Canadians love going to a restaurant to eat a meal, with 18 million restaurant visits made every day across the country. Many of these outings are made to a full service restaurant, to celebrate an occasion, such as a birthday, work event, or family dinner. Moreover, Canadians’ preferred activity for spending time with family and friends is to go out for a meal at a restaurant.

More Canadians are looking to casual dining restaurants when they want to sit down for a meal: according to a 2012-2013 study, the number of visits to casual dining restaurants in Canada increased by three per cent, and the average cheque for those visits increased by two per cent.

This special section takes a closer look at the casual dining category, highlighting the factors that make these restaurants a popular choice for Canadian consumers.

Download the Special Franchise Focus: Casual Dining & Bars supplement now to learn more about some of the casual dining franchises that are dishing out appetizing opportunities for franchisees from coast to coast.