers one post at a time. Get more customers through the door and increase loyalty with these tips. Central Social Hall Al Centro @centralsocialhall @alcentro.ca Instagram may be free, but savvy digital marketers under-stand Don’t be afraid to share photos of your employees—they’re your that paid social advertising drives awareness and increases brand’s best ambassadors. Al Centro restaurant regularly posts snaps customers. Why bother spending money when you’ve already of their employees celebrating milestones, such as birthdays and family got 5,000 followers? The reason is that reach, the number of gatherings. Talking up your staff is also a great motivator and way to unique accounts your content is displayed to, is far more recognize them for their hard work. Not to mention it helps build important than followers. (Plus, don’t forget that Instagram’s community, humanize the business and tell your company’s story. algorithms serve up your organic posts to only about 20% of your followers) Paid ads allow you to market your content to people who aren’t following you. And even better, you can Sabor target specific demographics based on age, gender, @sabor_yeg interest and location. “You’re not blanketing people that We get it, you’re too busy for Instagram. So why not let your customers wouldn’t be interested in your ad or restaurant, unlike do the work for you? Regram their posts. Afterall, social media is about traditional media” says Jesse Kupina, owner of Central sharing. They’ve already eaten at your restaurant, raved about their Social Hall. You don’t really know who is going to see a billboard ad experience online and racked up dozen of likes from their followers. or listen to a radio spot. The 109 Street restaurant purchases paid ads About 70 percent of Sabor restaurant’s posts are customer regrams. to spread the word about new menu items, special events and new “It’s allows us to say ‘thank you,’ and be appreciative and grateful to restaurant happenings. our customers for sharing their experience at our restaurant with their followers,” says co-owner Christian Mena. Think of it as a glowing review Wishbone in real-time that will influence new customers who are umming and @eatwishbone ahhing about coming in. “More older customers are learning how to use Instagram to shop around. They use social media to decide where they No matter how many followers you boast, a restaurant’s Instagram want to eat and what’s going on in the dining scene.” account is only as good as the quality of its photos. You’ve got less than two seconds (really!) to grab someone’s attention so every photo should leave followers salivating. Since opening two years ago, Wishbone restaurant has gained 5,000 Instagram followers, credited District Cafe @districtcafeyeg mostly to quality photos that drive customers through the door. “Whenever we post something on Instagram, I notice that it becomes Save the dry copy for business presentations. Your Instagram a big seller for that day, and even the day after,” says chef Lasha Gust. captions should be short, snappy and reflect your brand’s voice. But Armed with the restaurant’s point-and-shoot camera, Gust snaps most importantly, your captions should stir excitement and strong most of Wishbone’s photos. Her two biggest tips are always use emotions amongst your followers. District Café and Bakery is a brand natural sunlight (no flash please) and focus on composition. Gust that’s really figured out how to use Instagram to tell its story and share takes most of her photographs underneath the restaurant’s skylight its values. They speak to their followers like they were besties. It’s or in the restaurant’s back hallway where it has lovely white walls that light-hearted, witty and clever, but always genuine, which is no different beautifully reflect light. “I try to use plates like a canvas to show off the from the in-person experience at District. Finding your brand voice take food and make sure all the components are highlighted in a way that practice and it may evolve as your business changes. n makes people want to eat it,” adds Gust. THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 7
A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME A growing Downtown population, changing demographics and the rise of quick-service restaurants has greatly impacted Downtown’s dining scene in the past year. Key to growth will be new people visiting the restaurant who have just moved Downtown, and they are out and about getting to know the neighbourhood,” says Iulian. In addition to twentysomethings, many order Brazilian sandwiches filled with mounds of barbequed beef brisket and topped with cheddar cheese. Next door at Tiffin India’s Fresh Kitchen, which opened last summer, Indian cuisine is a quick, grab-and-go meal keeping up with a rapidly changing industry of Bottega’s customers are retirees that for lunch or dinner before a Rogers Place and staying relevant with consumers. have sold their acreages in the surrounding event. On the south side of Jasper Avenue, According to the 2019 City of Edmonton bedroom communities and are downsizing government workers