I'm excited to announce that I will be a Special Issue Co-Editor with my colleague Mark Holmes for the journal Sustainability. The issue will be titled "Sustainability in the Quick-Service and Fast Casual Restaurant Sector. Here is a copy of the call for papers for those that are interested in submitting a manuscript. The food … Continue reading Special Issue of the journal Sustainability

This article is part of a series on the Restaurant at Pearl Morissette written for Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine. My drive down to Niagara feels a little different now that it’s mid-August.  The sun is scorching, some of the green things are showing a bit of brown, the land seems tired.  I arrive at The … Continue reading Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum; The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette

Last month we sent our Student Director (Emily Robinson) to the CIA's Menus of Change Conference.  Here is a brief recap of Emily's experience. From June 18th-20th, an international collection of business professionals, academics and chefs came together for the 7th annual Menus of Change Conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New … Continue reading Menus of Change!

Last summer we conducted a study on food waste at two long-term care facilities located in southwestern Ontario. While interest in food waste has increased greatly in recent years, very little research has been done studying these unique operations.   Our research team had two objectives; determine what percentage of food was wasted in these operations; … Continue reading Food Waste at Long-Term Care Facilities, a Moral Dilemma?

Last semester one of our graduating students wrote an UGSRP discussion paper on the cost of restaurant management turnover.  While as an industry we often speak to the 'cost of turnover', there has been very little effort to try and provide a breakdown of these costs.  Here is an excerpt from Jacqueline Simard's report. The … Continue reading Exploring the Cost of Management Turnover in the Canadian Restaurant Industry

This past weekend The University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project hosted Forward Food- Sustainable Food Systems Student Conference. We had student attendance from eight different colleges and universities from across Southern Ontario; welcoming Humber College, Fanshawe College, Centennial College, Niagara College, Conestoga College, George Brown College, Ryerson University, and of course The University of Guelph. These students joined us from the … Continue reading Looking ‘back’ at Forward Food!

Growing concerns about climate change mean consumers are increasingly interested in pro-environmental, sustainable alternatives to the status quo. There has recently been a movement towards reducing and eliminating one-use items, a shift that has been overwhelmingly consumer-driven. This, alongside trends towards take-out and delivery of food have resulted in a paradoxical demand for both reduced … Continue reading A New View on Restaurant Waste

On Saturday March 16th we are hosting "FORWARD FOOD", a conference on food systems for hospitality and culinary students from across Ontario.  One of the unique aspects of this conference is that it is being produced and delivered by a group of fourth year students from the University of Guelph's School of Hospitality, Food, and … Continue reading The Forward Food Team