From coast to coast, more than a million Canadians serve up our meals, making the restaurant industry a colossal economic engine that employs one in every fifteen people in the nation.
Key Takeaways
- The Canadian food services and drinking places industry employed 1,135,100 people in 2023
- Full-service restaurants in Canada employed 542,300 workers as of late 2023
- Limited-service eating places (fast food) accounted for 489,100 employees in the Canadian market
- Youth aged 15-24 account for 41% of all restaurant industry employees in Canada
- The restaurant industry is the top employer for first-time job seekers in Canada
- Women represent 53% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
- Average hourly wage for food service workers in Canada reached $18.55 in Q1 2024
- Real wages in the restaurant sector grew by 5.1% year-over-year in 2023
- There were 65,000 job vacancies in the Canadian food services sector for Q4 2023
- Food and Beverage Servers represent 342,000 employees nationwide
- Cooks number roughly 220,000 in the Canadian labor force
- Food Counter Attendants and Kitchen Helpers count for 280,000 positions
- Canadian restaurants generate $100 billion in annual sales via their employees
- The food service industry contributes 4% of Canada’s total GDP
- Average sales per employee in full-service restaurants is $85,000 annually
Canada's restaurant industry employs over a million people and is a major national job creator.
Demographic and Social Composition
1Youth aged 15-24 account for 41% of all restaurant industry employees in Canada
Verified2The restaurant industry is the top employer for first-time job seekers in Canada
Verified3Women represent 53% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
Verified4Men represent 47% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
Directional5Visible minorities make up 34% of the restaurant and food services workforce
Single source6Immigrants account for nearly 29% of the total workforce in food services
Verified7Indigenous people represent approximately 4% of the industry’s employees
Verified8Approximately 22% of restaurant employees are students working while in school
Verified918% of the restaurant workforce is aged 45-64
Directional105% of restaurant industry workers are aged 65 and over
Single source11The industry employs over 250,000 new Canadians annually
Verified12Over 50% of Canadian restaurant owners started their careers as entry-level employees
Verified13The food services sector is the largest employer of high school students in Quebec
Verified1412% of restaurant employees in Ontario identify as South Asian
Directional159% of the workforce in BC’s restaurant sector identifies as Chinese
Single source16The percentage of temporary foreign workers in the restaurant sector increased to 8% in 2024
Verified1731% of the workforce in limited-service restaurants are regular students
Verified18About 60% of entry-level workers in the industry have no prior work experience
Verified1915% of the total restaurant workforce possesses a tertiary university degree
Directional20Approximately 10% of restaurant employees work in rural or remote communities
Single source2125% of female employees in the industry hold supervisor or management roles
Verified22228,000 young workers in the sector are aged between 15 and 19 years old
Verified23Filipino workers represent the third-largest immigrant group in food services
Verified24Average tenure for a restaurant worker in Canada is 2.4 years
Directional25The industry provides jobs for 1 out of every 15 Canadians
Single source2633% of workers in the sector identify as visible minorities in British Columbia
Verified277% of restaurant employees are seasonal or temporary hires
Verified2848% of employees in full-service restaurants are male
Verified29The percentage of employees identifying as LGBTQ+ is estimated at 6% in the service sector
Directional3040% of kitchen staff in major urban centers are foreign-born
Single sourceDemographic and Social Composition Interpretation
The Canadian restaurant industry is a vibrant and essential engine of first chances, where a young, diverse majority learns the world of work by serving it, all while balancing more part-time identities than a superhero with a day job.
