TORONTO — The Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa) 20th anniversary conference kicked off Sept. 19 with a welcome reception and Canadian cuisine evening at the CN Tower/360 Restaurant.
Welcomed by CN Tower’s general manager, Neil Jones, and chef, Peter George, the evening included tours of 360’s induction-powered kitchens that produce some 900 covers per day.
The delegates also heard from DiRoNa chair William J. Hyde Jr, conference Chair John J. Arena, and conference vice-chair Barry J. Chaim. “This program, starting with this evening, marks a new future, new direction, for our organization,” said Arena, whose former Toronto restaurant Winston’s was the site of the launch of DiRoNa 20 years ago.This morning, Sept. 20, business sessions began with Garth Whyte, president of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, speaking on “A Vision for the Restaurant Industry. Why Should North America Care?”
What’s more, some 200 DiRoNa members from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and special guests from Japan and Italy, are being treated to a full-day culinary and wine tour in the Niagara peninsula and a special lunch at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Vineland, Ont.
The conference, held primarily at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel, runs until Wednesday, Sept. 22. For more information, click here.
