Exclusive Canadian COVID-19 restaurant research, the complicated issue of Hero Pay, pandemic on the farm
Your table is ready! New research in partnership with Angus Reid into consumer perceptions around restaurants and COVID-19 revealed a few surprises and one delight; many Canadians continued to support their local restaurants as best they could with take out, but are split down the middle whether they will be spending much time eating out in the COVID era. But apparently when they do eat out they want mannequins to fill up the seats!! New segment!! Ask the Professor: Submitted Listener Question and Answer The complicated issue of Hero Pay: Can retailers sustain it? Will consumers pay for it? Is technology at retail the answer? Ontario Farms: the new Pandemic Hot Spots - is there a solution, and is importing migrant workers a farming tradition the makes the best use of resources available? Will this result in shortages of fresh vegetables for Canadians?
The Food Professor · Michael LeBlanc, Sylvain Charlebois
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Show Notes
Welcome to the The Food Professor, episode No. 3 - I’m Michael LeBlanc and I’m Sylvain Charlebois! Let’s jump right in…
Your table is ready! New research in partnership with Angus Reid into consumer perceptions around restaurants and COVID-19 revealed a few surprises and one delight; many Canadians continued to support their local restaurants as best they could with take out, but are split down the middle whether they will be spending much time eating out in the COVID era. But apparently when they do eat out they want mannequins to fill up the seats!!
https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/restaurants-post-covid-19.html
New segment!! Ask the Professor: Submitted Listener Question and Answer
Ask a question online at: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskTheFoodProfessor
The complicated issue of Hero Pay: Can retailers sustain it? Will consumers pay for it? Is technology at retail the answer?
Ontario Farms: the new Pandemic Hot Spots - is there a solution, and is importing migrant workers a farming tradition the makes the best use of resources available? Will this result in shortages of fresh vegetables for Canadians?
See articles:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-farms-struggle-to-contain-covid-19-as-migrant-workers-test/
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/scotlynn-pulls-plug-on-asparagus-harvest/wcm/25a3dc86-557e-4d7d-bd3a-9267c4d8a549/
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/06/08/pandemic-makes-problems-of-migrant-farm-workers-worse-report-says.html
Will the increased cost of meat and potential shortages take plant-based protein Beyond a niche? Is there a broader movement at foot...is as a recent article in the NYT a movement that reflects the " inevitability of impending change". (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/opinion/coronavirus-meat-vegetarianism.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage) the future?
This episode is dedicated to two great story tellers that made us aware of the importance of restaurants and food in our culture and both left us better off for being with us. Anthony Bourdain gone now two years this week and Charles Dickens, 150 years ago this week as well.
If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, [and I’m Sylvain Charlebois,
Stay Safe everyone!!
About Us
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.
Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal.
He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada.
Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.
With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.
Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.