leading
the conversation
Representing over 900 restaurants across the province, the Alberta Hospitality Association serves as a unified, impact-driven voice for our industry, advocating for policies, programs, and advancements that enable local businesses to thrive despite increasingly complex operating challenges.
Our members know better than anyone that restaurants provide more than a great meal — they drive local economies, enrich communities, preserve history, and create culture. However, workforce shortages, regulatory burdens, limited support for local businesses, and barriers to accessing essential industry tools continue to challenge operators across the sector. In response, we have developed targeted advocacy initiatives focused on practical, forward-thinking solutions that address the realities facing the industry today. By working with government and industry stakeholders, we champion policies that help Alberta restaurants to increase profitability, create jobs, strengthen local economies, and continue serving the communities that depend on them.
Workforce & Staffing Issues
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The Challenge: Continuation of the WIL Grant as an industry-led program
Since 2023, AHA has administered the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Grant, supporting more than 150 Alberta employers. As government considers the future of the program, there is concern that administration could shift away from industry associations, reducing employer participation and limiting access for small businesses.
Our Response:
AHA supports continued funding of the WIL Grant and believes it is most effective when delivered by industry associations that have established employer relationships and sector expertise. We have called on government to:
Continue WIL Grant funding.
Maintain an industry-led delivery model to maximize participation and ensure supports reach small businesses.
Expand eligibility to support provincial youth employment goals and hospitality workforce development.
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The Challenge: Immigration policies affecting workforce availability.
Alberta’s Immigration Oversight Act (Bill 26) is now law and will require employers using federal immigration pathways, including LMIA and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, to register with the province.
AHA presents five key concerns: increased administrative burden on small businesses, barriers to hiring caused by registration requirements, disproportionate employer liability and penalties, uncertainty around which employers and “foreign nationals” are covered by the Act, and the need for meaningful industry input as regulations are developed.
Our Response:
AHA has participated in the consultation process for Bill 26 and submitted formal letters to both the Secretary of Small Business and the Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, calling for:
A simple, accessible employer registration process.
Transparent and timely application processing.
Fair and proportionate fees, penalties, and compliance measures.
Clear definitions of which employers and “foreign nationals” are subject to the Act.
Ongoing industry engagement throughout regulatory development.
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The Challenge: Improving small business access to provincial workforce development programs
Alberta offers a range of workforce development programs designed to support hiring and youth employment. However, busy, independent restaurant operators often lack administrative capacity, making it difficult to navigate complex application processes, eligibility requirements, and reporting processes. As a result, many small businesses struggle to fully access programs intended to support them, limiting the impact of government workforce investments.
Our Response:
AHA is advocating to the Government of Alberta for dedicated funding to establish an industry-led Labour Market Connector to improve program access and uptake.
If approved, the connector would:
Increase awareness of available workforce development programs and hiring incentives
Simplify eligibility and application requirements into clear resources
Provide application support to reduce administrative barriers for small businesses
Promote training and career advancement programs to improve retention and reduce employee turnover
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See Member Tools and Industry Resources section below.
Our advocacy helps to address labor shortages and strengthen workforce pathways for restaurants across Alberta.
Regulatory Environment
Our advocacy helps to create regulations that are practical, fair, and reflect how restaurants operate.
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The Challenge: Lack of due process for public AHS inspection grades.
In 2025, proposed amendments to the Public Health Act introduced a public restaurant grading system requiring AHS inspection grades to be displayed at restaurant entrances. AHA opposes this proposal because there is no evidence that public grading systems improve food safety. Inspection grades reflect a single point in time, can unfairly damage an operator's reputation, and disproportionately impact small businesses.
Our Response
AHA is advocating for food safety policies that deliver meaningful results by:
Increasing inspection capacity and risk-based inspections.
Applying inspection standards consistently across Alberta.
Strengthening collaboration between inspectors and operators to correct risks.
Focusing on improving compliance rather than introducing public grading systems.
Ensuring fair due process and timely corrections to any publicly available inspection information.
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Restaurants rely heavily on foot traffic, meaning construction-related disruptions to access, parking, or transit can cause immediate and often irreversible revenue loss. Members in Calgary affected by municipal constructions projects reported declines of 30–50%, which is critical at 2–4% margins.
Our Response:
AHA is calling for the following:
Small business input in city planning
Direct, timely communication
Revenue-loss-based support
A formal escalation process
Requirements for private developments
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The Challenge: BIA levys do not consistently deliver clear or measurable value to businesses.
Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) can play an important role in strengthening local business districts through coordinated advocacy and community investment. However, a BIA can be established with support from as little as 25% of eligible businesses, yet all businesses within the district are required to pay the levy. Operators have raised concerns about limited transparency in budgeting and decision-making, inconsistent communication, administrative overhead, and a lack of accessible ways to raise concerns outside of formal complaint processes.
