Inflation is the big one right now.
economy and the success of Virneel Foods. By doing this, it will give successful food service businesses such as Virneel Food Service the opportunity to bring more options to small communities, which in turn will also create more job opportunities for these smaller communities. The decision to diversify across three different Canadian-born brands, Booster Juice (founded in Alberta), Pita Pit (Ontario), and Pizza Delight (Maritimes), has given Virneel Food Service a uniquely national footprint. “I like to go with what I believe in,” Lakhani says. “If the food is great, if I enjoy it, then I feel confident offering it to others.” With so many options out there to choose from, it’s truly refreshing to see Virneel Food Service stick to Canadian- based brands and restaurants.
Success doesn’t come without obstacles. Inflation, supply chain disruptions, and staffing shortages have tested the resilience of businesses. “Inflation is the big one right now,” Lakhani admits, as well as the added costs of the tariffs. “In 2020, a case of chicken was $80, and now it’s $131. That’s almost double. But we can’t double our prices. That’s been the biggest challenge.” Then there’s staffing, which is a problem faced by most restaurants across Canada. “The biggest challenge is finding the right people and making them part of the team,” he says.“Recently, what has been happening is people have been coming in, they will work for a month or two, technically the training period, once that’s over, they’ll move on to other opportunities. That’s tough. But
recently we’ve been pretty stable, and our teams are doing great.” “When you buy a franchise, you’re buying a full-time job,” Lakhani says bluntly. “It doesn’t matter if you’re away on vacation; you need to be available 24/7. If there’s a problem, it’s yours. Managers can handle a lot, but if something goes beyond their control, it comes to you. You need to be ready.” This was the case recently when one of his businesses, the Pizza Delight in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, fell victim to arson and had to temporarily close its doors because of an investigation and now for extensive remediation and renovations to the property. Lakhani is hopeful that his team will be serving the people of Pictou County again soon.
62 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 25 ISSUE 4 The brand trusted someone so young, which I really appreciated. I had my dad by my side, but it was still a huge opportunity. I’ll always be grateful for that trust. ” “
INDUSTRY • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 63
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