Food services and drinking places

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Sales for the food services and drinking places industry fell 0.8% from April to $4.1 billion in May. During the same period, the price of food purchased in restaurants rose 0.4% as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Since May 2010, sales for the food services and drinking places industry have increased by 2.5%, while the price of food purchased in restaurants has advanced 3.2%.

In May, three of the four industry sectors posted lower sales compared with the previous month. The lower sales in May were primarily attributable to the 1.3% decrease in the full-service restaurant sector.

Sales in the limited-service restaurant sector declined 0.4%.

Drinking places posted a 1.6% decline in sales.

Sales in the special food services sector rose 0.7%. This sector includes food service contractors, caterers and mobile food services.

In May, six provinces posted lower sales, while three saw higher sales and one remained unchanged. The largest decline was in Quebec (-1.8%), while Newfoundland and Labrador posted the biggest increase (+1.3%).

Note: All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and expressed in current dollars.

Seasonally-adjusted data are revised for the previous three months. Data are also revised annually. Revisions improve data quality and coherence and are based on information not available at the time of the initial estimates.

Available on CANSIM: table 355-0006.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2419.

For more information, to order data, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-801-3282; 613-951-4612; servicesind@statcan.gc.ca), Service Industries Division.