THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 1

THE RISE OF FAST-CASUALS

INCREASE YOUR RESTAURANT PROFITS

INSTAGRAM MARKETING TIPS

THE FOOD ISSUE

HOWRESTAURANTS

CAN STAY AHEAD IN

2020

2 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

MESSAGE FROM THE DBA CHAIR

The mission of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) is to support, connect and enrich Edmonton’s Downtown community. The DBA is one of 13 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in Edmonton. Businesses within the defined BIA geographical area pool resources and work together through the DBA to promote the economic development of the commercial district.

@DBAYEG

eflecting back on the last 10 years, it is encouraging to see how much Downtown Edmonton has changed. New office towers and condominiums have

altered and reshaped our skyline. Companies new and old are investing and expanding in Downtown. There are new promenades, parks, restaurants—and there’s a whole new selection of developments slated to be built in next few years. Around every corner, I can feel the buzz of a growing urban lifestyle that all great Downtowns have.

At the DBA we are excited about what is going on, what is upcoming and what is next in the year ahead. One of our key priorities is to launch a Downtown marketing campaign that tells our story to the wider Edmonton community and beyond. Over the next couple months, we’ll be meeting with various stakeholders and the public to identify what makes Downtown unique and different from other city destinations. Whether people do business here, live in the core or come Downtown to visit, we want to deliver an amazing experience and create more reasons to come here and celebrate Downtown.

Under the association’s new strategic plan, we are also committed to engaging more with our members and gaining a clearer understanding of the issues facing them. We’ll be rolling out industry panel discussions, townhall meetings and professional development opportunities throughout the year to start the conversation. At last month’s restaurant panel discussion, we heard from many, new and old, restaurateurs about ongoing struggles, success stories and what’s working well in this industry and in our Downtown community. Our annual MBA intern business report will focus on the ‘lifestyle’ of our most urban community and talk about what’s needed, how to double the population and create an amazing neighbourhood for families, seniors and everyone else.

Over the past year, we’ve been talking about the booming Downtown foodie scene and there’s no better time to get a taste of it than during Downtown Dining Week running March 11 to 22. Why not go on a Downtown-wide eating spree and visit just opened hot spots or revisit old favourites? Downtown Dining Week celebrates fine dining, but there’s a whole other set of fast-casual establishments that can’t be ignored. We’ve highlighted a handful throughout in the following pages. Let this issue be your guide to Downtown.

R

STAY IN TOUCH! DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 10121 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 4X6 Phone: 780.424.4085 info@edmontondowntown.com EDMONTONDOWNTOWN.COM LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM:

The Downtown Advantage Newsletter is published quarterly by the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ian O’Donnell

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Tracy Hyatt

MARKETING COORDINATOR Kayla Shapka

OFFICE MANAGER Mary Davies

PHOTO CREDITS Cover: Curtis Comeau

Robert Bothwell Chair, Downtown Business Association

THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 3

Phot

ogra

ph b

y Hea

ther

Mus

e

AL CENTROThis beautifully designed room has emerged as one of Downtown’s hottest “fine casual” counter-service spots. Savoury breakfast paninos, Roman style pizza, flavour-packed salads are just right for breakfast and lunch. Say yes to a pre-show cocktail from their extensive drink menu. 9892 Jasper Avenue

MELT SANDWICH CO.The humble sandwich is elevated to a whole new level at this breakfast and lunch-time spot located in the Bell Tower pedway. Our favourite, the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, stirs up childhood memories. 10104 103 Avenue

TIFFIN INDIA’S FRESH KITCHENIt’s love at first whiff when you walk into this Indian restaurant that dishes out 18 different curries. On hand are plenty of standouts from the butter chicken to chicken fenugreek to goat masala. Made-to-order cauliflower latki and fish pakora are splendid. 10404 Jasper Avenue LOADED PIEROGIThis Jasper Avenue outpost is THE place to find Ukrainian food Downtown. The majority of the 12 pierogi dishes are beyond the classic onions and sour cream toppings. Wild mushroom and truffle, Montreal smoked meat and buffalo chicken offer something for everyone.10815 Jasper Avenue

