Food services and drinking places, August 2021
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Released: 2021-10-25
$6.4 billion
August 2021
5.6% 
(monthly change)
$75.8 million
August 2021
7.2%
(monthly change)
$26.8 million
August 2021
3.0%
(monthly change)
$149.7 million
August 2021
10.6%
(monthly change)
$110.4 million
August 2021
5.4%
(monthly change)
$1,241.8 million
August 2021
4.0%
(monthly change)
$2,397.8 million
August 2021
7.0%
(monthly change)
$198.9 million
August 2021
7.6%
(monthly change)
$172.6 million
August 2021
0.6%
(monthly change)
$858.8 million
August 2021
7.7%
(monthly change)
$1,104.2 million
August 2021
2.5%
(monthly change)
$7.1 million
August 2021
3.3%
(monthly change)
$5.9 million
August 2021
5.0%
(monthly change)
$1.5 million
August 2021
F
(monthly change)
On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales in the food services and drinking places subsector were up 5.6% in August 2021 compared with the previous month. Receipts totalled $6.4 billion, reaching their highest level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consumer confidence continued to grow during the summer months as restrictions related to the pandemic eased and vaccination rates increased throughout the country. Summer weather allowed for increased patio seating and outdoor events, which also contributed to the growth in sales. Full-service restaurants (+8.4%), special food services (+13.4%), limited-service restaurants (+1.4%) and drinking places (+14.4%) all saw increased sales.
All of the provinces reported higher sales with the largest increases in dollar terms posted in Ontario (+7.0%). Nova Scotia had the highest percentage increase of all the provinces (+10.6%).
Chart 1
Sales in food services and drinking places
Further information is available in the Food Services and Drinking Places Sales dashboard, where users can consult data on sales in food services and drinking places for Canada and by province and territory. This application allows users to compare provincial and territorial data through interactive maps and charts.
Year-over-year sales in the food services and drinking places subsector rise, almost reaching pre-pandemic levels
The figures in this section are based on seasonally unadjusted estimates.
Unadjusted sales for August 2021 were up one-quarter (+25.3%) compared with August 2020 and 3.4% lower than the level in August 2019, before the pandemic.
Year over year, prices for food purchased from restaurants were up 3.2% in August 2021, and prices for alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments increased 1.6% (see table 18-10-0004-13).
Note to readers
All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and expressed in current dollars, unless otherwise noted. Seasonally adjusted data are data that have been modified to eliminate the effect of seasonal and calendar influences to allow for more meaningful comparisons of economic conditions from period to period. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Trend-cycle data are included in selected charts to complement the seasonally adjusted series. These data represent a smoothed version of the seasonally adjusted time series and provide information on longer-term movements, including changes in direction underlying the series. For information on trend-cycle data, see the StatCan Blog and Trend-cycle estimates – Frequently asked questions.
Data for the current reference month are preliminary. Usually, unadjusted data are revised for the previous two months and seasonally adjusted data are revised for the previous three months. Both seasonally adjusted data and trend-cycle estimates are subject to revision as additional observations become available. These revisions could be large and could even lead to a reversal of movement, especially for reference months near the end of the series or during periods of economic disruption.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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