tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/restaurant-industry-54719/articlesRestaurant industry – The Conversation2023-01-18T18:12:19Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1972762023-01-18T18:12:19Z2023-01-18T18:12:19ZCanada is stuck with tipping — and we’re worse off for it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504114/original/file-20230111-32622-ntzy54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C176%2C4912%2C3081&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tipping requires customers to increase the wages of a restaurant's servers — something that should be the employer's responsibility. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Kate Townsend/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/canada-is-stuck-with-tipping-—-and-we-re-worse-off-for-it" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Imagine a local business where employees are compensated by age, gender, attractiveness and with some extra dollars if they flirt with customers. It would end up before the human rights commission and lead the local newscasts.</p>
<p>Yet this is how tipping works. It’s a deeply embedded custom and an unquestioned part of everyday life. But as the average <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/here-s-what-the-average-restaurant-tip-percentage-is-across-canada-1.6040388">tip percentage goes up</a> in Canadian restaurants, tipping is coming under more scrutiny.</p>
<p>When the COVID-19 pandemic began, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/21/business/pandemic-restaurant-tipping.html">there was a belief that the crisis would be such a shock to the status quo of the hospitality industry</a> that tipping as a custom might collapse. As we’ve seen, the opposite has occurred.</p>
<p>There are two frequently given defences for tipping, neither of which hold up under close scrutiny.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-tip-too-far-why-tip-fatigue-may-be-setting-in-for-north-americans-189289">A tip too far? Why tip fatigue may be setting in for North Americans</a>
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<h2>Rewarding good servers?</h2>
<p>Tipping rewards good service, right? This belief presumes that the server receives the tip. But <a href="https://members.restaurantscanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Current-Tipping-Rules-in-Canada_December-2017.pdf">in most provinces, management often requires servers to share tips with kitchen staff, and sometimes with management itself.</a> </p>
<p>Furthermore, Canadian provinces and territories permit tip-sharing among servers. Your individual hard-working server may not have any appreciable benefit from your generous tip.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rainforest-cafe-strike-puts-the-spotlight-on-tip-sharing-116556">Rainforest Cafe strike puts the spotlight on tip-sharing</a>
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<p>In the United States, where research on tipping has been more extensive, it’s been found that there is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880401421001">no meaningful connection</a> between the amount of the tip and the quality of service. </p>
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<img alt="A bearded waiter serves plates of food to a table of three women." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=307%2C147%2C3775%2C2079&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504113/original/file-20230111-4937-revg4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A waiter tends to customers at a Montréal restaurant in June 2020, shortly after Québec allowed restaurants to reopen after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson</span></span>
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<h2>Lending a helping hand?</h2>
<p>The other common defence of tipping is that these poorly paid employees need some extra help. Yet we’re not selective about which poorly paid employees we tip. </p>
<p>We don’t tip retail workers or maintenance workers, who are also usually working for minimum wage. Each culture has different customs about which occupations get tipped, and it’s hard to find any consistent rationale.</p>
<p>In the United States, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Prohibition-United-States-history-1920-1933">Prohibition in the 1920s and early 1930s</a> was an existential shock to the restaurant industry. When alcohol sales became illegal, restaurateurs welcomed tipping because it eased some of the financial pressure for employers. As a result, Prohibition <a href="https://www.edwards.usask.ca/faculty/marc%20mentzer/tipping.pdf">caused tipping to become routine</a> in the U.S. and the custom eventually spread to Canada. </p>
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<img alt="A tip jar on a counter asking for tips." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504115/original/file-20230111-34767-2w4dwp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Prohibition helped normalize tipping in the United States, and the habit migrated north to Canada.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Dan Smedley/Unsplash)</span></span>
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<h2>The pandemic’s impact on tipping</h2>
<p>The latest existential threat to the industry, the COVID-19 pandemic, likewise has made tipping even more deeply entrenched.</p>
<p>Some Canadian and American restaurants have experimented with <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/some-ontario-restaurants-are-starting-to-adopt-a-tip-free-dining-model-here-s-how-it-works-1.5938410">abolishing tipping</a>, and the record <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/3560040-what-happens-when-a-restaurant-goes-tip-free/">has been mixed</a>. Servers like tipping because they feel they can control their income, and customers like tipping because it gives the illusion of power over the servers.</p>
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<p>Some restaurants abolished tipping, but reinstated it due to <a href="https://www.eater.com/21398973/restaurant-no-tipping-movement-living-wage-future">pressure from servers and customers</a>. Those few establishments that have succeeded with a <a href="https://foodism.to/culture/toronto-restaurants-stopping-tipping/">no-tip model tend to be high-end, fine dining establishments</a> where the clientele is insensitive to price.</p>
<p>A variation of the no-tipping concept is service charges for customers instead of a tip. But where service charges are in place, the money <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23426907/restaurant-service-fee-charge-tipping-inflation-confusion">doesn’t always go to the servers</a>. In many instances, the restaurant manager simply keeps some or all of the service charge, so it’s merely a sneaky way of increasing menu prices.</p>
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<img alt="Four middle-aged people sit at a tall table in a diner-type restaurant." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504119/original/file-20230111-43582-1ytit7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Patrons enjoy a meal at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne, Alta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span>
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<h2>Is paying fair wages up to the customer?</h2>
<p>In a rational world, servers’ compensation would not come via tips. In nearly all occupations, it’s the employer’s obligation to pay a reasonable wage, not the customer’s duty to bring compensation up to a fair level. </p>
<p>Yet abolishing tipping is hopelessly idealistic. A more modest and realistic tack is to revisit provincial laws on what actually happens to the tip money after the customer leaves.</p>
<p>The sharing of tips with non-tipped employees is known as “<a href="https://mmhlabourlaw.ca/tip-pooling-tipping-out-legal/#:%7E:text=THE%20LAW%20OF%20TIPS,large%20groups%20at%20a%20restaurant">tipping out</a>.” In most provinces, tipping out is such a long-running custom that it’s rarely questioned. After all, who can begrudge a few dollars going to the under-appreciated kitchen staff, who don’t get tipped? </p>
<p>The opposing perspective is that paying the kitchen staff is management’s responsibility. In short, it should not fall on the shoulders of the tipped employees to ensure that other employees are fairly paid. </p>
<p>As well, the “tipping out” percentage is increasing, as servers are required <a href="https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ts/business/2021/08/03/in-a-bid-to-be-more-fair-toronto-restaurants-are-now-funneling-more-tip-money-to-the-kitchen.html">to share an ever-growing proportion</a> of their tips with kitchen workers. This further dilutes the notion that a tip is the customer’s reward to a specific server.</p>
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<img alt="A woman wearing a mask makes French fries in a restaurant kitchen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504117/original/file-20230111-24-hzep9l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A woman cooks a batch of French fries at a restaurant in Huntingdon, Que., in February 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson</span></span>
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<h2>Provinces handle tipping differently</h2>
<p>Québec, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, forbid tipping out. Other provinces might consider following suit. </p>
<p>Even more objectionable is the practice of “house tipping,” where management takes a share of the tips, often sugar-coated with language about everyone being part of the team. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-tipping-should-be-driven-by-canadians-not-businesses-181018">The future of tipping should be driven by Canadians, not businesses</a>
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<p>Legal protections for servers <a href="https://doi.org/10.18848/2470-9336/CGP/v06i02/1-10">vary by province</a>. Broadly speaking, Québec gives restaurant servers the highest level of protection where tips are concerned, while Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the three northern territories give restaurant owners almost unlimited leeway in how tips are handled. </p>
<p>Restaurateurs would, understandably, fight any reforms that restrict their handling of tips, because kitchen workers would expect employers to make up the lost income if “tipping out” was abolished. </p>
<p>Despite industry opposition, this would be a small step in softening the dysfunctional but deeply ingrained tradition of tipping. The notion of actually abolishing tipping is a dream for another day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marc S. Mentzer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Tipping isn’t going to disappear anytime soon, but provinces can do more to protect servers.Marc S. Mentzer, Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1676142021-09-22T20:00:18Z2021-09-22T20:00:18ZWorker shortage? Or poor work conditions? Here’s what’s really vexing Canadian restaurants<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422252/original/file-20210921-17-tgwmo9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=421%2C18%2C4894%2C3987&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A waitress wears a mask while carrying drinks for guests inside the Blu Martini restaurant in Kingston, Ont., in July 2021. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Restaurant operators across Canada are struggling to find enough staff to run their operations. This labour crisis has been <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/deflated-by-inflation-and-paying-good-money-to-do-nothing-with-your-money-1.6180401/profit-sharing-signing-bonuses-and-health-benefits-food-service-bosses-try-it-all-to-lure-workers-back-1.6182637">highly publicized</a> by Canadian media as a “labour shortage.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.restaurantscanada.org/industry-news/restaurants-are-key-to-restoring-canadas-pre-pandemic-employment-levels/">A recent survey</a> by Restaurants Canada found that 80 per cent of food service operators were finding it difficult to hire kitchen staff and 67 per cent were having trouble filling serving, bar-tending and hosting positions.</p>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, Canada’s food service sector employed <a href="https://www.restaurantscanada.org/industry-news/a-third-of-canadas-foodservice-workforce-is-still-out-of-work/">1.2 million people</a>, and according to Statistics Canada it currently needs to fill <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210826/t003a-eng.htm">130,000 positions</a> to reach pre-pandemic levels. That said, the Canadian restaurant industry has been <a href="https://www.restaurantscanada.org/labour-shortages-second-greatest-concern-foodservice-operators/">struggling with hiring and retention problems</a> for many years. </p>
<p>Should the chronic hiring struggles of Canadian restaurants be referred to as a labour shortage, or can it be more accurately portrayed as a retention issue fuelled by a lack of decent work? Does the use of the term labour shortage take the onus off of restaurant operators for creating these shortages, and instead place it on Canadian job-seekers?</p>
