Food services and drinking places

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Current dollar sales for the food services and drinking places industry declined 2.2% from November to December to just under $4.0 billion.

While sales declined, the price of food purchased in restaurants increased by 0.1% between November and December, according to the Consumer Price Index.

All sectors of the industry posted lower sales relative to November. The largest decline in sales in December was in the special food services sector (-4.9%), comprising food service contractors, caterers and mobile food services.

Full-service restaurants, where patrons order and pay for meals at their table, posted a sales decrease of 2.4% in December. Sales declined by 1.5% at limited-service restaurants, where patrons order and pay for their meals at the counter. Sales at drinking places were also down by 1.5%.

All provinces saw lower sales in December except Prince Edward Island.

Note: All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and expressed in current dollars. Preliminary estimates are provided for the current reference month. Raw estimates, based on late responses, are revised for the two previous months. Seasonally adjusted estimates are revised for the three previous months. Starting in summer 2009, annual revisions will take place once a year, for all months in the previous years. The purpose is to correct any significant problems that have been found that apply for an extended period.

Available on CANSIM: table 355-0006.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2419.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Marc Racette (613-951-2924; fax: 613-951-6696; marc.racette@statcan.gc.ca), or Pierre Felx (613-951-0075; pierre.felx@statcan.gc.ca), Service Industries Division.