On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales at drinking places (+3.5%) and limited-service restaurants (+0.7%), such as fast-food joints and coffee shops, were up in May.
Sales at full-service restaurants (+0.1%) were relatively flat, while specialty food services (-8.6%), which include food service contractors, caterers and food trucks operating at weddings, flights, concerts, sporting events and remote work camps, reported their largest sales drop in five months.
Food and drink sales overall were down 0.3% to $7.7 billion.
Not seasonally adjusted sales (year over year) at restaurants, bars and special food services in May were one-fifth higher compared with May 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Description - Food services and drinking places, May 2023
May 2023 sales (seasonally adjusted)
-0.3%
to $7.7 billion
Sales in May were pulled downward by lower sales in special food services. May’s losses in special food services completely erased its gain in April. Meanwhile, drinking places, limited-service restaurants and full-service restaurants all reported increased sales.
Monthly sales, by industry
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)
$202.9M
+3.5%
Limited-service restaurants
$3.5B
+0.7%
Full-service restaurants
$3.4B
+0.1%
Special food services
$593.1M
-8.6%
Sales in food services and drinking places
Largest monthly variations in dollars (seasonally adjusted), provinces and territories
British Columbia
$1.3B
+1.0%
Ontario
$3.1B
+0.5%
Quebec
$1.4B
-1.9%
Year-over-year sales, May 2023 (not seasonally adjusted)
$8.0B
+11.3% from May 2022
+20.2% from May 2019 (pre-pandemic)
Price variations, May 2023 versus May 2022
Food purchased from restaurants
+6.8 %
Alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments
+4.9%
Note: For complete data, please see table 21-10-0019-01 Monthly survey of food services and drinking places and table 18-10-0004-13 Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Monthly Survey of Food Services and Drinking Places, Consumer Price Index, May 2023.
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