<h2>First job for many Canadians</h2>
<p>A 2010 Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association <a href="https://m3.ithq.qc.ca/collection/00000240.pdf">report found</a> that 22 per cent of Canadians worked in a restaurant as their first job — the highest of any industry. The study also found that 32 per cent of Canadians have at one point worked in the restaurant industry.</p>
<p>These statistics show that millions of Canadians have been introduced to restaurant work and the industry has enjoyed a seemingly endless supply of labour for decades. So why is it that the restaurant industry is burning through so many people?</p>
<p>Our research on restaurant work conditions shows that working in a restaurant is difficult, requiring the sacrifice of work-life balance due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2021.1950507">long hours and unpredictable schedules</a>. While restaurant work can be rewarding and fun, it can also be low-paying, stressful and physically demanding, all of which can have a negative impact on <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/2021/07/02/for-those-in-the-restaurant-industry-theres-relief-at-coming-back-but-anxiety-about-whats-ahead.html">mental health</a>. </p>
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<img alt="A waiter wearing protective equipment collects the bill" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422681/original/file-20210922-25-1b2pl5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A waiter wearing protective equipment collects the bill at a restaurant in Saint-Sauveur, Que.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span>
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<p>Many restaurant workers spend at least eight hours a day on their feet with no time for breaks or meals. Workers are also required to forgo their social and family life by having to work late nights, weekends and holidays. </p>
<p>Many restaurant workers almost never know precisely when their shifts will end, and tend to be placed on unpredictable split shifts or “on call” shifts to save labour costs. </p>
<h2>Toxic work environment</h2>
<p>The restaurant industry has also been rampant with sexual harassment, abuse and <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-after-the-pandemic-is-over-lets-not-rebuild-chef-culture/">toxic work environments</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2018412-eng.htm">A Statistics Canada study</a> found that hospitality workers have the worst job quality out of any industry. This was largely due to low earnings, the inability to take time off, no paid sick leave, a lack of training opportunities and no supplemental medical and dental care. </p>
<p>This same study found that 67 per cent of hospitality workers work in jobs with work conditions that fall below decent work levels.</p>
<p>So what exactly is “decent work?” It’s a concept established by the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang--en/index.htm">International Labour Organization</a> and is linked to the United Nation’s <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal8">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. Decent work establishes universal conditions of work that are central to the well-being of workers. </p>
<p>These conditions are considered to be minimum labour standards that include living wages, work hours that allow for free time and rest, safe working environments and access to health care. Decent work is considered a human right but based on the conditions of restaurant work, it appears the Canadian restaurant industry is struggling to provide it to all of its employees. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bartenders and wait staff, all wearing masks, inside a restaurant." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422682/original/file-20210922-27-15dfjc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bartenders and wait staff wait for the lunch hour rush as patrons sit on the patio of a Toronto restaurant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Exodus of workers from the industry</h2>
<p>Through our research on restaurant work, and via conversations with many restaurant employees across the country, we’ve learned that many are <a href="https://ugsrp.com/2014/12/31/why-are-young-managers-leaving-the-restaurant-industry/why-are-young-managers-leaving-the-restaurant-industry-1/">fleeing the industry</a> because the work is a grind. What’s more, they don’t see any future in a job that will continue to hinder their well-being.</p>
<p>The pandemic allowed workers time to find <a href="https://nowtoronto.com/food-and-drink/food/toronto-restaurants-have-a-hiring-problem-and-it-goes-way-beyond-cerb">jobs in other industries</a> that provide more stability and feature regular work schedules, vacation time, higher pay and benefits.</p>
<p>These workers often felt neglected, and that their employers did not believe they were worth investing in. </p>
<p>While there are certainly good restaurant employers, the industry as a whole has failed to improve working conditions because historically, there were always new people to fill roles. </p>
<p>That raises the question: Could the continuous reference to a labour shortage in the restaurant industry actually be creating a lack of urgency in addressing longstanding issues of work quality?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A waitress wearing a mask serves patrons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/422680/original/file-20210922-27-148c4l7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A waitress serves patrons at a restaurant in Carstairs, Alta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If restaurants want to operate at full staff in the post-pandemic future, they need to invest in their employees because, after all, it’s impossible to run a restaurant without people working in it. </p>
<p>The restaurant industry has always spent money, time and resources to attract customers and increase revenues. It’s long past time for restaurant operators to consider their employees internal customers, and put as much effort into providing great experiences for them as they do for their external customers. </p>
<p>A good place for operators to start is by providing decent and dignified work for all that provides decent wages, benefits and healthy working conditions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167614/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Gordon is a volunteer with the Canadian Restaurant Workers Coalition. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce McAdams does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Should the chronic hiring struggles of Canadian restaurants be referred to as a labour shortage, or can it be more accurately portrayed as a retention issue fuelled by a lack of decent work?Bruce McAdams, Associate Professor in Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, University of GuelphRebecca Gordon, Graduate Student, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1669492021-09-21T17:07:32Z2021-09-21T17:07:32Z3 ways restaurant staff and customers can communicate to prevent food allergy reactions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421692/original/file-20210916-25-1fwipbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C80%2C4893%2C3066&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An effective approach to allergy communications is for servers to ask customers about food allergies.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Public health researchers have called food allergies “<a href="https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i3.326">a growing public health epidemic in Canada</a>” affecting around <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2014.11.006">one in 13 Canadians</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2012.722857">one in five Canadian households</a>. Dining out <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2010.03649.x">can be risky</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701011088197">stressful</a> for people with allergies, in part because many restaurant employees <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.10.023">lack the training</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2016.05.004">skills</a> and <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/79/9/1588/174884/Food-Allergy-Knowledge-and-Attitudes-of-Restaurant">confidence to manage food allergies</a> safely and effectively. </p>
<p>These are challenges that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and will surely persist after it. In recent years, news outlets across Canada <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/man-with-nut-allergy-w%20ins-cheesecake-lawsuit-1.1062258">have reported</a> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/sherbrooke-waiter-arrested-salmon-allergic-customer-1.3707052">several cases</a> of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/near-fatal-allergic-reaction-caused-by-starbucks-dessert-1.863872">people suffering extreme</a>, sometimes <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2231400/first-year-canadian-university-student-dies-of-severe-allergic-reaction/">fatal, allergic reactions</a> to restaurant food. Accidents like these are most often due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1067/mai.2001.119157">miscommunication</a>.</p>
<p>As researchers in the field of industrial-organizational psychology, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102959">we analyzed how and why information about food allergies gets communicated, and miscommunicated, at restaurants</a>. We approached allergy communication the way we might approach communication among a flight crew or a surgical team: by isolating the make-or-break behaviours in the communication process.</p>
<p>Based on this research, we offer some guidelines to reduce the risk of allergic reactions at restaurants and improve the customer experience.</p>
<h2>Allergy communication</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A chef handing a food order to a server in a restaurant kitchen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421702/original/file-20210916-21-lvi0k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Poor communication between servers and kitchen staff can lead to allergen incidents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Allergy information can be communicated in written and verbal forms. Written communication happens on a restaurant’s website, posters in dining rooms, menus and ingredient lists. It also happens among staff, such as on order forms and point-of-sale (POS) machines. </p>
<p>Still, most food orders involve verbal conversations between customers and servers. In these conversations, customers and servers get a sense of one another and decide together how best to manage the customer’s food order.</p>
<p>We collected examples, or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061470">critical incidents</a>, of restaurant staff handling a food order for an allergic customer. We received 107 successful incidents and 61 failed incidents from a variety of restaurants. Failed incidents involved things like an allergic reaction, staff having to remake a meal and/or an upset customer. </p>
<p>For each incident, staff reported who was involved, what went right, what went wrong and how. Based on these, we mapped the process of allergy communication, from customer to server to kitchen staff and back, and pinpointed where mistakes commonly happen, as illustrated in this diagram.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram plotting out communication pathways between restaurant staff" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420860/original/file-20210913-21-4urxbu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The process of allergy communication, from customer to server to kitchen staff and back, illustrating where mistakes commonly happen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reprinted from International Journal of Hospitality Management, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102959, with permission from Elsevier.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from these incidents, we also asked 138 people with moderate-to-severe food allergies to describe their own encounters dining at restaurants.</p>
<p>As you can see, communication at restaurants works like a game of telephone, where messages pass from customers to servers to kitchen staff. As in telephone, mistakes can happen at any stage, and given enough time, mistakes are bound to happen. Unlike telephone, though, mistakes can be anticipated, avoided or fixed.</p>
<h2>Recommendation #1: Ask about allergies</h2>
<p>Most miscommunications happen when customers forget or are too shy to disclose their allergy. We suggest that servers ask customers to disclose their allergies when introducing themselves: “Hello, my name is Sam and I’ll be your server. First off, does anyone at the table have food allergies?”</p>
