“With DiRoNA, we celebrate the art of culinary excellence, and Vancouver is the perfect place to do that,” said Joseph DiSalvo, DiRoNA Board chair. “The region has a vibrant culinary scene that is second to none.”

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The upbeat show was highlighted by satisfied exhibitors, good industry visitor traffic (including buyers), and solid attendance at the various seminars and presentation offered throughout the event, which began Saturday, May 18.

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“These were very tough negotiations,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union in a statement. "But I’m pleased to announce that our bargaining team is satisfied with the tentative contract agreement reached with the LCBO.”

The key issue was reportedly part-time and temporary work hours. And, although the Board of Directors and workers still have to vote to rectify the deal, the bargaining committee is recommending that members accept it.

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SCARBOROUGH, Ont. — It was a monumental day for 16 graduating members of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) Adaptive Cooking Class for persons with disabilities, which honoured participation in the program with a graduation ceremony, held at Toronto’s Delta Toronto East hotel.

The students took part in a six-week cooking program, held at the Delta hotel and led by Romel Griarte, executive chef of the Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto-Harbourfront. With the help of an occupational therapist, Romel discussed healthy eating habits and budget-friendly recipes, including chicken chili, Mediterranean quinoa salad, apple crumble and oven-friend parmesan chicken.

“We are so proud to put our name on this pilot initiative, as hospitality is simply what we know, and what we do best,” said Fatima Finnegan, director of Corporate Marketing and Business Development for ORHMA, in her opening speech. “Over the last six weeks, we have been mesmerized by the culinary leadership of our executive chef, Romel Griarte.”

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“Our Burger King family loves the outdoor grilling season,” said Flavia Faugeres, EVP and global chief marketing officer, Burger King Worldwide, Inc.

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Changes to liquor laws in Saskatchewan and Manitoba mean restaurants and other business owners will have more freedom when serving alcohol to their guests.

“Our government is pleased to improve our liquor regulatory system by eliminating red tape and creating new opportunities for business,” Donna Harpauer, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), told Global News.

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TORONTO — Ontario restaurant owners could be faced with low alcohol stock with news that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) workers could be walking off the job Friday morning.

The strike isn’t just a problem for retail customers as full case orders by agents are already being affected due to an increase in demand at the LCBO-controlled warehouses.

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SEATTLE — Starbucks has launched its first community store in the Langsuan neighbourhood of Bangkok, Thailand where 10 per cent of sales from Starbucks beverages will be directed to the farming communities of Northern Thailand.

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OAKVILLE, Ont. — After eight years and more than $7 million invested towards providing coffee farmers in Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil and Colombia with essential business skills in bringing their product to market, Tim Hortons has introduced its Partnership Blend coffee, sourced entirely from its partner farmers.

“The Coffee Partnership was conceived eight years ago with the singular purpose of improving the lives of small-scale coffee farmers by tackling the economic, social and environmental aspects of farming,” said Bill Moir, chief brand and marketing officer, Tim Hortons.

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TORONTO — McDonald’s Canada has launched the Signature McWrap, a full-sized chicken wrap available in three flavours at participating restaurants across the country.

“McDonald's has always revolutionized the way people eat and drink on the go with iconic menu offerings that Canadians know and love. We're continuing that tradition today as we introduce our game-changing Signature McWrap," said John Betts, president and CEO, McDonald's Canada.

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VICTORIA, B.C. — The Brick Brewing Co.’s Waterloo Dark beer took home gold in the North American Style Dark Lager category, at the annual Canadian Brewing Awards, held in Victoria, B.C., last week.

“This is a great recognition for Waterloo Dark and everything we're doing here at Waterloo Brewing Co.,” said Russell Tabata, COO, Brick Brewing, based in Ontario.

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According to the report from the Southern Nevada Health District, there were 184 confirmed cases and 16 probable cases of gastrointestinal symptoms after dining at Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar in Las Vegas between April 21 and 24.

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CHICAGO — Canadians and international attendees to the NRA Show will have the chance to glimpse behind the scenes of four new Chicago restaurants, as part of the tradeshow’s Culinary Tours series.

“Chicago has a well-deserved reputation for one of the hottest culinary scenes in the world. On May 20, an exclusive group of people will be able to participate in each tour, talking to the general manager and chef of each restaurant about topics such as effective marketing tools, return on investment, staff management, equipment purchase and much more,” reads a statement from the NRA Show organizers.

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According to the paper, Revenue Quebec is after 11 individuals and the two companies claiming unpaid sales and income taxes of more than $5 million between 2007 and 2011.

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Clark, who previously helmed Vancouver’s C Restaurant, told The Vancouver Sun this new venture is an extension of his passion.

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“This is a tremendous milestone for Boston Pizza, further positioning us as Canada’s largest casual-dining brand,” said Ken Otto, COO for Boston Pizza International.

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Robinson joined Cara as CEO in 2006 and has been instrumental in reshaping the organization by branding and streamlining operations.

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"Boston Pizza's national promotions during the period, including "Hockey's Back," "Finger Cooking" and "Careful You Don't Become a Foodie," attracted guests to three distinct areas of our restaurants: the sports bar, take-out and delivery and [the] dining room. This approach helped drive positive SSSG of 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, which is particularly impressive given the strong comparable SSSG posted in the same period one year ago," said Mark Pacinda, president and CEO of BPI.

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