March/April (Revised)

THE CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES ISSUE

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MARCH/APRIL 2021

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DISH THEY’LL

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VOLUME 53, NO.2 | MARCH/APRIL 2021

THE CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES ISSUE

12

29 THE 2021 FRANCHISE LISTINGS

52 A NEW REALITY

Technology has allowed restaurants to

evolve ahead of schedule

54 TAKE TWO

Operators are re-thinking takeout

strategies amidst COVID-19 restrictions

56 TRADING SPACES

Inventory levels fall as operators turn

their sights on smaller spaces

58 ROLL CALL

Staffing strategies are being

54

IN THIS ISSUE

re-examined during pandemic times

60 COST CRUNCH

New challenges are shifting

restaurants’ operating costs

70

10 GORILLA IN THE ROOM

Operators need to face discussions

about living wages head on

62 DELIVERING CONFIDENCE

New procedures are getting food from

place-to-place with no face-to-face

12 COMFORT BETWEEN TWO BUNS

Food trends during the pandemic

show burger popularity is on the rise

65 SAFETY FIRST

Health-and-safety planning is being

taken to new levels

19 RISING ABOVE

Franchisors share insight into

surviving and thriving during COVID-19

68 BEYOND THE BAR

COVID-19 is driving significant shifts

in beer consumption

DEPARTMENTS

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH SKRLJ

27 TEAM EFFORT

A franchise advisory board is there to

help every step of the way

FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

69 FILLING THE GAP

Tech companies are helping

e

restaurants to run more efficiently

27

2 FROM THE EDITOR

5 FYI

9 FROM THE DESK OF NPD GROUP

70 CHEF’S CORNER Brandon Clemens,

The Bruce Hotel

MARCH/APRIL 2021 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 1

FROM THE EDITOR

A

few years ago, when we launched a special theme for

our March issue called “Challenges and Opportunities,”

it was our way to highlight that not all problems are

catastrophic, even when they may appear to be and, in fact, we

can often turn a challenge into a viable opportunity for growth.

Sometimes all it takes to tackle a thorny issue is to

look at it through a different lens.

Interestingly, by choosing to look at a challenge this way, we

sometimes open ourselves up to see new possibilities. And, by facing

it head on, we not only survive, but thrive in ways never imagined.

That’s the beauty of possibilities — they open the door to new and

unexpected realities.

Of course, a year after COVID-19 surfaced and shook us to our

very core, looking at a challenge through the lens of positivity isn’t

an easy undertaking. Suddenly, the challenges we once viewed

as serious threats now seem to pale in comparison. Some days,

the very act of getting out of bed to face a new day is in itself

an overwhelming challenge for many. Certainly, COVID-19 has

decimated the industry, forcing many operators to shutter their

businesses, leaving others to wipe out their savings, while turning

somersaults to keep it going, while others still pivot to new

THE

OTHER

SIDE

revenue streams. COVID-19 has also forced the

industry to pause, to reflect and to re-set and,

while painful, it’s also been a necessary exercise

to bring us to the other side and ultimately

build an even stronger industry with a firmer

foundation in place. Just as previous generations

have looked back at various global events such

as World War I and II, as well as the Great

Depression, as significant touchpoints in their

lives, one day we will look back on this time and

share stories of significant loss and tremendous

learning and growth.

The challenges of living through a pandemic

have forced us to perform differently. In the

franchise community, franchisors suddenly

needed to step up to become more supportive

of their franchisees — whether it’s by putting

franchise fees on hold, being more communicative and resourceful

and even attempting new practices. And, in some cases, some

franchisees even managed to prosper during this tumultuous time

(see story on page 19).

Seems hard to believe today, amidst the chaos and the fear,

but one day in the not-so-distant future, this too shall pass. As

intimidating, perplexing and destructive as COVID-19 has been,

dealing with it has taught us invaluable lessons that will

ultimately make us stronger, more resilient and, as always,

ready for any challenge.

ROSANNA CAIRA rcaira@kostuchmedia.com

@foodservicemag

facebook.com/foodservicehospitalitymagazine

instagram.com/rosannacaira

NICK WONG, LOCATION PROVIDED BY VIA CIBO

2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH/APRIL 2021 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

Vegetarian cuisine is

going mainstream

Mad Radish

is a rising

star in the

healthyfood

segment

Chronicling

a year in

the life of

Niagara’s

Pearl

Morissette

Navigating the world

of third-party

delivery apps

Hot new trends in glassware,

dinnerware and cutlery

MAY 2019 $4.00

GET

EST. 1968 | VOLUME 54, NO.2 | MARCH/APRIL 2021

EDITOR & PUBLISHER ROSANNA CAIRA

MANAGING EDITOR AMY BOSTOCK

ASSOCIATE EDITOR DANIELLE SCHALK

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER DEREK RAE

ART DIRECTOR COURTNEY JENKINS

DESIGN ASSISTANT JACLYN FLOMEN

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/EVENTS

CO-ORDINATOR JHANELLE PORTER

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

WENDY GILCHRIST

SALES AND MARKETING ASSISTANT

KATE WALES

CIRCULATION PUBLICATION PARTNERS

CONTROLLER DANIELA PRICOIU

ADVISORY BOARD

ASCARI HOSPITALITY GROUP, JOHN SINOPOLI

CHARCUT RESTAURANT CONNIE DESOUSA,

JOHN JACKSON

FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED NICK PERPICK

FHG INTERNATIONAL INC. DOUG FISHER

JOEY RESTAURANT GROUP BRITT INNES

LACTALIS CANADA IVEN ZANARDO

MTY GROUP MARIE-LINE BEAUCHAMP

NARAMATA INN NED BELL

PARAMOUNT FINE FOODS MOHAMAD FAKIH

PROFILE HOSPITALITY GROUP SCOTT BELLHOUSE

SOTOS LLP ALLAN DICK

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS JUDSON SIMPSON

THE MCEWAN GROUP MARK MCEWAN

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY

& TOURISM MANAGEMENT BRUCE MCADAMS

WELBILT MARY CHIAROT

To subscribe to F&H, visit foodserviceandhospitality.com


VEGELICIOUS

MAD

SKILLS

HIDDEN

GEM

MAGAZINE ON


YOUR IPAD

DELIVERY

DILEMMA

THE TOP

30

UNDER 30

THIS YEAR’S OHI

WINNERS ARE

RAISING THE BAR

IN ONTARIO’S

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

EYE CANDY

Under Thirty

Introducing the winners of KML’s Top-30-Under-30 Awards

TAKING

A STAND

Restaurant operators

express frustration about

lack of government support

TOP

CHINK IN

THE CHAIN

The impact of COVID-19

has put a strain on the

Canadian food supply chain

PLANT

POWER

Plant-based menu

offerings are still top

of mind for diners

JULY/AUGUST 2020 $4.00


TRENDS 2020

GEARING UP

Top-5 equipment

trends for 2020

BEVERAGE

BUZZ

Drink trends operators

can’t afford to ignore

EMERGING

EATS

New restaurant concepts

are shaking up the industry

FUTURE

FORWARD


Technology is

re-shaping foodservice

PLUS

THE 2020

BUYER’S

GUIDE

JANUARY 2020 $20.00

T H E I M P A C T O F C O V I D - 1 9

SPECIAL EDITION

MAY 2020 $4.00

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MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES FOR THE FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

CANADIANS ARE

FLOCKING TO NEW

CHICKEN CHAIN

L.A.-based hot-chicken chain opens first

Canadian location

DAVE’S HOT CHICKEN, the L.A.-

based fast-casual chain, known for its

Nashville hot chicken, opened its firstever

Canadian location in Toronto in

January. The timing is fortuitous, as

consumers stuck at home during the

COVID-19 pandemic have increasingly

chosen to order chicken from foodservice

locations over other food options.

The fast-casual concept specializes

in hot chicken tenders and sliders,

offered at seven spice levels, ranging

from ‘No Heat’ to ‘Reaper’ (which

requires a signed waiver for those


who dare), and a variety of sides,

including house-made kale slaw,

creamy mac’n’cheese and crispy

french fries.

The Toronto location’s

menu features items

unique to Canada, with

locally sourced craft beers

and classic Dave’s Hot

Chicken staples shaped

around Canadian cuisine.

The restaurant initially

opened offering takeout

and is available for online

ALL HAIL

THE

QUEEN

Another popular

global fried-chicken

chain is coming to

Mississauga, Ont.

ChickQueen is the

Canadian master

franchise of the

Chicking family,

which is currently

operating in more

than 20 countries

with more than

180 locations.

ChickQueen is a

fully Halal quickservice

concept

known for its fresh

chicken marinated

in a trademarked

blend of herbs and

spices and served

either fried or

grilled. The menu

boasts items such

buckets of chicken,

burgers, wraps, and

chicken wings.

ordering and delivery.

Obelysk Food Ltd., which has

extensive experience in the Canadian

food-and-beverage and fast-casual

industries, has signed a franchise deal

with the brand to open 30 locations

across Canada.

“We were devoted customers before

we got the opportunity to introduce

the brand to the Canadian market,”

says Blair Bitove, director of Business

Development, Obelysk. “In just a few

years, Dave’s Hot Chicken has established

a cult and celebrity following

across the U.S. with its craveable menu

offerings and unique combinations of

spices. We look forward to continuing

that momentum across Canada and

watching Canadians flock to the brand.”

Co-founder and chef Dave

Kopushyan, along with his three

best friends, originated Dave’s Hot

Chicken in early 2017. Kopushyan,

a classically trained chef and selfdescribed

spice freak, was inspired

by the unique, flavourful spice of

Nashville hot chicken and set out to

create his own version.

The brand is heralded as one of the

fastest-growing restaurant concepts in

history, with more than 200 locations

under contract across the U.S. since it

began franchising in 2019, with plans

to expand across Canada. FH

HOME-GROWN CONCEPT

Toronto-based Paramount Fine Foods launched a fried-chicken concept last

September. Krispo Chicken, operated out of Paramount’s location at 1585 The

Queensway in Toronto, is a fast-casual restaurant focused on quality, local, farmfresh

ingredients. And, like Paramount, all menu items feature Halal ingredients.

Krispo’s online menu includes two-, three- and four-piece boxes of chicken and fries,

as well as nine-piece and 12-piece family bucket meals. It also offers a signature

fried-chicken sandwich — the Wicked Sandwich — and sides sides such as jalapeño

corn bread, Sweet Hottie pickles, coleslaw and potato salad


COFFEE

NEW.0

MAN ON A

MISSION

Chef Tallis Voakes has joined Tim

Hortons as the brand’s new Culinary

Lead. Voakes was formally trained at

Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa and went

on to work with world-renowned

chefs, including Nobu Matsuhisa

and Jason Atherton at Gordon

Ramsay’s restaurant Maze, as well as

at three one-Michelin-star restaurants.

He’s also been an in-demand food

stylist for Hollywood and TV

productions. “My mission of making

the food at Tim Hortons even better

for our guests across Canada is just

so, so exciting,” says Voakes. “There

are many things that are already

awesome and you don’t mess with

a good thing…It’s about making

sure all the elements of a sandwich

or a soup or a doughnut are all the

very best and create a ‘wow’ eating

experience.”

Tim Hortons introduced an improved

Dark Roast earlier this year, featuring

100-per-cent premium Arabica

beans and boasting a bolder and richer

flavour. The first Tim Hortons Dark

Roast launched in 2014 and the recipe

was then adapted to be darker in 2017.

“The amount of work that went into

developing this new Dark Roast was really

incredible. We actually developed about four

dozen variations of the Dark Roast to zeroin

on the perfect balance of richness and

smoothness,” says Kevin West, head of Coffee

Operations, Tim Hortons. “It’s incredibly

rich with a harmonious blend of complex

flavours, subtle notes of chocolate, cedar and

even hints of fruit and floral characteristics.”

