MONTREAL, November 3, 2025 – Pita Pit is giving Canadians an early reason to celebrate with an offer that makes fresh eating more affordable this holiday season. Starting today and running through the end of December, guests can enjoy any small pita for just $7.99 at participating locations nationwide.

As Canadians navigate the busy holiday season, the limited-time offer is designed to make nutritious, customizable meals more accessible during what can be one of the most expensive times of the year.

“We don't want Canadians to have to compromise on time, quality or value,” says Chris Cann, brand leader for Pita Pit. “And as families are busy with holiday events and preparations, we know every bit of value matters. This offer is our way of giving guests a break while still letting them enjoy the fresh, quality ingredients they expect from Pita Pit.”

Pita Pit’s menu features a wide selection of grilled meats, fresh vegetables, and bold sauces wrapped in soft pitas or served as salads. With options that suit every diet and lifestyle, the brand remains committed to offering a better-for-you alternative to traditional fast food, now at a price that’s easier on the wallet.

“This time of year can stretch both time and finances,” adds Cann. “We want to help make it simple for people to grab a fresh, satisfying meal without dipping into their stocking-stuffer budget.”

The $7.99 small pita offer is available through in-store purchase at participating Pita Pit locations across Canada until December 31, 2025.

Toronto, Nov. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite expectations of a difficult year, the foodservice industry outperformed early forecasts, thanks to strong domestic tourism and the GST/HST holiday at the start of the year, according to Restaurants Canada’s Q3 Quarterly Report. Commercial foodservice revenue was up 6.9% in the first seven months of 2025, but after adjusting for inflation, Restaurants Canada expects real commercial foodservice sales to grow by 2.1% in 2025 and decline by 0.7% in 2026.

Quarterly Report at a glance:

• Commercial foodservice sales are expected to grow by 5.4% in 2025 before adjusting for inflation, outperforming the previous quarter’s forecast (of 2.7% to 3.7% growth).
• Canada’s restaurant industry continues to prove it is a job powerhouse, adding 23,600 jobs in the first nine months of 2025, more than the 21,200 jobs created across the broader private sector.
• 74% of Canadians say they are cutting discretionary spending because of cost-of-living increases, with eating out (56%) and take-out or delivery (50%) being the most common types of expenses they are cutting.
• Foodservice businesses continue to face significant operating cost increases that challenge their profitability. Over the past two years, insurance costs have increased 14%, food costs 13% and labour costs 11%.
• Commercial foodservice sales are projected to decelerate to 1.6% growth in Q2 2026. Growth is expected to gradually recover thereafter, plateauing at an average of 3.6% in 2027, indicating a return to more sustainable, pre-pandemic trends.
• While technology could help foodservice businesses improve productivity and streamline operations, many remain cautious. The top barriers to adoption are high upfront costs (51%), uncertainty about return on investment (43%), and concerns about long-term stability in the business environment (35%).
• Operators are looking for tools that demonstrate immediate value by helping reduce costs, strengthen operations, or simplify decision-making without placing additional strain on cash flow.

“There is reason for cautious optimism in the foodservice industry after some very challenging years, but we have to keep the ongoing inflationary pressures in perspective,” said Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “Operating costs continue to rise while consumers are pulling back on discretionary spending, conditions which make investment in technology and growth plans risky. The federal government needs to deliver on its promise to improve affordability for Canadians in its budget tomorrow.”

Restaurants Canada is urging the federal government to permanently exempt all food, including restaurant meals, from GST/HST, to reduce the cost of living for Canadians and support growth in the foodservice industry. To sign Restaurants Canada’s petition calling on government to exempt all food from sales tax, visit .

HAMILTON, ON, Oct. 31, 2025 /CNW/ - East Side Mario's®, the home of All-You-Can-Eat Soup, Salad and Garlic Homeloaf, has opened its newest restaurant in Winona Crossing at 1372 South Service Road, unveiling a bold new design inspired by the energy of Italy's famous San Gennaro street festival.

"We're beyond excited to open our doors at Winona Crossing," say Dale and Michele Adams, longtime Stoney Creek residents and proud franchisees of East Side Mario's Queenston Road since 2017. "We can't wait to welcome our neighbours in to enjoy delicious, abundant Italian-inspired food and celebrate the joy of spending time with family and friends."

This opening marks another milestone in East Side Mario's almost 40-year legacy of bringing Canadians together to share meals and memories. The Winona Crossing restaurant is only the second in Canada to feature East Side Mario's vibrant new design, a reimagined space that captures the sights, sounds, and spirit of Little Italy.

