From Hospitality to Hostility: A Silent Transformation

One day recently, I pulled into the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant for a quick breakfast — something I do from time to time. Like many others across the GTA, I’ve grown used to a disappointing routine: no greeting at the speaker, having to repeat my simple order more than once, and ultimately receiving the wrong items. The food and drinks are handed over with indifference, almost tossed into the car window as if they’re a favor, not a service. Complaints go unanswered, feedback ignored, and nothing ever seems to change.

But something different happened that morning. To my surprise, I was greeted warmly. My order was taken accurately and promptly, and it was handed to me with genuine friendliness. The contrast was so striking, I asked to speak with the manager. I simply wanted to thank her and congratulate her team on what used to be… normal.

This made me pause. We’ve come to a point where courtesy and professionalism have become the exception — not the rule. It wasn’t always like this. Years ago, consistent service and decent customer care were expected, even in fast-food chains. Now, it feels like a rare encounter worth celebrating.

Across the GTA, there’s a clear and troubling decline in service quality — most notably in the fast-food industry. Food quality is slipping, with increasing reports of food poisoning, stomach discomfort, and even foul odours in certain meals. Equally concerning is the behaviour of staff: a growing number of front-line workers are rude, disengaged, or simply indifferent.

It’s understandable that fast food is not fine dining. We don’t expect white-glove service or gourmet plating. But we are still paying customers, and many of these workers earn their living from this job. Where, then, has the basic sense of responsibility gone?

The issue seems to stem from multiple factors. Many employees are young, untrained, and careless. But more significantly, there’s a new wave of labour — recent immigrants who struggle to adapt to the norms of Canadian workplace culture. Some are resistant to blending in, refusing to adjust their behaviours or attitudes. Instead of embracing the environment they’ve joined, a few even try to impose their own norms, challenging the foundational idea of integration.

In past decades, immigrants came to Canada eager to blend in, to contribute, and to build a better future. They kept their cultural values at home but understood and respected the professional and social expectations in public life. Many of them — in both high-skilled and minimum-wage jobs — earned respect for their work ethic, their humility, and their desire to grow within their new society.

Today, that balance is shifting. The decline in service standards reflects a deeper issue: a lack of proper orientation, coaching, and cultural education for newcomers. It’s unfair to expect federal or provincial governments to solve this alone. Perhaps it’s time for non-governmental organizations, social groups, and long-settled immigrants to step in and help. If each community supports its newcomers with open dialogue and guidance, we might slowly reverse this worrying trend.

This issue is more serious than it seems. When immigrants begin to joke about looking for a new place to immigrate to, we should listen. It’s a sign of dissatisfaction — not only with the country, but with how we are collectively building (or not building) a healthy society.

Canada has always been a land of opportunity and multicultural harmony. But that harmony must be nurtured, not taken for granted. And it starts with simple things, a friendly greeting, a well-done job, and mutual respect between the customer and the service provider.