The middle of a pandemic probably doesn't seem like great timing to open a restaurant to most people, but a growing number of entrepreneurs apparently disagree.

 

By the numbers: UofT researchers used Yelp data to find that between May and November, more restaurants opened than closed in Toronto and more than 90% of restaurants that were around in May were still alive six months later. 

 

What it means: Many restaurants are finding ways to adapt and survive under pretty terrible conditions, but new restaurant business models look nothing like the old. Here's what's in:

Zoom out: The restaurants may be surviving, but the jobs aren't. Sit-down restaurants are the most labour intensive variety, and they're getting crushed. That explains why 236,000 hospitality sector jobs have disappeared since February.

Okay here's the deal, say you wanted to invest in a cool Canadian startup – up until recently, you couldn't. Why? Because only high net worth individuals (rich people) were legally allowed to (rude...).

Now, you can be an 'angel investor' and invest in high-growth startups on Equivesto – a proudly Canadian equity crowdfunding platform.

And here's the great part, you don't even need to invest in anything to see the opportunities.

That means, yes, now even you can be an angel investor. Get started today by making an account with Equivesto and invest in Canadian companies starting with as little as $100.

If you'd bought Blackberry shares at the start of November you'd have nearly doubled your money by now — the stock skyrocketed more than 60% on news of a deal between Blackberry and Amazon to collaborate on Blackberry's vehicle data platform, IVY. 

What is IVY: Blackberry is marketing IVY as software platform for cars that pulls together all the various data sources in a vehicle to give drivers insights and recommendations. For example, if it detects icy roads, it could recommend the driver enable traction control. 

Why Amazon's interested: Amazon Web Services is the world's largest provider of cloud computing power, and it wants more automakers to use its infrastructure for their vehicle data and tech. This partnership will help them put IVY's customers on their platform. 

A controversial take: My colleagues may disagree with this, but I regret ever giving up my Blackberry. Phones with email, BBM, voice, and a barely functional browser were all we ever needed. I wish Blackberry the best, and hope the company that's licensed their name for a new phone coming in 2021 can deliver on the promise of a reliable device that does the bare minimum and absolutely nothing more.

Discovery is entering the streaming wars with a new service, discovery+. 

 

Yesterday it announced that it will launch its streaming platform for programming from its network which includes channels and brands like the Food Network, TLC, HGTV, and Planet Earth.

 

Zoom out: Discovery is just the latest streaming service in an extremely crowded field fighting for our entertainment dollars. With Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Disney, Apple, Hulu, and CBS all in the market, it's going to become harder and harder to win market share.

The lab grown meat industry hit a big milestone yesterday with a company receiving government approval from Singapore to sell its product as "cultured chicken." It's the first time lab grown meat has been approved for sale as, well, meat. 

 

What it is: The lab cultivated meat is made by a company called Eat Just and is grown directly from animal cells. The meat will be used as an ingredient in chicken nuggets. 

 

Why it matters: No other government has approved lab grown meat for sale, so this is a major step forward. Eat Just also says they have got the price of their chicken down to "parity" with what a similar product would cost in a restaurant.

 

Big picture: Livestock accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions each year (that's more than all cars and planes combined). If we want to continue eating meat without destroying the climate, it's going to require big advances in plant-based and lab-grown meats.

 

Dig deeper: If you want to go deeper into this topic I recommend the documentary Meat The Future about a company in the States working on lab grown meats. You can stream it for free on CBC.

Moderna is set to start testing its vaccine with children ages 12 through 17.

BMO is winding down its American oil and gas investment banking business after reporting $457 million of impaired loans in its US oil and gas portfolio.

A new study from Properly shows that more than half of millennials are unhappy with their housing situation, a dissatisfaction that has grown signficantly during the pandemic. Count me among them!

Google is in hot water, with the US labor board alleging the company spied on workers organizing employee protests before firing them.

South Africa's powerball lottery is under suspicion after the numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were pulled. Those are my lucky numbers!

Clean, Cheap, Renewable: In the last decade the price of solar energy has fallen by 89%. Wind has also declined significantly That's an astounding and hopeful achievement. But why did renewable energy get so cheap, so fast? The answer begins in outer space.

 

Est. 1000 A.D. This toasted mochi shop in Japan has been in business for 1,020 years so it knows a thing or two about surviving tough times. Here's what it can teach us about building a business to last.

 

Ok Google, Play Spotify: Someone released an entire album of Google Play making noises (or music, I guess) called Ok Google Play Music. 

 

Monolith update: Your daily update on the desert monolith.

Prime Minister Trudeau said again that he had no plans to open Canada's borders anytime soon and the latest fiscal update included no specific money for airlines. As you might imagine, this is all causing the beleaguered airline industry a lot of distress.

Data dump:

What the airlines want: A bailout of some sort. And a plan to allow more people to fly, like a national expansion of a pilot program in Alberta that allows international travellers to take a COVID test on arrival and leave quarantine after 2 days (if their result is negative). 

What the government wants: Mainly, to avoid appearing careless during the height of the pandemic's second wave. There's little public appetite for looser restrictions right now.

Big picture: Canadian airlines are a major employer. If they can't survive the next few months, there will be major economic reprecussions.