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One out of every three restaurants is in trouble.

That’s what Restaurants Canada warned last week in an ominous news release, picked up and echoed by Jason Kenney on the campaign trail.

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As a restaurant owner, I understand the tale better than most. It is hard. Profit margins are extremely tight. The costs of goods and rent are high. Small businesses face disproportionate property taxes. And like most businesses, big and small, employing people is a significant expense.

If you take a look at the Restaurant Realities campaign put together by Restaurants Canada, it’s a message of fear and intimidation. Nice neighbourhood restaurant you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it. Maybe you should vote for someone — cough, cough, modest level of human capital — who will do something about that nasty minimum wage.

Restaurants Canada is a national organization that bought an expensive public relations campaign. They might position themselves as the voice of Alberta restaurants, but they certainly aren’t surveying businesses like ours.