As Calgary steps into 2026, its restaurant industry continues to navigate a complex landscape marked by both significant challenges and creative resilience. According to columnist Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, who has been covering the local food scene for over seven years, the sector remains as unpredictable as ever, with chefs and owners constantly innovating to survive and thrive.
The Pressure Cooker: Ongoing Challenges for Restaurateurs
Industry insiders consistently report that restaurants are under tremendous pressure. The lingering effects of the pandemic, combined with persistent staffing issues, high food costs, and economic uncertainty that makes customers cautious, have created a difficult operating environment. Despite these hurdles, there are notable success stories. Hotspots like DOPO, Penny Crown, and Bar Gigi remain incredibly difficult to book, and some downtown establishments saw summer sales soar beyond expectations.
Nevertheless, opening and maintaining a restaurant is a precarious proposition. This context makes the bravery of chefs who launch ventures reflecting their personal passion and history all the more commendable.
The Rise of the Strategic Pop-Up
A key trend defining the 2026 outlook is the evolution of the pop-up restaurant. This term now encompasses a wide range of formats, from single-night events to long-term residencies where entrepreneurs operate a "restaurant within a restaurant" for an indefinite period.
Experts predict we will see more of the latter this year. Examples include models like chef Lam Pham’s Pure Saigonese Kitchen—which recently ended its residency at Diner Deluxe in Marda Loop but plans to return—or the rotating "100-day pop-ups" at Sensei Bar.
While dining on fine-dining caliber food in a space designed for brunch or quick sandwiches may not be everyone's ideal experience, this model offers chefs a vital low-risk pathway to test new concepts with minimal overhead.
From Pop-Up to Permanent: Success Stories in the Making
The flip side of this trend is the transition of successful pop-ups into full-fledged, brick-and-mortar establishments. A prime example is the eagerly awaited Francine’s. This venture began as a pop-up inside Meat and Bread and is now preparing to open its own permanent location in Chinatown this month.
Similarly, the pop-up Love Damian, run by owner Jason Exton and chef Kyle Opel in the evenings at Meat and Bread, represents the kind of agile, concept-testing operation that could define the next wave of Calgary dining.
Amidst all this change and innovation, Calgary's dining scene continues to cherish its enduring pillars. Long-standing favourites like La Brezza, with owner Maurizio Abdi, prove that consistency and quality can delight patrons for decades, even as the industry transforms around them.
The essence of Calgary's food scene, as it moves into 2026, lies in this dynamic balance: the thrill of the new and untested, powered by pop-ups and bold concepts, coexisting with the steady comfort provided by established, beloved institutions.
