The city of Montreal is investing $500,000 in the creation of a food a delivery platform that would be more affordable than the services provided by companies such as Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and DoorDash.

Downtown | Local businesses | Main Street | Policy leadership | Shop Local

The city is issuing a call for tenders for groups who wish to develop the app. The funding would help establish a local non-profit or co-operative that can compete with large food delivery services. The city, which has launched a request for proposals, hopes to work with existing local startups. In March, Bill 87 was passed into law at the National Assembly. The law enables the province to cap delivery fees companies at a maximum of 20 per cent of an order’s total for the duration of the pandemic.

London Drugs is offering shelf space to local restaurants in their communities across  Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba & Saskatchewan.

Food | Shop Local

100% of all sales will go back to the local restaurant.

Rules and Regulations

  • Packaged & shelf stable goods ONLY(ex. Sauces, jams, rub, spices, etc)
  • Must be Health Canada approved with nutritional facts outlined
  • Bilingual packaging may be required
  • Apparel and novelty items with restaurant branding are acceptable (does not require bilingual packaging)
  • Ability to deliver and replenish to stores, if needed
  • Products with a UPC are recommended and will be prioritized
  • Products sold on consignment
  • No gift cards or certificates at this time
  • Must have a valid Canadian business license or permit
  • Business must be based in the province of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba
  • In store only, product will not be available on LondonDrugs.com
  • No alcohol, cannabis or tobacco products

Spatial Strategies for Restaurants in Response to COVID-19

Food | General: Sector resources | Local businesses | Public health | Re-opening

The recommendations and prompts in this document seek to come alongside restaurant
owners, chefs, staff, and patrons as we navigate our evolving understanding of COVID-19 in
restaurant settings and attempt to adapt ideal recommendations to real-life situations. The
faster we can design trust back into these spaces, the faster we can stabilize and strengthen the
restaurant industry.

A Calgary restaurant created a bingo card as a means to get people out to support through takeout and outdoor dining. With two grand prizes of roughly $1000 to give away, participants eat well and show love to establishments.

Food | Main Street | Shop Local

See contest rules below:
1. To enter for the grand prizes support at least three of the participating restaurants by ordering takeout or visiting their outdoor patio.
2. Post your food/drink item while tagging both @empireprovisions and the restaurant. Use the tag #YYCRestoBingo. Each tag counts as one entry. BINGO (5 posts) will get an automatic $20 GC from Empire Provisions and count as ten entries into the grand prize draw.
3. Participants need to be following the restaurants they are tagging to qualify. The hashtag #YYCRestoBingo must be used to be entered as we are using it to track the entries.
4. Participants must be 18+ to play.

Jubzi is a social enterprise providing cheaper delivery options in Windsor for local restaurants while also fundraising for Windsor’s Downtown mission

CUIxLocal | Food | Shop Local

Under the Jubzi model, restaurants pay five per cent of an order to the mission and receive a tax receipt at year’s end. Customers pay a surcharge of 4.9 per cent to Jubzi and the cost of delivery. Delivery costs are $5 for trips up to six kilometres and one dollar per kilometre thereafter. A takeout option on the platform is also available. Jubzi has generated over $100,000 in sales in its first 40 days covering the cost of 1,500 meals for the Downtown Mission. See: https://www.jubzi.com/

Shop Old Town Toronto: A shop local campaign that splits prize money wins between individuals supporting local businesses & the local business

Local businesses | Main Street | Shop Local

The St. Lawrence BIA and OLD Town have launched a support local campaign. Save & upload receipts of $25 or more (excluding delivery and tip) from local businesses February 8 – April 5, 2021, for multiple chances to win — $500 is for the shopper and $500 for a local business.  In addition there is one grand prize of $2K to be split with local business. Prize money is donated by BMO bank

 

Toronto Market Co. is a curated artisanal food market that works with 100+ small vendors to offer a one stop shop & delivery (or pick up from a central depot)

Food | General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses | Main Street | Shop Local

The site is designed to feel like a well curated in-person market. You can see the items available online and they are available for purchase. There is no minimum order required.  How It Works:

1. Shop from over 100 local vendors using one basket.

2. Select contactless pick-up or delivery at checkout

3. After order is placed, vendors are contacted with quantities ordered. Orders must be placed by 11:59PM on Sunday evening to receive pickup/delivery the following Thursday. 4. Thursday orders are delivered or picked up at a central depot.  Pick up order or wait for delivery confirmation notice.

Delivery costs for Central Toronto is $15 flat & and surrounding area $25-30.

‘Not Uber Eats’ site launches to help Torontonians support local restaurants

Food | Local businesses | Shop Local

“Not-ubereats.com” help people identify nearby restaurants that offer their own delivery service — rather than using high cost delivery apps

A shop local campaign in Edmonton encourages locals to #adoptashopYEG

Local businesses | Main Street | Shop Local

A local Edmonton blogger spearheaded this campaign which is on its third iteration. Struggling businesses are nominated to be adopted and people sign up and commit to spending a certain amount in the shop (i.e., $60). The list of shops represented 50% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour)-Owned shops. In November 2020, 200 sign up spots were filled for #AdoptAShopYEG: ATB Neighbourhood Hop! At a $60 minimum spend per person, we’ll collectively spend $12,000 at 64 businesses across Edmonton. Patrons are also encouraged to post on social media. 

