One of the Montreal-area locations of Lov, a haute vegan restaurant, has returned to about 40- 50% of its pre-pandemic business, but its takeout and delivery business has risen significantly, says Andrew Southwood, owner of consulting firm Fresh Xpressions. ( File photos by Amy Sowd

1. (/) Newsletters(http://preferences.farmjournal.com/Newsletter-Page.html)
Montreal’s foodservice sector slowly reopens
Amy Sowder (/guest-
author/amy-sowder)
September 23, 2020 01:26 PM
Related on The Packer
(/article/al
monds-
supplant-
grapes-
2019-top-
kern-
county-
calif-crop)
Almonds
supplant
grapes as
2019 top
Kern
County,
Calif.,
crop
(/article/al
monds-
supplant-
grapes-
2019-top-
kern-
county-
calif-crop)
September
24, 2020 by
Chris Koger
(/guest-
author/chri
s-koger)
(/article/ear
ly-movers-
sustainabili
ty-reap-
rewards)
Early
movers in
sustainabi
lity reap
rewards
(/article/e
arly-
movers-
sustainabi
lity-reap-
rewards)
September
24, 2020 by
Tom Karst
(/guest-
author/tom
-karst)
(/article/se-
regional-
fruit-
vegetable-
conference-
goes-online-
2021)
SE
Regional
Fruit &
Vegetable
Conferenc
e goes
online in
2021
(/article/s
e-
regional-
fruit-
vegetable-
conferenc
e-goes-
online-
2021)
September
24, 2020 by
Chris Koger
(/guest-
author/chri
s-koger)
NEWS PEOPLE PRICING + MARKETS EVENTS PACKER BRANDS PRODUCE MARKET GUIDE(HTTP
(http
s://tw
itter.
com/i
ntent
/twee
t?
sourc
e=ww
w.the
pack
er.co
m%2
Fartic
le%2F
mont

(https
://ww
w.pint
erest.

(https
://ww
w.link
edin.c
om/s
hareA
rticle?
mini=
true&
url=w
ww.th
epack
er.co
m%2F
article
%2Fm
ontre
als-
foods
ervice
-
sector
-
slowly
-
reope
ns&tit
le=Mo
ntreal
%E2%
80%9
9s+fo
odser
vice+s
ector
+slow
ly+reo
pens
&sour
ce=&s
umm
ary=T
he+fo
odser
vice+s
ector
+of+t
he+Gr
eater
+Mon
treal+
produ

Appl
Get Your Copy!
Stay up to date on the latest produce
industry news with your own weekly
subscription to THE PACKER!
SUBSCRIBE
×
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze
performance and tra c on our website. We also share information
about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners.
Accept Cookies


https://www.thepacker.com/article/montreals-foodservice-sector-slowly-reopens
4 min read
Montreal’s foodservice sector slowly
reopens
One of the Montreal-area locations of Lov, a haute vegan restaurant, has returned to about 40-
50% of its pre-pandemic business, but
its takeout and delivery business has risen significantly, says Andrew Southwood, owner of
consulting firm Fresh Xpressions. ( File photos by Amy Sowder
)
The foodservice sector of the Greater Montreal produce industry held its collective breath for
three months between March and June and has been trying to catch it ever since.
After being prohibited from all on-premises dining March 22, Quebec’s restaurants were allowed
to reopen at 50% capacity June 15, while Montreal’s eateries had to wait until June 22.
“I have two major clients who supply radishes to restaurants,” said Yannick Guérin, local-
produce sales representative of Les Jardins A. Guérin & Fils, Sherrington, Quebec.
“One stopped buying directly from me to buy all from a wholesaler because he didn’t want to
bother me for a couple boxes. The other was buying one-third to one-fourth less than what he
bought from me last year for his restaurants.”
Besides being the peak time for local produce, summer is major tourism season in the Montreal
metro area.
“It’s still a very, very slow market for hotels and restaurants here in Montreal. We’re very big on
tourism, hotels and restaurants — and it’s pretty empty. Thank goodness we have retail
markets,” said Jocelyn St-Denis, executive director of Quebec Produce Growers Association.
There was no Canadian Grand Prix in June. The Montreal International Jazz Festival,
scheduled for June and July, became a July-long online event. Also normally in July, the Just for