<p>To be clear, we are not suggesting that allergy disclosure is the server’s responsibility. Quite the opposite: most people we asked (staff and customers alike) agreed that disclosing allergies is primarily the customer’s responsibility. </p>
<p>We suggest that servers ask customers about allergies simply because that’s the most effective approach. A typical server deals with far more food orders than a typical customer. So, staff may not only be more apt to develop the habit of starting conversations about food allergies, trained servers have the opportunity to lead the conversation.</p>
<p>In the same interaction, some customers mention their allergy but leave out important information, like how serious the allergy is. According to staff we surveyed, customers should not just state their allergy; they should also describe the severity of the allergy.</p>
<h2>Recommendation #2: Double-check</h2>
<p>Staff and customers can integrate double-checks to catch and reverse miscommunication before it leads to disaster. Double-checking involves repeating information back to the speaker and asking for confirmation. For example, when a customer discloses an allergy, the server can repeat the allergy and accommodations back to the customer, and ask the customer to confirm that this information is correct. In the diagram above, we highlighted four points where double-checking is most helpful.</p>
<p>Of course, it might not be realistic to include double-checks at all of these points. Still, each additional double-check could improve your chances of catching an error and saving a life. </p>
<h2>Recommendation #3: Involve fewer staff</h2>
<p>Again, the allergy communication process works kind of like a game of telephone, and telephone is easier with fewer people playing. In the same way, it can be helpful to reduce the number of people that have to pass along a message. Restaurants that do this well often designate a staff member, manager or chef to directly oversee orders for allergic customers.</p>
<h2>No one likes fakers</h2>
<p>Both allergic customers and staff raised the problem of allergy “fakers” — people who claim a food allergy that is really just a preference. These fakers aren’t just annoying. They muddy the waters of allergy communication, making it more difficult for customers and staff to trust one another. This is one more reason that customers need to be clear about the severity of their allergy, and for staff to treat all allergies seriously, even when in doubt.</p>
<p>Many restaurants already follow some or all of these recommendations, but many don’t. Every restaurant, every staff member and every customer is different, so these recommendations are meant as a suggested starting point. We kept our recommendations simple so that they’re easy to adopt or adapt.</p>
<p>Good habits can reduce allergic reactions, improve customer experience and strengthen staff confidence to manage allergies. What’s more, people with allergies can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2010.03649.x">loyal customers</a> to restaurants they consider safe.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Timothy Wingate has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joshua Bourdage receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Jones receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Malika Khakhar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dining out can be risky and stressful for people with allergies, in part because many restaurant employees lack the training, skills and confidence to manage food allergies safely and effectively.Timothy Wingate, PhD Candidate, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of CalgaryJoshua Bourdage, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of CalgaryMalika Khakhar, PhD Student, Organizational Leadership, University of GuelphSamantha Jones, PhD Candidate, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1558492021-03-30T13:15:19Z2021-03-30T13:15:19ZGovernments must work with restaurants on a no-fee delivery app<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391229/original/file-20210323-20-rywpxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=772%2C925%2C4643%2C2829&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A food delivery worker wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of COVID-19 is framed by a large public art installation while riding a bike in Vancouver in November 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>To say it’s been a rough year for the restaurant industry is an understatement. </p>
<p>Restaurants across Canada have suffered immensely from stay-at-home orders, strict in-person seating capacity restrictions and other lockdown measures induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten per cent of Canada’s independent restaurants have already permanently shut down in light of pandemic-related hardships, and <a href="https://www.restaurantscanada.org/industry-news/new-federal-assistance-will-help-restaurants-survive-covid-19/">recent estimates</a> project that another 40 per cent may not survive beyond March 2021.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Customers sit on a patio at a bar." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391187/original/file-20210323-15-2kl216.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Customers sit on a patio at a bar in Toronto on March 20, 2021 — the day restaurants in Toronto and Peel Region were allowed to offer customers outdoor dining.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To remain afloat during these trying times, many restaurants have relied — often reluctantly — on food delivery applications like Uber Eats, Door Dash and Skip the Dishes, despite recognizing the untenability of the high commission fees they command, some as high as <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/04/28/canadian-restaurants-feel-squeezed-by-delivery-apps-commission-fees-amid-covid-19-crisis.html">30 per cent</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/capping-food-delivery-app-fees-could-save-restaurants-this-covid-19-winter-151631">Capping food delivery app fees could save restaurants this COVID-19 winter</a>
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<p>In an effort to help restaurants, several provinces have proposed capping food delivery fees and, while laudable, these efforts do not suffice. If the intent is to save restaurants, many of which are deeply woven in the fabric of neighbourhoods and communities across Canada, a bolder solution is needed. The Canadian government must partner with restaurant associations to create its own no-fee food delivery platform.</p>
<h2>Monumental growth</h2>
<p>In this past year, third-party food delivery apps have experienced <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54834809">monumental growth</a> and have come to represent a significant share of restaurants’ overall business, making them all the more indispensable during these trying times. These apps work by connecting hungry customers to their favourite restaurants and enable seamless mobile transactions in exchange for a commission fee. </p>
<p>While it may be argued that such apps served as a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic, many <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/technology/food-delivery-apps.html">restaurant owners</a> are quick to point out that the increase in delivery app sales did not necessarily translate to higher earnings. That’s because the revenue generated through these apps were largely negated by exorbitant commission fees. </p>
<p>Whatever modest short-term revenue gains restaurants did experience through delivery apps has also come at the expense of their long-term chances of success. At the best of times, restaurants operate on razor-thin margins and simply cannot afford to have delivery apps shave off an additional portion of their revenues. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A food delivery worker rides an electric bike" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6500%2C4388&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391188/original/file-20210323-14-b97itk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A food delivery worker rides an electric bike in downtown Vancouver in January 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Restaurants’ reliance on delivery apps may have been necessary during the pandemic, when trying to avoid bankruptcy. But it cannot be sustained indefinitely, especially if online orders end up permanently replacing those that would otherwise have been made through restaurants directly.</p>
<p><a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/don-t-be-greedy-ford-pleads-with-food-delivery-companies-to-drop-fees-on-struggling-businesses-1.5146925">Many have accused</a> food delivery companies of being greedy given how much restaurants have suffered during the pandemic, and have pressured governments to intervene. Heeding to mounting concerns from their constituents, mayors and premiers across Canada <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59761/ontario-caps-food-delivery-fees-to-protect-small-businesses">passed legislation</a> to cap food delivery charges. </p>
<h2>Only minor concessions</h2>
<p>But unfortunately, these efforts have only led to minor concessions from food delivery apps and are largely regarded as insufficient by Canadian restaurant associations, many of which saw their members <a href="https://www.restaurantscanada.org/industry-news/restaurants-need-data-and-more-immediate-support-to-survive-indoor-dining-closures/">lose upwards of 80 per cent of their business</a> at a time when food delivery apps were registering soaring profits. </p>
<p>This sentiment was further echoed by <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/struggling-app-workers-fear-being-made-to-pay-for-delivery-fee-cap-864145120.html">many Canadians</a> who did not place much trust in these temporary measures — nor in bargaining with Silicon Valley-based companies — and did not wish to imagine their cities devoid of the life, vibrancy and diversity that restaurants contribute. To ensure the survival of restaurants, governments must go beyond capping food delivery charges, and must offer a no-fee food delivery platform.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A food delivery person wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as he picks up food." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=63%2C886%2C3347%2C1714&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391197/original/file-20210323-19-1s972oj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A food delivery man wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as he picks up food in Vancouver in December 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Admittedly, government agencies are not often top of mind when it comes to app development. But they could easily use a portion of the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2020/10/government-of-canada-expands-regional-relief-and-recovery-fund-to-provide-further-support-for-businesses.html">$1.5 billion promised</a> as part of the federal government’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund to outsource this task. </p>
<p>Or they could use some of this fund to support existing efforts led by Canadian restaurant associations. The Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association, for instance, is in the midst of launching a <a href="https://www.iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010/news/industry-group-to-launch-app-to-compete-with-uber-eats-and-door-dash-1.13757247">food delivery app</a> in Toronto that promises to charge less than 10 per cent commission fees and expects to expand its services to other jurisdictions in the near future.</p>
<p>Partnering on such initiatives and offering financial support to enable restaurant association-backed apps to reduce their commission fees even further during the pandemic would not only provide restaurants with much-needed relief. It would also prepare them for a future in which app-based deliveries account for a sizeable share of their overall sales. </p>
<h2>Apps are here to stay</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/COVID%20Online%20food%20activity%20(November%202020)%20EN%20R.pdf">a recent study</a> by researchers at Dalhousie University, 64 per cent of Canadians have ordered food online in the past six months. But even more striking is that almost 50 per cent say they intend to keep doing so at least once per week once the pandemic is over.</p>
<p>Food delivery apps are here to stay, but bargaining with large tech companies or passing temporary legislation to limit their fees will do very little to help the restaurant industry succeed in a post-pandemic world. </p>
<p>Instead, the federal government must support grassroots efforts led by restaurant associations to create a no-commission-fee delivery app option during the pandemic. The fees can later be increased to cover the app’s operating costs, at which point it will hopefully have garnered a large enough base of users to compete with the food delivery giants. </p>