GRAB-AND-GOFast casual restaurants exploded last year, serving everything from Asian dumplings to plant-based BLTs. A simple guide to some of the best counter-service Downtown when you’re pressed for time.

f you think dining at a fast-food restaurant means sacrificing flavour for speed, you

might need a little BUOK Fresh Korean Kitchen in your life. The 30-seat, fast-casual restau-rant is the latest brainchild of Henry Song, an easygoing Korean with a fierce entrepreneurial streak. “In the fast-casual space many people just buy franchises. They’re not committed to making food that really tastes great. They’re only committed to making money and having everything set up for them,” says Song who formerly operated Four Rooms restaurant in Edmonton City Centre.

BUOK channels the flavours and techniques of Song’s mother into authentic Korean dishes like beef bibimbap, pork dumplings and kimchi. It’s not fine dining. Nor is it fast food. It straddles that space in between quick service (usually chains) and casual dining restaurants. “There’s a place for every type of service but I wanted to be in a category where I see growth,” says Song. In Canada and the US, growth of fast- casual restaurants is out pacing every restaurant category in response to changing demo- graphics and dining habits. “There are more people that are single than ever before that now eat alone. At BUOK, we’ve created a space where everyone is comfortable, whether they come in a big group or all by themselves. and still have food that’s flavourful.”

SEOUL FOODI

THE NOTEBOOK

BY THE NUMBERS

Growth of fast food restaurants in Canada

2014–2019

3.4%Total revenue of fast food

restaurants in Canada2019

$26 billionGrowth of coffee & snack

shops in Canada2014–2019

4.8%Total revenue of coffee & snack shops in Canada

2019

$5 billionGrowth of full-service restaurants in Canada

4.2%Total revenue of full-service restaurants in

Canada2019

$35 billionSource: Statistics Canada

4 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

During his 34 years in the foodservice industry, Greg Prokopowich has seen a lot of changes. But as Director of Business Resources for Sysco Canada, Prairies Region, he’s also seen a lot of the same problems over and over again. We asked him how Downtown food operators can avoid these profit pitfalls.

1. FOCUS ON SALES When doing everything right, says Prokopo-wich, restaurants should be realizing an annual profit of 5 per cent. Yet many do not, and the reason is simple, according to Prokopowich: They are often too focused on saving money and not spending enough energy on driving sales. When you drive sales, you drive profit.

2. ENGAGE YOUR STAFF Whether you are a small mom-and pop outfit or a chain, your staff is your greatest asset. “You’ve got to train and invest in your staff,” Prokopowich says. “Get them engaged in your goals; bring the whole staff into the conversa-tion about strategies and customer experience. Start by holding pre-shift huddles to build energy and morale.”

3. KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY CHANGES The foodservice industry is changing fast. Millennials and Gen Z-ers are becoming the primary consumers, driving things like plant-based menus, wild flavour mashups and the ex-plosive growth of third-party delivery services. “It’s a very new landscape for restaurants, and owners frequently don’t know how to capital-ize on these developments,” says Prokopowich. It’s important to stay abreast of current trends.

4. MAKE AN ACTION PLAN As with any other business, a restaurant’s owner can become so caught up in the details, they neglect the big picture. In foodservice, “the owner is often the cook, washing service and serve too,” says Prokopowich. Instead, if possible, owners should have others do the day-to-day work so they can develop the action plans. When you come in to meet your local Sysco Business Resources team, you can learn a range of strategies, from how to drive sales to training and engaging staff—and it’s all free. “We’re not here to sell you anything except success.” n

SOUND ADVICEIt’s time to get back to the basics. Restaurant tips for taking your operation to the next level. | ARTICLE COURTESY OF SYSCO CANADA, FOODIE MAGAZINE

“ Get your staff engaged in your goals and bring the whole staff into the conversation.”

