FH0320

PROFILE
Sunset Grill recently
updated its design to
incorporate open kitchens
and warm, pine
interiors, (middle) the
chains original location
in Toronto’s Beaches
neighbourhood
hile we’re used to
hearing that breakfast
is the most
important meal of
the day, data from
Toronto-based NDP Group proves
that regardless of category (QSR, FSR
or total commercial foodservice),
breakfast has been, and continues
to be, a strong growth driver — and
Sunset Grill is cashing in on the
exploding popularity of the daypart.
When it concerns breakfast,
Sunset Grill is setting the pace, doing
business the same way it did when
founder Angelo Christou launched
the concept in 1985. The first location
— named after the Don Henley song,
Sunset Grill — started as a one-shift
breakfast-and-lunch restaurant in the
Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto.
And although the concept has
evolved, the business philosophy —
and menu — have remained almost
the same.
“The menu hasn’t changed much
in 35 years,” says Stelios Lazos, COO
of Sunset Grill Restaurant Ltd., adding
“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
And Sunset Grill’s business model
is far from broken — the company
has grown exponentially over the
past 10 years. In 2009, there were 30
franchised units across the country.
At the beginning of 2020, there were
200 — a growth rate of 666.7 per
cent over the course of the decade.
The chain is showing no signs
of slowing down, with another 15
locations in the pipeline for 2020.
How does it continue this torrid
pace? Lazos says it’s simple, “while
others try to keep up with trends, we
stick with the classics.”
“[This is what makes] us unique
from other [breakfast restaurants],”
he says. “We stick to a traditional
breakfast. Bacon and eggs go hand
in hand — they have for a hundred
years. You’ve got to stick to what
you know.”
Almost all of Sunset Grill’s
signature menu items fall under
the all-day-breakfast category, with
close to 90 per cent of its sales
being attributed to these items. The
brand is known for its home-style
breakfasts, such as three eggs with
bacon, home fries and toast ($9.75);
the Sunset Super with sausage, two
pancakes, three eggs and home fries
($11.75); and Eggs Sunset — three
eggs over easy with peameal-style
bacon on English muffins served
with Hollandaise sauce and home
fries ($13.25).
The brand also offers a few select
lunch offerings, such as the Sunset
Sandwich made with peameal-style
bacon, egg and cheddar cheese,
served with home fries and vegetables
with dip ($8.25); the Sunset Western
Sandwich with ham, onion and two
eggs ($7.75); and the Banquet Burger
— an eight-ounce patty with bacon
and cheddar cheese ($12.75).
Despite the trend towards veganism,
Sunset Grill offers only a few
vegan options — such as Southwest
Vegan Breakfast Hash ($9.99) —
choosing to focus on its traditional
dishes instead. “We don’t have a huge
demand for vegan food,” says Lazos.
“There’s only so much you can do
and it’s based on demand.”
RISE AND SHINE
NPD Group foodservice analyst
Vince Sgabellone says over the past
five years, the breakfast daypart has
grown by approximately five per cent
per year and operators such as Sunset
Grill are reaping the rewards.
“[Its] menu is the perfect fit —
breakfast is trendy and brunch is on
trend in full service,” says Sgabellone.
“Canadians also love their coffee,
and breakfast and coffee go perfectly
together. In Canada, when
we roll together all those morning
coffee occasions, our morning meal
— which is breakfast, brunch and
FRANCHISING
FACTS
INITIAL
FRANCHISE
FEE
$55,000
ADVERTISING
FEE
1%
ROYALTY
FEE
5%
iSTOCK.COM/JAAAKWORKS [FRANCHISE CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION]
28 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM