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On Blinkered Liquor Control Boards and Terrifying Statistics Hinting at Doom

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 came with news of another 711 new cases of Covid-19 in the province bringing BC’s total up to 9,050 active cases. The recent surge in cases has also come with an increase in hospital admissions as well as more residents requiring intensive care. With news of a vaccine scheduled to start arriving in BC in the coming weeks, health officials are continuing to encourage people to reduce their contacts and follow public health orders to keep current case numbers under control. As restaurants adapt to keep staff and guests safe through this recent surge, we continue to cover how the industry is fairing…

While local restaurants are continuing to operate at reduced capacity, this past week The Bay Area announced that it is heading back into a full lockdown with both indoor and outdoor dining suspended until early January.

A new report showing flattening job growth in the US raises increased concerns for the restaurant industry but renews hope that the alarming numbers will pressure lawmakers to reach a new stimulus deal.

Business Insider reports that 17% of American restaurants – approximately 110,000 eateries – have permanently closed since the start of the pandemic.

Something to look forward to: this past week came with news of a new creperie and cider bar set to open in Vancouver House in summer 2021.

And speaking of new openings, much beloved food truck The Frying Pan will soon be offering up their fried chicken sandwiches from their new brick and mortar location in the former Tuc Craft Kitchen.

Meanwhile, this bar in England is trying to skirt current Covid-19 restrictions by becoming a place of worship.

Supporting a good cause: five Vancouver restaurants have partnered with MOSAIC BC to offer new refugees and immigrants a delicious, local dining experience this holiday season.

With an increase in take-out dining options, Scout shares the pick of the dishes from five popular Vancouver restaurants.

And speaking of take-out, recent data released form DoorDash show the most ordered foods to-go across Canada this past year.

While we’re on the subject of DoorDash, the food delivery giant has settled a lawsuit this past week after the company skimmed tips meant for delivery workers.

Ontario restaurants angry with their tone deaf liquor control board (LCBO) for partnering with SkipTheDishes appear to have won this morning:

A widely-criticized alcohol delivery program that encouraged people in Toronto to order booze from the LCBO and Beer Store using SkipTheDishes has come to an abrupt end thanks to the provincial government’s intervention. Announced last week, the partnerships between the food delivery app and the dedicated alcohol distributors were met with fierce backlash. Beleaguered local bar and restaurant owners, many of whom have been relying on selling wine, spirits and beer to survive yet another forced shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, argued that there was no way for them to compete in terms of pricing.

Trump may have exhibited little in the way of “taste” but that hasn’t been the case with many past Presidents. Inside Hook looks at the many Washington, DC restaurants frequented by other Oval Office holders, from Ulysses S. Grant to the incoming Joe Biden.

It’s the season of giving and despite the difficult times, CBC was able to raise a record-breaking $2,294,775 for the food bank this past week.

If you’re looking to give a gift that also supports the industry, considering checking out one of these delectable holiday gift boxes from a few local favourites.

Louisville chef Edward Lee shares why this may be the end of an era for independent restaurants.

“The options for restaurants right now are to go further into debt or to close. If we make 80 percent of our income now, that’s a great day. It’s like a Saturday night with all the tables booked. But then there are days when we’ve done 15 percent of our normal revenue. Those are days where it’s actually cheaper for me to keep the lights off and close the doors. It’s the fluctuations that really hurt us. We rely on patterns and predictability for inventory, for staffing, for everything. Now we don’t have a clue.”

The Globe and Mail’s Alexandra Gill pays a visit to Published on Main and shares high praise for the Mt. Pleasant restaurant offering West Coast modern fair.

Several days of protest took place in Vancouver this weekend as residents gathered in support of farmers in India.

“Demonstrators are supporting farmers, mostly from India’s Punjab region, who are furious about a trio of proposed new agricultural laws. Farmers and their supporters say the legislation will end guaranteed grain prices from the government, opening them up to exploitation by large corporations.”

Finally, a look back at the massive protests and social movements of 2020 and how chefs and food trucks mobilized to support activists on the ground.

There is 1 comment

  1. Please consider using alternate wording to the phrase “tone deaf”. Using the term tone-deaf reinforces the idea that Deaf and/or non-speaking/non-verbal people are somehow less than and that disability is bad (see Ableism). By using ableist language, we are perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities.

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