Toronto partners with local delivery supplier to reduce fees for local businesses

Food | Local businesses | Main Street | Policy leadership | Shop Local
The City of Toronto and Ritual have partnered to launch Open for Business — a collaboration to help small businesses across Toronto increase online delivery sales while keeping their customers and staff safe. To encourage customers to order directly from restaurants, all restaurants using Ritual ONE’s delivery platform powered by DoorDash Drive will receive (2) weeks of free delivery from Monday, October 26th – Sunday, November 8th, 2020. With commission-free ordering platform Ritual ONE, businesses can be a part of the City of Toronto endorsed program, Open for Business.

A Toronto restaurant is hiring cosplay delivery drivers

Local businesses

All drivers will be required to take the same strict COVID precautions, and will be masked while doing deliveries.

Métro Media offers free advertising space to restaurateurs in Quebec and Montreal, who have recently moved into Red zone.

General: Sector resources | Local businesses | Main Street

Establishments whose dining rooms will remain closed during the 28 days of efforts to counter the second wave of the pandemic will benefit from assistance in promoting their take-out meals and deliveries. On the side of the management of Métro Média, the hope is that the initiative will help support several local players in the restaurant sector through this difficult period.

Downtown Live, an initiative headed by Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association, was created to give Edmontonians an option to be outside and enjoy themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic days.

Arts and Culture | Local businesses | Main Street | Street activation | physical distancing

It is also a chance for downtown business owners to draw an audience.

The City of Chicago is seeking solutions to stimulate and encourage safe outdoor dining, for both customers and restaurant/bar staff, during cold weather months

Economic Recovery Plans | General: Crowdsourced tools and resources | General: Sector resources | Local businesses | Main Street | Re-opening
  • Solutions must be centered around facilitating in-person outdoor dining experiences, rather than delivery or take out
  • Solutions may relate to physical space as well as operations/service
  • Winning solutions are eligible to receive a $5,000 cash prize.  A total of three winners will be chosen.
  • Selected ideas are eligible to access potential piloting opportunities that will be funded by corporate sponsors. Building on the success of the outdoor dining program, the City of Chicago will be piloting this in many areas, including those in the INVEST South/West program for prototyping.

DineOut Tool Kit is a downloadable dining module for street patios developed in NYC

Local businesses | Main Street | Re-opening | Street activation | physical distancing

Launched at the iconic Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem, the prototype can accommodate a range of restaurants and street conditions. DineOut NYC is being deployed at restaurants and bars in diverse neighborhoods across the five boroughs, using parking spaces and sidewalks.

A group of small businesses get together to finances to create and manage a new community patio, beer garden and food hub for physical distancing in a parking lot

Food | Local businesses | Main Street | Re-opening | Street activation | physical distancing

Called Gerrard East Market, it comes with two decks, picnic tables, umbrellas, an outdoor screen showing sports, lighting and 22 tonnes of sand.

Best Before is an initiative focused on the prevention of food waste.

Food | General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses

Restaurants around the city are asked to keep a bin in their freezer with good food they can feed to people.

Winnipeg’s West End Business Improvement Area helps organize physically distanced dinner parties while supporting local businesses

Local businesses | Re-opening | Shop Local | physical distancing

Support local businesses and enjoy a unique, personalized experience with the people you care about, all from the privacy of your home. When you book a party, you will customize your event by choosing the number of participants, type of cuisine, and tour theme.

Each meal includes an appetizer, entrée and side dish, which you and your guests will savour as your tour guide takes you on a virtual adventure to learn about local art, architecture, history and more.  Celebrate your graduation, create a fun first date story, or just get together with your friends after a long spring apart!

Bartenders Benevolent COVID-19 Support Fund has been established for those who have lost employment or reduced income

Fundraising and volunteering | Local businesses

The Bartenders Benevolent Fund is actively working with community members, industy organizations and our Board of Directors to create inclusive and empowering organizational policies, funding criteria and code of conduct. Considering the current impact of the novel COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, these processes are unfolding quickly and we continue to reevaluate on an ongoing basis.

Buy Local Ottawa: Links to support Ottawa’s small and locally owned businesses as the local economy reopens 

Food | General: Online communities and networks | General: Sector resources | Policy leadership | Re-opening | Shop Local

Ottawa’s small and locally owned businesses are woven into the fabric of the city. To help support as the local economy reopens, useful links and resources are assembled on this page.

