2023 Food Show Product Review

At this year's food show, we were proud to showcase hundreds of incredible products. With so many amazing options, it was difficult for us to pick only a few favourites - but here are some highlights from the event!

The Flanagan Food Show is where the foodservice industry gathers to look ahead into what’s new, exciting and trending in Canadian cuisine. This year was particularly special with over one thousand of people in attendance - all buzzing with anticipation! Even Elvis popped by to entertain our guests. There were exclusive deals, delicious samples and learning opportunities for attendees.

That’s a wrap for this year. We share our heartfelt thanks with everyone who came to celebrate with us. We were thrilled to have you join us!  As Elvis would say, “thank you, thank you very much.”

Explore Our Food Show through Photos: 

8 Reasons to Attend the Flanagan Food Show

Flanagan's annual Food Show has thousands of products from over one hundred National Brand vendors, great deals, and fresh ideas—all in one place.

1. Menu Ideas

Indulge in fresh and fabulous flavours on display to get new ideas for menu planning, plating and garnishing.

2. Hot Trends

Experience first-hand the newest trends and industry developments, with new product launches, unique recipes and leading-edge product demonstrations.

3. Big Deals

Just by attending the show, get exclusive pricing on more than 1,500 featured products.
 

4. Networking Opportunities

Network with sales representatives and other operators in an interactive environment for new insight, ideas and innovations.

5. The s.t.o.p. Cash & Carry Booth

Pick up high-quality products at rock-bottom prices while speaking with vendor representatives about which products work best for your operation.

6. Sample Food and Beverage

Take the opportunity to sample and savour mouthwatering products that exhibitors have to offer. (A treat for your tastebuds!)

7. Over 150 Vendors

Enjoy live demonstrations from over 150 vendors, while having the opportunity to meet the innovators behind the ideas.
 

8. A Fun Event for All

Eat, drink, and be merry—one booth at a time!

Need more information? Take a couple of minutes to watch this video from our last show. 

Register for the show

Woo Diners with Interactive Games

Looking for a fun way to woo guests back inside for dining? How about adding some game time to your menu? Increasingly, guests are bringing their “game face” to restaurants where they are expecting entertainment that goes beyond food and drink. 

Kids’ games – such as paper placemats and crayons for colouring – have been around for years as a way to entertain the younger generation and keep them occupied while waiting for their meals. But what about the adults? How do you keep them engaged, ordering, and off their smartphones?

Many family restaurants, bars and sports-themed eateries already include active play on their menu, like such popular options as dart boards, billiards tables, trivia games, foosball tables, and more. 

Games keep your guests engaged and may encourage them to linger longer – with more opportunities to upsell and increase check size. They also brand your restaurant as a fun venue and the place to be, plus games can help build a bond between staff and guests.

Raise your table stakes

One restaurant offers a gaming option with a twist. Graffiti Market in Kitchener, Ont., a combination restaurant, microbrewery, market, coffee roaster and bakery, features highly interactive game play right at diners’ tables.

Ryan Lloyd-Craig, co-owner of the Ignite Restaurant Group, of which Graffiti Market is a part, wasn’t even thinking of games when he saw his first interactive smart table. “The idea didn’t come to me overnight. I was walking the technology section of the Restaurants Canada show and came across a gentleman standing on what looked like a giant iPad until I got closer and found that it was an interactive table made by Kodisoft (a tech company based in Ukraine).”

Lloyd-Craig’s original thought was not even about games but mainly about using the tables as a way for guests to order interactively, have food runners bring the items to the tables, and then have the tables function as a complete POS system. Other countries were already using the Kodisoft system successfully, but no one in Canada had tapped into combining business with pleasure right at the table.

The games people play

Lloyd-Craig’s interest in the tables quickly evolved into something different from an ordering and POS solution. “The benefit of these tables is that you can visually see every item on the menu so it makes it easier to order, but their main appeal is keeping people engaged and entertaining them while waiting for their food. People are putting down their cellphones and actually talking to each other. That’s kind of neat.”

The tables offer a variety of gaming options. He started with a simple colouring application, then a doodling app after the first month, before adding puzzles for all age groups (from a basic jigsaw puzzle for kids), air hockey, Chinese checkers, and most recently, chess, all of which can be turned on or off depending on how busy the restaurant is.

The tables can also support advertising, both internal and external (for instance from sports businesses running commercials and interacting with guests), though so far Lloyd-Craig hasn’t tapped that potential.

Interestingly, far from encouraging guests to linger, guests using these interactive restaurant tables want to clear the menus and food off faster to get back to their games. Lloyd-Craig’s initial goal, in fact, was not to get diners to stay longer, but to realize labour savings from integrating ordering with serving and paying for a total POS solution – “any way you can save two or three per cent off the bottom line,” as he puts it. The restaurant hasn’t been open long enough for him to see these savings yet, but he has experienced a steady increase in sales since he brought in the game tables – and that means he’s already ahead of the game.

