Top Chef /Restaurateur Carl Heinrich talks COVID dining trends, coming out the other side, tips included

Welcome to the The Food Professor podcast episode 22  I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!The Food Professor is presented  by omNovos the digital customer engagement solution for grocery and restaurant marketers, helping you solve your customer’s most daunting questions:  what should I eat today? Find out how you can get personal and grow sales with omNovos at www.realcustomerengagement.comWe’re recording this on St. Patrick’s Day, so celebrating the Irish today!  Sylvain and I talk about the big news with Empire /Sobeys buying Longo's, the well regarded Ontario regional grocer.  How does this change the landscape for consumers, stakeholders and what does it mean for the Canadian grocery industry.  Next we talk about Dairy Farmers of Canada  statement around transparency behind their review process, and then we get to our great interview with Chef Carl Heinrich,  owner of Toronto restaurant Richmond Station and talk about the current and future state of the sit  down dining industry, and the economic and social justice imperative behind the Hospitality Included movement.  Last we review the latest Dalhousie Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in partnership with Caddle, report about consumer confidence on our food industry, one year after the pandemic began. At the end of February 2021, a total of 10,005 Canadians were surveyed on confidence1 and satisfaction of the food industry. Results, overall, were quite positive for the food industry.******Thanks again to the folks at omNovos for being our presenting sponsor! If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice,  or restaurant industry.    I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.