<p>Only then will the Canadian restaurant industry have the tools necessary to ensure its survival both during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155849/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mischa Young does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Food delivery apps are here to stay. That means governments must support restaurant association efforts to create a no-commission-fee delivery app option — during the pandemic and beyond.Mischa Young, Course Instructor, Human Geography, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1524382021-02-17T13:21:02Z2021-02-17T13:21:02ZTaking it to the street: Food vending during and after COVID-19<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/383378/original/file-20210209-13-1i8cer1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C37%2C4856%2C3273&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People shop at a fruit and vegetable stand in Kips Bay, New York City, on July 10, 2020.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/people-shop-at-a-fruit-and-vegetable-stand-in-kips-bay-as-news-photo/1255526466?adppopup=true">Noam Galai/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we eat.</p>
<p>Because <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/business-employers/bars-restaurants.html">outdoor dining poses less risk of infection</a>, many <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/cities-plan-increase-outdoor-dining-restaurants-reopen/story?id=70952012">cities have changed their laws</a> to accommodate public demand. </p>
<p>New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio estimates that closing 87 streets and allowing outdoor dining <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/nyc-makes-outdoor-dining-program-permanent/585929/">saved nearly 100,000 jobs</a>. Chicago has offered restaurants a US$5,000 grant to <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2020/october/WinterDesignChallengeDoorDash.html">weatherize outdoor dining for the winter</a>.</p>
<p>And <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/02/02/san-mateo-extends-outdoor-dining-to-september-considers-keeping-parklets-permanently/">San Mateo, California</a>, is considering the once unthinkable: permanently removing some parking spots to allow year-round outdoor dining. </p>
<p>But what about mobile food vendors?</p>
<p>For the past 10 years, as a <a href="https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/catherine-brinkley">community and regional development professor</a>, I have studied how street vending provides an economic lifeline for many people, particularly in low-income communities. </p>
<p>With increasing income inequality, growing unemployment and bans on indoor dining because of COVID-19, more people are <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/159463/immigrant-street-vendors-feeding-others-feed-pandemic">turning to the street</a> to <a href="https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/los-angeles-issues-its-first-street-vending-permit/">make a living and to accommodate a rising need</a>. </p>
<h2>Many flavors of street food vending</h2>
<p>When you think of street food, perhaps an image that comes to mind is the trendy food trucks increasingly popping up on streets and in parking lots across the United States. </p>
<p>But it also includes mobile vendors selling mangoes at the beach or fruits and vegetables from stands on the sidewalk.</p>
<p>In San Diego, California, for example, vendors called <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-02/pico-union-paletero">fruteros use paleteros</a>, or pushcarts, to sell fruit in low-income Latino neighborhoods. </p>
<p>In Baltimore, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0417-arabbers-20180416-story.html">African American vendors known as arabbers</a> sell fresh <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/04/21/coronavirus-help-baltimore-arabbers-latest/">whole fruit and vegetables from horseback</a>.</p>
<p>In Troy, New York, <a href="https://www.capitalroots.org/programs/veggie/veggie/">the nonprofit Veggie Mobile</a> sells fruits and vegetables in low-income areas via a refrigerated box truck.</p>
<h2>Inexpensive and healthy food</h2>
<p>While some researchers were asking whether <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15575330.2010.551663">farmers markets</a> could provide affordable and healthy food to low-income neighborhoods, <a href="https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/236">my very first food study</a>, in 2013, examined the affordability of produce sold by street vendors who already operated in these neighborhoods.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-benjamin-chrisinger">two</a> <a href="https://www.sp2.upenn.edu/people/view/amy-hillier/">colleagues</a>, I compared the price and variety of produce from street food vendors with produce sold at grocery stores in Philadelphia.</p>
<p>We found that curbside vendors offered 18 to 71 different varieties of fresh produce at lower prices, ranging from one-half to one-third less than the price for a similar item in the nearest grocery store. The curbside vendors all got their produce from a central produce terminal, just as the grocery stores did, but they did not mark up their prices as much. </p>
<p>We also found that many mobile vendors had operated on the same corner for decades, outlasting grocery stores that opened and closed numerous times in a few years. </p>
<p>Such closures can turn neighborhoods into so-called “<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-food-deserts">food deserts</a>” – urban areas that lack a supermarket and the amenities that come with it, like employment opportunities, pharmacies and ATMs. </p>
<p>In a 2017 nationwide study on food deserts, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2148/benv.43.3.328">two colleagues and I found</a> that curbside produce vendors often help communities that lack a grocery store to at least maintain access to healthy, inexpensive food, thereby reducing the amount of diet-related health diseases, like diabetes and obesity. </p>
<p>Produce vendors have a particularly positive impact on the dietary health of low-income eaters. Customers who use SNAP benefits, for example, are more likely to shop at street vendors than other produce sources. Consequently, they spend an average of $3.86 more per transaction on fruits and vegetables, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0542.htm">a 2015 study</a> published in the Journal of Chronic Diseases.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A food vendor pulls his horse through Baltimore." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378124/original/file-20210111-13-1leepjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Yusuf Abdullah, one of the city’s horse-cart produce vendors known as arabbers, leads Tony and his cart through the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/yusuf-abdullah-also-known-as-b-j-one-of-baltimores-horse-news-photo/187708249?adppopup=true">Robert MacPherson/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Food fight</h2>
<p>A January report on <a href="https://www.wiego.org/publications/covid-19-crisis-and-informal-economy-street-vendors-new-york-city-usa">New York City street vendors</a> shows that the pandemic has made life much harder for these workers, who are often <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-10/nyc-street-vendors-fight-for-survival">not eligible for federal loans and do not qualify for social services</a>. </p>
<p>But long before the pandemic, many cities made it difficult for mobile produce sellers and other street food vendors to operate. </p>
<p>To understand the rise of street vendor bans, researchers at the University of Southern California <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013512723">conducted a study published in 2013</a> that tracked the rise of street food legislation across 11 cities from 2008 to 2012.</p>
<p>They found that restrictive regulations are often created at the behest of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013512723">brick-and-mortar restaurants</a>. Restaurants have well-established trade associations that lobby local and state governments for protection against competition, affecting both food trucks and other forms of street food vending. </p>
<p>To understand how pervasive these measures were, in <a href="https://journals.calstate.edu/cjhp/article/view/2450/2197">2020 I reviewed</a> street food vending regulations in a random sample of 213 of California’s 465 cities and all 58 counties.</p>
<p>I found that 85% of cities and 75% of counties limited street food vending for reasons beyond public health protocols. The restrictions involved zoning regulations that limited where vendors could operate, ordinances that restricted the times of operations and strict labor laws not enforced on brick-and-mortar businesses. </p>
<p>Many restrictions effectively banned street food vending entirely. </p>
<p>The city of Davis, for example, prohibits vendors from stopping for more than 5 minutes, effectively banning the practice entirely because it often takes more than 5 minutes to wait on a customer. And Butte County requires vendors to be interviewed and fingerprinted by the sheriff – something not required of brick-and-mortar workers. </p>
<p>Because mobile food vendors are often <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/1/27/22252296/nyc-street-vendors-coronavirus-report-impact">immigrants and people of color</a>, these policies are intimidating barriers for an already marginalized group.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<h2>Feeding change</h2>
<p>In response to these prohibitions, food vendors have begun to form their own advocacy associations. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.inclusiveaction.org/the-los-angeles-street-vendor-campaign">Los Angeles Street Food Vending</a> campaign, launched in 2008, was so successful that in <a href="https://www.publicceo.com/2018/10/california-clears-way-for-legal-sidewalk-vending/">2018 California legalized street food vending statewide</a>. The campaign highlighted the economic benefits to vendors and eaters as well as the racism in the exclusionary legal codes. </p>
<p>In California, street food can now be regulated only for health and safety reasons. As our study shows, many cities and counties will need to update their policies. </p>
<p>So far, there is no sign that cities are starting to tackle this. </p>
<p>Though street food vendors are considered essential workers, Los Angeles is fining vendors who don’t follow a newly created permitting process, which is difficult to navigate and expensive. Vendors pay between <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/12/02/la-street-vendors-are-caught-between-covid-and-the-law_partner/">10% and 20% of their annual earnings in inspection and permitting fees</a>. </p>
<p>Outdoor dining is the healthiest way to eat and keep local businesses alive during a pandemic. Efforts to <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/1/22/22245395/nyc-street-food-vendor-permits-to-expand">expand street food vending</a> can help keep the most vulnerable people out of poverty – and well fed as well.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152438/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Brinkley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cities have long resisted the public demand for street food vendors, but the pandemic may reverse those restrictions for good.Catherine Brinkley, Assistant Professor of Community and Regional Development, University of California, DavisLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1516312020-12-16T18:42:48Z2020-12-16T18:42:48ZCapping food delivery app fees could save restaurants this COVID-19 winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375235/original/file-20201215-13-111j58i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=474%2C0%2C2694%2C2549&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An Uber Eats courier pick ups an order for delivery from a restaurant in Toronto. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has been <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliewu/2020/08/31/60-percent-of-canadian-restaurants-could-close-in-the-next-three-months-due-to-covid-19-says-industry-group/">extremely difficult on restaurants, and it’s not over yet</a>.</p>
<p>Infection numbers continue to rise and the weather is getting worse. Patios are no longer an option. This means that takeout and delivery have become a lifeline for restaurants. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/food-delivery-apps-fees-1.5765790">But delivery apps charge significant fees for orders</a>, meaning that restaurants already challenged by reduced volumes and high costs are squeezed, often into negative margins, in an effort to access customers. </p>
<p>There have been <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-food-service-delivery-companies-request-cap-commissions-1.5781177">calls for a reduction in the fees</a> charged by delivery apps so that restaurants can at least maintain a delivery option during the pandemic restrictions — and survive. </p>