Sysco Canada is a proud sponsor of Downtown Dining Week March 11–22. Is your restaurant maximized for profitability? Request a consultation with your Sysco Marketing Associate about products and solutions for your business.

THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 5

THIS IS JUST THE VEGANNING

Why so hush-hush about being a vegan café? It was a conscious marketing decision to sell great-tasting food that speaks for itself, not food that fits into a category. We don’t want people to choose us because we are vegan. More often than not, people are thrilled to find out that we’re vegan. When we first opened, we saw a lot of people dropping by to see what we are all about. We lost some customers because they’re not into vegan food, but we’ve also seen an increase in destination eaters, people coming from further away. It’s been a balancing act.

We heard it’s a whole different food concept at night? What’s going on? Yeah, at 5pm we switch over to Seitans of Disciples. It’s classic fried chicken but vegan. Double-fried dipped Seitan, one of the oldest fake meats in the world. Made from washed wheat. The Chinese have been making it for over 2,000 years. The first two weeks we opened we couldn’t keep up with the demand for fried chickun. We were selling out every single night. Chickun burgers. Chickun wings. Everything. In the evening, we dim the lights and project b-movies on the back wall.

Your other restaurant Die-Pie is in Oliver. Why did you come Downtown to 97 Street? We think this area has been underserved for a long time and it has so much potential. This block should be crazy. This block should be bonkers with the RAM, the AGA and the Winspear all in close proximity. And it will be! n

hankfully, vegan food has evolved beyond rice bowls and pasta. The dishes are so good, you wouldn’t even know

they’re vegan. And in some cases, they’re not even telling you there’s no meat. We talked to Shelly Halle, co-owner of Peche Cafe, to see how business is going at Downtown’s newest vegan spot located in The Quarters.

Why a fast-casual vegan restaurant? Fast casual is where the growth is. Young people are eating out often and they want an option that’s affordable, great tasting and convenient.

What’s flying out the doors? We make a buffalo chicken that we sell a ton of these each day. We add our own in-house vegan gorgonzola cheese to the sandwich. The cheese is made from cashews and it’s super creamy and has a beautiful tang to it. Our best seller is probably our pastries though. We can barely keep up with the demand. We really try to keep our menu fresh and exciting for our customers. We added new dishes last month like a pickle grilled cheese sandwich and a BBQ ribbz burger.

You make your own cheese? Yeah, we have a cheese factory in the back with state-of-the-art equipment. It’s insane back there. Anything we can make in-house, we do.

Vegan or plant based? What’s gives? What’s the difference? Veganism emphasizes animal cruelty and exploitation, implying that not only have you eliminated animal products from your diet, but you’ve eliminated it from all aspects of your life. Plant-based means you don’t consume animal products, but you might wear leather shoes. Veganism and plant-based are really different shades of grey. We keep the café 100% vegan. We don’t have anything in here that’s derived from animals.

T

6 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

5 restaurants doing Instagram right

THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 7

Instagram may be free, but savvy digital marketers under-stand that paid social advertising drives awareness and increases customers. Why bother spending money when you’ve already got 5,000 followers? The reason is that reach, the number of unique accounts your content is displayed to, is far more important than followers. (Plus, don’t forget that Instagram’s algorithms serve up your organic posts to only about 20% of your followers) Paid ads allow you to market your content to people who aren’t following you. And even better, you can

target specific demographics based on age, gender, interest and location. “You’re not blanketing people that wouldn’t be interested in your ad or restaurant, unlike

traditional media” says Jesse Kupina, owner of Central Social Hall. You don’t really know who is going to see a billboard ad or listen to a radio spot. The 109 Street restaurant purchases paid ads to spread the word about new menu items, special events and new restaurant happenings.

