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February 18, 2021FOOD SERVICES AND DRINKING PLACES, DECEMBER AND ANNUAL 2020 
Month-over-Month (Dec 2020 vs Nov 2020, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia food services and drinking places receipts decreased 12.1% to $108.1 million. Canada's food services and drinking places receipts decreased 8.0% to $4.2 billion.
Three provinces reported monthly increases in food services and drinking places, with Manitoba (4.9%) reporting the largest gain, and Prince Edward Island (-17.4%) reporting the largest decline in percentage terms.
Year-over-Year (Dec 2020 vs Dec 2019, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia food services and drinking places receipts decreased 27.0%. Canada's food services and drinking places receipts decreased 35.5%
All 10 provinces reported year-over-year declines in food services and drinking place receipts, with Newfoundland and Labrador (-5.5%) reporting the smallest decline and Quebec (-43.6%) reporting the largest decline in percentage terms.
Annual (2020 vs 2019, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia food services and drinking places receipts decreased 23.6% (-$416.4 million) to $1.35 billion. Canada's food services and drinking places receipts decreased 28.0% (-$21.6 billion) to $55.5 billion.
All 10 province reported annual declines in food services and drinking place receipts, with Saskatchewan (-17.7%) reporting the smallest decline and Quebec (-31.2%) reporting the largest decline in percentage terms.
NOVA SCOTIA SECTORS (2020 vs 2019, unadjusted)
Compared with 2019, the reductions in food service and drinking place receipts have been most pronounced for Nova Scotia's full-service restaurants (-$281.3 million). In percentage terms, the declines have been more severe for drinking places (-52.5%) and special food services (-44.5%), with a smaller decline for limited service eating places (-9.6%).
TRENDS (seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia's Food services and drinking places month over month sales declined sharply in March 2020 (-32.5%) and April 2020 (-38.7%). Recovery began with rapid gains in May 2020 (+31.8%) and June 2020 (+34.7%) and continued for 6 months. Food service receipts declined in November and December as new restrictions on dining were implemented in Halifax. Compared with February 2020, Nova Scotia food service receipts were down 25.8% in December.
After five consecutive monthly gains, national food services and drinking places sales have declined in each of the last three months. This decline was mostly due to the second wave of COVID-19 restrictions introduced in several provinces. In December, national food services and drinking places sales were 35.3% below their pre-pandemic levels.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 21-10-0019-01 Monthly survey of food services and drinking places (x 1,000)
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