The Intelligence Brief is our weekly compendium of food and drink news sourced from outlets all over the world, including right here at home.

This past Friday brought news of another 121 new Covid-19 cases in the province as BC residents headed into the last long weekend of the summer. A consistent increase in cases combined with kids returning to school has understandably raised collective anxieties all around. As we head into the long dark of Fall/Winter with more questions than answers about a dreaded second wave, we continue to cover how the industry is managing through such a prolonged period of uncertainty…

Speaking of colder months to come, bars and restaurants are already preparing with increased requests for outdoor patio heaters.

Similarly, while the city’s temporary patio program is set to expire at the end of October, some are already advocating for an extension to support the local restaurant industry.

Despite the additional safety measures implemented at bars, restaurants and nightclubs in late July, we continue to hear about potential exposure events including an announcement last week about several nightclubs along the Granville strip.

Earlier last week, we also learned of three additional potential exposures at restaurants in White Rock, Richmond and Vancouver.

While bars and restaurants seem to make a regular appearance on public health announcements for potential exposures, new research shows that the risk of transmission through food is actually quite low.

“The International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) looked at the evidence that coronavirus might be carried on food or its packing and found very little.”

From feeding protesters in New York to opening pop-ups out of necessity in Portland, Bon Appetit looks at how restaurants and bars are responding to this challenging moment throughout the United States.

While it may seem like a wild time to be opening a restaurant, new spots continue to pop up around town, including Mogu Fried Chicken, which opened this past week on Commercial Drive.

If you’re making your way up to Prince George soon, consider paying a visit to the cafe inside Uda Dune Baiyo/House of Ancestors where they are serving up doughnut-style bannock that truly looks too good for words.

Eater explains why restaurants need more than takeout orders to survive the pandemic.

“Many restaurants make the least on takeout and delivery. They eat upfront costs for packaging, drivers, and insurance — or rely on delivery apps that take deep cuts. Long before the pandemic, restaurants have been raising concerns that delivery apps take up to 30 percent per order. SF, Berkeley, Fremont, and most recently Oakland are now trying to cap those at 15 percent or below, but it’s an ongoing battle with powerful companies that’s far from over.”

Is it just me or does it seem slightly tone deaf to be offering an $850-per-person indoor dining experience in the middle of a global pandemic?

The New York Times tracks how the economic uncertainty of the pandemic has resulted in increased food insecurity across the US.

“Feeding America, which oversees the country’s largest network of food banks and pantries, has projected that up to 54 million Americans could be food insecure before the end of the year, a 46 percent increase since the pandemic began. The group has reported a 60 percent increase in the number of people it serves, and said that four in 10 people are first-time recipients of food aid.”

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, Grub Street food critic Adam Pratt returns to survey the state of the restaurant industry in his New York neighbourhood.

Doom Tiki founder Chickie Tom explains why we must grapple with the history of Tiki and find a new path forward for the category altogether:

“Tiki is not a real culture,” explains Tom. “It’s not this Pasifika-run cocktail experience, sharing things in a respectful manner,” she says. More often, it’s rife with exploitative images of brown women paired with totems transformed into kitsch, and fueled by copious amounts of rum designed to be consumed by an exclusively white audience. To protect such a concept is, in Tom’s words, “ridiculous.”

A Chicago-based coalition of hospitality workers have developed a database to hold local restaurants accountable to their commitments on anti-racism.

From farm to mug, Imbibe explains the impact that Covid-19 has had on the global coffee industry.

Finally, are you missing all those dining-out photos that used to flood your Instagram feed? Eater explains why the sudden decrease is likely more linked to feelings of guilt than folks avoiding restaurants altogether.