Table Talk with Rosanna Caira

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor/publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Doug Stephen, owner and operator of Winnipeg-based WOW Hospitality.  The conversation focuses on Stephen's career path, his recent induction into the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservice Association's Hall of Fame, and the lasting impact the iconic restaurateur has had over more than 40 years. 

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with Tony Elenis, president and CEO of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association, about some of the most important issues his association is dealing with. including labour challenges, wholesale liquor changes in the province, and the uncertainty surrounding the potential impact of tariffs.

In this special episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with the two restaurateurs behind the successful Osteria Giulia and Giulietta concepts—David Minicucci and chef Rob Rossi. The partners talk about the secrets of their success, a new restaurant concept soon to be launched, and the reasons why their partnership continues to shine.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with industry analyst Vince Sgabellone of Circana. The two discuss the state of the restaurant industry in Canada, with a particular emphasis on the increasing popularity of the fast-casual segment, touching on the opportunities it affords foodservice operators.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Robert Carter, president of StratonHunter, a consultancy focused on the retail and restaurant industry. The two discuss the state of the Canadian foodservice industry, the salient trends impacting it, and what the outlook for the next year looks like.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Darcy MacDonell and Simon MacRae, partners of the Common Stove,  PICNIC Tapas & Wine and the Hog & Penny Pub in Orillia, Ont. The two restaurateurs discuss how they're working together to create Orillia's most popular restaurant, how they're dealing with the challenges and opportunities of running a trio of eateries, and the lessons learned from working with some of the most successful operators in the foodservice industry.  

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Frank Menezes, Professor & Program Coordinator, Hotel Operations Management, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, at George Brown College. The two speak about the myriad changes in the education field, the importance of collaboration between colleges and the industry and the challenges of dealing with chronic labour shortages.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with chef Jonathan Gushue and former hotelier, Jennifer Belanger, partners of Gushue Belanger Hospitality Services. The partners, whose combined business experience totals 50 years, in both restaurants and hotels, discuss the challenges and opportunities of launching a new partnership in 2022 post pandemic, while also working to launch two new restaurant concepts ―The Gate, and The Vale, in 2024. In addition to discussing the new ventures, the partners also talk about their core business values and their innovative and creative approach to building the business.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner and chef of Vancouver's renowned restaurant Vij's. The chef and restaurateur talks about her love of Indian cuisine, her passion for bringing humanity into her business and cooking practices, and her work at advancing and promoting women in business.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Jacqueline Nicosia and Chef Roberto Marotta of Ardo Restaurant, Dova and Vivi Imports about their passion for promoting Sicilian food and ingredients. The co-owners of this thriving Toronto-based hospitality business group shares their story of entrepreneurship with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of running several different business while also being life partners.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Kris Hall, founder of the London-England based Burnt Chef Project and Imrun Texeira, chef and Canadian ambassador of the project. The two speak about the impressive growth of this important movement that aims to tackle the stigma of mental health within the global hospitality industry, while improving the industry and the health of those that work within it.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with two of KML's recent Top 30 under 30 winners about what made them want to become chefs, their love for the hospitality industry and what can be improved to make hospitality the industry of choice.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Vince Sgabellone, of Circana (formerly the NPD Group) about how the foodservice industry is faring, where growth is taking place and the post-pandemic trends that are changing the landscape of the foodservice and hospitality industry.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Jacob Mancini, VP, Restaurants & Breweries with Canadian Western Bank, (CWB) about the state of the industry, the possibility of an impending recession and what restaurant operators can expect when dealing with the banking community in 2023.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with chef/restaurateur Trevor Lui about the challenges of running a restaurant post pandemic, about his entrepreneurial dream of creating unique dining experiences and about his role as co-founder of Quell, an agency representing food and drink talent with a focus on broadening BIPOC work and leadership.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Chefs Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtlander, two of Canada's most well-known chefs, who were instrumental in helping to develop Canadian Cuisine as well as the use of organic, sustainable and locally sourced foods while promoting the farm-to-table experience. The duo speak about their rise to fame, their role in shaping culinary activism and the state of today's industry.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Scott Bellhouse, president of Bellhouse Hospitality about the current recruitment challenges being faced in the hospitality industry, how the pandemic exacerbated an already challenging area, and what operators can do to find and retain candidates.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Vancouver chef/restaurateur Vikram Vij about the changes fuelled by the pandemic, the impact on his restaurants and the lessons learned by having to re-structure his business to move forward in a post-pandemic world.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Rudi Fischbacher, Dean of Toronto's George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts about his new role as Dean, his plans for continuing to deliver quality education and his views on how the industry and the college system can better work together to deliver quality education to today's students and tomorrow's leaders.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Hassel Aviles, director of the non-profit organization Not 9 to 5 about the importance of challenging old systems to create a safer work environment where the voices of employees are heard and where mental health challenges are minimized.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with Nick Di Donato, president and CEO of Liberty Entertainment Group, about how his company has overcome the challenges experienced during the pandemic through a renewed commitment to focus on its core business while taking care of its staff.

As part this episode of this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Chris Locke, executive chef of Toronto's Marben Restaurant. Locke speaks about his food philosophy and evolution as a chef, the myriad changes spurred by the lingering pandemic, and his journey to be a better leader while creating a more welcoming and hospitable environment for his team.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Kyle Brown, co-founder of Unified Data Labs and an established entrepreneur specializing in food and information technology. The discussion focuses on the role that data analysis can play in better understanding the complex foodservice market while also helping operators effectively build their business.

