March 2018 Digital Issue

FROM THE EDITOR
Start a conversation with anyone in the foodservice
industry these days and one word quickly surfaces —
challenges. Never has the industry been faced with a
litany of so many obstacles and never have restaurateurs
felt as pummelled as they do today.
Whether it’s wage increases, staffing issues, government interference,
increased real-estate prices or the ever-invasive tentacles
of technology and how it plays into the business — operators
are feeling bruised and battered. Who can blame them?
But, as challenging as operating a foodservice business can be,
running a restaurant is also addictive and, for many operators,
breaking free of its hold is not an option.
More and more, as I talk to operators from across the country
— from QSR to casual — the frustration is palpable, leading one
to wonder just how the industry can move forward. And, while
it’s easy to get knocked down, unable to find the strength to
rebound, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the operators who
will succeed on this front are the ones who rise to the challenge,
fuelled by innovation.
As Bruce McAdams, assistant professor at the School of
Hospitality at the University of Guelph, said recently during
RISING
TO THE
CHALLENGE
Foodservice and Hospitality’s webinar on the
impact of minimum-wage increases, “We often
hear about food innovation,” but we rarely
talk about innovation in other facets of
the business.
By our very nature, human beings don’t like
change, as it makes us feel uncomfortable. At
our core, we’re all creatures of comfort.
We don’t’ like the unexpected and most of us
don’t handle it well. But, ironically, we’re
living in a world of daily disruption.
Today, more than ever, with the advent of
the digital age, disruption is de rigueur, thrust
at us in myriad ways. Whether we are talking
about the publishing industry — which
has been forever altered by the advent of the
Internet — or whether we’re talking about
the massive changes fuelled by disruptors
such as Uber and Airbnb, we’ve all been
impacted inalterably.
Clearly, disruption is forcing innovation.
But, with the number of challenges growing
by the day, the innovation required in this industry moving
forward is more pronounced and profound than it’s ever been.
To succeed in this new landscape, innovation will be required in
more than just the menu or even the design of a restaurant. It
will require creative engineering in how restaurants are staffed,
how employees are treated and compensated, how diversity is
highlighted and how restaurants are run. Moving forward, the
industry will need to put aside outdated models that no longer
work and start fresh with new perspectives that suit the times in
which we’re living. The sooner these changes are made,
the better.
ROSANNA CAIRA rcaira@kostuchmedia.com
@foodservicemag
facebook.com/foodservicehospitalitymagazine
instagram.com/rosannacaira
NICK WONG, LOCATION PROVIDED BY VIA CIBO
2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2018 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM