The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce is celebrating a delicious victory — and it tastes even sweeter the second time. (Okay, I’ll stop cooking up the food puns…soon!)
We’re proud to share that we’ve once again been recognized with the Ontario Chamber Chair’s Award for Innovative Program, this time for our Oshawa Tourism Food Fight campaign.
The Chair’s Award recognizes a chamber of commerce or board of trade for outstanding success in the design, development, and delivery of an innovative program or service. This marks our second time winning this award within the past three years, following our 2023 recognition for the Oshawa Orientation project.
But this year, we tapped into something entirely different — something as old as humanity itself: the passionate debate over food.
Rather than resist the internet’s natural tendency to argue about the “best” pizza, burger, or butter tart, we decided to lean into it, looking to build community engagement along the way.
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Why Pick a Fight? (The Good Kind)
The internet is full of battles: Marvel vs. DC, Android vs. iPhone, ketchup on steak — the list goes on. (Politics, anyone?)
Food Fight was created to harness this energy in a fun, positive way, inviting people to rally behind their favourite Oshawa restaurants in a light-hearted, community-first competition.
Participants voted for their top picks in a series of playful matchups — best burger, best eggs Benny, and so on — turning every bite into a badge of local pride.
And yes, there were spirited arguments — but they were the good kind.
They got people talking, exploring, and most importantly, supporting Oshawa’s incredible culinary scene and shining a spotlight on every type of Oshawa eatery from iconic mainstays like Mr. Burger and The Rainbow Restaurant, to comparative newcomers such as Cyrus Persian Restaurant.
Serving Up Serious Results
While Food Fight was designed to be fun, it delivered real, measurable impact:
Over 302,000 social media views across campaign videos and promotions
Thousands of votes cast across multiple rounds
Boosted restaurant traffic for featured establishments
Significant growth in Oshawa Tourism’s social media presence
A fun and festive ‘final fight’ in the form of our sold-out Bougie Bites event at The RMG
But the biggest success? Strengthening community connection through local food pride and raising awareness of the myriad new dining options available in Oshawa.
Food Fight wasn’t just about crowning a burger champion — it was about telling the world (and reminding ourselves) that Oshawa’s culinary culture is vibrant, diverse, and worth celebrating.
Culinary Tourism: More Than a Tasty Trend
One reason Food Fight resonated so strongly is that it tapped into a powerful, broader truth:
Food and drink experiences are one of the top drivers of travel decisions.
According to national and international tourism research, visitors are increasingly choosing destinations based on the promise of unique, memorable culinary experiences.
When you showcase your restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and breweries, you aren’t just marketing meals — you’re marketing your city’s culture, creativity, and community.
To us, the insight here is that culinary tourism isn’t a trend — it’s a strategic pillar of economic development. A thriving food scene doesn’t just attract visitors. It attracts entrepreneurs, new residents, and investment.
Tourism Branding = Business Prosperity
It’s important to understand that building Oshawa’s tourism brand isn’t just about helping restaurants and hotels (although it certainly does that).
It’s about showcasing all the cultural pillars of Oshawa’s remarkable livability:
Culinary delights
Vibrant arts and culture
Outdoor recreation
Diverse neighbourhoods
Welcoming community spirit
When you tell a strong, positive story about your community, you create momentum that benefits every business. Whether a company is considering opening an office, relocating staff, or attracting new talent, they’re increasingly looking at quality of life for their team as a key decision-driver. And so, when quality of life shines, the whole business ecosystem grows stronger.
Simply put:
Strong tourism branding is a contributor to strong business attraction, supporting the excellent work being done by our colleagues at Oshawa Business and Economic Development Services and regionally at Invest Durham.
Supporting Our Top Talent (and Attracting More)
Oshawa is already home to four incredible post-secondary institutions, producing some of the brightest young minds in Ontario and beyond. Keeping that talent local — and attracting even more — depends on more than just job opportunities.
It depends on building a place where people want to live.
When campaigns like Food Fight show off Oshawa’s creativity, its flavour, and its sense of fun, they send a powerful message to students, grads, and skilled workers:
This is a city where you can build a life, not just a career.
Every great latte, every unforgettable brunch, every new hidden gem contributes to that story.
And every voter who got passionately defensive about their favourite Oshawa burger?
They were part of that story too.
Innovation Is in Oshawa’s DNA
Winning the Ontario Chamber Chair’s Award for the second time in three years is not just a nice trophy for us to place on the office credenza. To us, it’s another little proof point in Oshawa’s long and continuing history of innovation, stretching back to it’s tanneries, the McLaughlin Carriage Company, the Pedlar Metal Roof Company, the creation of Canada Dry Ginger Ale, General Motors of Canada and all the way to today’s innovations in health care and zero emissions vehicles.
A Toast to Everyone Who Made It Happen
None of this would have been possible without:
The incredible (and good-natured!) local businesses who stepped into the ring with good humour and great food
The residents and visitors who voted, posted, and proudly waved their “burger” or “shwarma” flags
You are the real champions.
And your passion — whether it came with a side of fries or a double scoop of gelato — is building a stronger Oshawa every day.
What’s Next? Stay Hungry.
The 2025 Oshawa Food Fight and Bougie Bites campaigns are already live as I write this.
New matchups. New ideas. New ways to celebrate everything that makes Oshawa a great place to visit — and an even better place to call home.
Because if there’s one thing Food Fight has proven, it’s this:
When you serve up community pride with a side of friendly rivalry, everybody wins.