and residents of the census, 12,423 people call Downtown home. Downtown. “They love the vibe. They tony neighbourhood frequent BUOK Fresh By 2023 another 1,400 residential units will love living walking distance from so many Korean Kitchen for its flavourful bibimbap be added with the development of The restaurants. That’s what attracted them here,” bowls. Falcon Towers, Ice District high-rises, the adds Illuian. “In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a Clancey on 104 Street and Shift by Edgar lot of great fine-dining restaurants open in Developments on 106 Street. More than half No matter what the residential influx brings, the core that created a great deal of buzz of those living in the core are aged 20–39 restaurants will have to adjust their business about the dining scene here. With a slower and represent a young, cosmopolitan crowd practices to adapt to changing trends, says economy though, we’ll probably see that who have bought into the urban lifestyle Patrick Saurette, proprietor of The Marc, and pace slow down a bit and more fast-casuals of unmissable arts and culture attractions, the past chair of Restaurants Canada. Today’s places open. That’s the one dining category and a multitude of dining options located consumers are inundated with food and where there’s real opportunity for growth.” just outside their condo doors. This young beverage choices, requiring businesses to be says Ian O’Donnell, executive director of the cohort also spends about 35% to 44% of nimble more than ever. The same old, same Downtown Business Association. their food dollar on food and alcohol from old doesn’t cut it. Fast-casuals leave a large chunk of money restaurants, which bodes well for Downtown It only makes sense that with everyone on the table and some operators are looking eateries that have traditionally relied tightening their belts, Downtown will see for innovative opportunities to present primarily on diners coming in from across more of what Saurette calls “fast but good” themselves. the city. spots or what the industry calls “fast-casuals” Head to Dorinku Osaka at noon and “About 60% of our business comes from —eateries offering counter service, where you’ll notice something decidedly different people living and working in the surrounding people can grab food quickly and for less about the lunch service. There are no servers area,” says Flavius Iulian, regional manager of money than what they’d pay at a fine dining floating from table to table taking orders. Bottega 104. Since opening on 104 Street restaurant. Instead patrons queue up at the till and a in 2018, the Italian restaurant has seen a This winter, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse cashier takes each order. When the meal is steady increase in local foot traffic from the opened its fast-casual concept a Bite of Brazil ready, a server brings out the food to each neighboring towers. “Every week, we have on 104 Street . For under $10, customers can table. This pared-down, cost-efficient model 8 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
AS DISRUPTIVE FORCES CONTINUE TO IMPACT DOWNTOWN’S DINING SCENE, RESTAURANT OPERATORS ARE CHANGING THEIR BUSINESS MODELS AND PRACTICES. allows the restaurant to schedule less front- of-house staff during the lunch hour. And Downtown workers, with a limited amount of time for lunch, can quickly get back to their desks in less than an hour. In the evening, table service resumes. The same thing happens at Filistix, a 30-seater Filipino restaurant that opened on 100 Avenue and 107 Street last year. For dinner and weekend brunch, it’s table service and a lengthier menu filled with dishes, such as chicken and shrimp dumplings, grilled skewers, fried noodles and chicken adobo. However, during lunch-hour, just like over at Dorinku, it’s counter service and a limited menu designed to get people in and out quickly. Restaurant service too slow? There’s an app for that. The rise of online third-party delivery services, such as Skip the Dish, Foodora and Uber Eats, has created an additional revenue stream for many restaurants. According to NDP Group, in the 12 months ending in February 2019, foodservice-delivery sales reached $3.3 billion in Canada, representing 5.8 per cent of the $57 billion of the total full- and quick-service restaurant sales. Much to the ire of some restauranteurs, this tech disruptor is not going away. It’s here to stay. “If people are going to spend money at Flavius Iluian of Bottega 104 says that their new my restaurant, does it really matter if they eat private room, built to host more corporate and private bookings, will be a game changer. here or if they order from Skip?” asks Henry THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 9
