Food services and drinking places

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Sales for the food services and drinking places industry were up 0.9% from August to $4.3 billion in September. During the same period, the price of food purchased in restaurants remained unchanged, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Since September 2010, sales for food services and drinking places have grown 5.7%, while the price of food purchased in restaurants has increased 3.1%.

In September, each of the industry's four sectors posted higher sales compared with the previous month.

The strongest growth in sales was in the special food services sector (+2.5%). This sector includes food service contractors, caterers and mobile food services.

Sales in the limited-service restaurant sector rose 1.3%. Sales at full-service restaurants increased 0.3%, while those at drinking places rose 0.2%.

All provinces posted higher sales in September, except New Brunswick (-0.1%). Prince Edward Island (+2.2%) recorded the largest increase in sales, followed by British Columbia (+1.8%).

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

Seasonally adjusted data are revised for the three previous 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.

To obtain data, or for more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-801-3282; 613-951-4612; servicesind@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Pierre Felx (613-951-0075; pierre.felx@statcan.gc.ca), Service Industries Division.