Wishbone @eatwishbone

No matter how many followers you boast, a restaurant’s Instagram account is only as good as the quality of its photos. You’ve got less than two seconds (really!) to grab someone’s attention so every photo should leave followers salivating. Since opening two years ago, Wishbone restaurant has gained 5,000 Instagram followers, credited mostly to quality photos that drive customers through the door. “Whenever we post something on Instagram, I notice that it becomes a big seller for that day, and even the day after,” says chef Lasha Gust. Armed with the restaurant’s point-and-shoot camera, Gust snaps most of Wishbone’s photos. Her two biggest tips are always use natural sunlight (no flash please) and focus on composition. Gust takes most of her photographs underneath the restaurant’s skylight or in the restaurant’s back hallway where it has lovely white walls that beautifully reflect light. “I try to use plates like a canvas to show off the food and make sure all the components are highlighted in a way that makes people want to eat it,” adds Gust.

Al Centro @alcentro.ca

Don’t be afraid to share photos of your employees—they’re your brand’s best ambassadors. Al Centro restaurant regularly posts snaps of their employees celebrating milestones, such as birthdays and family gatherings. Talking up your staff is also a great motivator and way to recognize them for their hard work. Not to mention it helps build community, humanize the business and tell your company’s story.

Sabor @sabor_yeg

We get it, you’re too busy for Instagram. So why not let your customers do the work for you? Regram their posts. Afterall, social media is about sharing. They’ve already eaten at your restaurant, raved about their experience online and racked up dozen of likes from their followers. About 70 percent of Sabor restaurant’s posts are customer regrams. “It’s allows us to say ‘thank you,’ and be appreciative and grateful to our customers for sharing their experience at our restaurant with their followers,” says co-owner Christian Mena. Think of it as a glowing review in real-time that will influence new customers who are umming and ahhing about coming in. “More older customers are learning how to use Instagram to shop around. They use social media to decide where they want to eat and what’s going on in the dining scene.”

District Cafe @districtcafeyeg

Save the dry copy for business presentations. Your Instagram captions should be short, snappy and reflect your brand’s voice. But most importantly, your captions should stir excitement and strong emotions amongst your followers. District Café and Bakery is a brand that’s really figured out how to use Instagram to tell its story and share its values. They speak to their followers like they were besties. It’s light-hearted, witty and clever, but always genuine, which is no different from the in-person experience at District. Finding your brand voice take practice and it may evolve as your business changes. n

Central Social Hall @centralsocialhall

With Instagram being one of the fastest growing networks, it’s easy to see restaurants value it for marketing and customer engagement. Which Downtown Edmonton restaurants are killin’ it on Instagram? We scoured dozens of accounts and found those who are winning customers and followers one post at a time. Get more customers through the door and increase loyalty with these tips.

5 restaurants doing Instagram right

8 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME

new people visiting the restaurant who have just moved Downtown, and they are out and about getting to know the neighbourhood,” says Iulian.

In addition to twentysomethings, many of Bottega’s customers are retirees that have sold their acreages in the surrounding bedroom communities and are downsizing Downtown. “They love the vibe. They love living walking distance from so many restaurants. That’s what attracted them here,” adds Illuian.

No matter what the residential influx brings, restaurants will have to adjust their business practices to adapt to changing trends, says Patrick Saurette, proprietor of The Marc, and the past chair of Restaurants Canada. Today’s consumers are inundated with food and beverage choices, requiring businesses to be nimble more than ever. The same old, same old doesn’t cut it.

It only makes sense that with everyone tightening their belts, Downtown will see more of what Saurette calls “fast but good” spots or what the industry calls “fast-casuals” —eateries offering counter service, where people can grab food quickly and for less money than what they’d pay at a fine dining restaurant.

This winter, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse opened its fast-casual concept a Bite of Brazil on 104 Street . For under $10, customers can

order Brazilian sandwiches filled with mounds of barbequed beef brisket and topped with cheddar cheese. Next door at Tiffin India’s Fresh Kitchen, which opened last summer, Indian cuisine is a quick, grab-and-go meal for lunch or dinner before a Rogers Place event. On the south side of Jasper Avenue, government workers and residents of the tony neighbourhood frequent BUOK Fresh Korean Kitchen for its flavourful bibimbap bowls.