  1. #MyOttawa Pass is Ottawa’s very own local savings passport, complete with an impressive collection of discounts and offers from businesses across the city.
  2. Shop Ottawa is an online directory of local businesses, products and services.
  3. Local Eats Ottawa offers a compiled list of Ottawa restaurants offering food delivery or pickup.
  4. SavourOttawa.ca is a one-stop site on how to buy locally produced food and beverages in the Ottawa region.
  5. Together-Apart.ca is a resource for the residents of this city to find local spots to order from and support.
  6. Edible Ottawa to ensure that local food communities remain strong.
  7. Love Local Delivery to order from Ottawa’s best independent, locally owned and operated food businesses! Easy Scheduled & On-Demand delivery provided by dedicated, carefully vetted and smart-serve trained drivers.
  8. And links to local BIAs that offer detailed information on local business offerings

 

Beer Company donates 135,000 facemasks to restaurants across Canada, plus re-opening kits that include hand sanitizer, sanitizer towers, social-distancing signage and support in going contactless with menus through QR-Code coasters, tent cards and point-of-sale integration.

Local businesses | Re-opening

Labatt is also supporting the safe re-opening of restaurants and businesses as a corporate partner to roll out the POST Promise — a private sector-led program that allows business owners to sign a declaration to uphold five key steps to help prevent the spread — and through brand initiatives, including Stella Artois’ Rally for Restaurants gift-card program.

Transforming a Restaurant into an Outdoor Market using simple furniture designs

Food | Local businesses | Main Street | Street activation | physical distancing

A restaurant in Dallas is coping with the pandemic by leveraging Better Block’s approach to adaptive urbanism. The Better Block crew had constructed several wooden market stalls that were going to be used for a pop-up outdoor market in the Allen project. Now, they’ve used them to turn Oddfellows into an actual outdoor market, stocking the shelves with the restaurant’s stock and selling neighbors staples that may be difficult to find at the stores that remain open.

The City of Vancouver launches its Temporary Expedited Patio Program

Local businesses | Main Street | Parks and public space | Policy leadership | Street activation | physical distancing

This free program will allow restaurants and liquor-serving establishments to create temporary patios on streets, on-street parking spaces, or sidewalks either in front of or adjacent to their venues.To hasten the process, template patio drawings are being offered and a staff team has been dedicated to reviewing the applications. Permits will be issued within two business days for applications that meet requirements.

Toronto’s ‘rescue operation’ for restaurants includes fast-tracked approvals, more space for patio dining

Local businesses | Main Street | Parks and public space | Policy leadership | Re-opening | physical distancing

Called “CafeTO”, the city program is identifying sidewalk and right-of-way space, including “parklets,” adjacent to bars and restaurants that can be made available for outdoor dining with physical distancing to ensure minimal chance of virus infection. The normal patio approval process will be dramatically streamlined, city council will be asked to waive fees, and the Ontario government is agreeing to help quickly address any liquor licensing issues

Restaurants Canada holding a series of “Rapid Recovery Series Sessions”

Food | General: Sector resources | Local businesses | Re-opening

10 sessions designed to help operators reopen, reinvent, and rebuild their businesses. All sessions will be recorded and sent out to registrants post-series. Sign up to secure your spot and ensure on list to be sent a recording.

Restarting Restaurants, Food Services & Retail webinars for Downtown Victoria businesses

Food | General: Sector resources | Main Street | Public health | Re-opening

Run a restaurant or food service business? Have questions about reopening and operating safely during COVID-19? Join us Wednesday, June 10th 10AM – 11:30AM for a FREE Q&A session. The expert panel includes the Chief Medical Officer for Island Health and the BC Restaurant and Food Association. These sessions are co-hosted by the Downtown Victoria Business Association and Community Micro Lending. As we adjust to living and working with COVID-19, we’re offering two sessions to help businesses reopen and operate safely: Two webinars planned:
Restarting Restaurants & Food Services on Wednesday, June 10th 10AM – 11:30AM
Restarting Retail on Thursday, June 11th 11AM – 12:30PM

The City of Portland is launching innovative and transformative street-related policies to use street space for people — and less for drivers and their cars —to help businesses survive.

Local businesses | Main Street | Policy leadership | Street activation | physical distancing

The Portland Bureau of Transportation will allow local business owners to apply for permits so they can offer food and other services in the public right-of-way. This goes far beyond a simple sidewalk dining permit and is expected to fast-track a host of new possibilities like customer queuing zones in what used to be parking spaces and dining tables and barber chairs in streets and parking lots.

Nanaimo approves on-street patios, sidewalk seating

Local businesses | Policy leadership

Nanaimo councillors agreed to reallocate $25,000 from the city’s downtown event grants budget toward the program.

BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association Blueprint for Re-opening in-restaurant dining

Food | General: Sector resources | Local businesses

This document is a framework to provide best practices and protocols that the industry has worked together on. This information was put together with a consortium of experts in many different restaurants and
foodservice establishments in BC.

The owner of a Toronto-based pizzeria is teaming up with local restaurants on a local delivery service

Food | Local businesses

The idea is a decentralized delivery system, shared and managed collectively by Toronto restaurants, with no commissions or fees. Everyone shares in the costs and the profits.

Pin It on Pinterest