The objective of this assignment is to examine the hospitality contributions of one distinct group (assigned by your professor) of immigrants to Canada and more specifically to Southern Ontario*. All statements of fact or opinion must be supported by proper research and data from credible sources such as Canadian census data or Statistics Canada, the various restaurant associations in Canada and other trade agencies which produce business data. Your assignment will consist of the following 6 themes. The questions below are suggestions for approaches to tackle each one, but you are free to diverge slightly if you feel your subject will be better served.

1. The Ethnic Group - History of Immigration

Examine the immigration history of your assigned ethnic group. When and why did they come to Canada? Was it a single wave or multiple waves? Explain the migration patterns over the years, the reasons for the statistical trends in immigration of this group, the incentives/challenges they may have faced from the Canadian government. Where did these immigrants establish themselves historically? Currently? (Identify the geographic pockets as well as what motivated their choices). Once you have described their settlement choices throughout Canada, narrow your focus on Southern Ontario*. What were the key challenges they faced? Were they well received? Why or why not?

Examine the current demographics and psychographics of your subject ethnic group in Canada and explain how these may vary by region with actual figures and statistics. How do the motivations for immigration differ today from the earlier generations of this ethnicity?

2. The Cuisine

Describe the characteristics of this ethnic cuisine as if you were speaking to someone with NO knowledge of the ethnicity or its cuisine. Use the Western model as a point of reference. (The order of dishes, the table setting, the flavour profile etc.). How is the food eaten? In what order? What is the flavour profile? Can the cultural or religious context of this cuisine help to describe and understand it better? Is this cuisine easy or difficult to produce in the Canadian context? What are dishes than exemplify the cuisine? Describe them and explain why you have chosen these specifically.

Consider the acceptability of this cuisine in North America. Describe 2 reasons why this cuisine could/should be popular today.Describe 2 potential reasons why it could be rejected or fall out of favour. You may draw from your research and knowledge of nutrition, food trends, media, politics, etc.

3. Relevant ethnic restaurants in Canada and in Southern Ontario*

Examine the ethnic restaurants which prepare the cuisine of your subject group, both in Canada AND in Southern Ontario. Begin your analysis with actual figures. How many restaurants are there? Where are they located geographically and why? Are these locations ethnic enclaves? Cultural hubs? Commercial hubs? High income areas? Lower income areas? Student campuses? What conclusions can you derive about their target market from this analysis?

Deliver a commentary about the authenticity of the cuisine. For example, early Chinese-Canadian restaurants modified their cuisine significantly to accommodate several circumstantial parameters, such as customer preferences and ingredient availability. Is your subject ethnic cuisine well accepted in its full authenticity or have restaurants had to compromise? If so, why? This is a complex question, and you should avoid generalizing while examining the nuances.

Is this a cuisine relegated to the "cheap eats" category of food guides or is this ethnic cuisine associated with fine dining? (For example, French and Japanese cuisines) Explain how you arrived at this conclusion. Do you think the market is ready for an upscale version of this cuisine?Why/why not?

4. The Customers

Who patronizes this ethnic restaurant segment and why? What is the demographic of the target market for the average restaurant? Why? (IMPORTANT: Be careful with this question. Resist the urge to merely state that they are targeting all market segments. This lack of targeted strategy is dangerous and bad for business. Successful restaurants may target multiple groups but cannot successfully target all groups. Identify clearly which groups are targeted, then show the evidence for your claims.

How long has this ethnic segment of restaurants been in Canada and what has been their pattern of popularity? Why? Has their cuisine ever been trendy? When?If that trend has passed, how and why did the surviving restaurants remain in business? How did they continue to meet the needs of their customers?

5. The Owners

Describe the profile of the restaurant owners in this ethnic restaurant segment. Are these small family-owned restaurants? Choose one specific restaurant (established for a minimum of five years) and examine their story more closely. How did they start their business? How did they fund their business venture? What are their biggest struggles? What can you learn from their experience? What would a professional restaurant management consultancy recommend as a strategy to improve their business and extend their longevity and resilience?

6. The Competitive Landscape

Is demand for your subject cuisine growing or declining? Why?

Who currently operates in the competitive landscape? Are they other small family restaurants? Multi-ethnic restaurants? North American chain restaurants borrowing from

other cultures? Big name celebrity chefs?

Given the current competitive landscape, if you were a restaurant consultant advising an individual seeking to open an ethnic restaurant specializing in this cuisine, what concept would you create? Justify your choice with facts and numbers - this is a very important question, and you should approach the answer with care and integrity, NOT just opinion.

Based on your research, is there a market (geographic or otherwise) for this ethnic cuisine that is currently underserved? Which one? Would you remain in the "cheap eats" category or is there reason to target the higher end market? What about your target customer's psychographics justifies your decision? How big is the market and how do you plan on remaining competitive over the long term? Should you ride or ignore the fads and trends? What will you do to hold your customers' attention over the years? Can you fight change? Technologies? Trends? Should you embrace them? How? What do you foresee for this market segment in the next 5-10 years?

You will also produce a short summary report.

• The report should be succinct and to the point. It should be no longer than 2 pages long, single space.Use bullet form, no paragraphs Be sure to support all your ideas with facts
• Include a reference page (on page 3)
• You will be graded on legibility, grammar, and spelling