Economic Impact and Productivity
1Canadian restaurants generate $100 billion in annual sales via their employees
Verified2The food service industry contributes 4% of Canada’s total GDP
Verified3Average sales per employee in full-service restaurants is $85,000 annually
Verified4Average sales per employee in limited-service restaurants is $92,000 annually
Directional5Profit margins for restaurants with hired staff average 3.7%
Single source6Commercial food services spent $35 billion on wages and benefits in 2023
Verified7Employment in food services accounts for 6.4% of all Canadian employees
Verified822% of total retail/service jobs in Canada are in restaurants
Verified9Employee productivity in food services grew by 0.5% in 2023
Directional10For every $1 million in restaurant sales, 15 jobs are created
Single source11Direct economic contribution of restaurant employees to Ontario is $35 billion
Verified12Restaurant employees spend 70% of their income in their local communities
Verified13The sector pays $6 billion in payroll taxes annually
Verified141 in 5 Canadians report having worked in the restaurant industry at some point
Directional15Employee counts in drive-thru specialized units increased by 12% since 2020
Single source16ghost kitchens employ an estimated 2,500 people in Canada
Verified1780,000 employees are involved in catering for high-volume events
Verified18Digital ordering integration has decreased employee-to-customer ratios by 10%
Verified19Average staff occupancy rate in Canadian bars is 75% of capacity
Directional20Corporate tax paid by the employer per employee averages $4,500
Single source214.8% of the workforce in Quebec is in food and beverage services
Verified22Employee count in the industry decreased by 300,000 during the pandemic lows
Verified23Repercussions of industrial action (strikes) affected <1% of employees in 2023
Verified24Inflation-adjusted restaurant spending per employee is down 2% from 2019
Directional25The industry supports $15 billion in secondary economic activity (suppliers)
Single source26Mobile food services (food trucks) employ 4,500 people
Verified27Restaurant employment growth in the Maritimes outperformed the national average in 2023
Verified2818% of the workforce is concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area
Verified29Total industry hours worked annually exceeds 1.3 billion hours
Directional3095% of restaurants are independent or small franchisees employing local staff
Single sourceEconomic Impact and Productivity Interpretation
Canada's restaurant industry is a high-volume, low-margin engine of the economy, where armies of staff—from ghost kitchens to food trucks—serve a $100 billion feast, yet they must squeeze $92,000 from every limited-service employee just to pocket a sliver of profit.
Industry Size and Workforce Volume
1The Canadian food services and drinking places industry employed 1,135,100 people in 2023
Verified2Full-service restaurants in Canada employed 542,300 workers as of late 2023
Verified3Limited-service eating places (fast food) accounted for 489,100 employees in the Canadian market
Verified4The drinking places (bars and pubs) sector employed approximately 38,400 people across Canada
Directional5Special food services (catering and mobile) employed 65,300 individuals in the Canadian landscape
Single source6Ontario holds the largest share of restaurant employees with over 430,000 workers in the sector
Verified7Quebec's restaurant workforce represents approximately 20% of the national total with 225,000 employees
Verified8British Columbia employs roughly 190,000 people in the food and beverage services sector
Verified9Alberta's restaurant industry supports a workforce of approximately 145,000 individuals
Directional10Manitoba employs approximately 42,000 people in the food services and accommodation sector
Single source11Saskatchewan’s restaurant workforce totals nearly 38,000 employees
Verified12Nova Scotia accounts for approximately 31,000 employees in the core restaurant sector
Verified13New Brunswick has roughly 24,000 workers employed in food services
Verified14Prince Edward Island employs approximately 7,500 people in the food and accommodation industry
Directional15Newfoundland and Labrador’s restaurant workforce comprises about 15,000 individuals
Single source16The Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut collectively employ about 4,000 people in food services
Verified17Large restaurant chains (500+ employees) account for 22% of total industry employment
Verified18Small businesses (1-99 employees) employ about 68% of the Canadian restaurant workforce
Verified19Medium-sized enterprises (100-499) make up 10% of the total restaurant employee count
Directional20The average number of employees per restaurant establishment in Canada is 18.5
Single source21Franchise-affiliated restaurants employ an average of 24 people per location
Verified22Independent restaurants average 12 employees per establishment
Verified23Employment in food services grew by 4.2% between 2022 and 2023
Verified24The sector remains the fourth-largest private sector employer in Canada
Directional25Over 1.2 million Canadians are projected to be employed in the industry by 2025
Single source26Roughly 80,000 new jobs were created in the restaurant sector post-pandemic recovery
Verified27Pre-pandemic (2019) employment levels were approximately 1,220,000
Verified28In 2023, the industry saw a 7% increase in the number of female employees
Verified29Part-time employees make up 45% of the total restaurant workforce
Directional30Full-time employees comprise 55% of the workforce in the food services sector
Single sourceIndustry Size and Workforce Volume Interpretation
While Canada's restaurant industry, with its 1.1 million-plus workers, may be fueled by part-time hours and fast-food burgers, it's a full-time economic powerhouse, serving as the country's fourth-largest private employer and proving that the nation truly runs on coffee, poutine, and sheer human hustle.
