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The Canadian Restaurant Investment & Leadership Summit is heading into its 15th year in Toronto on Thursday November 13th, 2025. The CRILS Summit has always been a vibrant gathering of thought leaders, all dedicated to sharing knowledge, insights, and the latest trends shaping the hospitality industry.
In this milestone year, we are also celebrating that we are now part of National Bank of Canada (NBC).
This year we are excited to be hosting at the RoseRock Place, one of NBC homes in Toronto. We fill the room with like-minded individuals who want to learn, network and be part of the industry event of the year! We cannot wait to celebrate 15 years of memories at the CRILS Summit 2025!
The 15th Annual Canadian Restaurant
Investment & Leadership Summit 2025!
On November 13th in Toronto we will host the 15th annual Restaurant Summit that focuses on delivering thought leadership around the industry's most topical issues. CEOs and executives from leading brands along with industry experts, will share their perspectives on the future of the foodservice industry in Canada.
We hope you join us to Celebrate 15 years!
Session # 1
The Foodservice State of the Nation
One of the most loved panels at the Canadian Restaurant Investment & Leadership Summit is the Food Service State of the Nation. Jacob Mancini of National Bank of Canada, and Vince Sgabellone of Circana, take the stage at dueling podiums to discuss the current state of the foodservice industry. They talk about what has happened in the last 12 months, what is happening NOW and what they foresee for the future. They share insights, data, trends and anecdotes all from and about Canadian Restaurants and Food Service.
Speakers:
Jacob Mancini
Jacob oversees all aspects of the restaurant lending business which provides financing for branded restaurant chains on both a corporate and franchisee level. He specializes in portfolio & business development for both national & regional chains. Prior to joining CWB, Jacob spent 13 years with GE Capital’s franchise finance division, including 9 years in commercial and business development, 2 years in sales support and operations, and 2 years as a credit and structuring manager.
Vince Sgabellone, Circana
Vince has worked in many different roles across the food and foodservice industry. From sales to marketing, distribution to product development, from manufacturers to operators. All of this has served him well since entering the research industry with Circana more than a decade ago. In his role Vince combines his analytic abilities and natural curiosity with his expertise in the industry. He helps his clients to understand the market, the competition, and the consumer.
Session # 2
The Canadian Economic Landscape
Stéfane Marion,Chief Economist and Strategist and members of the team from The National Bank of Canada have been providing monthly Economic Impact Videos for over five years. For the first time, they will be joining the CRILS Summit to provide us an Economic Outlook.
Do not miss this discussion around the Canadian Economy and the impacts from all around the globe on the Hospitality Industry.
Speakers:
Stéfane Marion
Stéfane has held his role with NBC since 2008. He has consistently ranked among the top three economists in Canada by institutional investors surveyed by Brendan Wood International, earning the number one position in 2025. Under his leadership, the Economics and Strategy Group has earned widespread recognition for the accuracy of its forecasts, including the 2025 award for Best Canadian Dollar Forecaster from Focus Economics.
Session # 3
The CEO Panel
The CEO Panel of the Canadian Restaurant Investment & Leadership Summit is a conversation where restaurant and franchise CEOs from across Canada, discuss the evolution of the restaurant industry. Year after year, the CEO Panel is a fan favourite. As we embark on the 15th year of the CEO Panel, we invite CEOs who are not afraid to challenge the status quo, who are willing to answer the tough questions and ultimately want to help everyone in the room succeed and make the restaurant industry even better.
Stay tuned and check back in for more details about are exciting CEOs for the 15th annual CRILS celebration!
Session # 4
The Art of a Restauranteur
From the vision, to culinary passion, to business acumen, to the love of hospitality or simply to make ends meet, becoming a restauranteur is what a lot of people dream of in Canada! With over 100,000 food service businesses from coast to coast, that accounts for a $114 Billion Dollar industry, and provides over 1 million jobs, the Canadian Restaurant Industry is one of our strongest communities. In this discussion we will chat with Canadian Restauranteurs about the Art of the Deal, finding your niche and making you restaurants thrive.
Thank you to all our Sponsors for their participation and support in planning and developing the 2025 Canadian Restaurant Investment & Leadership Summit.
Media Partner
Premier Research Sponsor
Contributing Partner, Canadian Chain Restaurant Industry Review
National Bank of Canada will be hosting the Canadian Restaurant Investment & Leadership Summit (CRILS) for the first time and is honoured to be part of the event that has been brining bring the industry together for 15 years.
The members of The National Bank of Canada Franchise Finance team are experts in providing both corporate franchisor and franchisee-level financing for prominent restaurant brands and leading hotel owners in Canada. We believe in getting to know the operations, opportunities, and challenges of each of our clients so we are able to provide them with customized, flexible financing solutions that will help them achieve their business goals.