<p>Delivery companies like Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, Door Dash and others provide not only the delivery service, but a platform for ordering. Given the relatively small number of apps and the large number of restaurants, this means delivery apps have significant market power. That’s why there’s such competition for restaurants among the apps.</p>
<h2>Restaurants feel a need to be on the app</h2>
<p>The bigger the share of consumers, the bigger the draw for restaurants to join the app, and the more power the app has over demand. Many customers go to the app before deciding what to order, which will become an even more common occurrence if there are more restaurants to choose from on the app.</p>
<p>If restaurants aren’t on the app, they lose the opportunity to sell to that customer. </p>
<p>The majority of delivery apps aren’t making money yet, but are fighting for share to get to a point where they’re profitable. </p>
<p>Some apps charge as much as a <a href="https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2020/04/food-delivery-app-commission-toronto-restaurants/">30 per cent commission on food orders</a>. Most restaurants work on tight margins, and these hefty delivery app fees often mean there’s no profit left for them after they pay the delivery company. This means they get caught between a rock and a hard place in making the choice to access an app — sell nothing or sell through the app and lose money.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man looks at the Uber Eats app on his laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375238/original/file-20201215-17-uannmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Uber Eats and other food delivery apps charge up to 30 per cent on a food order.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Charles Deluvio/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Part of the problem is that the delivery companies aren’t making money either. <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/foodora-to-shut-down-in-canada-on-may-11-amid-profitability-challenges-1.4913765">Foodora actually pulled out of Canada</a> earlier this year. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2020/08/06/ubers-biggest-business-is-officially-not-ride-sharing/?sh=312651b46b24">Uber Eats is a bigger business</a> than Uber Rides but is not yet profitable. Asking Uber Eats to discount fees would be asking them to lose more money in order to support the restaurants. </p>
<p>It’s also worth noting that a portion of the delivery fee goes to an independent driver, who’s also a low-wage earner. It’s estimated that <a href="https://www.ridesharingdriver.com/driving-for-ubereats-what-its-like-delivering-food-for-uber/">drivers earn approximately US$8 to $12 an hour</a>, after car expenses, delivering for Uber Eats depending on the market and time of day. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/californias-gig-worker-battle-reveals-the-abuses-of-precarious-work-in-canada-too-149780">California's gig worker battle reveals the abuses of precarious work in Canada too</a>
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<p>That means reducing delivery app fees would take money from someone who’s already in a low-income situation.</p>
<p>The real issue is that the business model doesn’t work. </p>
<p>The pricing model doesn’t cover the costs associated with delivering. Delivery apps are trying to build the delivery market, so higher pricing slows growth. It is, however, extremely difficult to raise prices later once people develop an expectation of low delivery costs.</p>
<h2>Now may be the time to raise prices</h2>
<p>Nonetheless it might be worthwhile now to begin building a sustainable pricing model in increments. The value associated with delivery has never been higher, given the reticence to eat in restaurants during the pandemic. It makes sense to start moving prices up slowly to reflect the real cost of these services.</p>
<p>There’s also merit to the idea of app companies and delivery drivers sharing some of the pandemic pain with restaurants. The delivery app model requires restaurants to succeed, after all — without them there is nothing to deliver.</p>
<p>Delivery <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/04/30/2025097/0/en/Food-Delivery-Services-See-a-Surge-in-Demand-due-to-Coronavirus-Outbreak-as-Consumers-Stay-at-Home.html">demand has been increasing</a>, so attracting more customers and restaurants should be a strategic priority for these companies. Reducing delivery fees for restaurants is one way to do so.</p>
<p>There have been initiatives by delivery companies to respond to concerns raised by restaurants.</p>
<p>Skip the Dishes instituted a <a href="https://www.skipthedishes.com/coronavirus-updates/supporting-your-communities">rebate program</a> on both takeout and delivery to reduce fees during the pandemic. This helps restaurants in times of crisis, helps Skip the Dishes maintain and grow its customer base and keeps a larger variety of restaurants on the app. </p>
<p>Uber Eats has introduced a <a href="https://www.uber.com/en-CA/newsroom/uber-eats-canada-introduces-delivery-only-option-for-restaurants/">delivery-only function</a> at a reduced service charge. In this case, restaurants take the orders themselves and just use Uber Eats to deliver the food. </p>
<p>This makes sense for restaurants with loyal customers who directly contact them. It allows restaurants to use delivery services without using the app’s ordering infrastructure while delivery companies can continue to employ drivers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man delivers pizzas to an apartment dweller." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/375442/original/file-20201216-19-3karhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Delivery-only options are now available via Uber Eats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Norma Mortenson/Pexels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Uber Eats has also introduced a <a href="https://thespoon.tech/uber-eats-new-pilot-offers-commission-free-orders-for-restaurants-with-a-catch/">zero commission for pickup orders</a>. In this case, customers order on the app and opt to pick up their meal themselves. This helps restaurants and drives traffic through the app (at a very low marginal cost) while also keeping a wider range of restaurants on the app that may not have otherwise been able to afford the delivery fees.</p>
<p>The restaurant industry needs a long-term, sustainable business model for delivery. But carefully structured and implemented short-term regulations may level the playing field and help restaurants survive this critical period. Flexibility is in everyone’s best interest.</p>
<h2>Caps proposed</h2>
<p>Ontario has proposed caps of <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59356/province-proposes-cap-on-delivery-fees-to-support-local-restaurants">15 per cent on delivery</a> (intended to maintain the incomes of the drivers). <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/13/nyc-city-council-votes-to-cap-app-delivery-fees-at-15percent.html">New York City</a> and other jurisdictions have already done so. This will help restaurants. </p>
<p>But — pardon the pun — there is no free lunch, and caps will cost delivery companies money. They may be forced to drop restaurants that aren’t generating volumes and are costing too much. There’s also a risk that delivery companies will leave unprofitable or more restrictive markets. That helps no one. Regulation is complex, and the outcomes don’t always reflect what the objective was. </p>
<p>A better approach may be launching delivery-only companies or <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.5566154/why-this-toronto-restaurateur-is-creating-an-alternative-to-delivery-apps-1.5566441">delivery co-operatives</a>. </p>
<p>For most restaurants, the volume of delivery and the associated cost doesn’t justify a dedicated delivery person. The co-ordination of delivery without the ordering platform could give restaurants a more affordable choice and allow them to maintain the customer relationship. </p>
<p>Innovative thinking along these lines could results in affordable lifelines for some restaurants.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael von Massow receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food to research issues in food waste and nutrition labeling for restaurant menus. He has received money from the Tim Hortons Sustainable Food Management Fund to explore consumer attitudes to antibiotic use and animal welfare. </span></em></p>Food delivery apps charge significant fees for orders, meaning restaurants already challenged by the pandemic can be squeezed into negative margins to access customers. Will cutting fees help?Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, Food Economics, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1393022020-05-28T20:03:23Z2020-05-28T20:03:23Z4 ways our streets can rescue restaurants, bars and cafes after coronavirus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337926/original/file-20200527-20245-1k18lfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C54%2C5844%2C3935&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-australia-june-9-2019-auction-1433525984">Nils Versemann/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As Australia re-opens, the bars, cafes and restaurants that give life to our streets face a tough ask: stay open and stay afloat with just a fraction of the customers. </p>
<p>From June 1 in Victoria, for example, the limit will be <a href="https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/restaurants-and-cafes-covid19">20 patrons</a>, with 1.5 metres between tables or four square metres per patron. If that goes well, it’ll be 50 patrons from June 22 – if they can be seated the required distance apart. Many smaller businesses won’t be able to do that.</p>
<p>With the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whatll-happen-when-the-moneys-snatched-back-our-looming-coronavirus-support-cliff-138527">Jobkeeper package due to expire</a> in September, the next couple of months is a critical window for traders to find new ways to seat patrons. Fortunately, street space can help a lot with this. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-let-coronavirus-kill-our-cities-heres-how-we-can-save-urban-life-137063">We can't let coronavirus kill our cities. Here's how we can save urban life</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Here are four proven ways to quickly reconfigure street space. We might even find them nice enough to keep. Have your say in the poll at the end of this article.</p>
<h2>Footpath trade</h2>
<p>Footpath dining already gives many iconic streets their character. Even two or three tables outside a small bar in the evenings can give life to a street.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1139&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1139&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337866/original/file-20200527-141291-2vzdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1139&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chairs on the footpath are part of the experience of dining out in Crossley Street, Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/14446029331/in/photolist-8xLNes-sxhj1q-3Bv5m-3BuV6-b3osgF-o1xFee-3UJB6o-5nU31w-HzjaH4-3BuMK-aJ7r9-rKCgXU-4z3amC">Alpha/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Putting out tables sounds simple, but the permit process is the real hurdle. It can take weeks or months of waiting and uncertainty while a small team assesses <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/business/permits-and-approvals/hospitality-businesses/Pages/outdoor-cafe-permits.aspx">a long list of details</a>.</p>
<p>Councils could employ more assessors to fast-track the process, but there is another option. In the post-COVID environment, it may be time to trust traders and embrace more of the informality we see in <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/worlds-best-cities-for-street-food">cities with great street food</a>. Councils could trial a system where dining is permitted by default in front of each establishment, subject to a few simple rules.</p>
<p>Traders must understand that their permits depend on not blocking thoroughfare. Disability access in particular must be maintained. </p>
<p>However, many footpaths are wide and quiet enough that dining tables could be up and working well in a matter of days.</p>
<h2>Parklets</h2>
