That ranking was based on proportionate volume of openings in the May 1 2018-July 31, 2018 period.
Hamilton logged 77 new restaurants in that time, though of course EcDev's marketing department (which has been pushing this storyline since 2015) might have juked the stats to make eligibility more elastic (counting license applications and work permits the same as soft launches and ribbon cuttings), ensuring a higher ranking. This would apply to all food service entries in the city — even a food court refresh would count.
ChefHero's interest in quantity over quality is neither coincidental nor disinterested. One press clipping on their site describes them as "a company that is building the digital marketplace and network for restaurants to order wholesale food and supplies.” (
They’re an app.)
In any case, it's only one ranking in time (i.e. Q2 2018), which does not a trend line make. When ChefHero gets around to releasing similar comparatives for Q3 2018, Q4 2018 and Q1 2019 a clearer picture will emerge. Until then, just another listicle of dubious nutritional value. (In February, they proclaimed Ontario's 2019 defining food trend as cauliflower pizza…
based on Google Trends for 2018.)