Published in partnership with Canada Takeout Day
Throughout the current pandemic, Canadians have rallied to save local restaurants by diligently ordering takeout and delivery on #TakeoutDay every Wednesday.
The movement has been so effective that restaurateurs are coining Wednesdays “the new Fridays,” and they are reporting steady sales increases with each week.
Canada Takeout is giving Canadians another reason to celebrate food. To continue the powerful momentum of #TakeoutDay, Canada Takeout has created food holidays so Canadians can continue to support restaurants in festive solidarity. With the month of May being #NationalBBQ month, Wednesday, May 20 is set to be #BBQDay. Chefs and restaurateurs across the country are getting ready for what’s expected to be an unprecedented busy day for takeout.
Chefs Connie DeSousa and John Jackson from Charcut, their Calgary flagship roast house, are excited to offer curbside pickup and delivery with barbeque menu items made of locally sourced ingredients, butchered in-house, roasted in their own rotisserie grill, then fired up in the smoker.
Toronto’s Cherry Street Bar-B-Que will be doling out traditional Southern-style barbeque, cooked over wood and available as heat-and-serve or ready-to-eat. Lawrence La Pianta recommends the brisket — “It’s what Texas barbecue is known for” — or the baby back ribs. “We’ve got a unique way of doing them,” he says of the ribs.
Waterwest Kitchen & Meats is a popular eatery and butcher in St. John’s, Newfoundland, operated by local favourite and celebrity chef Todd Perrin. Best known for his famed Mallard Cottage, Perrin created a place that offers a wide range of “take & make” grill-ready items that include whole brined chicken, butchers’ platter and brisket burgers.
The challenges raised from this pandemic have also shifted how Canadians see the food supply chain. Ordering takeout not only supports your favourite local restaurants, but also helps Canadian farmers who have been impacted through the domino effect.
“There are so many exciting things happening right now in the world of food, despite the challenges of our current landscape. People are rediscovering where their food comes from. When restaurants thrive, so do farmers. We’re in this together,” says Will Bergmann, a farmer in Winnipeg and an advocate for food-source education.
Ordering barbeque on #TakeoutDay might not seem like it can make a big difference, but evidence of the positive impact can be seen in the heartfelt messages of hope. In Vancouver, BC, Argo Cafe noted that “…the increased business from this initiative helped us make rent this month,” while Paramount Foods, with locations across Canada, is seeing “a lift in sales mid-week. It’s a great momentum that continues until the end of the week.”
Vince di Maria from Affinity Group Canada, one of the supporters behind Canada Takeout, says, “That is what this is all about. We need to continue to pull together and see our restaurants through to the other side.”
Canadians are encouraged to share this campaign with family and friends across social media with #TakeoutDay. Find out where to order here.