FIGHTING FEES

In January, Montreal restaurant Déli Boyz filed a class-action lawsuit

against food-delivery companies over the commissions charged by

these services during the pandemic. The case is targeting food-delivery

companies Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes and points to

the relationship between restaurants and these companies as “a

contract of adhesion, where commission cannot be negotiated

and is imposed on the restaurant.” The case seeks

damages, for all Quebec restaurants, equal to the amount

of the commissions paid to the named delivery companies

in excess of 15-per-cent of the total cost of the customer

order going back two years. The application also seeks an

injunction ordering third-party delivery services to stop charging

commissions exceeding 15 per cent.

MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIP

Mealshare and A&W Canada have launched a new,

ongoing national partnership to help combat youth

hunger. Through the partnership, which aims to

provide 1,250,000 meals per year, one meal will be

provided to a youth in need through Mealshare for

every Cheddar Bacon Uncle Burger Combo ordered

on ‘Mealshare Mondays.’ And, customers can always

‘Make it a Mealshare’ by adding $1 to their order.

“The support of A&W restaurants will make a huge

impact for Mealshare and all the youth we support

across the entire country,” says Jeremy Bryant, cofounder

of Mealshare. Meals are provided through

Mealshare’s network of 450 local charity partners

across Canada, with 80 per cent of Mealshare’s

financial support staying in local communities

where the Mealshare item was purchased. The

remaining 20 per cent goes internationally to

Save the Children.


ADVERTORIAL

Not your Grandma’s

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies:

Modern Baking with

California Raisins

Is there anything more comforting than a cold

glass of milk with a warm oatmeal-raisin cookie?

How about thickly sliced, toasted cinnamon-raisin

bread (with lashings of butter)? Raisins have

been a pantry staple in Canada for more than a

century — and California Raisins have been the

raisin of choice. In foodservice, raisins are the most

economical dried fruit available; they also have the

power to transform food items without overcomplicating

ingredients lists.

Dr. Klaus Tenbergen owns California-based

Knead-to-Know Consulting and is a chef consultant

for California Raisins. He’s been working with raisins

for some time, having tested more than 1,000

recipes (all of which can be found on the California

Raisins website). He says there will always be a place in the hearts

of consumers for comforting, raisin-laden baked goods.

“There’s the traditional ways of using raisins — in cookies, breads

and at Christmas time,” he says. “For an example of a less-traditional

bake, we recently developed a bread in a can with raisin concentrate

and raisins — the tin gives it a unique shape and [the raisin concentrate]

adds depth of flavour. You can also use the concentrate with

sparkling water for a European-style soda.”

For those making healthier versions of our favourite baked goods,

California Raisins make an excellent binding agent and easily replace

conventional sugars. Try them in raw brownies by combining raisins,

maple syrup, cocoa, walnuts and vanilla in a food processor. The soft,

chewy textures also make them an ideal fat replacement.

When baking items such as bread and cakes, avoid common problems

by conditioning the raisins before use (see exact directions for

raisin conditioning in our Tips and Tricks section). California Raisins’

skin has excellent integrity and doesn’t easily tear, but it’s considered

best practice to gently fold raisins into doughs and batters, adding

For those

making healthier

versions of our

favourite baked

goods, California

Raisins make

an excellent

binding agent

and easily

replace

conventional

sugars

them in as the very last step.

Panettone, stollen, scones and Danish pastries are

some classic examples of European-style raisin bakes,

but how about something a bit closer to home?

Toronto-based pastry chef Lindsay Haddock

spent ample time in Europe before leading her

way through the pastry sections of some of Toronto’s

best restaurants. She now works with Baxter’s

Bakery, producing high-volume (and high-quality)

baked goods for cafés and retailers throughout

the Greater Toronto Area. She says there are two

particular raisin recipes which come to mind when

she thinks about classic Canadian treats.

“We use raisins for a lot of the old classics,

including our butter tarts,” she says. “People

still love raisins — my kids love them; especially cinnamon raisin

toast. But something that definitely divides households — and the

nation — are the butter tarts. You either hard-core love raisins in

your butter tarts, or you don’t.”

Whichever side of the fence you’re on in this argument, no baking

business can deny the 50 per cent of the population who demand

raisins in their butter tarts.

“For a lot of people, it’s a texture thing,” Lindsay adds. “If you like

that bit of chewiness, you get that from the raisins. Another favourite

raisin dessert of mine and many other Canadians is rum raisin ice

cream — I just love it; it’s an iconic flavour and just so delicious.”

californiaraisins.ca

RaisinsCA@argylepr.com

RICE

AS NICE

Earlier this year, Chipotle Mexican Grill

introduced Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower

Rice at its U.S. and Canadian restaurants

for a limited time. The new offering

is compliant with keto, Whole30,

paleo, vegan and vegetarian diets and is

prepared using techniques and ingredients

similar to the chain’s classic whiterice.

Prior to the test-market launch,

Chipotle reports that one out of three

new menu item requests from customers

had been for cauliflower rice.

Keg Restaurants and

Cactus Club Cafe have

been recognized as top

Canadian employers in

Glassdoor’s Best Places

to Work in Canada 2021

list, ranking 12th and

23rd respectively. The

annual list highlighted

the top 25 performers

in its Employees’ Choice

Awards, determined

based on the quantity,

quality and consistency

of employee reviews

between October 2019

and October 2020.

PLANT

PIZZA

Pizza Nova recently began offering Field Roast

Plant-Based Pepperoni on its menu — marking

the first time the product, produced by Greenleaf

Foods, became available to consumers. The

pea-protein-based product boasts a similar

flavour and texture to traditional pork

pepperoni, with fat marbling and bold taste.

“We are proud to offer a plant-based pepperoni

that delivers on our ‘Puro Promise’ of sourcing

high-quality products that do not compromise

on taste,” says Domenic Primucci, president of

Pizza Nova. “The addition of Field Roast Plant-

Based Pepperoni to our menu will allow us to

expand our offerings and better serve flexitarians,

vegetarians and vegans alike — always in the

same careful and loving manner.”

Bocuse d’

Or Team

Canada has pulled

out of the 2021

Bocuse d’Or competition, which is set to

take place June 2021 in Lyon, France. The

team had worked to prepare for the

competition for the past two years, but

determined that travelling during this

turbulent time posed an

unjustified risk.

GRANTING

RELIEF

DoorDash is providing $1,125,000 in local

COVID-19-relief grants as part of its expanded grant

program to help restaurants in Montreal, Toronto

and Vancouver. The $3,000 grants are intended

to help offset costs associated with the ongoing

pandemic and are part of the company’s US$200-

million, five-year Main Street Strong Pledge, which

includes a US$10-million grant program to help

restaurants in select cities across Canada and the U.S.

8 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH/APRIL 2021


FROM THE DESK OF NPD

Burger

Bonanza

Burgers continue to grow in popularity as

diners feed their need for comfort food

FREEPIK.COM

Burgers are the top centre-of-theplate

food item in Canada and

always have been. According to

the NPD Group/CREST data,

Canadian restaurants served

more than 750-million burgers

during the 12 months ending November

2020. Burger-serving volumes have grown

for each of the past five years, despite the

growing popularity of plant-based alternatives.

As you might expect, burger volumes

are down from the prior year — by about

eight per cent. During this same time,

CREST reports foodservice traffic (visits) fell

by 18 per cent. If you’re doing the math in

your head right now, you’ve just calculated

that burgers actually became more popular

since the start of the pandemic. How did

this happen?

Since the start of the pandemic, many

have reported the growing prominence of

restaurant-meal delivery. The biggest beneficiaries

of this booming trend, especially

during the early days of the pandemic, were

the quick-service restaurants (QSR) that

specialize in pizza and chicken. They were

already well established with a delivery infrastructure

and the apps to support it and were

quickly able to accommodate the increased

volume brought on by the dining-room

shutdown. That’s one of the reasons pizza

was the best-performing food item this past

year — declining by just six per cent — and

remains the top menu item for delivery, outselling

burgers by two to one. Just a year ago,

pizza outsold burgers by a ratio of three to

one. How is it that burgers have continued to

grow in popularity despite the boom in pizza

delivery? The QSR burger operators were

quick to capitalize on this delivery trend by

increasing their availability on third-partyrestaurant

apps. As a result, this restaurant

channel was the fastest growing last year, collectively

tripling their delivery visits.

The next factor contributing to the

growing popularity of burgers is the drive

thru. While delivery has grown quickly, it

still holds just a single-digit share of total

foodservice visits. Drive thru, on the other

hand, has grown the most during the past

year and now represents about half of all

visits. QSR burger operators have outperformed

every other restaurant channel

through the drive-thru window,

tripling their volume in just a year.

And, unlike delivery, there’s no app that

will provide a quick fix for other restaurant

channels to take advantage of this trend.

Over the years, QSR burger operators

have been able to reinforce the popularity of

their signature menu item through a established ritual of new-product introduc-

welltions

and limited-time offers (LTO). Product

innovation contributed as much as one

quarter of all burger growth in recent years,

but this LTO activity has slowed during the

past 12 months. Operators are struggling to

keep their product-development pipelines

filled, due to limited access to their producttesting

facilities, restrictions in working with

their supplier partners and the inability

to access consumer product-testing panels.

Combined with operator demands for

streamlined kitchen operations during this

time of physical distancing, it is likely that

LTO activity will continue to look a little

different in the short term. That supplier

community will, therefore, need to come up

with new ways to support its operator partners

and should prepare themselves for

a re-boot of tried-and-true LTOs from the

past and minor variations on themes that

operators can ‘build’ with their existing

kitchen ingredients.

The growing popularity of burgers this

past year has led to a lift in the amount

consumers spend on burger-centred meals

— fuelled mainly by growth in consumer

demand for comfort and indulgence. This upspending

is taking place across several menu

categories and represents an opportunity for

operators and suppliers alike to upscale their

products and grow their eater checks to help

offset some of the declines in volume.

The number-1 request I’ve received over

the past 12 months is to forecast what the

future of foodservice might look like. In this

ever-changing environment, I’m reluctant to

make many firm predictions, but here is

one that you can count on — the popularity

of burgers. FH

Vince Sgabellone is a foodservice

industry analyst with The NPD

Group. He can be reached at vince.

sgabellone@npd.com.



LABOUR

THE GORILLA IN THE ROOM

Addressing living wages is key to employee engagement

BY ANDY HICKL-SZABO | ILLUSTRATION BY DASHA ZOLATA

Recently I had the pleasure of listening

to The Educators episode of Foodservice

and Hospitality’s Table Talk podcast, a

discussion between editor/publisher Rosanna

Caira and five hospitality educators about the

effects of the global pandemic and what the

future might hold for the industry. I was quite

taken with the discussion about the state of the

industry. It seems to me that the verdict was

unanimous, that our business model is indeed

broken. To my mind, this is the 800-pound

gorilla in the room that no one wants to talk

about. I was encouraged to hear that a silver

lining in the COVID-19 cloud might be an

impetus for some much-needed change.

Rudi Fischbacher, associate dean, Faculty of

Business, Humber College, spoke about grads

leaving the industry early and the low barriers to

entry in opening a restaurant. Christine Walker,

director of Academics, Chef School and Industry

Related Research at George Brown College,

spoke about the warped expectations of the

consumers “value-driven” proposition model

and the ongoing toxic kitchen-culture problems.

Bruce McAdams, associate professor, School of

Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management,

University of Guelph, has long spoken and written

about labour attraction and retention issues,

the transient nature of our labour force and

how to mitigate those issues. Never mind the

ludicrous commercial rents and municipal taxes

that are extracted from restaurateurs in Toronto.

Undoubtedly, the restaurant business model

is broken. It’s never been an easy thing to say

about one’s own industry, especially as a teacher.

I was a student in the HAFA program at

the University of Guelph for the second half of

the ‘70s and it was then I started to read F&H

and attended my first CRFA/HostEx restaurant

shows. Labour has always been at the very top

of every survey ever conducted about the

problems facing restaurateurs. That’s not new.