Fast-causal Tiffin India’s Fresh Kitchen is one of a growing number of restaurants offering counter service that have opened in the core. NO LONGER ARE YOU SERVING CUSTOMERS WITHIN YOUR RESTAURANT SPACE. YOU’RE REACHING THEM IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR OFFICES. Song, owner of fast-casual BUOK. Ono Poke’s custom-built food delivery app. For some operators, 2020 will be about For many like Song, the appeal of these Built in partnership with Chow Now, orders maximizing the space they already have. For delivery services is that they allow restaurants through the Ono Poke app are commission- The Marc, a big change has been in serving to reach new customers and markets. No free, allowing the fast-casual to maximize its corporate functions. When Saurette and his longer are you serving customers within your bottom-line revenue. wife launched the restaurant nearly a decade restaurant space but you’re reaching them in Unlike, third-party services, Hui has more ago, they promised that they’d never close to their homes and in their offices. control over the app. He can run app-only the public for a corporate event. Times have During the winter months, deliveries promotions, collect email addresses to changed and Saurette has realized that he account for almost 40% of Ono Poke’s remarket to subscribers, and take advantage can’t pass up the guaranteed full house that business, says chef Lawrence Hui. That of push-notifications to strategically a corporate event provides. He’s now taking percentage drops in half when the weather announce new dishes or discounts. full restaurant buyouts for corporate clients. warms up. “We are winter wonderland and, Saurette of The Marc urges restaurants Many restaurants report that they’re also during those months when we’re stuck in the to think beyond delivery services and think seeing a rise in weddings and anniversary cold, a lot of people don’t want to go outside. about their overall “digital door” experience. parties happening on weeknight and It’s convenience they’re after,” says Hui. Saurette says that restaurants stateside are weekend evenings, as consumers look But these delivery apps do come at a cost. looking at how they can outfit their spaces for alternative venues and ways to save Many of the delivery companies operate to accommodate the increased use of money. There are plenty of opportunities for on a percentage commission fee that can technology. “Chipotle is a great example of restaurants to take advantage of this trend. be negotiated but only the larger chains a company that is designing their spaces This April Bottega 104 will open a 50-seat are typically afforded lower fees. Smaller to allow other ways for consumers to private room to accommodate corporate independents can pay as much as 40% of the participate in convenience, fast-food and events and private bookings. The space isn’t bill in fees, which is a high cost for an industry accuracy.” Earlier last year, Chipotle began even open yet and already the restaurant has that already has thin profit margins. testing exterior pick-up windows for bookings for Christmas. “It’s going to a game- On Ono Poke’s back counter, four tablets customers who place orders online. changer and a huge source of revenue for are lined up every day. There’s one for Skip us,” says Iulian. “We want to fully invest here the Dish orders, another for Uber Eats, a Third-party delivery services and fast- in Downtown because the location is prime third for Foodora and the last one is for casuals are obviously not for everyone. and it’s a growing Downtown core.” n 10 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
LISTEN TO A PODCAST ABOUT HATTIE’S ROYALALBERTA- MUSEUM.CA/ PODCASTS MEMORY LANE ALL ARE WELCOME N THE 1940s, a weary Black traveller had few all skin colours, from near and far, came for. Edmonton I dining options in Edmonton. Discrimination was musician Tommy Banks raved about Hatti’s chicken. Photos courtesy of Myrna Wisdom still commonplace. Blacks faced institutionalized racism American Black entertainers Pearl Bailer and Big Miller in a number of pernicious forms—many hotels and restau- popped by when performing in Edmonton. Hatti’s was rants refused to accommodate them. One welcoming more than a restaurant. It was an important social mainstay place in Edmonton for Blacks looking for a meal was Hatti’s of the Black community, a meeting place for the city’s Black Harlem Chicken Inn, opened in 1944. Originally located at population to share news, stories and meet friends. Newly 101 Street and 104 Avenue (it later moved to where the arrived Blacks knew they’d be lovingly greeted by Hatti, and Law Courts now reside), Hatti’s Harlem Chicken Inn was if they were lucky, pick up work in the kitchen. All were wel- the best fried chicken joint in the city. Owner Hatti Melton come. Hatti Melton passed away in 1969 and her daughter served up juicy, salty, crackling fried chicken that folks of ran the restaurants for a few years after until it closed. n THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 11
March 11-22 $20 2-course lunch / brunch $35 or $50 multi-course dinner Daily culinary events Enter online for a chance to win a Downtown Weekend package, including a two-night stay at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District and two tickets to Miranda Lambert edmontondowntown.com PRESENTED BY: SPONSORED BY: 12 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
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