How Canada is changing the restaurant industry

How America’s Northern Neighbor Is Setting a New Standard

Canada, with its beautiful scenery and rich history, has always offered many options to meeting professionals. Many Canadian suppliers are focusing on providing better food and beverage options to stand out in an increasingly competitive global meetings and events market. Smart Meetings spoke with representatives from Canada’s top suppliers about the positive developments in the catering industry.

Brunch: Give attendees their favorite Sunday pastime

Let’s start with how to start the day. The old model of waking up early to eat breakfast and then eating lunch is a bit outdated, as schedules can vary widely during meetings. From an economic perspective, it will always be more expensive to provide two meals instead of one. What is Canada’s solution? Brunch is king. A late morning meal that includes both sweet and savory foods is perfect for a variety of preferences.

Many professionals either skip breakfast entirely or prefer to eat something with their coffee. Additionally, early morning breakfast isn’t always a good time for teams to get together and socialize; people are starting their day, checking emails, and preparing schedules, and many prefer to eat alone while doing those things. For example, the St. Regis Toronto offers a two-course brunch that includes an appetizer and entree for groups of 25 or more.

Overall, the brunch trend has exploded, becoming a Sunday ritual for Americans (even though many other countries, like France, consider a leisurely late-morning breakfast standard etiquette). For Americans, the business brunch is a chance to enjoy a meal that is often eaten before rushing out the door, or wolfed down while stuck in traffic (or the notorious American habit of eating at your desk). Incorporating brunch into professional meetings will not only enhance the American experience, but also attract non-Americans who are more accustomed to this way of eating.

Going Further: How Canadian Suppliers Can Elevate Their Dining Options

In addition to offering easier first meal options, Canadian suppliers are keen to enhance the dining experience across the board. Meeting professionals are increasingly focusing on attendee dining experiences to meet rapidly growing demand. Culinary ambience is a key element to what many refer to as the “sense of place” at a conference.

read more: Travel trends in the United States and Canada

Some efforts include local ingredients, using seasonal ingredients, and connecting to larger themes like the history of the surrounding area (like what the Sheraton Centre in Toronto has done.) The Westin Bayside, Vancouver features a hydroponic garden that grows fresh herbs and greens, as well as an on-site apiary.

Their own evaluation:

Smart Meetings: How can suppliers to Marriott Hotels in Canada consider local and international attendees when planning food and beverage services?

John Hart, senior director of global, U.S. and Canada meetings and events, Marriott International: During the group planning and exploration phase, we take the time to understand the demographics, preferences and past activities of our guests so we can design menus and experiences based on that information. We also strive to provide menus that represent the local cuisine and culture, creating a sense of place for guests so they leave with an experience and a story unique to the destination.

Stacey Rodrigues, manager of the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto: The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto offers customizable menus with the flexibility to add a variety of dishes that fit specific attendee tastes and preferences (local or international, or a mix). For example, our team works closely with meeting planners to understand the cultural needs of their guests and provide local cultural cuisine as part of the overall dining experience.

Tim Reardon, General Manager of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel: As the largest Marriott hotel in Canada, our kitchen is staffed by a culturally diverse team, allowing us to offer a wide variety of cuisines while creating memorable experiences for our guests.

For example, during the recent Cabaret Festival, we created traditional bacon bread and sourced authentic Latvian beer to delight our Latvian guests. Our mission is to combine comfort food with Toronto’s unique local flavours, giving our guests a taste of the city’s culinary traditions.

SM: What are some innovative approaches that take into account things like sustainability, dietary preferences, and local history?

Jiehua:Sustainability remains a top priority for Marriott and is important to our guests. From local and responsibly sourced food to initiatives to reduce food waste and limit single-use plastics, our hotels are taking many steps to help our guests achieve their sustainability goals.

read more: Sustainable development tools that make green planning easier

By actively utilizing local suppliers, we support our communities, provide the best products, and support sustainability by reducing shipping and warehousing costs. We strive to design our menus with inclusivity in mind, incorporating frequently requested dietary needs and preferences, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Abbreviation: Our sustainability initiatives include using edible packaging or containers for snacks or appetizers, which are friendlier to the environment and help reduce food waste. This also allows us to lean into seasonal menus and locally produced ingredients, while helping guests understand the impact our food choices have on the environment.

In terms of dietary preferences, we have added many “functional foods” with ingredients labeled to highlight their nutritional impact and benefits to meet guests’ preferences, and we often create separate food stations for guests with special dietary needs to ensure they don’t mistakenly consume certain foods (especially in the case of allergies).

trading: Sustainability is particularly important to us, so we have developed a food surplus management protocol to help us manage food waste. This includes working with local organizations to freeze and donate any untouched excess food. In May and June 2024 alone, we donated 97.5 kg of food, the equivalent of 325 meals. We have also developed a fully vegetarian menu and use water dispensers in meeting areas to reduce water waste.

SM: Please share details of a top-notch catering service provided by a Marriott hotel supplier in Canada for a large conference.

Jiehua: The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto recently curated an event inspired by the Toronto Food Festival. This reception-style event completely transformed the hotel space by creating a community with unique local food experiences. Like a real Toronto Food Festival event, the hotel activated areas representing Little Italy, Little Portugal, Chinatown, St. Lawrence Market, Danforth and Queen Street.

The hotel worked with a local decor company to create street signs, ground road markings and street lights, and further enhanced the event with local Toronto music entertainment. The event touched all the senses and created a truly memorable experience for guests.

SM: What are the main factors to consider when planning catering for a meeting with a professor, whether it is a buffet, set menu, or something else?

Jiehua: It is important to build a strong working relationship with the hotel team, where you can share information about your group history, budget and event goals. This information enables the hotel to highlight menus and event concepts that meet your needs and highlight the best of the hotel and local area. Our hotel culinary and event teams are happy to work with our meeting planners to plan creative dining experiences.

Abbreviation: First, planners should consider overall attendee goals. Post-pandemic, people’s desire to connect and network is greater than ever, which is well suited to hospitality-style, mixed-seating events rather than designated-seating tray meals. When selecting food and beverages, be sure to consider the overall attendee profile and pay attention to current global trends.

read more: Impressing with exceptional dining programs

Healthy, clean eating is becoming more popular, so make sure you offer plant-based options, as well as healthier alternatives to traditional foods like muffins (e.g. homemade granola bars). People are also less concerned about and craving alcoholic beverages, but still crave original, delicious and beautiful drinks, so we recommend offering a variety of mocktails to give attendees the same fun event experience without the alcohol.

TR: Consider the type of event. Catering services should be tailored to the format of the event. Buffets are preferred for casual gatherings, providing guests with flexible options. Plated meals are often the best choice for formal events, as they ensure consistent quality and portion control while maintaining an elegant look. Boxed meals are ideal for efficient service during events with tight schedules or when attendees have limited time between meetings.

Budget constraints and dietary restrictions should also be considered so that all guests’ needs are met and their dining experience is enhanced. In terms of beverages, planners should ensure that beverage offerings respect cultural and religious backgrounds and that alcohol service complies with the client’s consumption policy.