“In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of great fine-dining restaurants open in the core that created a great deal of buzz about the dining scene here. With a slower economy though, we’ll probably see that pace slow down a bit and more fast-casuals places open. That’s the one dining category where there’s real opportunity for growth.” says Ian O’Donnell, executive director of the Downtown Business Association.

Fast-casuals leave a large chunk of money on the table and some operators are looking for innovative opportunities to present themselves.

Head to Dorinku Osaka at noon and you’ll notice something decidedly different about the lunch service. There are no servers floating from table to table taking orders. Instead patrons queue up at the till and a cashier takes each order. When the meal is ready, a server brings out the food to each table. This pared-down, cost-efficient model

growing Downtown population, changing demographics and the

rise of quick-service restaurants has greatly impacted Downtown’s dining scene in the past year. Key to growth will be keeping up with a rapidly changing industry and staying relevant with consumers.

According to the 2019 City of Edmonton census, 12,423 people call Downtown home. By 2023 another 1,400 residential units will be added with the development of The Falcon Towers, Ice District high-rises, the Clancey on 104 Street and Shift by Edgar Developments on 106 Street. More than half of those living in the core are aged 20–39 and represent a young, cosmopolitan crowd who have bought into the urban lifestyle of unmissable arts and culture attractions, and a multitude of dining options located just outside their condo doors. This young cohort also spends about 35% to 44% of their food dollar on food and alcohol from restaurants, which bodes well for Downtown eateries that have traditionally relied primarily on diners coming in from across the city.

“About 60% of our business comes from people living and working in the surrounding area,” says Flavius Iulian, regional manager of Bottega 104. Since opening on 104 Street in 2018, the Italian restaurant has seen a steady increase in local foot traffic from the neighboring towers. “Every week, we have

A

THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 9

AS DISRUPTIVE FORCES CONTINUE TO IMPACT DOWNTOWN’S DINING SCENE, RESTAURANT OPERATORS ARE CHANGING THEIR BUSINESS MODELS AND PRACTICES.

allows the restaurant to schedule less front-of-house staff during the lunch hour. And Downtown workers, with a limited amount of time for lunch, can quickly get back to their desks in less than an hour. In the evening, table service resumes.

The same thing happens at Filistix, a 30-seater Filipino restaurant that opened on 100 Avenue and 107 Street last year. For dinner and weekend brunch, it’s table service and a lengthier menu filled with dishes, such as chicken and shrimp dumplings, grilled skewers, fried noodles and chicken adobo. However, during lunch-hour, just like over at Dorinku, it’s counter service and a limited menu designed to get people in and out quickly.

Restaurant service too slow? There’s an app for that. The rise of online third-party delivery services, such as Skip the Dish, Foodora and Uber Eats, has created an additional revenue stream for many restaurants. According to NDP Group, in the 12 months ending in February 2019, foodservice-delivery sales reached $3.3 billion in Canada, representing 5.8 per cent of the $57 billion of the total full- and quick-service restaurant sales. Much to the ire of some restauranteurs, this tech disruptor is not going away. It’s here to stay.

“If people are going to spend money at my restaurant, does it really matter if they eat here or if they order from Skip?” asks Henry

Flavius Iluian of Bottega 104 says that their new private room, built to host more corporate and private bookings, will be a game changer.

10 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

Song, owner of fast-casual BUOK. For many like Song, the appeal of these delivery services is that they allow restaurants to reach new customers and markets. No longer are you serving customers within your restaurant space but you’re reaching them in their homes and in their offices.

During the winter months, deliveries account for almost 40% of Ono Poke’s business, says chef Lawrence Hui. That percentage drops in half when the weather warms up. “We are winter wonderland and, during those months when we’re stuck in the cold, a lot of people don’t want to go outside. It’s convenience they’re after,” says Hui.

But these delivery apps do come at a cost. Many of the delivery companies operate on a percentage commission fee that can be negotiated but only the larger chains are typically afforded lower fees. Smaller independents can pay as much as 40% of the bill in fees, which is a high cost for an industry that already has thin profit margins.