Long hours and low pay — there has been

much ink spilled on these issues.

There have been many thoughtful and

creative ideas and best practices developed to

attract, retain and engage our teams over the

years. Internal marketing, service culture, the

service-profit chain — these are all inspirational

and high-minded concepts. The fact that it’s

almost 50 years later and we’re still talking

about the very same issues means only one

thing — it’s not working. Many of these ideas

and best practices could work. They should

work. But they won’t work. They’ll never work

until we pay our staff a living wage. It’s that

simple. All of the “best practices” have never

amounted to anything more than re-arranging

the deck chairs on the Titanic. The labour issue

has stubbornly remained atop all those lists

all these years for a reason. If we truly want

to fully engage our teams, we have to take the

money issue off the table. If I need two fulltime

jobs to pay for rent and food, all of your

engagement and retention efforts will appear

disingenuous, at best. Sadly, we’re hobbled by

a legislated and immoral minimum wage that

forces people below the poverty line.

What all of this really means is that, when

we finally decide to pay our staff a living

wage, obviously, the price of going to a restaurant

will have to increase and likely by 20

or 30 per cent. By extension, this could well

mean fewer restaurants. So be it. Fischbacher

said, “the barriers to entry are too low” and

he’s right. According to Walker, the public

has a distorted concept of the true cost of

food and she’s right, too. It should go without

saying that the path forward includes realizing

that tipping and paying a living wage

are mutually exclusive concepts. The public

will react predictably when forced to pay

closer to the true cost. It’s called sticker shock.

Eventually they’ll come back.

Until we pay a living wage, we will never

have a fully engaged staff — they simply can’t

afford it. Until we pay a living wage, the restaurant

business model will remain broken. Until

we pay a living wage, you can expect to see a

steady stream of articles and journals, speeches

and surveys devoted to the latest best practices

of exactly how, why and where you should put

those deck chairs. Seen any icebergs? FH

After more than 25 years of owning

and operating restaurants both

here and abroad, Andy Hickl-

Szabo joined the faculty of the

School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

at George Brown College in 2007.

ILLUSTRATION BY DASHA ZOLATA


COMING NEXT MONTH

THE CHANGE REPORT

• The Green Report

• Eradicating Racism

• Plant-Based Dining

• Carbon-Neutral Restaurants

• Wines

• Mobile-Ordering

& Curbside Pickup

Comfort

BETWEEN

CONSUMERS ARE TURNING TO THEIR FAVOURITE

COMBOS AS THEY WEATHER UNCERTAINTY

BY DANIELLE SCHALK

grappled with the new realities created

by COVID-19 and foodservice sales rapidly shifted

ASCanadians

to off-premise offerings, takeout stalwarts burgers

and fries remained go-to menu items.

Turgay Kirbiyik, owner of Toronto-based Ozzy’s Burgers, says because

are comfort food they’ve been a boon for his business during this

challenging year, especially given they’re pretty takeout friendly.

Comfort foods have resonated with customers during these uncertain

times. According to a Technomic consumer survey, 40 per cent of

consumers say they’re buying more comfort foods from restaurants

than before the pandemic.

And Kirbiyik wasn’t the only burger slinger to benefit. According to

Ipsos Foodservice Monitor data, burgers were the second-most-popular

foodservice menu category in April 2020, with 13.4 per cent of foodservice

orders including burgers — up from 9.1 per cent in April 2019.

And, with many burger purveyors entering the pandemic with

established off-premise strategies, it’s not surprising they captured

additional market share.

“We’ve had delivery as a key part of our operations [for more than

a decade], at about 15 per cent of our sales for the last 10 years,” says

Bruce Miller, president of Oakville, Ont.-based The WORKS Craft

Burgers & Beer. “So, it was very easy for us to pivot, during these

ISTOCK.COM/ KATE_MALEVA


FOOD FILE



The WORKS recently

re-imagined its brand,

updating its visual identity

and all guest touchpoints

[pandemic] times, to an expanded

delivery percentage of sales,

which, in lockdown, is up to

about 45 per cent of our sales.”

However, Kirbiyik says his

three Ozzy’s Burgers locations did

have to make some adjustments

to optimize their operations for

increased reliance on takeout

and delivery. The concept, which

focuses on unique, scratch-made

burger creations, initially ran into

some challenges with packaging.

“Because we have some towering

burgers — some of the burgers

are eight inches in height — the

challenge was [figuring out]

which items were going to easily

fit into the standard packaging

that’s available.” This factored

into designing a simplified menu

for off-premise orders, which also

put less popular and more

seasonal items, such as milkshakes, on the

backburner. “It kind of brought us back to

what we do best,” says Kirbiyik.

Miller says The WORKS also downsized its

menu during the pandemic. “We [worked] with

our franchise partners to be able to cut down on

some of our menu items, overall, to make things

faster and easier for our guests on a delivery or

takeout occasion,” he explains, adding that these

efforts reduced the brand’s extensive menu by

about 20 per cent.

And, while Kirbiyik and Miller note

BRAND

OVERHAUL

In 2020, The WORKS

Gourmet Burger Bistro

underwent a complete

brand and menu

transformation,

becoming The WORKS

Craft Burgers & Beer.

The aim of the

project was to better

represent the brand’s

focus on quality, gourmet

offerings through an

enhanced look. The

re-designed menu

features a wider

selection of craft beer,

as well as new craft

poutines and milkshakes.

increased takeout/delivery sales

have only served to further highlight

what their brands’ most successful

offerings are, both agree

there are a number of trends making

an impact on the segment.

Though indulgent and comfort

offerings have been popular,

healthy options and betterfor-you

alternatives are also

top of mind, with Technomic

research revealing 31 per cent

of Canadians are buying more

healthy items from restaurants

than pre-pandemic.

Kirbiyik confirms he’s seen

shifts on this front. “Because of

COVID-19, people are getting

more health conscious,” he shares.

“Avocado [is popular] again…and

we’re seeing a lot of keto buns.”

Overall, he adds, alternative buns

— including gluten-free and ‘lettuce

buns’ — and plant-based-patty options

have seen growing demand.

Social responsibility and sustainability are

considerations that are impacting dining decisions

as well. According to a June Techonomic

survey, 65 per cent of Canadian consumers

indicated social responsibility is important to

them when deciding which restaurant to visit

— and it’s especially important to younger

consumers. And, as Technomic’s, senior

managing editor, Aimee Harvey explained in

the company’s What to Expect in Canada in

2021 webinar, “It’s not enough for companies

in our industry to simply pay lip service to

social responsibility. [Gen-Z and millennial

consumers] are the customers who want to

see action.”

The effects of these expectations can be

seen in shifts in beef sourcing across major

chains, as well as Wendy’s Canada’s recent

switch to 100-per-cent Canadian greenhouse-

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A January Industry Insights

report from Technomic revealed

mushroom-topped burgers as a

key menu offering appearing at

Canadian quick-serve burger chains.

During the winter months, brands

such as Harvey’s and Wendy’s

featured limited-time offers on

cheesy mushroom-melt burgers —

capitalizing on customers’ affinity for

comfort foods. As the report highlights,

both of these offerings were

“chock full of umami elements and

premium descriptors.”

grown lettuce. And, Harvey notes, we can

expect to see other top players follow suit.

As Technomic highlighted in its 2021

Global Trends Outlook, rather than focus on

new menu development during the pandemic,

many operators focused on upgrading menu

favourites. Even pre-pandemic, this trend saw

McDonald’s Canada re-vamp how its burgers

are prepared and served in 2019. And, last

March, A&W Foodservices of Canada committed

to moving to 100-per-cent Canadian

grass-fed and -finished beef. In September,

the company met the milestone of serving all

grass-fed beef across Canada and is working

toward sourcing exclusively from Canada.

These changes also play into the value

Canadian consumers place on local sourcing,

which has only been heightened by the

pandemic. Technomic research reveals 51

per cent of Canadians are buying from local

restaurants as a way to support the community.

And, consumers increasingly expecting restaurants

to source local ingredients and products.

Beef and Beyond

With regard to burgers, today’s consumers

aren’t beholden to beef. An ever-growing

range of dietary preferences, as well as desire

for variety, have helped drive demand for

burgers featuring a range of proteins. A prime

example, plant-based burgers ranked 11th on

DoorDash’s list of the most popular delivery

dishes in Canada during the first half of 2020

and made it to the Top-10 list of three provinces

(fifth in both Quebec and Ontario; sixth

in P.E.I.), while traditional beef burgers were

notably absent from the national Top-20 list.

“Over the last five years, we’ve seen more

of a move towards the vegetarian-based patty,”

shares Miller, who notes The WORKS’ Beyond

Meat burgers constitute about eight-per-cent of

the chain’s sales. “We also have our portobello

mushroom cap and The WORKS vegetarian

burger, so we have three [patty] options that

are fully vegetarian. We also launched Canada’s

first vegan bacon cheeseburger last year.”

The WORKS offers a wide range of burger

patties, which also includes a variety of beefbased

options, chicken breast, the brand’s signature

elk patty and crispy chicken. “We want

to [offer] the ultimate gourmet-burger experience

for any palette,” explains Miller, noting

the classic beef patty is the brand’s number-1

seller, followed by wagyu beef and the Beyond

Meat patty.

Kirbiyik agrees orders over the past year

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have revealed a desire for variety, sharing

that people who have been ordering out a

lot appear to be switching up their orders to

keep things interesting or make more healthconscious

decisions. However, Ozzy’s Burgers’

most popular menu items continue to be its

cheeseburger and fried-chicken burger.

As evidenced by the wealth of media

attention over the last couple of years, friedchicken

sandwiches have also been gaining

traction. In fact, DoorDash’s data revealed

crispy- or fried-chicken sandwiches ranked

among 2020’s most-ordered dishes in three

provinces — first in Saskatchewan, second in

New Brunswick and sixth in Nova Scotia.

All the Fixins’

Despite growing demand for comforting

offerings and ingredients with a health halo,

decisions around burger toppings often come

down to personal preference.

“People are very loyal to their favourite

WORKS burger,” says Miller. “We actually

find there’s different groupings of toppings

[experiencing] popularity based on the

guest’s need state and what they’re looking

for.” These key ‘groupings’ include vegetarian,

cheesy, barbecue and spicy toppings.

Highlighting demand for spicy foods,

Technomic’s Ignite menu data identified

“heat-infused condiments and sauces” as

being among the fastest-growing ingredients

on Canadian menus during the third quarter

of 2020. Year-over-year comparison revealed

wasabi mayonnaise (up 23.8 per cent), chipotle

aioli (up 18.4 per cent), spicy mayonnaise (up

5.1 per cent) and honey-chipotle sauce (up 3.3

per cent) as ingredients that saw growth.

Technomic’s What to Expect in Canada in

2021 trends forecast also highlighted quirky

offerings as a trend to watch. Harvey points

to “fun fad foods” as an opportunity to

cater to customers looking for a

little joy and whimsy. As an example, she

points to Muskoka Jack’s Muskoka Grill’s

Couch Potato Burger, which was offered as

part of its summer menu and featured brisket,

branded snacks and a powdered mini doughnut

on top.

Aside from being a great way to create buzz

around a brand, Miller stresses that unusual

burger creations do, in fact, generate sales. The

WORKS has a long history of over-the-top

menu items, including a Reese PBC burger,

featuring a peanut-butter-cup-stuffed beef

patty; and the Hella Nutella burger — featuring

maple bacon, an onion ring and Nutella —

which has become a permanent menu item.

And, while many may view these burgers

as novelty items, Miller says these offerings

are “incredibly powerful,” citing that when

the Reese PBC burger debuted, it quickly

became the brand’s number-3 seller.

However, the classic combination of bacon

and cheese shouldn’t be overlooked. While it

may be an old standby, the bacon cheeseburger

still resonates with consumers and made an

appearance on DoorDash’s provincial Top-10

lists from the first half of 2020, ranking as the

fourth most-ordered item in Saskatchewan

and fifth in B.C.

As Kirbiyik points out,

the pandemic has meant

that “the average consumer’s

budget is being pinched,”

which has led some customers

to save money by opting for a

classic cheeseburger combo

rather than indulge in more extravagant,

specialty burgers. This has also grown

demand for specials and deals, he explains,

which Ozzy’s Burgers has responded to with

a $10.99 cheeseburger combo special offered

on long weekends and holidays.

And, rounding out the burger experience,

sides aren’t to be forgotten. Ipsos Foodservice

Monitor data shows typical burger accompaniments

(French fries, sweet-potato fries and

onion rings) also got a boost during the pandemic.

While this remained the most popular

order category, the number of orders featuring

these items increased to 17.5 per cent in April

2020, up from 15.1 per cent the previous year.

Kirbiyik notes sides have been influenced

by the same industry trends as entrées, with

sales of sweet-potato fries — often seen as a

healthier alternative — up over the past year.

On the more indulgent side, poutine

ranked as Canada’s third-most popular dish

ordered on DoorDash during the first half

of 2020. It also made the list of Top-10 foods

in seven provinces. And, while sides weren’t

the stars of the national trends list, many

others achieved high rankings on provincial

Top-10 lists: French fries were the number-1

dish in both Alberta and Quebec; onion rings

ranked first in New Brunswick and second in

Saskatchewan; and fried pickles ranked fifth

in N.S. and seventh in Saskatchewan. FH


ISTOCK.COM/ASAB974

RISING

2021 FRANCHISE REPORT

ABOVE

COVID-19 has ricocheted positives

into some unlikely crannies. Take franchised restaurants

— a fortunate subset of the beleaguered

dining industry, which has endured serious injury

for all the weeks and months the deadly virus

gripped the world — except when it hasn’t.

If someone had told Don Fox, CEO of

Firehouse Subs and Firehouse of Canada,

that sales in his Canadian restaurants in the

December of the pandemic would be 25-percent

higher than the one a year before, he says he

wouldn’t have believed it. But he does now.

Certainly, things looked grimly different in the

first weekend of the pandemic, in March 2020,

when sales plummeted by 25 per cent. At his

organization, a flurry of internal analysis determined

a 30 per-cent drop would be all it could

sustain. On Sunday, March 22, the ninth day

of the crisis, Firehouse sales were down 53 per

cent from the year before. “It was a shock to the

system,” says Fox. “[We couldn’t] keep going and

have the majority of our stores survive.”

He never had to test the conjecture, as the

numbers began climbing again in short order.

Firehouse stabilized after about the first two

weeks, which Fox credits to franchisees, whose

strength, he says, sustains a franchise.

Three days into the crisis, the company

stopped collecting royalties and advertising

fees from its franchisees. “We wanted to make

sure [they] had as much money in their pockets

to survive.”

A FEW OF

CANADA’S TOP

FRANCHISORS

SHARE THEIR

SECRETS FOR

SURVIVING

AND THRIVING

DURING

COVID-19

This fast-casual restaurant’s almost 1,200 franchisees

also excelled at accommodating customers’

comfort levels — the government’s variable and

evolving restrictions notwithstanding — with

operators applying social distancing. “Someone

may be willing to go to a restaurant, but not to a

crowded restaurant,” says Fox.

Beyond franchisee sensitivity, Fox says the

operations that survived and thrived were those

that could pivot. Better still if they’d been preemptive

about it, like Firehouse, which had

already seen its dine-in business begin to shrink

pre-pandemic.. At its annual franchise conference

at the end of 2019, with dine-in business

down to just 37 per cent, Fox indicated the skislope

descent on a chart and facetiously told his

operators, “Look, folks, it’s not like it’s going to

go down to zero.” Still, with the majority of its

business off-premise, “We realized we had to do

something to make off-premise better.”

That meant signing up with third-party

delivery companies, creating online-ordering

platforms and improving packaging, its online

ordering experience, its app and on franchisees’

use of third-party delivery apps — all of which

took place pre-pandemic. The timing is key, says

Fox, who points to franchisees’ readiness to shift

into a no-contact operation as indicative of their

ability to weather this revised universe.

Then, when the pandemic hit, these assets

were in place, though there did need to be some

operational changes to become more touchless.

BY LAURA PRATT

ISTOCK.COM/TREETY



For example, the dispensers of proprietary

Captain Sorensen’s Datil Sauce, had to be

removed (restaurants switched to take-away

cups) and the franchisor identified suppliers

for Plexiglas for franchisees to purchase and

sent them digital files of signage and stickers

to print and save on shipping.

The company really had two missions for

Canada, where it operates 41 restaurants:

to let people know they were open and to reassure

them they could take care of their offpremise

dining needs. “Our franchisees did a

superb job in Canada, adds Fox. We have

an excellent reputation for the level of food

quality, customer service.”

The company also quickly introduced

curbside service alongside various other

franchisee-led innovation, including “pop-up

drive-thrus,” where interior restaurants erected

parking-lot tents with mobile-payment

systems and food runners. In some cases,

stores also sold grocery-type items on that

pavement. “We quickly enabled it for operators

to sell bread, bulk deli meat, anything they

had in the restaurant, which, prior to the

pandemic we would never have done,” says

Fox. “At the heart of it was embracing creativity,

allowing flexibility.”

THE ART OF INNOVATION

Innovation has also saved the day at Gabby’s.

Todd Sherman, president of Urban Dining

Group, which operates District Eatery and

Hey Lucy! in addition to its 17 (soon to be

19) Gabby’s restaurants, just signed a new

lease on a 6,400-sq.-ft. former restaurant in

Mississauga, Ont., and will build two unique

concepts — a Gabby’s pub and a Thai

restaurant — inside the space. They’ll share

a corridor, bathrooms, a POS system, service

contracts, a purchaser and some management.

Tucked in the middle of the dining-room is

a granite handwashing station, freeing guests

from having to visit the washroom to wash

up. “We feel this is a post-COVID feature

that’ll stick around,” says Sherman. This new

design also features a full-blown liquor store

at the front door, whose reach-in refrigerator

is stocked with all the wine, liquor and cold

beer both concepts sell to spare customers an

after-dinner trip to the LCBO. “This is a huge

consumer convenience and an opportunity to

increase sales.”

