CRFA shares restaurant industry's $1-billion milestone with Premier Graham

FREDERICTON, Aug. 18 /CNW/ - This year, New Brunswick's commercial foodservice industry will hit $1 billion in sales - a milestone the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) shared with Premier Shawn Graham today. Commercial foodservice includes restaurants, bars and caterers.

In addition to presenting the Premier with a personalized chef jacket, CRFA Director Bill Allen of Fresh Casual Restaurant Inc. and Vice President Atlantic Luc Erjavec delivered several messages to him about the restaurant industry's contribution to the provincial economy:

    
    -  The restaurant industry is one of the province's largest private-
       sector employers, with more than 24,000 direct employees - more than
       farming, fishing, forestry and mining combined;
    -  Foodservice provides nearly one in five jobs for young people under
       the age of 25;
    -  With more than 1,600 commercial establishments, the restaurant
       industry is a core part of the province's social and economic fabric,
       generating jobs and investment across communities;
    -  The restaurant industry supports and promotes local cuisine and
       agriculture and is a major buyer of chicken, dairy, seafood, potatoes
       and emerging crops such as cranberries and blueberries.
    

"The restaurant industry plays a key role in growing employment, tourism and vibrant communities," says Erjavec. "We're very pleased to have the opportunity to share this success with Premier Graham, and to encourage him to foster a stable business environment so our members can continue to grow and invest in New Brunswick."

CRFA has an Atlantic office headed up by Luc Erjavec. The association owns and operates the annual ApEx Foodservice Expo serving the Atlantic region.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A high-resolution photo of today's meeting is available at www.crfa.ca.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Luc Erjavec, 902-209-0804 (cell) or [email protected]; Prasanthi Vasanthakumar, Communications Specialist, 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4254 or [email protected]