Our Response:
AHA is calling for:
City-wide audits of BIA governance using consistent standards, including transparency and board selection processes
Annual plain-language financial and performance reporting to all levy-paying members
Direct communication to businesses within BIAs, including timely City updates such as construction notices
A simple process for businesses to raise concerns about BIA value delivery
A clear policy preventing the transfer of municipal service responsibilities to BIAs without explicit consent and corresponding tax adjustments
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The Challenge: Patio fees implemented without consultation of industry leaders.
On April 1, 2026, the City of Edmonton introduced new patio fees effective immediately, without consultation of industry leaders or a buffer transition period, despite the fact that many operators finalize seasonal budgets and plans months in advance.
Fees are approximately $3,700 annually for street patios and up to $6,900 for year-round patios.
This policy leaves operators either absorbing unexpected costs or reducing patio use altogether. This not only affects restaurant operations, but also local foot traffic, employment opportunities, and economic vibrancy amongst affected communities.
Our Response:
On May 24th, 2026, AHA wrote to Mayor Andrew Knack and members of council urging them to either eliminate fees entirely, or create a reasonable fee structure in conjunction with hospitality industry leaders.
On June 1st, 2026, AHA met with members of Edmonton City Council to reiterate patio fee concerns and urge council to consider the implications that patios have for community and economic vibrancy.
Industry Recognition
Our advocacy increases recognition of restaurants as a key contributor to Alberta’s economy and tourism industry.
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The Challenge: Utilizing pop-up entertainment districts to support local food and beverage.
Many communities have not yet fully utilized provincially enabled Entertainment Districts, missing an opportunity to enhance tourism, community vibrancy, and local business revenue by allowing public alcohol consumption and expanded street-level activity in designated areas.
Our Response:
AHA met with members of both Calgary and Edmonton City Councils to discuss the economic and community benefits of pop-up entertainment districts, calling officials to:
Ensure local businesses are included and consulted in planning and execution
Establish entertainment districts around major events like sports and local festivals
Target key restaurant corridors
Use pedestrian-only zones, temporary street closures, and expanded patio allowances
Incorporate pop-up activations and public programming to drive foot traffic
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The Challenge: Lack of opportunity for local businesses in publicly funded entertainment districts.
Major entertainment districts like Calgary's Culture + Entertainment District and Edmonton's ICE District receive significant public investment and attract millions of visitors, yet independent restaurants and breweries have limited opportunities to participate due to exclusive concession agreements. This restricts authentic local experiences, reduces economic benefits for Alberta businesses, and weakens the return on public investment.
Our Response
AHA is advocating for publicly funded entertainment districts to:
Create opportunities for local restaurants and breweries through pop-up, kiosk, and rotating vendor programs.
Reduce barriers to participation with flexible licensing and concession models.
Ensure public investment delivers broad economic benefits by increasing access for independent operators.
Prioritize local business participation alongside investments in public amenities that enhance the visitor experience.
Member Tools & Industry Innovation
Our advocacy provides operators with practical resources that support successful businesses.
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The Challenge: Alberta's hospitality industry continues to face significant workforce shortages, with the Accommodation and Food Services sector experiencing a job vacancy rate of 5.2%—nearly double the provincial average of 2.8%.
Coming soon:
To address this gap, we are developing a Workforce Support Centre to connect employers to skilled talent, and make provincial hiring supports easily accessible.
This support centre will:
Provide a centralized workforce hub tailored specifically to the needs of Alberta restaurant operators.
Connect employers with talent sources, including students, recent graduates, training providers, and workforce partners.
Improve awareness of hiring supports and wage subsidies by curating and simplifying information from government and industry programs.
Reduce barriers to participation by translating complex workforce programs into practical, operator-friendly resources.
Provide a searchable platform where employers can quickly identify potential employees, placement opportunities, and workforce supports.
Facilitate direct engagement between industry and workforce partners, strengthening long-term talent pipelines for the hospitality sector.
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The challenge: Strengthening industry connections and access to professional development opportunities.
Valuable networking opportunities and educational resources can be difficult to find and access, weakening peer connections and increasing barriers to meaningful industry development.
Our response:
In partnership with our sponsors and greater community, we connect AHA members to relevant opportunities by:
Promoting industry networking events across Alberta
Curating and sharing educational webinars and training opportunities
Making events and learning opportunities easy to access as an AHA member
Strengthening peer connections within the hospitality sector
Past Advocacy
AHA has been actively involved in industry advocacy since its creation in 2020.