<p>One roadside parking space in front of a café or bar might mean one or two customers – assuming they come to that business. A car park can instead become a “parklet” with space for six to eight people, while looking a lot more inviting. Put two or three parking spaces together and you’ve got a miniature dining area or a parklet.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parking-isnt-as-important-for-restaurants-as-the-owners-think-it-is-74750">Parking isn't as important for restaurants as the owners think it is</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The parklet idea came out of San Francisco. Examples from there show how diverse and successful these can be. From <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfplanning/7658385712/">weirdly sculptural</a> to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIVmUTsjx4O/?utm_source=ig_embed">classically European</a> to <a href="https://groundplaysf.org/projects/museum-of-craft-and-design-parklet/#tab1">high-end and polished</a>, they all add character to the places where they spring up.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337863/original/file-20200527-141291-fwn60o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Noriega Street Parklet outside a bakery in San Francisco.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfplanning/8457445876/">Photo: Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders & Wells Campbell photography/San Francisco Planning Department/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Melbourne, Moreland Council has one long-term parklet <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7664466,144.948792,3a,75y,41.48h,80.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOTmRT3TuGVh2sr3lvNzP5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192">in Brunswick</a>. Its simple, neat design fits plenty of patrons and includes a bit of greenery. <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-parklets-and-businesses-can-help-make-them-happen-87172">Perth</a> and <a href="https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/business/permits-licences/parklets/">Adelaide</a> have examples too, but the potential seems to be mostly untapped in Australian cities. </p>
<p>And the benefits are significant. A recent <a href="https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/news-and-updates/all-news/hampden-road-parklet-trial-a-great-success">parklet study</a> in Perth found a 20-35% increase in local footfall, and 89% community support.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-parklets-and-businesses-can-help-make-them-happen-87172">People love parklets, and businesses can help make them happen</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337512/original/file-20200526-106828-kcrrj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Grandview Hotel Parklet in Brunswick.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google Streetview</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Again, a bit of sanctioned informality may be the best way to get parklets working quickly. Each trader could be allowed to use, say, one or two parking spaces outside their business if some simple criteria are met. </p>
<p>If we decide the approach is worth keeping, San Francisco shows how to go from pop-ups to something bigger and better. The city’s first parklet was a roll of astroturf, a park bench and a tree in a pot. It <a href="https://gehlpeople.com/projects/parklets/">lasted just two hours</a>. Now there are <a href="https://sf.curbed.com/maps/mapping-all-51-awesome-san-francisco-public-parklets">over 50</a> parklets, a <a href="https://groundplaysf.org/wp-content/uploads/Parklet_Manual_UPDATE-November-2019.pdf">“how to” manual</a>, a <a href="https://groundplaysf.org/wp-content/uploads/Parklet-O-Matic-2018_upload.pdf">clear application process</a> and <a href="https://groundplaysf.org/wp-content/parklet-impact-study/">case studies</a> of the benefits.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337513/original/file-20200526-106848-m5w9b2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This parklet popped up for a day on Park(ing) Day 2009 in San Francisco.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomhilton/3933593835">Tom Hilton/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-day-for-turning-parking-spaces-into-pop-up-parks-65164">A day for turning parking spaces into pop-up parks</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Road closures</h2>
<p>Roads are wide open spaces. Put bollards at the ends of a street that doesn’t need full vehicle access, carry out tables and chairs, and you’ve got a huge new seating area. It has been done and works well.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337869/original/file-20200527-141307-jrw646.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Meyers Place (above and below right), Melbourne, is closed to through traffic and open for pedestrians and dining.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/36767246200/in/photolist-eCLnmn-dcaLKi-Y216W5-L9Vje5-Y1ZKkW-Y1ZLtN-Ykpanq-UnxexJ-xga8V4/">Alpha/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337872/original/file-20200527-141303-qox50j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Before full closure.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/20518589881/in/photolist-eCLnmn-dcaLKi-Y216W5-L9Vje5-Y1ZKkW-Y1ZLtN-Ykpanq-UnxexJ-xga8V4/">Aplha/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of course, closing a street permanently is quite a process. I worked with the community to pedestrianise a Melbourne laneway called <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/green-your-laneway-case-study-meyers-place.pdf">Meyers Place</a>. Negotiating the legalities took about 18 months. Emergency, bin collection and disability access requirements had to be met. </p>
<p>The restaurants can now put tables on the former road space, surrounded by trees and murals under a <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-forest-fund/funded-projects/Pages/meyers-place.aspx">green wall</a>. The thing is, we started out by closing the street for just two weeks. Businesses rolled out temporary tables and chairs, astroturf and potted plants. The lane went beserk with activity; we went from tentative support to heavy pressure for a permanent pedestrian space.</p>
<p>We took our inspiration from a much larger closure in Ballarat Street, Yarraville. It was also temporary and got removed, but was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-16/yarraville-pop-up-park-becomes-permanent-after-singing-protest/5970092">brought back permanently with funding from traders</a> and overwhelming community support.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337515/original/file-20200526-106866-1upcl90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ballarat Street, Yarraville, was transformed with strong community support.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shareable.net/sharing-cities-why-ownership-governance-and-the-commons-matter-more-than-ever/">Darren Sharp/Shareable</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Parking lot conversions</h2>
<p>Outside our inner suburbs, the areas dedicated to parking get bigger. But Copenhagen offers an example of how big an opportunity a large car park can be.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337517/original/file-20200526-106862-1ns92u3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kødbyen in Vesterbro, Copenhagen, has become a hub for fine dining, galleries and nightlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thewavingcat/14234836548/in/album-72157645151442172/">thewavingcat/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the city’s former meatpacking district, you can find anything from high-end seafood to a craft beer pub that pumps heavy metal and barbecue smoke. The central car park serves as a giant dining area – when the weather’s good, chairs and benches come out and hundreds of locals turn up. This is super-simple stuff, mostly involving folding chairs and benches, plus lots of people. It’s adaptable, fun and very popular.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/freeing-up-the-huge-areas-set-aside-for-parking-can-transform-our-cities-85331">Freeing up the huge areas set aside for parking can transform our cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<hr>
<p>The concept seems to work too in Melbourne too. “Welcome to Thornbury”, a popular hub for food trucks and outdoor dining, used to be a car factory. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337883/original/file-20200527-141316-1y905ty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Welcome to Thornbury’, the former site of a car factory, is now a drive-in food truck park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://welcometothornbury.com/">Welcome to Thornbury</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>We can start right now (and probably should)</h2>
<p>Community engagement with Melbourne’s new <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/parking-and-transport/transport-planning-projects/Pages/transport-strategy.aspx">Transport Strategy 2030</a> indicates <a href="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.com-participate.files/5815/7077/4789/Community_engagement_summary_-_Transport_Strategy_2030_-_September_2019.pdf">broad support</a> for reallocating street space to people.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/move-away-from-a-car-dominated-city-looks-radical-but-its-a-sensible-plan-for-a-liveable-future-116518">Move away from a car-dominated city looks radical but it's a sensible plan for a liveable future</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Now is the time to press ahead, because of what’s at stake – not just jobs and profits, but our collective identity and sense of place. Food and drink are a big part of city life and how we spend our time. The places we gathered with friends, nurtured romances and celebrated milestones are where memories live. Doing nothing could mean these experiences are replaced by numbing “For Lease” signs.</p>
<p>Luckily, taking action isn’t very risky. We can give our hospitality sector a boost right now by allowing businesses to trial a set of proven approaches. Everyone will then have a chance to experience the changes and decide what they’d like to keep.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/kebab-urbanism-melbournes-other-cafe-makes-the-city-a-more-human-place-112228">Kebab urbanism: Melbourne's 'other' cafe makes the city a more human place</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thami receives funding from the European Commission and the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Distancing rules will make life very difficult for smaller bars, cafes and restaurants. Our streets can be modified quickly to help save an important part of the life of cities and their economies.Thami Croeser, Research Officer, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1250362019-10-28T13:07:39Z2019-10-28T13:07:39ZRaising the minimum wage in restaurants could be a win for everyone<p>Critics would have you believe that upping the minimum wage in restaurants will <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/national-restaurant-association-comes-out-strongly-against-raise-the-wage/549934/">lead to massive layoffs and closures</a>. But since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-fed-raising-the-minimum-wage-doesnt-kill-jobs-2019-9">raising the minimum wage</a> <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nyc-restaurants-cut-staff-hours-to-cope-with-minimum-wage-hike-hitting-15/">to US$15 per hour</a> nearly a year ago, the restaurant industry in New York City <a href="http://www.centernyc.org/new-york-citys-15-minimum-wage">has thrived</a>.</p>
<p>I’m a <a href="https://www.law.buffalo.edu/content/dam/law/restricted-assets/pdf/faculty/cv/hallett_nicole_cv.pdf">professor with a focus on labor and employment</a> law. <a href="https://ylpr.yale.edu/sites/default/files/YLPR/2_hallett_final.pdf">My research</a> on the minimum wage suggests a few reasons why this might be true.</p>
<h2>What hasn’t happened</h2>
<p>When worker pay goes up, employers can respond in a number of different ways. They can cut hours, lay off workers, accept smaller profits or raise prices. </p>
<p>With profits so low in the restaurant industry, <a href="https://upserve.com/restaurant-insider/profit-margins/">averaging just 3%-5%</a>, employers may not have the option to accept less in profits without going in the red.</p>
<p>In many industries, increased labor costs may prompt businesses to lay off American workers and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/09/02/15-minimum-wage-threatens-5-3-million-us-manufacturing-jobs/#4ab502e1414e">move operations overseas</a> where labor costs are lower. But this is not a viable solution in the restaurant industry, since most of the work is done on-site.</p>
<p>That leaves restaurant owners with two options. The first is to decrease the number of hours each employee works, which might explain why <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=3270762">income gains from a minimum wage</a> are not as large as one would predict.</p>
<p>Still, massive layoffs in the restaurant industry are unlikely because owners need a <a href="https://therestaurantexpert.com/how-many-restaurant-employees-do-you-need/">certain number of staff to operate a full-service</a> kitchen.</p>
<p>The other option is to <a href="https://abc7ny.com/food/tip-no-more-nyc-restaurant-group-to-change-tipping-policy/1032839/">increase prices</a>, which many <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2019/2/19/18226831/minimum-wage-restaurant-reaction-nyc-finances">restaurants in New York City have done</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297528/original/file-20191017-98674-1ndnvra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">New Yorkers have been fighting for a $15 minimum wage for several years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-july-12-2015-299198315?src=BW4Kp5Wu8Zl6x35KOGTskA-1-0">a katz/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<h2>Prices go up</h2>
