Provincial caucus to help hospitality operators

The Ontario government has set up a special committee dedicated to giving a boost to the food and lodging industries in the province.

A special visitor at the May 21 annual general meeting of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association delivered the news to restaurant and hotel operators.

Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP for Hamilton Mountain and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship is the chair of the newly formed 14-member Food and Hospitality Caucus.

She told ORN that this group will be the province's direct link to the foodservice and lodging industries.

The first thing the caucus will do is talk to industry members to find out what is needed to help operators improve their businesses.

"I love this industry," said Aggelonitis who has plenty of experience in the restaurant business.

She started working at the age of nine in the restaurant that her family has run in Welland for 35 years, and she was general manager of The Hamilton Club, a private club in downtown Hamilton that offers fine dining.

ORHMA president Tony Elenis told ORN that when inflation is taken into account, the hospitality industry has not yet truly recovered from the effects of SARS and 9-ll.

He told the ORHMA meeting that he had seen industry statistics that are "shocking," showing a "dismal performance."

He welcomed helpful moves by the Liberal government such as the tourism competitiveness study headed by former provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara.

Elenis called the Food and Hospitality Caucus "exciting news."

He added, "It's unprecedented in our industry."

The ORHMA itself needs a business boost.

Although it showed a profit of $4,386 last year income from memberships was $765,000, down 5.8 per cent from the previous year.

Revenues from education programs were down 25 per cent, to $27,000, and marketing revenues were down 8.4 per cent, to $349,000.

The marketing income drop reflected lower income from trade show payments; the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association ran one less show last year.