Annual Industry Review Shows Rising Foodservice Sales in 2013
MONTREAL, April 22, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Registration is open for the fourth annual Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit, which will be held May 29-30 in Toronto. The second annual Canadian Chain Restaurant Industry Review, a comprehensive analysis of the state of foodservice companies, will be premiered at the event.
Total Canadian foodservice sales, both commercial and non-commercial, are expected to increase by 3.6 percent to $67.9 billion in 2013. In addition, 60 percent of respondents to a proprietary survey indicated they expect industry sales to increase by up to 2.5 percent this year. Due to its size, the foodservice industry has implications for consumer spending habits, job growth and construction activity that will impact the country's economic health in 2013 and beyond.
"Not only are restaurants a crucial component of the national economy, they're a key part of today's cultural milieu," said Edward Khediguian, senior vice president of GE Capital's Franchise Finance business in Canada. "Last year, almost half of the population over age 16 visited a restaurant once a day. More than half of all restaurant meals are purchased via take-out, drive-thru or delivery. The Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit is an important touchstone for examining 'made-in-Canada' trends and how they impact our businesses."
Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit Speakers
The Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit brings together restaurateurs, chain executives, franchise operators, investors, lenders and key suppliers from across the country. They deliver insights and information with a tight focus that is uniquely Canadian. The entire conference program is designed to stimulate discussions and serve up authoritative opinions from a range of recognized industry leaders.
The keynote speaker will be Dan McPhee, the digital media sales leader of Google Canada. He will discuss how restaurants need to adapt to the new realities of consumer behaviour and media consumption. For restaurants, having an Internet presence is essential to clearly differentiate themselves, generate awareness and engage with new and existing customers.
The event will close with Annie Young-Scrivner, president of Starbucks Canada. She will focus on leveraging social and digital media to enhance connection with customers and business partners. Prior to joining Starbucks as chief marketing officer in 2009, Young-Scrivner served as chief marketing officer and vice president of sales for Quaker Foods and Snacks, a division of PepsiCo, Inc. She has served in a number of other leadership roles at PepsiCo, including region president of PepsiCo Foods for greater China from October 2006 to November 2008.
Robert Carter, executive director of The NPD Group, will present the findings of the second annual Canadian Chain Restaurant Industry Review, the extensive research report commissioned by GE Capital and compiled by fsSTRATEGY and NPD Group Canada.
To keep up with conference news, follow the news on Twitter (https://twitter.com/CRIS_Toronto).
About GE Capital, Franchise Finance
GE Capital, Franchise Finance is a leading lender to the franchise finance market, serving the restaurant and hospitality industries. We specialize in financing regional and national restaurant businesses of all sizes across the country. In the past 11 years, we've provided more than 725 restaurant customers with financing for more than 1,525 property locations. That's in excess of $1.25 billion that we've invested in the Canadian restaurant space. In the Canadian hotel market, we provide financing for nationally known brands in the limited and select-service segments of the industry.
With 19 offices throughout Canada, GE Capital (http://www.gecapital.ca) offers a wide variety of financial products and services to address commercial financing and fleet management needs in many phases of a business' lifecycle. From equipment finance to working capital and growth financing to large asset-based and restructuring loans, we apply our wealth of industry expertise to develop custom solutions for your company. Some of the industries in which we specialize include transportation, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, mining, energy, wholesale, retail, restaurant and hotel franchise financing. To follow company news on Twitter, go to https://twitter.com/GELendLease.
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
SOURCE: GE CAPITAL CANADA
GE Capital, Canada
Brigitte Dagnault
514-397-5323
514-346-1207 (mobile)
[email protected]
GE Capital, Americas
Lisa Tibbitts
203-956-4582
[email protected]
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