OpenTable’s Inaugural Canadian Restaurant Impact Report Reveals Why Restaurants Matter More Than Ever
Key Highlights
- ➤Dining in Canada up 13% year-over-year, according to OpenTable data
- ➤OpenTable part of Booking Holdings (BKNG), serving more than 70,000 restaurants worldwide
- ➤Canadian diners spend $133 additionally at nearby businesses after local restaurant visits
- ➤Canadian restaurant operators say a no-show table for two costs $91
- ➤OpenTable Canada no-show rates down 4% year-over-year
Expert Statements
Eric Kemppi, Director of Restaurant Sales and Service at OpenTable Canada
“Restaurants are woven into the fabric of communities across Canada - the setting for milestone celebrations, everyday meals, and the local economies and neighbourhoods they help sustain”
Eric Kemppi, Director of Restaurant Sales and Service at OpenTable Canada
“OpenTable’s first-ever Canadian Restaurant Impact Report puts that impact into focus and reflects our commitment to advocating for the restaurants that make it all possible.”
Gillian Mandich, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba
“The 2025 World Happiness Reportfound that sharing meals is strongly associated with greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions. In fact, the frequency of shared meals was as useful an indicator of well-being as income and employment status”
Gillian Mandich, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba
“Choosing a restaurant and looking forward to it can generate anticipation, while remembering it afterward extends the enjoyment.”
TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian restaurants are more than places to eat, they’re where people gather, connect and spend time together. Today, OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, released its first-ever Canadian Restaurant Impact Report, examining the broader impact of dining out on Canadians and the communities around them.
With dining in Canada up 13% year-over-year according to OpenTable data,¹ restaurants’ impact is only growing. Full restaurants can drive spending and foot traffic for surrounding businesses, support jobs, and create spaces where people celebrate, reconnect and become regulars.
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