Why
Find your opportunity: Restaurant or café in Shelburne
Should I do this? · quick read Indication only
Promising — worth a closer look
83out of 100 · 10 of 12 points from 6 of 6 signals How scoring works
Verified fact
Why Favourable: +10.7% growth is at or above the county's 7.3% (Favourable) · 2 of 2 points
Indication only
Why Neutral: 14 restaurants and cafes mapped vs about 11.3 expected at the county rate (124%; Neutral is 70–130%) · 1 of 2 points
Verified fact
Why Neutral: unemployment 10% is not above the county's 10% (Neutral; Labour is never rated Watch) · 1 of 2 points
Indication only
Why Favourable: 3 reviewed listing(s) fit your budget (Favourable is 1 or more) · 2 of 2 points
Verified fact
Why Favourable: 2 open or check-intake program(s) match your type and stage (Favourable is 2+, Neutral 1, Watch 0) · 2 of 2 points
Verified fact
Why Favourable: 100% of ISED map areas have 50/10 Mbps for most homes (Favourable is 75%+, Neutral 40–74%, Watch under 40%) · 2 of 2 points
How this is worked out
Full scoring rules, sources and limits
This is an indication only: a quick summary of the figures on this page, not a forecast, market study or advice. Each of six signals is rated Favourable (2 points), Neutral (1) or Watch (0):
- Demand: the community's 2016–21 population growth. At or above the county (7.3%) is Favourable; at or above Ontario (5.8%) is Neutral; below Ontario is Watch.
- Competition: only businesses of your chosen type (for a restaurant or café: restaurants + cafés; not pubs or other food types). We compare how many are mapped with how many the community would have at the county-wide rate per resident. If fewer than 2 would be expected, the sample is too small and it says Not enough data. 70% of expected or fewer is Favourable; 70–130% Neutral; more than 130% Watch (crowded). "Anywhere in Dufferin" is always Not enough data.
- Labour: unemployment above the county rate (more people looking for work) is Favourable; otherwise Neutral.
- Space: at least one reviewed WhyDufferin listing that fits your budget is Favourable, none is Watch; if we have no reviewed listings at all it is Not enough data.
- Funding: 2 or more open or check-intake programs matching your type and stage is Favourable, 1 Neutral, 0 Watch.
- Internet: share of ISED map areas where most homes get 50/10 Mbps. 75% or more Favourable, 40–74% Neutral, under 40% Watch.
Signals with Not enough data are left out. The score is the points earned divided by the points possible, out of 100. If fewer than 4 signals have data, no score is shown. 67 or more reads "Promising", 45–66 "Mixed", under 45 "Challenging".
The evidence
Market & competition
Our directory lists 7 food & drink businesses in Shelburne (61 county-wide).
Our directory is incomplete. A low count is not proof of demand.
Gaps nearby
People & demand
- Population 2021
- 8,994 (10.7% since 2016)
- Median household income
- $99,000
- Participation
- 70.1%
- Unemployment
- 10%
- Commute out of town
- 72.4%
- Renters
- 19.8%
Costs: wages & workforce
| Job (NOC) | Region $/h | Ontario $/h |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant and food service managers (60030) | 27.47 | 27.47 |
| Chefs (62200) | 22 | 22 |
| Cooks (63200) | 18 | 18 |
| Food and beverage servers (65200) | 18 | 17.6 |
| Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (65201) | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Food service supervisors (62020) | 19.23 | 19 |
Business counts Verified fact
| Industry | NAICS code | Shelburne | Dufferin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food services and drinking places | 722 | 18 | 116 |
| Full-service and limited-service eating places | 7225 | 16 | 108 |
| Accommodation and food services (all) | 72 | 18 | 127 |
Census industry employment Verified fact
Accommodation and food services employs 5.6% of the labour force living in Shelburne, vs 5.2% county-wide and 5.3% in Ontario.
Wages for key occupations Verified fact
| Occupation | NOC code | Low | Median | High | Ontario median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant and food service managers | 60030 | $17.60 | $27.47 | $48.08 | $27.47 |
| Chefs | 62200 | $17.60 | $22.00 | $34.19 | $22.00 |
| Cooks | 63200 | $17.60 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $18.00 |
| Food and beverage servers | 65200 | $17.60 | $18.00 | $28.00 | $17.60 |
| Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations | 65201 | $17.60 | $17.60 | $20.00 | $17.60 |
| Food service supervisors | 62020 | $17.60 | $19.23 | $24.43 | $19.00 |
| Bartenders | 64301 | $17.60 | $20.00 | $33.00 | $20.00 |
Shelburne at a glance Verified fact
- Commuting: 72.4% of commuters with a usual workplace work outside Shelburne.
- Labour force participation 70.1%, unemployment 10% (county 69.3%, 10%).
- Median household income (2020) $99,000 (county $108,000).
- Renter households 19.8%; median tenant shelter cost $1,100/month.
- CMHC rent data is published for Orangeville only (average $1,532, October 2025).
Internet and transit Verified fact
Broadband: in 1 of 1 ISED hexagons in Shelburne, more than 75% of households can get 50/10 Mbps.
- Orangeville and Shelburne fibre to the home · Under way (Wightman construction updates)
Providers: Wightman Telecom 1-888-477-2177 (check). All provider contacts
No GO Transit stops in Shelburne (GTFS feed 20261005110625).
Space, utilities & internet
Downtown rear-access unit, Unit 104 · lease · Retail · About 740 sq ft · $700/month (as shown)
Main Street storefront, Unit 104 · lease · Retail · 1,650 sq ft · $2,300/month
Industrial land, 1 to 10 acres · lease · Land · 1 to 10 acres · $2,500/acre/month
- Power
- Hydro One (Town of Shelburne)
- Gas
- Enbridge Gas is the county's gas utility; confirm the address with Enbridge
- Water
- Municipal water and sewer (Town of Shelburne)
- Internet
- Wightman fibre to the home under way; see /data#fibre
Property tax: see residential, commercial and industrial rates for this town
Next steps
Your plan
- Book a free SBEC consultation and business plan review.
- Register your business with ServiceOntario.
- Confirm zoning, then building permits.
- Apply for matching funding, then open and get listed.
Find a space: commercial realtors
The Mullin Group (Mike Mullin, Broker; Shane Mullin, REALTOR®)
Amanda Ross, Sales Representative
Ann Butler, Sales Representative
James Tasca, Broker of Record
Utilities & internet
- Power
- Hydro One (Town of Shelburne)
- Gas
- Enbridge Gas is the county's gas utility; confirm the address with Enbridge
- Water
- Municipal water and sewer (Town of Shelburne)
- Internet
- Wightman fibre to the home under way; see /data#fibre
Property tax: see residential, commercial and industrial rates for this town
Who to call
- Town of Shelburne: zoning and planning
- Town of Shelburne: building permits
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: food premises
- Dufferin County Economic Development · [email protected]
- Orangeville & Area Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC)
- Dufferin Board of Trade
- Community Futures South Georgian Bay
Weigh it up
See Shelburne side by side with another community, same business and budget.