Show Your Local Love for National Takeout Day

Vivian Vassos | April 15th, 2021

Try something new and local for National Takeout Day, an initiative created to support the hard-hit restaurant industry during the pandemic. Photo: Courtesy of Skip The Dishes

With today being National Takeout Day, Canadians are encouraged to take a break from preparing dinner and order from one of their favourite local restaurants.

One year ago, in the early days of the pandemic, @canadatakeout introduced the first National Takeout Day to support our restaurant owners who have been slammed by the cross-country lockdowns.

We’ve been strong advocates for showing support for our favourite local restaurants by ordering takeout. It takes the stress out of deciding what’s for dinner tonight (again). We recommend that you do so not only on takeout day but as often as possible, as we know the food industry has been devastated during this pandemic.

Need more reasons? Many of these small businesses are owned by women or Black, Indigenous or people of colour. And they not only provide excellent food choices but their very existence adds to the health and vibrancy of our communities and neighbourhoods. If you’re able, don’t forget to tip, and tip well. Every little bit helps.

And, you won’t be alone in your generosity. To ensure bartenders, servers and other hospitality staff experiencing financial hardship can benefit from Canadians’ generosity and community spirit, Campari Canada will be topping up tips on National Takeout Day with a $50,000 donation to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund (“BBF”). Campari brings us spirits such as Aperol, Grand Marnier, Campari, Cinzano and Forty Creek among many others.

More Seniors Ordering Online

According to the online food-ordering engine and app SkipTheDishes, those over the age of 65 comprise the fastest growing segment of new users to the online restaurant and food order company As we stay home in an effort to keep everyone safe, having it brought right to your door has become increasingly important.

Ordering in also gives us a chance to explore new dishes and sample international cuisines to help satisfy your inner foodie traveller. In B.C., most of you are ordering Japanese, Italian (hello comfort food) and good old straightforward American/Canadian (burgers and fries, anyone?). Manitobans are looking to take their taste buds to Asia with a bent toward Thai food (speaking of which, April 21 is Thai Food Takeout Day); Quebeckers love their pasta, and in the Maritimes, Arabic cuisine is on top, with Shawarma as one of the most ordered.

Ordering delivery doesn’t have to mean ordering “fast” food. Out west, dairy-free and vegan options are all the rage, while in Ontario, organic, kosher and halal choices are consistently sought after. (Most ordering apps allow you to choose under categories such as gluten- and dairy-free, as well.) Late-night orders increased by 38 per cent in 2020; sleepless nights and a bit of binge-watching Netflix may play their parts in this trend. Blame it on Bridgerton, we say.

High-end cuisine was also on people’s minds: Edmonton takes first place for the most expensive order with a final tab of $900.27: celebrations were on tap for something to pair with three bottles of Dom Perignon also in the order. Many high-end dining options and top Canadian chefs from across the country are also sending out their fare via takeout and delivery.

Fun Food Delivery Facts

Go ahead, try something new while supporting your local restaurants. Get it to go! #takeoutday can be any day. To inspire your choices, here are a few fun foodie factoids from 2020.

The three most ordered items in Canada were Asian dishes, pizza and burgers
The most popular cuisines were Chinese, Italian and American/Canadian
Roughly 50 per cent of SkipTheDishes users don’t know what they’re going to order when they open the app or go on the website.
81 per cent of customers have ordered from a restaurant they have never been to in person before.
Step aside Gen-Z; the 65+ age demo was the fastest growing segment of new users.
In B.C., the most expensive order was $844.50.
In Alberta, 962 orders were placed by the same person.
Someone in Saskatchewan ordered 900 times.
In Manitoba, the most expensive order was $728.20, which included 15 New York strip steaks.
In Ontario, the most popular convenience items ordered were slushies, fountain drinks and taquitos.
The most expensive order in Montreal was for 55 orders of sushi at $737.25
And in Quebec, the top convenience items include Oasis Juice, dog food and soft drinks.

For more information, go to: restaurantscanada.org; skipthedishes.com; and canadatakeout.com

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