Labor Market and Compensation
1Average hourly wage for food service workers in Canada reached $18.55 in Q1 2024
Verified2Real wages in the restaurant sector grew by 5.1% year-over-year in 2023
Verified3There were 65,000 job vacancies in the Canadian food services sector for Q4 2023
Verified4The vacancy rate for the industry sits at 5.4%, among the highest in Canada
Directional5Cooks are the most in-demand position with 12,000 active vacancies
Single source6Food counter attendants represent 20,000 open job postings nationally
Verified7Average weekly hours worked per employee in food services is 22.4 hours
Verified8Over 80% of restaurant owners report labor shortages as their top concern
Verified9Tipped employees in Ontario earn an average of $25.50/hour including gratuities
Directional10Management roles in the restaurant industry earn an average of $55,000 per year
Single source11The industry turnover rate remains high at approximately 75% annually
Verified1235% of Canadian restaurant workers receive employer-sponsored benefits
Verified13Minimum wage increases in 2024 affect approx. 60% of the industry workforce
Verified14Executive chefs in high-end Canadian restaurants earn between $70k-$110k annually
Directional15Kitchen helper wages average $16.75 per hour nationally
Single source1614,000 unique employers posted jobs for bartenders in 2023
Verified17Labor costs typically account for 30% to 35% of a restaurant's total revenue
Verified18Training costs per new entry-level employee average $2,500 in Canada
Verified19The industry added 22,000 jobs in May 2024 alone
Directional2042% of employees in the sector work more than one job
Single source21Only 2% of restaurant employees are unionized in Canada
Verified22Over 15% of staff in BC restaurants are recruited via personal networks
Verified231.5% of total employment growth in Canada is attributed to the food service sector
Verified24Over 5,000 restaurant workers were impacted by wildfires in Alberta in 2023
Directional25Wage growth for dishwashers reached 8% in 2023 due to staff shortages
Single source26The gender pay gap in the restaurant sector is approximately 8% (hourly)
Verified27110,000 workers in the industry have worked for the same employer for over 5 years
Verified2828% of employees in the industry work overtime occasionally
Verified29Apprenticeship registrations for cooks increased by 10% in 2022
Directional30Recruitment for the sector through social media has risen by 25% since 2021
Single sourceLabor Market and Compensation Interpretation
Despite restaurants desperately trying to fill a sea of empty shifts with higher wages and a shorter workweek, they're caught in a loop where high costs, high turnover, and a mountain of vacancies mean your burger now essentially comes with a side of economic tension.
Occupational Roles and Specialization
1Food and Beverage Servers represent 342,000 employees nationwide
Verified2Cooks number roughly 220,000 in the Canadian labor force
Verified3Food Counter Attendants and Kitchen Helpers count for 280,000 positions
Verified4Restaurant and Food Service Managers total 102,000 across Canada
Directional5Chefs (Executive, Sous, Specialist) account for 45,000 employees
Single source6Maîtres d'hôtel and Hosts/Hostesses account for 18,000 employees
Verified7Bartenders represent 56,000 employees in the Canadian market
Verified8Delivery drivers employed directly by restaurants total 25,000
Verified9Bakers in restaurants and professional kitchens total 31,000
Directional10Food service supervisors account for 78,000 workers in Canada
Single source11Approximately 12,000 people are employed as sommeliers or wine specialists
Verified12Pastry chefs make up 8,500 of the total chef workforce
Verified13Dishwashers represent approximately 65,000 workers in Canada
Verified14In-house security and bouncers for bars total about 12,000
Directional15Corporate roles for restaurant HQ (HR, Finance) total 20,000
Single source16Banquet servers for hotel-based restaurants total 35,000
Verified17Food and beverage tasters and graders account for 3,000 employees
Verified18Dining room attendants and busboys total 40,000 across Canada
Verified19Coffee shop baristas (specific to non-limited service) total 55,000
Directional20Operations managers for restaurant groups total 5,000
Single source21Sous-chefs represent 15,000 of the 45k chef total
Verified22Butcher specialists within restaurant staff total 2,000
Verified23Event coordinators within large restaurant venues total 4,000
Verified24Drive-thru operators represent 15% of the limited-service workforce
Directional25Line cooks at casual dining grills represent 80,000 employees
Single source26Breakfast specialty cooks total 12,000 nationwide
Verified27Prep cooks total 45,000 in Canadian kitchens
Verified28Fine-dining servers account for 10% of the server population
Verified29Take-out only establishment employees total 22,000
Directional30Ethnic restaurant specialty chefs total 28,000
Single sourceOccupational Roles and Specialization Interpretation
Canada's restaurant industry, with over 1.5 million people, runs on a clear if sometimes sobering hierarchy: an enormous base of servers, cooks, and attendants supports the delicate pyramid where, for every one executive chef crafting a masterpiece, there are roughly eight dishwashers ensuring the next plate is spotless.
Sources & References
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