On Ono Poke’s back counter, four tablets are lined up every day. There’s one for Skip the Dish orders, another for Uber Eats, a third for Foodora and the last one is for

Ono Poke’s custom-built food delivery app. Built in partnership with Chow Now, orders through the Ono Poke app are commission-free, allowing the fast-casual to maximize its bottom-line revenue.

Unlike, third-party services, Hui has more control over the app. He can run app-only promotions, collect email addresses to remarket to subscribers, and take advantage of push-notifications to strategically announce new dishes or discounts.

Saurette of The Marc urges restaurants to think beyond delivery services and think about their overall “digital door” experience. Saurette says that restaurants stateside are looking at how they can outfit their spaces to accommodate the increased use of technology. “Chipotle is a great example of a company that is designing their spaces to allow other ways for consumers to participate in convenience, fast-food and accuracy.” Earlier last year, Chipotle began testing exterior pick-up windows for customers who place orders online.

Third-party delivery services and fast-casuals are obviously not for everyone.

For some operators, 2020 will be about maximizing the space they already have. For The Marc, a big change has been in serving corporate functions. When Saurette and his wife launched the restaurant nearly a decade ago, they promised that they’d never close to the public for a corporate event. Times have changed and Saurette has realized that he can’t pass up the guaranteed full house that a corporate event provides. He’s now taking full restaurant buyouts for corporate clients.

Many restaurants report that they’re also seeing a rise in weddings and anniversary parties happening on weeknight and weekend evenings, as consumers look for alternative venues and ways to save money. There are plenty of opportunities for restaurants to take advantage of this trend.

This April Bottega 104 will open a 50-seat private room to accommodate corporate events and private bookings. The space isn’t even open yet and already the restaurant has bookings for Christmas. “It’s going to a game-changer and a huge source of revenue for us,” says Iulian. “We want to fully invest here in Downtown because the location is prime and it’s a growing Downtown core.” n

NO LONGER ARE YOU SERVING CUSTOMERS WITHIN YOUR RESTAURANT SPACE. YOU’RE REACHING THEM

IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR OFFICES.

Fast-causal Tiffin India’s Fresh Kitchen is one of a growing number of restaurants offering counter service that have opened in the core.

ALL ARE WELCOME

LISTEN TO A PODCAST

ABOUT HATTIE’S ROYALALBERTA-

MUSEUM.CA/ PODCASTS

N THE 1940s, a weary Black traveller had few dining options in Edmonton. Discrimination was

still commonplace. Blacks faced institutionalized racism in a number of pernicious forms—many hotels and restau-rants refused to accommodate them. One welcoming place in Edmonton for Blacks looking for a meal was Hatti’s Harlem Chicken Inn, opened in 1944. Originally located at 101 Street and 104 Avenue (it later moved to where the Law Courts now reside), Hatti’s Harlem Chicken Inn was the best fried chicken joint in the city. Owner Hatti Melton served up juicy, salty, crackling fried chicken that folks of

all skin colours, from near and far, came for. Edmonton musician Tommy Banks raved about Hatti’s chicken. American Black entertainers Pearl Bailer and Big Miller popped by when performing in Edmonton. Hatti’s was more than a restaurant. It was an important social mainstay of the Black community, a meeting place for the city’s Black population to share news, stories and meet friends. Newly arrived Blacks knew they’d be lovingly greeted by Hatti, and if they were lucky, pick up work in the kitchen. All were wel-come. Hatti Melton passed away in 1969 and her daughter ran the restaurants for a few years after until it closed. n

I

MEMORY LANE

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

of M

yrna

Wisd

om

THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE | SPRING 11

12 SPRING | THE DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE

March 11-22$20 2-course lunch / brunch$35 or $50 multi-course dinnerDaily culinary eventsEnter online for a chance to win a Downtown Weekend package, including a two-night stay at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District and two tickets to Miranda Lambert

edmontondowntown.com

PRESENTED BY: SPONSORED BY: