N.L. restaurateur Jeremy Bonia elected board chair at Restaurants Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador-based restaurateur and sommelier Jeremy Bonia has been elected Restaurants Canada’s new chair of the board of directors.

“I’m both excited and honoured to take on the role of Chair of the Board for Restaurants Canada,” Bonia said in a news release through Restaurants Canada. “As an independent operator in this industry, I understand how tough the last number of years have been for everyone. I look forward to working with the rest of the experienced industry leaders on this board as well as the staff at Restaurants Canada.”

With over 20 years of industry experience, Bonia grew up in Logy Bay, Newfoundland, and began his career in the food-service industry at Bianca’s fine-dining restaurant. There he developed an interest in wine, which led him to become a certified sommelier. In 2007, he and business partner and head chef Jeremy Charles opened three Newfoundland-based restaurants: Raymonds Restaurant, The Merchant Tavern, and most recently, Portage. In 2011 Raymonds Restaurant took home EnRoute’s “Best New Restaurant” award.

As chair, Bonia will be responsible for ensuring that, under the board’s direction, Restaurants Canada makes objective decisions that take into careful consideration the interests of the membership and other stakeholders. He will work closely with president and CEO, Christian Buhagiar.

Bonia succeeds Mike Yasinski, a food-service and hospitality veteran, long-time entrepreneur and bar and restaurant investor, who was elected chair in March 2022.