Not all games have to cost the earth for you to add. Take trivia. This option’s been around since Trivial Pursuit took off decades ago and has become a bar and casual restaurant staple. Trivia is a particular hit with Millennials looking for interactive experiences and can liven up slower winter months in any family-style restaurant. Companies like QuizRunners and Quizzholics design, create and can run your trivia games professionally. Who knows? Your eatery could become a stop on a trivia circuit.

Tabletop inspiration

• Visual menus encourage ordering, and ordering more – especially highly visual desserts.
• Restaurants can market and advertise their promotions and potentially attract outside advertisers.
• Table games encourage guests to put down their smartphones and focus on the dining experience. 

Top tips to add games in your restaurant

• Develop a games budget. You can start with something as simple as setting up game nights and bringing in board games from home. But the sky’s the limit on what you could spend to add a games component. Each of Ryan Lloyd-Craig’s 23 smart tables (Graffiti also has 25 “dumb” tables) costs $15,000 US, not including maintenance.
• Create a brand theme and strategy. What will set you apart? A sports bar, for instance, might naturally gravitate to sports-themed games, while a family-friendly eatery would pair well with trivia nights.
• Know your demographics. Kid-friendly restaurants are perfect venues for everything from fun “play” menus to dedicated kids’ games areas, while adult-oriented restaurants might be better venues for trivia nights, darts, even bingo.
• Be clear on your goals. Are games a way to encourage your guests to linger longer, an opportunity to entertain young diners, a chance to bring in business during slow periods, a way to attract new guests, or an opportunity for guests to put their devices down and enjoy some family time?
• Check your real estate. If you decide to bring in game tables, dart boards, foosball tables, do you have the space for these plus your dining tables? Don’t bring in games at the expense of your regular eating areas. After all, it’s still mainly about the food!

Written by Jane Auster

Here comes summer and, once pandemic numbers are under control and dining opens up widely, it will be time to get your grill on. Customers are raring to get back to outdoor dining, and nothing entices more than the smells wafting from a BBQ grill.

This year’s BBQ hot trends include flat plate grilling, high-end buns, layering, non-meat (plant-based innovations) grilling, and sauces and spices that take old favourites and present them in new and exciting ways. 

Light up your BBQ options

There’s nothing like cooking over live fire to really ignite the taste buds. If you have that option at your operation, you’ll be able to bring out the flavour in any number of grill dishes — from vegetarian to meat and fish.

Always go big on burgers

Burgers are here to stay, even with more Canadians choosing plant-based options. 

Nearly four in 10 Canadians eat at least one burger a week, and men eat even more burgers than women, according to data from Weston Bakeries, which studies burger-lovers’ habits. 

Here’s what really turns on burger lovers looking for a premium burger experience:

The patty (63%)
The bun (21%)
Toppings (6%)
Seasonings/spices (5%)
Condiments and cheese (3% each)

For many Canadians, a burger is naked without cheese. Not surprisingly, cheddar is the cheese champion at 47%, followed by mozzarella at 35%, Swiss at 33%, and Monterey Jack at 25%. Sliced is chosen by 63% and shredded by 17%.

Pile on the extras

Meat-topped burgers are trending… and going beyond bacon. Beef burgers are getting piled high with pulled pork, ham and beef brisket for a really meaty experience. They’re marketed as an indulgent, and ultra-savoury meat-on-meat combination.

Don’t forget the bun

Most Canadians like it simple and classic when it comes to buns, however new and exciting formulations are adding abundant new bun-opportunities. Here’s what Canadians traditionally look for:

Sesame seed buns (31%)
Cheese buns (22%)
Garlic bread buns (19%)
Onion buns (18%)
Whole wheat and multigrain buns (16% each)

Innovation is certainly coming to buns. According to Technomic, which collects data from the Top 500 restaurant chains, the fastest growing buns are potato buns, sesame seed buns, and brioche. Even ciabatta buns are beginning to have their moment on the grill.

Beef still reigns as burger king followed by chicken, fish and turkey. Eight out of 10 prefer a grilled beef patty. But new grill contenders are ready to take their place. Think seafood skewers and grilled fish.

Kick up your spices a notch

Salt and pepper remain the most popular burger seasonings, however garlic salt, Worcestershire, peppercorn, and Cajun flavours are all gaining in popularity. 

Diners love barbecue, and that’s helping to propel burnt, charred and toasted flavours, Technomic reports. Smoky flavours are no longer limited to just meats and cheese but are also being paired with contrasting flavours such as sweet and spicy to add complexity. The espelette pepper, originating from the Basque region of France, helps deliver that smoky, sweet and mildly hot flavour that makes plancha-grilled food an exciting new trend.