In this edition of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with a quartet of educators about the state of hospitality education in Canada, examining how the pandemic forced major shifts in the delivery model of education to today's students and what that means for tomorrow's leaders and the hospitality industry.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with chef/educator Bashir Munye about being a passionate advocate for promoting quality foods representative of Toronto's multi-cultural community and his quest to make the foodservice and hospitality industry a more diverse, better and equitable industry.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with chef Imrun Texeira about his passion for the culinary arts, his new business curating menus for consumers in their own homes, and about his desire to make the industry a more hospitable and healthier place in which to work.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Matt Rolfe, coach, speaker, author, and entrepreneur about the importance of building high-performing teams and creating a winning culture through solid leadership and communication.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Suzanne Barr, chef and social advocate about the state of the foodservice industry and the barriers she'd had to overcome to find her way in the culinary world.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Adam Armelad and Oren Boravitch, co-founders of Kitchen Hub, Canada's first Virtual Food Hall about how ghost kitchens are revolutionizing the takeout industry in Canada and the benefits and opportunities of having various food brands located under one roof.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Domenic Primucci, president of Pizza Nova about the changes fueled by the pandemic, how the business continues to grow and evolve and what future opportunities might look like in the post-pandemic landscape.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks to Toronto celebrity chef Matt Basile, founder of Fidel Gastro's, about the challenges and opportunities of starting an underground sandwich pop up to an internationally recognized food brand.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Frazer Nagy, tech entrepreneur and president of Transparent Kitchen, about the importance of pricing your physical table real estate to ensure a profitable restaurant model.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Lori Nickels, CEO of Second Harvest about her company's social and environmental justice issues related to food recovery and how she has help build a local food charity that distributes healthy food into a national food support network.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Adrian Niman, founder and executive chef of Toronto's Food Dudes, about the ups and downs of running a successful restaurant and catering company through by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Rocco Agostino, co-owner of Toronto’s Pizzeria Libretto and owner of Enoteca Sociale about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted his restaurants and how he’s been able to become more innovative in the face of adversity.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality speaks with Chef Michael Blackie of NEXT restaurant in Ottawa about his unique and creative approach to marketing his restaurant during the difficult days of the pandemic.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with Christina Veira, general manager of Bar Mordecai in Toronto, about her varied experiences in the hospitality industry -- from being a spirits educator with WSET, a consultant and a restaurant general manager to being one of the 100 most influential figures in the global bar industry.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with David Hopkins, president of The Fifteen Group Consultancy, about how COVID-19 is changing the restaurant experience and guest expectations.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with restaurateur Hal Roback about how COVID-19 fuelled the permanent closure of his popular and successful Frankie Tomatto's in Markham, Ont.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Daniel Hadida, chef at The Restaurant at Pearl Morisette in Jordan Station, in the heart of the Niagara region, about his guiding motivation to create a restaurant that delights restaurant goers while challenging the status quo.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality, speaks with three leading independent restaurant operators and chefs (Donna Dooher, Carl Heinrich and Patrick Saurette) about the impacts of COVID on their businesses and the need for change across the Canadian foodservice landscape.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Dan Morrow, vice-president, Food & Beverage, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to examine how the iconic sports and entertainment complex has dealt with the impacts of COVID-19 and how the MLSE team is navigating a new NHL season amidst a different world.

In this edition of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, Editor & Publisher of Kostuch Media Ltd. and Bruce McAdams, Associate Professor, of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management at the University of Guelph, moderate a panel of this year's Top-30-under-30 winners as Kostuch Media celebrates achievement and excellence in the industry's young professionals. The Top 30 recognition program was established in 2006 by the Ontario Hostelry Institute, under the guidance of J. Charles Grieco, to recognize young professionals in Canada who have made an outstanding contribution early in their professional careers.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Andy Hickl-Szabo, professor at George Brown College in Toronto, to examine some of the structural problems that exist in the foodservice and hospitality industry and what can be done to fix them.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Mohamad Fakih, president of Paramount Fine Foods to examine how his company has dealt with the burden of the pandemic while continuing his philanthropic quest to help the community.

While the foodservice and hospitality industry is home to a diverse workforce, barriers to equality continue to exist in restaurants and hotels alike. On August 11, 2020 KML in partnership with Easton’s Group of Hotels, assembled a group of industry leaders to discuss what the industry needs to do in order to dismantle those barriers to ensure discrimination is eradicated, true equality is achieved and that everyone is treated with the respect they deserve. Last week, five months after that webinar, we once again assembled a panel of leaders culled from that first roundtable to determine what kind of progress has been made on this front, to examine the initiatives being introduced by various leading hospitality companies to ensure a discrimination-free environment and to introduce goals and directives for the industry so that it can become home to a diverse and inclusive workforce that is welcoming and hospitable to all.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with Susan Senecal, president and CEO of A&W Restaurants to examine how the QSR company has navigated the COVID-19 crisis and how the year ahead is shaping up.

In this episode of the Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Todd Barclay, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada about how COVID-19 has impacted the association’s membership and what the association is doing to advocate for its membership base.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine and Amy Bostock, managing editor, speak with this year’s Hospitality Heroes as part of a webcast Roundtable, highlighting the community initiatives introduced by 11 hospitality leaders during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine speaks with Tony Elenis, president and CEO of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, Motel Association and Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant Association to assess how COVID-19 has impacted their membership and what the associations are doing to advocate for their members as well as educate the government with regard to surviving through this lingering pandemic.

In this episode of Table Talk, Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, speaks with John Sinopoli, president of the Ascari Group to examine how his restaurant company has dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and about his efforts to found SAVE HOSPITALITY.