CRFA shares restaurant industry's $10-billion milestone with Premier Charest

MONTREAL, Aug. 31 /CNW/ - Quebec's commercial foodservice industry is poised to reach $10 billion in sales this year - a forecast the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) shared with Premier Jean Charest yesterday. Commercial foodservice includes restaurants, bars and caterers.

CRFA President and CEO Garth Whyte and Quebec Vice-President Jean Lefebvre celebrated this milestone by presenting Premier Charest with a personalized chef jacket and sharing key messages about the restaurant industry's role in the provincial economy:

    
    -   The foodservice industry is the third largest employer in the
        province, with nearly 250,000 employees - more than finance and
        insurance, agriculture and forestry combined.
    -   Foodservice provides jobs for nearly one in five Quebec youth - which
        equals almost 100,000 young people.
    -   With more than 20,500 establishments, the restaurant industry is a
        key element of the province's social and economic fabric, creating
        jobs and investment across communities.
    

"The restaurant industry is critical to employment, tourism and vibrant communities," says Whyte. "We're very happy to share this success with Premier Charest, and to encourage him to cultivate a stable business environment so our members can keep growing and investing in Quebec."

Note to Editors: A high-resolution photo of this meeting is available at www.crfa.ca/images/quebecpremier.jpg.

/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: Jean Lefebvre, 514-777-8438 (cell) or [email protected]; Prasanthi Vasanthakumar, Communications Specialist, 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4254 or [email protected]