The fastest growing condiments are chipotle aioli, garlic mayonnaise, honey, marmalade and jam, especially savoury flavours like bacon jam and pepper marmalade. 

Downsizing the Menu to Upsize Restaurant Revenue

Once a necessity during the tumultuous year the foodservice industry has faced, now smaller streamlined menus are here to stay. And with good reason. Trimming and slimming down your menu adds well deserved money back to your bottom line, benefiting both you and your customers.

Long before COVID-19, if you remember back that far, Technomic had already acknowledged simplification of menus. Their Canada’s Shrinking Menus 2018 report noted that restaurant operators had been gradually cutting back on their menus since 2013.

Technomic reported that operators were being strategic about how and where to spend their money while dealing with the labour issues in the Canadian workforce.

Their Post-Pandemic Playbook continues the same macrotrend, stating labour issues already felt in foodservice pre-pandemic could be worse as former employees find other opportunities.

They also predict that many operators will likely focus on menu items that are revenue and profitability drivers, post-crisis.

Simplifying the menu makes good business sense: assisting cost control, reducing labour costs and keeping customers happy.

Cost Control

Smaller menus naturally use fewer ingredients. A tighter food inventory provides operators with many cost-control options without hurting menu quality.  In fact, menu quality will naturally improve.

James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods, is busy helping operators streamline menus and promoting value-added ingredients to help chefs in their kitchens.

“Operators need to do a few things well. No one can afford to have their menu be a book anymore,” says Keppy.

“Inventory items need to be reduced so that they can be controlled and better utilized in multiple applications across the menu. This inventory reduction affords little to no waste.”  

Technomic’s State of the Canadian Menu 2021 report agrees and suggests operators adapt products to various dayparts, mealparts, menu categories and ordering options. They state that menu streamlining will be a necessity for operators amid and after the pandemic, sticking around as a long-term trend. Multiple applications increase efficiency on several fronts, from labour to storage to spending.

Fewer ingredients mean you will be ordering larger quantities of your staples, allowing for bulk purchases and economies of scale.

The time it takes to manage inventory decreases from counting to reordering. With a tighter handle on inventory, food waste is also significantly reduced.

Consumers continue to look for customization when ordering. A smaller menu can still accommodate these requests. Operators can rethink well-performing ingredients and use them strategically in their offerings. But that also means eliminating poorly performing ingredients.

Keppy agrees. “If there are inventory items present that are costly but show low sales on the menu mix, they are a drain on your resources in both money and storage.

“Menu items and their ingredients that travel well are important. Maple Leaf Pulled Pork and Beef can be customized by individual operators with their seasonings and sauce and will keep their heat for delivery. These products can be used for sandwiches, build your own tacos, and for mac and cheese topping.”

Labour Costs

Relying on menu fundamentals is key, according to Technomic’s State of the Canadian Menu 2021 report. Operators scaled back their menus to focus on core items. Smaller SKU counts helped operators reduce operational complexity by streamlining their menus, reducing waste and staffing needs, and increasing speed of service. 

“Smaller menus factor in labour. This could lead to the elimination or doubling up of stations in the kitchen,” says Keppy.  

With fewer items on the menu, it is faster to train new employees — front of house and back of house. Wait staff will have more comprehensive menu knowledge and can effectively upsell and educate customers. Kitchen staff can quickly become experts on recipes, leading to faster service and higher quality dishes.

Additional benefits of having fewer moving parts, people and ingredients are increased efficiency and minimal mistakes — everybody wins in this scenario.

Happy Customers

Everyone wants to be happy. Smaller menus help your customers get there. It is easier for your customers to understand who you are and what makes you awesome if they aren’t getting lost in your menu.

Visually, the menu will be more appealing in print and online. The physical menu will have white space and room to move, taking advantage of menu psychology theories. Plus, the digital menu will be simpler to scroll.

“Keep the menu easy to read and therefore easier to make a menu choice… especially if your customers are reading and ordering from a phone,” says Keppy.

Smaller menus increase the perception of quality over quantity and don’t overwhelm indecisive guests.

As ticket times decrease, customers get their orders faster, and that makes them ecstatic.

Gearing Down to Go Up

“Do what you are good at and what you are known for while still offering items that appeal to the general groups of meat eaters, vegetarian and vegans, healthy eaters and indulgent consumers. If you are a chicken place, offer fried, grilled and a plant-based version,” says Keppy. 

He also reminds us that “no matter what you offer, always consider the quality and appearance on the plate as well as in the takeout container.”

Shrinking your menu is all about dollars and cents, and just makes good sense. Your operation will be stronger, more focused and even better than before. Your customers will thank you, and so will your bank account.

Visit chefconnexion.com for more articles and expert advice

Written by Cheri Thompson