Ontario businesses prioritizing Canadian products

Odd Burger co-founders Vasiliki and James McInnes, as seen on July 6, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Restaurants and business across the province are prioritizing Canadian offerings in the midst of the trade war with the United States, and some are taking drastic measures.

London based vegan fast food chain Odd Burger announced earlier this month that it was halting U.S. expansion plans and prioritizing domestic production, now co-founder James McInnes says that the chain is considering pulling Coca Cola and Minute Maid from its menu because they’re made by American companies.

“Not only are the tariff percentages changing on a daily basis, but also what is getting tariffed is changing,” said McInnes. “How do you formulate pricing for franchisees when you don’t know what many of the costs will be?”

He’s not alone, Guelph cafe Kanoo has halted the purchase of coffee roasted by American companies. “With the trade tension growing, we basically decided not only do we want to stop bringing in American roasters, but we decided you know, this is the time to give extra support, exclusive support to Canadian roasters,” co-owner Steve Neville told the Canadian Press.

Kanoo’s offerings now come from Subtext Coffee Roasters in Toronto, September Coffee Co. in Ottawa, Phil & Sebastian in Calgary and Traffic Coffee Co. in Montreal.

For tips on supporting Canadian businesses and producers, the Canadian government has created a helpful information database.

- with files from Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press