VICTORIA — Restaurants Canada has launched a proactive campaign urging the B.C. government to prevent a proposed 10-per-cent increase in the cost of chicken. This move by the BC Chicken Marketing Board would mean the restaurant industry and consumers will be hit with another significant price hike.
At a time when restaurants are already fighting an uphill battle to profitability, a statement from Restaurants Canada says this proposed increase threatens to tip the scale against them. “With 62 per cent of restaurants operating at a loss or barely breaking even, compared to 10 per cent pre-pandemic, this upsurge could further destabilize the industry,” reads the statement.
A new survey by spark*insights shows, 78 per cent of B.C. residents say they would be concerned if chicken prices rose 10 per cent. The impact of this price surge could lead to a substantial shift in consumer behaviour, with 48 per cent of respondents indicating they would purchase less chicken and 24 per cent stating they would stop buying chicken altogether.
“The soaring cost of this widely consumed and versatile meat protein could prove detrimental to restaurants of all sizes in British Columbia, where chicken forms an essential part of menus and dietary preferences,” says Mark von Schellwitz, VP, Western Canada at Restaurants Canada.