2. Print
(/article/sho
w-will-go-
sunset-
rocks-fresh-
summit)
The show
will go on
with
Sunset
Rocks at
Fresh
Summit
(/article/s
how-will-
go-sunset-
rocks-
fresh-
summit)
September
24, 2020 by
Chris Koger
(/guest-
author/chri
s-koger)
(/article/tea
m-produce-
participates
-virtual-
walk-hope)
Team
Produce
participat
es in
virtual
Walk for
Hope
(/article/t
eam-
produce-
participat
es-virtual-
walk-
hope)
September
23, 2020 by
Chris Koger
(/guest-
author/chri
s-koger)
(/article/haz
el-
technologie
s-presents-
grape-
quality-
summit)
Hazel
Technolog
ies
presents
Grape
Quality
Summit
(/article/h
azel-
technolog
ies-
presents-
grape-
quality-
summit)
September
23, 2020 by
Chris Koger
(/guest-
author/chri
s-koger)
Trending on The Packer
Border stop nets $6.6
million in meth in
avocado load
(/article/border-stop-
nets-66-million-meth-
avocado-load)
Kroger exec, produce
sales veteran to acquire
GoldenSun Insights
(/article/kroger-exec-
produce-sales-veteran-
acquire-goldensun-
insights)
(http
s://w
ww.f
aceb
ook.c
om/s
harer
/shar
er.ph
p?
u=w
ww.t
hepa
cker.
com
%2Fa
rticle
%2F
mont
reals-
foods
ervic
e-
secto
r-
slowl
y-
reope
ns&t=
Mont
real%
E2%8
0%99
s+foo
dserv
ice+s
ector
+slow
ly+re
open
s)
 reals-
foods
ervic
e-
secto
r-
slowl
y-
reope
ns&t
ext=
Mont
real%
E2%8
0%99
s+foo
dserv
ice+s
ector
+slow
ly+re
open
s:ww
w.the
pack
er.co
m%2
Fartic
le%2F
mont
reals-
foods
ervic
e-
secto
r-
slowl
y-
reope
ns&vi
a=)
com/
pin/cr
eate/
butto
n/?
url=w
ww.th
epack
er.co
m%2F
article
%2Fm
ontre
als-
foods
ervice
-
sector
-
slowly
-
reope
ns&m
edia=
%2Fm
edia%
2F288
427&
descri
ption
=Mon
treal
%E2%
80%9
9s+fo
odser
vice+s
ector
+slow
ly+reo
pens)
(https
://plu
s.goo
gle.co
m/sh
are?
url=w
ww.th
epack
er.co
m%2F
article
%2Fm
ontre
als-
foods
ervice
-
sector
-
slowly
-
reope
ns)

ce+in
dustr
y+hel
d+its+
collec
tive+b
reath
+for+t
hree+
mont
hs+be
tween
+Marc
h+an
d+Jun
e+and
+has+
been
+tryin
g+to+
catch
+it+ev
er+sin
ce.%0
D%0A
%0D
%0AA
fter+b
eing+
prohi
bited
+from
+all+o
n-
premi
ses+d
ining+
Marc
h+22
%2C+
Q)
(/article/border-
stop-nets-66-
million-meth-
avocado-load)
(/article/kroger-
exec-produce-
sales-veteran-
acquire-
Get Your Copy!
Stay up to date on the latest produce
industry news with your own weekly
subscription to THE PACKER!
SUBSCRIBE
×
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze
performance and tra c on our website. We also share information
about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners.
Accept Cookies

