Fresh and frozen ground beef treated with irradiation can now be sold in Canada, the federal health department announced Wednesday. Health Canada has published regulations in the Canada Gazette which add fresh and frozen ground beef to the short list of irradiated foods, such as potatoes, onions, spices and flour, that are permitted for sale, […] Read more
Health Canada clears ground beef irradiation
Tim Hortons owner confirms US$1.8B deal for Popeyes
Reuters — Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King and Tim Hortons fast-food chains, said on Tuesday it would acquire Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for US$1.8 billion in cash. The deal is a bet by Oakville, Ont.-based Restaurant Brands that it can use its international reach to introduce Popeyes’ Louisiana-style fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits […] Read more
Tim Hortons owner reported near deal to buy Popeyes
Reuters — Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King and Tim Hortons fast food chains, is nearing a deal to acquire Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, people familiar with the matter said Monday. The deal, which will likely value Popeyes at more than US$1.7 billion, is a bet by Oakville, Ont.-based Restaurant Brands that it can […] Read more
A+W books sales growth despite Prairie ‘challenges’
Canadian burger and root beer chain A+W has chalked up another year of same-store sales growth despite “economic challenges” in the Alberta and Saskatchewan markets. Posting its year-end results on Tuesday, A+W’s Vancouver-based income fund reported same-store sales growth of 3.4 per cent in 2016 over 2015, down from a 7.6 per cent sales growth […] Read more
Tim Hortons to enter Mexican market
Reuters — Restaurant Brands International said it would launch its coffee and doughnut chain, Tim Hortons, in Mexico as a part of its expansion plans. The company said it would form a master franchise joint venture with a group of investors, whom they did not name, to launch the brand. The joint venture company will […] Read more
McDonald’s, A+W roll out all-day breakfast for Canada
Burger chains McDonald’s and A+W expect to dial up their demand for Canadian eggs as they offer all-day breakfasts alongside their beef and chicken wares across the country, starting next month. Toronto-based A+W announced Thursday it would be “the first national burger chain to offer all-day breakfast at its restaurants” coast-to-coast starting Feb. 27, after […] Read more
Quebec agriculture minister temporarily sidelined
Quebec’s agriculture minister Pierre Paradis is off work temporarily with what’s reported to be a concussion. Premier Philippe Couillard announced Wednesday that Paradis’ responsibilities as minister of agriculture, food and fisheries would temporarily go to Transport Minister Laurent Lessard. News outlets in Quebec including Radio Canada, La Presse and TVA reported Wednesday that Paradis had […] Read more
Australia, New Zealand pledge to salvage TPP
Reuters — Australia hopes to salvage the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by encouraging China and other Asian nations into the agreement in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull his country out of the pact, its trade minister said on Tuesday. New Zealand’s trade minister said ministers from the remaining TPP countries would […] Read more
EU-Canada trade deal clears further hurdles in Europe
Brussels | Reuters — A planned EU-Canada free trade deal received backing from a committee of the European Parliament and Germany’s top court on Thursday, increasing its chances of entering force later this year. The European Union and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in October, but only after opposition from a […] Read more
Protectionism game comes with raised economic stakes: Frum
As U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration day approaches, the business world is pondering how the new administration might affect the world economy. Trump’s pride in his unpredictability is troubling, given he’s the president-elect, said David Frum, political commentator, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and a senior editor for Washington-based magazine The Atlantic. However, […] Read more