<p>Some in the restaurant industry have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffwilliams/2016/02/29/to-keep-menu-prices-from-rising-some-restaurants-look-for-ways-to-cut-costs/#5f8de1413fc5">argued that raising menu prices will lead to fewer people dining out</a> and, consequentially, more restaurant closures.</p>
<p>But this hasn’t happened.</p>
<p>In fact, both restaurant <a href="http://www.centernyc.org/new-york-citys-15-minimum-wage">revenue and employment are up</a>. The reason for this is that restaurants do not have to raise prices very much in order to pay for a minimum wage increase.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w4509">one study</a>, for example, a $0.80 minimum wage increase equated to a 3.2% increase of food prices in restaurants in New Jersey. This is the amount that the New Jersey minimum wage increased in 1992.</p>
<p>Even a one-time increase of 10% to 15% is unlikely to dissuade large numbers of customers from dining out. That would amount to an extra $1.20 on a $12 burger.</p>
<p>The focus on single restaurants also ignores the larger economic impact of raising the minimum wage. According to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, if low-wage workers have more money in their pockets, <a href="https://www.chicagofed.org/digital_assets/publications/chicago_fed_letter/2013/cflaugust2013_313.pdf">they will have more money to spend</a>, potentially expanding the number of consumers who can afford to eat out.</p>
<p>In fact, some people – including those from the Economic Policy Institute – have posited that <a href="https://secure.epi.org/publication/minimum-wage-testimony-feb-2019/">a minimum wage increase will actually lead to an increase in employment</a> because of the effects of giving low-wage workers a raise. Other advantages to restaurants may include <a href="http://cepr.net/documents/publications/min-wage-2013-02.pdf">lower turnover rates and better job performance</a>.</p>
<h2>Wage hikes help everyone</h2>
<p>Perhaps the principal reason that the minimum wage increase did not seem to have a negative effect on the restaurant industry in New York is that the state’s economy is <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/new-york-city-quarterly-economic-update/">strong overall</a>, so businesses have been able to absorb the increases without having to make hard decisions about where to cut.</p>
<p>If the economy were to go into a recession, business would undoubtedly suffer, though the suffering could hardly be attributed solely or mainly to a minimum wage increase. In other words, <a href="https://bigthink.com/econ201/how-are-jobs-connected-to-economic-growth">a good economy means that everyone benefits</a>, including low-wage workers. </p>
<p>Apocalyptic predictions of the industry’s demise will likely return as <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-hearings-potentially-eliminating-subminimum-wage-tipped-workers">New York officials debate</a> whether to get rid of the tip credit, which allows employers to make up part of their minimum wage obligations in tips. Right now, restaurants actually have to pay workers <a href="https://labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/factsheets/pdfs/p717.pdf">only $10 per hour</a> if they make at least $5 per hour in tips.</p>
<p>There are many good <a href="https://rocunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/OneFairWage_W.pdf">policy reasons</a> to abolish the tip credit, including ensuring that workers have <a href="https://www.eater.com/a/case-against-tipping">pay stability and combating the problem of sexual harassment</a> in the service industry. Women working in restaurants with lower minimum wages than other industries in the state were <a href="http://rocunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/REPORT_The-Glass-Floor-Sexual-Harassment-in-the-Restaurant-Industry2.pdf">twice as likely to report being sexually harassed</a> by a customer than women who were paid their state’s minimum wage.</p>
<p><a href="https://newfoodeconomy.org/new-york-cuomo-proposal-consider-eliminate-tip-credit/">Seven states</a>, including Alaska, Montana and Washington, have already abolished the tip credit. New York may be next.</p>
<p>As the debate unfolds, just remember to look at the data. A pay increase for low-wage workers doesn’t have to be a zero sum game. In fact, the evidence suggests that everyone can win.</p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Hallett is the director of the Community Justice Clinic, which, among of things, represents restaurant workers in actions against their employers for wage theft and other legal violations.</span></em></p>The restaurant industry as a whole hasn’t been a huge supporter of the fight to increase minimum wage – but it should be.Nicole Hallett, Associate Professor of Law, University at BuffaloLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1067092019-01-09T19:11:36Z2019-01-09T19:11:36ZWhy celebrity, award-winning chefs are usually white men<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247459/original/file-20181127-130899-1wvar69.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The restaurants that tend to win awards in Australia are predominantly run by white owners serving European food. Why don't people of colour get the same attention in the kitchen?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tracey Nearmy/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of a series focusing on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/the-politics-of-food-64073">politics of food</a> – what we eat, how our views of food are changing and why it matters from a cultural and political standpoint.</em> </p>
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<p>Another year, another list of the <a href="https://www.theworlds50best.com/">World’s 50 Best Restaurants</a>. And another round of Michelin stars, <a href="https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/good-food-guides/good-food-guide-2019-full-list-of-hats-20181005-h16a3b">Good Food Guide hats</a>, and <a href="https://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/dining-out/restaurant-reviews/top-100-restaurants-in-australia-for-2018-15567">Gourmet Traveller Top 100 Restaurants in Australia</a>. </p>
<p>These days, there are more restaurant awards than you can poke a stick at. The World’s 50 Best list has long been a target for criticism for its <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/11/20/16595308/female-women-representation-in-food">gender imbalance</a> and <a href="https://www.eater.com/2018/6/26/17504392/equitable-fair-restaurant-awards-worlds-50-best">heavily Eurocentric perspective</a>. (There is now an <a href="https://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/">Asia’s 50 Best</a> and a <a href="https://www.theworlds50best.com/latinamerica/en/">Latin America’s 50 Best</a> list, because presumably “Asia” and “Latin America” are not included in “World”.) </p>
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<p>Though it is well known the process behind choosing the restaurants for this list is <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/1/15462142/james-beard-awards-michelin-stars-worlds-50-best">pretty arbitrary</a>, it still carries weight in the restaurant world, with rankings used as a <a href="https://mediahub.visitvictoria.com/inspiration/attica-and-brae-among-worlds-50-best-restaurants">selling point</a>, including here in Australia. Judging by the fanfare that heralds another night of awards, and the rush of increased interest that follows the enthusiastic media coverage, restaurant awards and lists are here to stay.</p>
<p>Recently, an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-27/asian-food-fine-dining-good-food-guide-gourmet-traveller/10427934">ABC article</a> ruffled some feathers by providing an audit of which chefs and restaurants win awards in Australia. The perhaps not-so-surprising finding: European (namely, Italian) restaurants outnumber Asian restaurants in the number of accolades, year after year. </p>
<h2>Asian restaurants run by non-Asian owners</h2>
<p>There are multiple factors that play into this. The framework of “professional” cooking is French and has long been acknowledged as an “art” or “skill”, while “ethnic” food continues to be othered as a reflection of “culture”. The chefs representing most top-end restaurants and writers at most major food publications also remain <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-27/asian-food-fine-dining-good-food-guide-gourmet-traveller/10427934">predominantly white</a>. </p>
<p>This is part of the reason why restaurants that offer dining experiences that hew toward the European notion of high quality - tablecloths, quiet rooms, attentive service - are regarded as “better”, or more worthy, than the Chinese or Thai place that may emphasise feeding you quickly and efficiently. It follows that the people winning the awards are, by and large, also white.</p>
<p>Dig a little deeper and another trend emerges: the few “ethnic” restaurants in Australia that are routinely feted and held up as high-end are largely owned or run by white men. </p>
<p>Chin Chin, for example, is run by <a href="https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/buzz-feed-meet-chris-lucas-the-melbourne-restaurant-king-bringing-chin-chin-to-sydney-20170911-gyeth3">Chris Lucas’ restaurant group</a>, while Spice Temple is owned by <a href="http://www.rockpooldininggroup.com.au/director/neil-perry/">Rockpool Dining Group, with Neil Perry at the helm</a>. Supernormal is part of the <a href="https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/meet-broadsheet-kitchen-judges-melbournes-prolific-chef-restaurateur-andrew-mcconnell">Andrew McConnell</a> empire, while <a href="https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/restaurants/cho-cho-san">Cho Cho San</a> is owned by Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-politics-of-curry-97457">Friday essay: the politics of curry</a>
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<p>As the authors of the ABC article point out, plenty of cooks in restaurant kitchens are from diverse backgrounds, while the people in leadership positions are mostly white (sometimes capitalising on the food of different cultures). It should be noted, however, that one of the most prominent and respected chefs in Australia is <a href="https://www.greatchefsseries.com.au/tetsuya-wakuda/">Tetsuya Wakuda</a>, who is Japanese. <a href="https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/high-school-dropout-to-highflyer-how-chef-dan-hong-found-his-groove-20180514-h101dk">Dan Hong</a> has headed up Mr Wong and Ms G’s, and <a href="https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/lee-ho-fook-chef-these-temples-of-gastronomy-arent-producing-racehorses-20180214-h0w33o">Victor Liong</a> is making waves in Melbourne, but they are comparatively rare examples of high-profile Asian chefs outside Asia. </p>
<p>The question of “ethnic” food prepared by <a href="https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/hot-joys-food-is-almost-as-bad-as-its-cultural-cluelessness-9890231">“non-ethnic” chefs</a> or served at restaurants with “non-ethnic” owners has recently <a href="https://www.eater.com/2018/11/20/18105239/andrew-zimmern-lucky-cricket-chinese-restaurant-chain-minnesota">become a sensitive issue</a> in the United States, in particular. Given the fraught relationship all colonised countries have with race, however, this debate should also be happening elsewhere – including here in Australia. </p>
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<h2>Power dynamics and the influence of the media</h2>
<p>While it can feel discomfiting for a person of colour to see a white person profit from the food of marginalised cultures, if done respectfully, with a deep, well-researched understanding of the culture that informs the food, it can also be seen as someone exploring a different culture and translating it to a wider audience. <a href="https://www.theliftedbrow.com/liftedbrow/2018/10/26/excerpt-consuming-homonyms-for-desirable-traits-by-nancy-lee">Maybe</a>.</p>
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<p>But there are broader dynamics at play beyond race – who has access to power, and what kind of power, and why. These are issues that tend to be glossed over. Understanding these dynamics will go some way to explaining why things are, and remain, the way they are.</p>
<p>Duck your head into any kitchen, anywhere in the world, and you will typically see workers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Often in Western countries, they are predominantly immigrants, doing what they can to make a living. They are the dishwashers and line cooks, performing the manual labour, while the head chef inspects everything at the pass before it goes out to the dining room. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/recipes-for-racism-kitchen-cabinet-and-the-politics-of-food-50516">Recipes for racism? Kitchen Cabinet and the politics of food</a>