"We're proud to grow East Side Mario's in the Stoney Creek community as we transport guests to Little Italy, where the dream of our brand began," says Nathan Cameron, Chief Operating Officer of East Side Mario's. "It's an invitation to escape to your very own Little Italy and make memories that last a lifetime, whether it's a family dinner, birthday, or night out with friends."

The opening comes just in time for Stoney Creek residents to celebrate the holidays at the new location. Guests can enjoy Mario's Three-Course Feast from $24.99 until January 5, making it the perfect season to gather, celebrate, and create new memories at East Side Mario's Winona Crossing.

Five days of energy and inspiration filled a vibrant Fiera Milano: Host 2025 was also a stage where innovation met the talent and passion of the global hospitality community. Skills, experiences and a spirit of experimentation merged into a continuous flow of ideas, encounters and cross-influences, turning the exhibition into a living, shared and ever-evolving experience.

At Host 2025, innovation extended far beyond the exhibition halls: it took shape in a programme of over 800 events that, through talks, masterclasses and competitions, transformed the exhibition into an unparalleled opportunity for learning and exchange. For five days, industry professionals engaged with renowned masters, discovered emerging trends, and experienced original formats that blended technical expertise, creativity and vision.

Three new formats for three “hot” sectors

This edition’s debuts drew particular attention, starting with sCIOCk – Chocolate in Motion, the format conceived by maître chocolatier Davide Comaschi together with an international team of experts. The initiative explored the culture, science and business of chocolate, featuring leading figures such as Julien Dechenaud, Fabrice Gillotte and Iginio Massari.

Another successful debut was Host Talks – Beyond the Cup, a space dedicated to the future of coffee, organised in collaboration with M25 Consulting. The event featured leading voices from the industry, including Enrico Dandolo, CEO of the Gualtiero Marchesi Academy, coffee scientist Andrej Godina, and Jeffrey Joung, analyst at Allegra Strategies, who presented valuable market data and global insights. Reaffirming its role as the world’s leading hub for the coffee sector, the SIC – International Coffee Show also hosted 100 Years of Espresso Made in Italy, an unprecedented exhibition of historic coffee machines in collaboration with the Mumac, Bakke and Langkemper collections, as well as the Coffee Addition masterclasses led by Gianni Cocco, exploring the encounter between coffee and cocoa through tasting experiences.

Completing the line-up of new features, Bakery Square confirmed the strong interest in the Art of Baking: a new event arena that brought together master bakers from around the world — including Belgium, China, Croatia, Luxembourg, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland — in dialogue with Italian professionals such as Biagio Caliendo, Nicola Iacovera, David Nasello, Simone Orlando, Paolo Zambarda and Fabrizio Zucchi. The programme extended beyond the arena to the Centro Stella Polare, which hosted the conference Fermenti di Sapienza: Il Lievito Madre, alongside the Bread and Well-beingsessions curated by the Bakers’ Association of the Milan Traders Association, focused on the health benefits of sourdough and contemporary breadmaking.

An increasingly prestigious Award and many more events

Among the highlights of this edition was the return of the Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, promoted by Fiera Milano and Host Milano in collaboration with POLI.design and under the patronage of ADI – Association for Industrail Design. This year, the jury selected 25 winning projects out of more than 150 entries from around the world, showcased in a dedicated area. The awarded solutions highlighted key trends such as digitalization, sustainability, artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technology, along with eco-friendly and “made-to-last” materials. Among the most intriguing products were a hand-held espresso machine, a dispenser that spreads fresh butter on bread, and a set of infusion filters with mesh designs tailored to each essence.

Among the events that completed the programme were the Design Talks, organised with POLI.design and sponsored by NEWH – The Hospitality Industry Network, which explored key topics such as well-being and sensory design, technologies to enhance user experience, sustainability as a new mindset, and emerging models of hospitality. Contemporary hospitality spaces also took centre stage in #HotelSocialAreas by BWH Hotels, while the Luxury Food & Beverage Quality Awards celebrated excellence in out-of-home food and beverage products.

The focus on food, skills and technology took centre stage in the events most dedicated to the restaurant industry. Smart Food - Smart Chefs - Smart Future, organised by APCI – Professional Association of Italian Chefs, emphasised “green” and “smart” as the key concepts to make every initiative more relevant, while the FIC Academy of the Italian Federation of Chefs highlighted chefs’ expertise through a perspective of continuous training. The show-cooking sessions curated by A.P.Pa.Fre. – Association of Fresh Pasta SME Producers showcased the potential of an icon of Italian cuisine. The FCSI EAME seminars shed light on technologies and formats for the restaurants of the future and, finally, FIPE Space – Home of Public Establishments organized by the Italian Federation of Public Establishments became a stage for an open discussion on the future of foodservice.

In the meantime, the path towards the next edition has already begun: the appointment is at Fiera Milano from 22 to 26 October 2027.