---
title: Canadian Restaurant Sales Suffer Worst Year On Record
description: In 2020 in Canada restaurants suffered their worst year of sales in at least two decades. Card-linked offers and pay-for-performance marketing taking hold.
---

[Olive Insights on Customer Engagement and Card-linking ](https://blog.oliveltd.com)

# [Canadian Restaurant Sales Suffer Worst Year On Record](https://blog.oliveltd.com/restaurants-in-canada-suffer-worst-year-in-over-two-decades)

 Written by [Recommended Reads](https://blog.oliveltd.com/author/recommended-reads) | February 25, 2021

Statistics Canada [reported on February 18, 2021](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2017003-eng.htm) that sales at eating and drinking establishments in Canada dropped 28 per cent from the year before. 

Bars, taverns, drinking places and full-serve restaurants being hit the hardest. Which makes sense given they rely so heavily on foot-traffic and in person dining - lost during the lockdowns. As [BNN Bloomberg](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/restaurants-in-canada-suffer-worst-year-in-at-least-two-decades-1.1565383) notes; "the food and drinking sector is likely to face headwinds until vaccines are widely available and consumers are comfortable going out and spending money without fear of contracting and spreading the coronavirus."

Olive's conversations with Canadian restaurants have similarly highlighted these and related-concerns. Concerns such as how to get consumers back into their dining rooms and bars when sales revenues are down and marketing budgets are depleted. Many are looking for new ways to market to consumers and entice them back to their restaurants when things open up. We have seen a very strong growth in interest in new pay-for-performance models such as like cashback rewards and minimum spend offers, vs general advertising spend. 

As the lockdowns ease, how will you re-engage your consumers? We'd love to hear your thoughts. 

For more about the Statistics Canada report go to:

- Restobiz.ca article here: [https://www.restobiz.ca/canadian-restaurant-sales-suffer-worst-year-on-record/](https://www.restobiz.ca/canadian-restaurant-sales-suffer-worst-year-on-record/)
- BNN Bloomberg coverage here: [https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/restaurants-in-canada-suffer-worst-year-in-at-least-two-decades-1.1565383](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/restaurants-in-canada-suffer-worst-year-in-at-least-two-decades-1.1565383)

To learn more about using pay-for-performance offers to drive sales get in touch with us here at [Olive.](mailto:sales@oliveltd.com)

[View full post](https://blog.oliveltd.com/restaurants-in-canada-suffer-worst-year-in-over-two-decades)

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