Introduction to Calgary’s restaurant industry

You know what they say… “Life is dull without good food”. Hence, food and cuisine have become commercialized extensively over the years. It is no surprise that restaurants have become one of the fastest-growing industries globally. Wherever you go, walking a block without coming across an eatery is nearly impossible these days. 

Without surprise, millennials, i.e. generation Y, make up more than half of the restaurant customer base in any country. Naturally, the most convenient way to determine where to dine on a night out with friends is either to look up the most popular or most reviewed restaurants in your city on the internet.

Thus, this StarInsights report presents a comprehensive analysis of the highly commended and most reviewed restaurants across Calgary, Alberta, Canada for you to be able to explore Calgary’s signature foods at the perfect spots across town.

Restaurants Overview 

Although 2020-2021 was an era of decline for the restaurant and cuisine industry due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the food industry is still forecasted to escalate by a CAGR of 3.55%. Hence, it goes without saying that this particular business is still likely to have fared better than many others through a worldwide emergency i.e. coronavirus.

Moving on to Calgary specifically, the people of Calgary definitely know how to cook their beef! Often known as ‘Cowtown’ by its residents, the city has become the hub for a plethora of cuisines in Alberta. From steaks to seafood, Calgary is home to about 6,000 diners. Therefore, it is no surprise that the city hosts several food travellers every year from all across Canada and other parts of the globe.

Thus, without further delay, let’s turn some statistics about Calgary’s restaurant industry inside out. By the end of this report, we hope you’re inspired to wander around at least one of these places for a delicious, enriching meal.

Top-Rated Restaurants in Calgary 

Restaurant	Rating	Number of Reviews
Marko’s Kitchen	4.90	328
Cafe Alchemist Inc	4.90	144
GEEZ Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine	4.90	140
Cactusaurus Grill	4.90	139
The Greek Corner Calgary	4.90	115
Bistro – Pizzeria & Cafe	4.90	82
Expatasia LTD.	4.90	69
Roma’s Pizzeria	4.90	49
The Himalayan	4.80	1246
Damascus Fine Mediterranean Foods	4.80	1100
BEIRUT STREET FOOD	4.80	938
Om Cuisine of India	4.80	745
Pizzeria GAGA	4.80	679
Veg-In YYC Re-Planted	4.80	667

Most Reviewed Restaurants in Calgary 

Restaurant	Rating	Number of Reviews
Peters’ Drive-In	4.30	10870
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant	4.20	3694
Native Tongues Taqueria	4.50	3178
Cactus Club Cafe	4.50	3064
Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey	4.60	3021
Denny’s	4.40	2993
CRAFT Beer Market Calgary Downtown	4.30	2973
Boogie’s Burgers Renfrew	4.60	2888
Jerusalem Shawarma – 16 AVE	4.50	2627
Hotel Fairmont Palliser	4.50	2510
Nando’s Calgary	4.10	2458
JOEY Barlow	4.40	2394
Jimmy’s A&A	4.70	2367
JINYA Ramen Bar – Calgary	4.30	2268

For the purposes of this study, the data was extracted from the official Google My Business Ratings for August 18, 2022. As of August 18, Marko’s Kitchen was ranked the highest in Calgary with a stellar rating score of 4.9- star and a significant number of customer reviews, i.e. 328 reviews. This was followed by Cafe Alchemist Inc. with a similar rating for 144 reviews. GEEZ Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine ranked third with the same rating but a lesser number of reviews. Overall, these three restaurants can be ranked as the top three go-to places for delicious food in Calgary. These eateries deserve applause since the reviews extracted were entirely based on customer satisfaction and their restaurant experiences. 

In terms of the sheer amount of reviews, Peters’ Drive-In has surpassed all others with a massive review count of about 11,000 reviews. No wonder they were able to serve about 4000 milkshakes on a hot summer day in Calgary. Although with a massive gap, this is followed by Olive Garden Italian Restaurant and Native Tongues Taqueria with about 3000-4000 reviews each. All three of these restaurants have succeeded in building a strong customer base, as reflected in the multitude of positive reviews received by every single one of them. Therefore, congratulations and praise to all three of these restaurant owners for being able to attract such welcoming reviews in the fierce and competitive food-chain industry of Calgary. This is truly commendable. 

Conclusion

Since this industry is very fast-paced and altering on a daily basis, any restaurants that trump these ones in the upcoming days will be reflected in the next eKomi report. Overall, this report provided a conclusive insight on the importance of business savvy and investment in promoting yourselves online. Here at eKomi, we can help you earn positive Google Reviews and promote your businesses. Therefore, feel free to snag yourself a consultation.