Canadians rally to save restaurants with #TakeoutDay

Hundreds of restaurant owners, chefs, culinary leaders and celebrities across Canada have joined forces to support Canada Takeout to make every Wednesday #TakeoutDay. This movement encourages Canadians to order from their favourite local restaurant offering takeout or delivery.

The country-wide kickoff of #TakeoutDay is set for Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

Canada’s Great Kitchen Party – Home Edition will host an epic variety show on Facebook live at 8 p.m. EST on April 15, Canada Takeout said in a news release. It will feature musical entertainment from Canadian performers and athletes. Headliners will include Jim Cuddy, Alan Doyle, Ed Robertson, Barney Bentall and Tom Cochrane. The idea is that friends and family can enjoy dinner and a concert together virtually and do their part to help restaurants on #TakeoutDay.

“Restaurants are vital to the social and economic fabric of communities across Canada, but operating a foodservice business is tough, even in the best of times,” says Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada president and CEO. “Not only was our industry among the first to feel the impacts of COVID-19, we’ve been one of the hardest hit so far, with nearly two thirds of our workforce now lost. We would love to see Canadians embrace #TakeoutDay and support those restaurants who are still able to operate through takeout or delivery.”

“#TakeoutDay aims to save more than just businesses – whether it’s the local mom and pop eatery or the popular restaurant that made it onto top dining lists. Our robust and diverse culinary scene is an integral part of Canada’s unique identity and we stand to lose an important part of our culture and heritage if we don’t do our part,” says Pay Chen, a popular food opinion leader and an ambassador for Canada Takeout.

A number of food personalities are actively involved in the campaign, including, chef Vikram Vij (Vancouver and Surrey), chef Ivana Raca (Toronto), and chef Tyrone Welchinski (Winnipeg). They are encouraging Canadians to share this campaign with family and friends across social media with #TakeoutDay. Find out where to order here.

Iconic chef, Mark McEwan’s heartfelt plea to Canadians can be viewed in this video.

Canada Takeout urges Canadians to make every Wednesday #TakeoutDay.

For more information on how to support local restaurants, visit www.CanadaTakeout.com.