The Central York Chamber recently hosted a food and beverage roundtable to hear directly from local restaurant owners, food entrepreneurs, and community partners about the pressures facing one of our most important local sectors.
The conversation was hosted by Carly Laxton-Oroz, President and CEO of the Central York Chamber, with MP Sandra Cobena and MP Scot Davidson joining the discussion to listen to business owners’ experiences, challenges, and recommendations. The purpose of the event was simple: to create an open forum where local businesses could speak honestly about what they are facing and ensure those concerns are heard by decision-makers.
As Sandra Cobena shared at the beginning of the discussion, “This is meant to be an exercise to listen, not just to speak.” That spirit guided the entire roundtable. The Chamber hosted the event because policy conversations are strongest when they begin with the voices of the people living the reality every day. As Sandra noted, “It’s best when government starts by listening to the people who are going through these challenges, takes those challenges, ideas, and recommendations, and then turns them into policy – not the other way around.”
This discussion came at a critical time. Central York opened the roundtable by sharing recently released figures indicating that Canada is projected to lose 4,000 restaurants in 2026, following an already difficult year in which roughly 7,000 restaurants were lost in 2025. For our local communities, these numbers are not abstract. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries, markets, and food producers are places where families gather, young people get their first jobs, local suppliers find customers, and neighbourhoods build identity.
Why We Hosted This Roundtable
As the voice of business in Central York, the Chamber has a responsibility to bring forward the real experiences of our members and local employers. The food and beverage sector has been hit especially hard by rising costs, shifting consumer habits, labour pressures, and shrinking margins.
We hosted this roundtable because local businesses should not have to face these challenges in isolation. The Chamber’s role is to create space for honest dialogue, connect businesses with decision-makers, and help ensure advocacy is grounded in what employers are actually experiencing.
As shared during the closing remarks, “The Chamber is part of the community to really help give the platform for our local businesses — all types of local businesses.” That was exactly the goal of this event: to bring sector-specific voices into the room, create an open conversation, and identify practical priorities for action.
What We Heard
A consistent theme throughout the discussion was that there is no single issue affecting food and beverage businesses. Owners described a challenging operating environment where many pressures are stacking on top of one another.
Janet Walker of Made in Mexico summed it up clearly: “There is no one thing. If you look at the P&L at the end of the day, it’s death by a thousand cuts.”
Business owners spoke about sharp increases in food costs, including major fluctuations in produce and ingredients. They also raised concerns about fuel, shipping, insurance, rent, utilities, waste collection, supplier surcharges, and the rising costs of doing business. Several explained that even when their own costs rise dramatically, they cannot simply pass those increases on to customers who are also struggling with affordability.
Ashley Arkeveld of Metropolis Mercantile shared, “We love what we do. We don’t do this because we’re going to become rich, that’s for sure.” Debbie Hill of Maid’s Cottage noted that they have not raised prices in years because they understand that their customer base includes families who are also feeling the pressure.
Labour was another major issue. Businesses want to pay and retain good staff, but rising wages, payroll costs, training costs, and turnover are making it harder to hire and keep employees. As one participant put it plainly, “Would I like to hire more people? One hundred percent. But my business model won’t afford it.”
Technology and payment processing were also raised as growing cost pressures. Businesses increasingly need modern point-of-sale systems, delivery apps, tap payments, online ordering, and customer-facing technology to remain competitive. But many of these tools come with monthly fees, commissions, or processing costs that cut into already thin margins.
Janet explained, “Technology now is becoming a big part of all of this as well — one more pressure, one more additional cost.” Another participant added that “payment processing has gotten out of control,” with credit card and transaction fees costing businesses thousands of dollars each month.
The discussion also highlighted the need for supports that are practical and accessible. Several participants noted that traditional tax write-offs are not always useful for businesses that are not making a profit. As Janet said, “A tax write-off is not really a benefit if you’re not making a profit.” The message was clear: businesses need support that reaches them directly and helps with real operating costs.
Key Priorities Identified
By the end of the discussion, several advocacy priorities had clearly emerged:
1. Relief from rising input costs, especially food, fuel, and shipping.
2. A closer look at HST, source deductions, and payroll-related costs.
3. Action on payment processing fees and the cost of digital transactions.
4. More practical support for small businesses investing in technology.
5. Less red tape and more accessible government programs.
6. Greater recognition of seasonal cash-flow challenges in the food and beverage sector.
7. Direct, practical supports that reach small businesses rather than being absorbed higher up the supply chain.
Participants also emphasized that supports must be designed with small businesses in mind. As one person shared, “It’s more about what can you do directly for the small business owner.”
More Than Businesses: Community Anchors
One of the strongest messages from the roundtable was that food and beverage businesses are not just businesses. They are community anchors.
As was shared during the discussion, “Restaurants are central to our communities. That’s where you celebrate birthdays. That’s where families get together after a sporting event.” Another speaker added that restaurants are “part of creating our community,” and that it is a loss for
everyone when a local business closes.
These businesses employ students, support local farmers and suppliers, contribute to events, welcome families, and create the spaces where people connect. When a restaurant, café, bakery, market vendor, or food producer struggles, the impact is felt far beyond the owner. It affects employees, customers, main streets, tourism, local supply chains, and the overall vibrancy of the community.
That is why conversations like this matter.
Thank You to Our Attendees and Community Partners
The Chamber would like to sincerely thank the businesses, community partners, municipal representatives, regional partners, and media who took the time to participate in this important conversation.
More than 50 food and beverage business owners within Central York, including Newmarket and East Gwillimbury, were invited to attend this roundtable. Given the dire situation facing the sector, the Chamber understands that many owners are managing significant pressures within their businesses and may not have been able to step away to attend. We are especially grateful to those who were able to join us, share their experiences, and contribute to such an honest and meaningful discussion while also helping give voice to those who could not be in the room.
A special thank you to our attendees:
• Metropolis Mercantile + Café
• Apex Sandwich
• This Little Café
• Maid’s Cottage
• Mulberry’s Oven
• The George Brew House & Eatery
• A Million Mouthfuls Catering
• HealthyNow
• Market Brewing Company
• Made in Mexico
We were especially grateful to have representation from the Town of Newmarket, the Town of East Gwillimbury, and York Region, whose presence reinforced the importance of collaboration between businesses and all levels of local and regional government.
We also thank York Region Media Group for attending and helping bring broader community awareness to the challenges and opportunities discussed. Having media present helps ensure these conversations reach beyond the room and that the voices of local businesses are heard more widely.
The participation of our local food and beverage businesses was at the heart of the event. Their honesty, insight, and willingness to share their experiences helped shape a meaningful discussion and will support stronger advocacy moving forward.
What Happens Next
The Chamber will continue to bring forward the concerns of local businesses and advocate for practical solutions that reflect what employers are actually experiencing. MP Cobena and MP Davidson also committed to taking the feedback from the roundtable back to Ottawa and using it to inform policy discussions.
As Sandra said during the event, “This feedback is incredibly important because I don’t want decisions to be made in Ottawa behind closed doors without feedback from the people on the ground.” That statement captured the purpose of the roundtable: to ensure that the voices of llocal business owners are part of the conversation.
The Chamber is grateful to every business owner and community partner who took the time to attend, share openly, and contribute to this important discussion. Your feedback helps shape stronger advocacy and ensures that the challenges facing local businesses are understood not just as statistics, but as real experiences affecting real people.
The Central York Chamber remains committed to listening, convening, and advocating for the businesses that help our communities thrive.