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</em>
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<p>To be considered for high-profile awards (or high-profile media coverage), you have to be a certain kind of chef, capable of presenting a certain kind of narrative. Usually this involves using food as an outlet for creativity, as a canvas for artistic expression, or to convey personal beliefs or passions. </p>
<p>Of course, these are also the chefs who have the budget to travel widely and extensively for “research”, gleaning the knowledge to replicate the traditional foods found in exotic countries. Chefs I spoke with in <a href="https://www.academia.edu/33075276/Celebrity_chefs_class_mobility_media_masculinity_doctoral_thesis_">my research</a> commented that it’s hard to know which comes first - great food that attracts media attention, or great PR that attracts media attention pushing you to be a better chef. </p>
<p>The quintessential “celebrity chefs” (like <a href="https://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/chef/neil-perry/profile">Neil Perry</a>, <a href="https://www.quay.com.au/peter-gilmore/">Peter Gilmore</a>, or <a href="https://mattmoran.com.au/">Matt Moran</a>) are, by and large, articulate and passionate about their work, their produce and their industry. They have generally, over time, been trained to be comfortable in front of a camera, or a roomful of media. Many now have PR firms fielding requests for their time; there are even PR firms that specialise in food content and working with restaurants. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jamie-olivers-jerk-rice-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-heres-why-101879">Jamie Oliver's 'jerk rice' is a recipe for disaster – here's why</a>
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<p>The positive media attention of restaurant lists and awards relies on a positive media image of cooking as an artistic pursuit. Thanks to shows like MasterChef and Chef’s Table, we have been presented with a specific (and mostly false) cultural narrative: being a chef is glamorous and fun. </p>
<p>But as Australian restaurant legend <a href="https://www.themonthly.com.au/author/gay-bilson">Gay Bilson</a> lamented at the most recent <a href="http://www.gastronomers.net/">Symposium of Australian Gastronomy</a>, in many ways, heightened media attention erases the labour that goes into cooking and hospitality - hours of working over a hot stove, of being on your feet all day, of constantly meeting the demands of other people, day in and day out. </p>
<p>The immigrants who run the local Chinese place in your neighbourhood are far less likely to get this kind of attention, and therefore less likely to enjoy the mobility that being a chef spotlighted in the media affords. </p>
<p>Some argue that <a href="https://food52.com/blog/18850-want-to-understand-food-media-s-lack-of-diversity-here-are-the-numbers">more people of colour and diverse cultural perspectives in food media</a> will help expand the way we understand the food world. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Comedian Jenny Yang’s parody in response to a Bon Appetit video featuring a white chef explaining the finer points of eating Vietnamese pho.</span></figcaption>
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<p>But it is also not the sole responsibility of people of colour to convince others that food from their cultural background is as worthy of acclaim as European food.</p>
<p>So what’s the answer? It’s always going to be complicated. But as consumers, it’s up to us to think a little more critically about restaurant awards. It’s on us to chat to the people cooking for us and get to know what happens in kitchens, to read more widely and understand what we’re eating. </p>
<p>It is not enough to get excited about the diversity of food in our multicultural cities. We need to engage with and understand the work and power structures that exist in the kitchens that make our food, and the media culture that tells us about what we’re eating, and who cooks for us.</p>
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<p><em>Read other articles in the politics of food series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/the-politics-of-food-64073">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106709/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nancy Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Who has the right to cook ‘ethnic’ food? And why do Western chefs tend to win all the top awards? The answer: it’s complicated.Nancy Lee, Researcher and project officer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/972252018-06-12T23:00:13Z2018-06-12T23:00:13ZRestaurants not only feed us, they shape our food preferences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220663/original/file-20180528-80640-9hit8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Canadians are spending more of their money on restaurants. In turn, restaurants have an impact on what we eat at home.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Restaurants are playing an increasingly important role in the food culture of North Americans. </p>
<p>In the United States, food prepared outside the home represents more than 50 per cent of the food dollar, or more than <a href="http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/Research/Facts-at-a-Glance">US$800 billion</a> a year. </p>
<p>Canadians spend $80 billion annually in restaurants, spending almost 30 per cent of their food dollars in restaurants. They also buy a lot of prepared food for consumption at home.</p>
<p>But the rate of growth in restaurant spending is greater than it is for stores. This spending has an impact on the food market in a variety of ways. Most importantly, however, restaurants are changing how we think about food and what we choose to eat.</p>
<p>Restaurants make choices for consumers. They choose menu items and they decide how to prepare those items. </p>
<p>Grocery stores want to give consumers as much choice and variety as possible, but this causes issues for restaurants.</p>
<p>In a grocery store, for example, there may be many choices of eggs (white, brown, different sizes, organic, high Omega-3, free-run, free-range and cage-free), breakfast sausages (beef, pork, turkey, enhanced-animal welfare, reduced antibiotic use, low sodium, mild or spicy) and English muffins (regular, whole wheat, multigrain, gluten-free and low sodium). </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221845/original/file-20180605-119875-iebm6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Egg McMuffins are a popular McDonald’s item but, except for sausage or bacon, customers don’t get as much choice as they do at sit-down restaurants.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>By comparison, in most restaurants you only have one or two options for a breakfast sandwich — likely with or without the sausage. Not only do restaurants make the choices for us, they communicate the value of those choices and can raise awareness of issues. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, it was quick-service restaurants like <a href="https://www.wattagnet.com/blogs/23-poultry-around-the-world/post/27480-mcdonalds-in-layer-welfare-first">McDonald’s</a> and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tim-hortons-burger-king-cage-free-eggs-1.3428987">Tim Hortons</a> that drove animal welfare discussions with respect to layer hens and eggs. This may, to a degree, have been driven by activist pressure, but was not due to consumer demands.</p>
<h2>Fast-food restaurants have helped affect change</h2>
<p>Large restaurant chains drive significant volumes of business. Their demands can drive changes in how food is produced by creating the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114491/">critical mass</a> of demand to justify those changes.</p>
<p>Restaurants also have a better opportunity to communicate their choices to consumers than retailers do. In a full-service restaurant, the server can describe important attributes of the dishes on offer; furthermore, a limited menu provides the opportunity to highlight those special qualities.</p>
<p>Chain restaurants, particularly fast-food outlets, advertise and differentiate on those attributes and raise them in the consciousness of Canadians (<a href="http://www.foodincanada.com/food-in-canada/aw-now-serves-antibiotic-free-pork-135152/">for example, A&W and its commitment to antibiotic-free meats</a>). Through this communication, restaurants are not only attracting new customers, they’re having an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114491/">impact on the choices people make when they grocery shop too</a>. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220660/original/file-20180528-80661-en8te4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Canadians are spending an ever-increasing portion of their food dollars in restaurants.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Like food retail, restaurants are low-margin businesses. Rising costs in food, labour and rent are forcing restaurants to look for cost savings in different areas. This has driven a shift, first to lesser cuts of meat (the biggest expense for most restaurants) and smaller portions, and now often to alternate sources of protein. </p>
<p>This helps to drive changing perceptions of plant-based proteins and even insect proteins.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/less-meat-more-bugs-in-our-dietary-future-94853">Less meat, more bugs in our dietary future</a>
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<p>The lines between food retail and restaurants are increasingly being blurred, which extends the influence of the “restaurant experience.”</p>
<h2>Food kits gaining popularity</h2>
<p>Retailers and online services are increasingly offering meal kits that come completely portioned and ready to prepare. These allow consumers to have the comfort and convenience of eating at home while also enjoying a more sophisticated meal experience.</p>
<p>These kits usually come with premium attributes (for example, ingredients with enhanced welfare and sustainable production attributes) that also increase awareness. Some food retailers are even opening restaurants <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-grocerant-how-smart-grocery-stores-are-becoming-hybrids-86641">(often termed grocerants)</a> to offer more options for customers.</p>
<p>Restaurant food delivery is also becoming more common. Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and other services offer delivery from a much broader range of choices than the traditional pizza and Chinese food. </p>
<p>This has not been without its hiccups. Some food doesn’t travel well, and using a third-party delivery service eliminates the restaurant’s control over quality and, therefore, the complete consumer experience.</p>
<p>Retail food delivery or order pickup is also becoming more common. We heard a lot about <a href="http://fortune.com/longform/amazon-groceries-fortune-500/">Amazon’s entry into the market and the acquisition of Whole Foods</a> but there are other well-established players around, and new ones entering the market too. </p>
<p>Grocery delivery is difficult, particularly in the early days as routing and timing are complicated. This has lead more companies to follow the “click-and-collect” model where consumers order online and pick up their groceries at the store themselves. This also allows consumers to buy some of the fresh produce separately.</p>
<p>The desire for variety and convenience is increasing the role that restaurants are playing in our food experience. More importantly, though, restaurants are also playing an increasing role in how we think about food. </p>
<p>Restaurants, in fact, matter more than ever.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97225/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael von Massow receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food to research issues in food waste and nutrition labeling for restaurant menus. He has received funding from the Walmart Foundation to explore food waste at the household level. He has received money from the Tim Hortons Sustainable Food Management Fund to explore consumer attitudes to antibiotic use and animal welfare. He has also received funding from Longo's Brothers Markets in support of research into consumer behaviour in food retail.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alfons Weersink receives funding from Food from Thought, sponsored through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Gregory McAdams has received funding from Longo's Brothers Markets to study prepared meal solutions in grocery retail.</span></em></p>Restaurants are playing an increasingly influential role in how we live. We not only patronize them more often, they also influence our choices at the grocery store.Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, Food Economics, University of GuelphAlfons Weersink, Professor, Dept of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of GuelphBruce McAdams, Professor in Hospitality, Food and Tourism, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.