3. One of the Montreal-area locations of Lov, a haute vegan restaurant, has returned to about
40-50% of its pre-pandemic business, but
its takeout and delivery business has risen signi cantly, says Andrew Southwood, owner of
consulting rm Fresh Xpressions. ( File photos by Amy Sowder
)
The foodservice sector of the Greater Montreal produce industry held
its collective breath for three months between March and June and
has been trying to catch it ever since.
After being prohibited from all on-premises dining March 22,
Quebec’s restaurants were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity June 15,
while Montreal’s eateries had to wait until June 22.
“I have two major clients who supply radishes to restaurants,” said
Yannick Guérin, local-produce sales representative of Les Jardins A.
Guérin & Fils
(https://www.producemarketguide.com/company/125948/les-jardins-
paul-cousineau- ls-inc), Sherrington, Quebec.
“One stopped buying directly from me to buy all from a wholesaler
because he didn’t want to bother me for a couple boxes. The other
was buying one-third to one-fourth less than what he bought from me
last year for his restaurants.”
Besides being the peak time for local produce, summer is major
tourism season in the Montreal metro area.
“It’s still a very, very slow market for hotels and restaurants here in
Montreal. We’re very big on tourism, hotels and restaurants — and it’s
pretty empty. Thank goodness we have retail markets,” said Jocelyn St-
Denis, executive director of Quebec Produce Growers Association
(https://www.producemarketguide.com/company/401560/quebec-
produce-growers-association).
There was no Canadian Grand Prix in June. The Montreal International
Jazz Festival, scheduled for June and July, became a July-long online
event. Also normally in July, the Just for Laughs Festival was
rescheduled as a virtual event in October.
FDA proposes
heightened traceability
rules for certain produce
(/article/fda-proposes-
heightened-traceability-
rules-certain-produce)
USDA opens second
round of CFAP payments
for COVID-19 losses
(/article/usda-opens-
second-round-cfap-
payments-covid-19-
losses)
USDA names distributors
in third round of food
box program
(/article/usda-names-
distributors-third-round-
food-box-program)
Powered by MachineryPete.com
(http://www.machinerypete.com),
search listings from dealers
across the country.
goldensun-
insights)
(/article/fda-
proposes-
heightened-
traceability-
rules-certain-
produce)
(/article/usda-
opens-second-
round-cfap-
payments-
covid-19-losses)
(/article/usda-
names-
distributors-
third-round-
food-box-
program)
Get Your Copy!
Stay up to date on the latest produce
industry news with your own weekly
subscription to THE PACKER!
SUBSCRIBE
×
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze
performance and tra c on our website. We also share information
about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners.
Accept Cookies

4. These events attract millions of tourists, whose business
foodservice suppliers depend on, said Andrew Southwood, owner
of Montreal-based Fresh Xpressions, a consulting agency that helps
companies with business strategy and development using a
sustainability lens.
“In Montreal, initially it was quite a shock with restaurants all closed
down. Many growers had to nd alternative ways to sell products,
same as across all North America,” Southwood said.
According to the 2020 second quarter survey report by
Restaurants Canada, 52% of restaurants that were open either for on-
premises or takeout and delivery were operating at a loss in June.
Another 20% were just breaking even.
However, the share of respondents feeling “very pessimistic” about
their business over the next 12 months dropped from 51% in the rst
quarter down to 26% in the second quarter.
Southwood also managed two cabin redesign projects for Air Canada
until June, and said the airports were ghost towns, and subsequently,
demand for on-board catering plummeted.
Hundreds of airport employees were laid o in Montreal and Quebec
City. Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, laid o 50% to 60% of its
workforce, or about 20,000 employees, according to local media
reports.
“We su ered particularly because government closed the borders,
and there was nobody ying in,” Southwood said. “It’s sad. It’s hard to
determine the multiplied e ect in the supplier system.”
Now that foodservice operators are slowly opening back up, six in 10
survey respondents told Restaurant Canada that their employees
refused to return to work and would keep getting Canada’s
emergency wage bene ts.
ResetQuick Search
Category (Required)
Subcategory (Required)
Make
Model
Search
Get Your Copy!
Stay up to date on the latest produce
industry news with your own weekly
subscription to THE PACKER!
SUBSCRIBE
×
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze
performance and tra c on our website. We also share information
about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners.
Accept Cookies