Gabby’s also stopped collecting franchise

royalties and ad-fund submissions from its

franchisees last March and helped its franchisees

with graphic and communication support,

including floor stickers, sidewalk decals, frontof-house

foam-core boards to communicate

COVID-19 protocols to guests and a COVID-

19 task list for guests and operators to follow.

Those of Gabby’s 16 sites that were closest

to downtown cores have fared the worst in the

pandemic, but the more suburban stores have

done well. All told, Urban Dining Group has

lost about $10 million in sales to COVID-19

but, says Sherman, “we’ve found ways to adapt

to new opportunities that we feel will make

us stronger as we move forward.” With eyes

on distressed locations with reduced rents

that might be viable for his new dual concept,

the leader of this 32-year-old family-run business,

whose stores are primarily in the GTA, is

hopeful. But he acknowledges the pandemic

has impacted the interest level of would-be

franchisees, killing the interest of about 10 per

cent of would-be investors.

In the meantime, communication has been

revealed as critical to survival. From the start,

Fox began communicating with his franchise

community every day, a significant bump

from the posts he would send out every two

weeks before. He started a daily blog whose

content was not only regular but regularly

positive. “You think back to those early days

and, from my perspective, optimism had to

prevail. If we were in a situation where everybody

was expecting the worst and fearing for

the worst, [they’d] carry that into their restaurant

every day and nothing good would come from

it. Optimism has to start at the top. So,

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I would set that tone, share the good news,

share the good practices. My message was

simple. I said, ‘Look, we’re going to go one

day at a time and figure out what we have

to do to generate more sales than we did the

day before, even if it’s just a dollar. And we’re

going to succeed at that today. And tomorrow,

we’re going to beat that — day after day, at

every restaurant.’ And it worked.”

When COVID-19 hit, says Fox, “Our number

-1 fear was that we would have restaurants

close. It costs money to close a restaurant, but

even more money to re-open one. The most

efficient thing to do is to keep restaurants

open. That’s why we stopped collecting royalty

and advertising fees.”

In Canada, not a single Firehouse restaurant

closed. “Achieving that took a lot of sacrifice, a

lot of hard work and a lot of determination on

the part of the franchisee. In many respects,

forgiving those royalties was my way of saying

thank you. By keeping those restaurants open

we kept the brand open.”

“I’m very, very grateful,” says Carlos Lopez,

a Firkin franchisee whose franchisor extended

the same gift of relaxed royalties. Lopez,

whose seven Firkin pubs in and around

Toronto make him the organization’s biggest

franchisee, has had to shut his two downtown

locations, but is staying afloat with his

remaining five.

In addition to losing in-house dining, he’s

lost about 20 per cent of his staff — who

considered government relief offerings preferable

to hanging around — and a shameful

stash of food. Food waste has been an issue

as restaurants struggle to be responsive

to the government’s whiplash

changeups that don’t give enough

notice about impending openings

and shutdowns, Lopez says. “If the

keg was already tapped and you

just put it into the line, you don’t

get a full refund on it. And, if you

close for three months, the beer

goes bad.”

Takeout sales, meanwhile,

have been marginal, while delivery

apps skim so much off the

top that delivery’s been a constant

challenge. “The situation

right now is very difficult,” says

Lopez. “Uber and Skip taking 25

or 30 per cent of what we sell

doesn’t work when you’re only

doing takeout because it doesn’t

cover what we have to pay for

overhead expenses. And sometimes

we spend days where we’re

here with kitchen staff and the

tablets don’t ring.”

Along with waiving the usual

franchising fees, head office has

been “extremely helpful,” Lopez

says, in helping franchisees grasp

rules and guidelines, including

insisting on records of every person

who enters the premises, negotiating

rent subsidies with landlords and

interpreting government support.

UBER

AND SKIP

TAKING 25 OR

30 PER CENT

OF WHAT WE

SELL DOESN’T

WORK WHEN

YOU’RE ONLY

DOING TAKE-

OUT BECAUSE

IT DOESN’T

COVER WHAT

WE HAVE

TO PAY FOR

OVERHEAD

EXPENSES.

AND SOME-

TIMES WE

SPEND DAYS

WHERE WE’RE

HERE WITH

KITCHEN

STAFF AND

THE TABLETS

DON’T RING

Firehouse Subs was able to

support its franchisees in pivoting

the fast-casual locations

to takeout and delivery

Additionally, the franchisor

has helped franchisees

adjust their menus to

feature popular, deliveryfriendly

items. “As a

franchisee, it makes me

feel like I have someone

behind me who’s supporting

the brand and

helping us to stay in

business.

“I’m nostalgic for

what we used to have,”

says Lopez. “I believe

we’ll have it again,

which will be awesome.

People will go out and

party again.”

Firehouse Subs’ Fox

is equally optimistic.

“We’ve already shown

that we’ve done very well

in the worst conditions,

so I’m bullish that we’ll

continue to perform.” For

one, he says, there will be

less competition.

The company’s January sales in

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Canada are 18 per cent above last year’s sales

for average-unit volume; it hasn’t closed any

stores and has opened 10 units in Canada in

the pandemic.

“In our brand history, there was already a

shift in traffic from on- to off-premise. The

entire industry was in decline for dine-in

business. The big question was where that

decline was going to stop. Now the question

isn’t how far will dine-in business fall

but how far will it rise and where will it level

off? It’ll take at least the next few years to get

the dine-in business at the point to which it

would have otherwise fallen before the pandemic.

We’ll reach a point of equilibrium that,

given entertainment, technology, all those

factors that go into consumer behaviour, will

stabilize. And restaurants will have adjusted

their business models accordingly. Those

restaurants whose concepts are in line with

consumer needs will succeed. But we probably

won’t be at that settling point until 2023.

“Overall, our franchisee partners are hanging

in there,” says Marie-Line Beauchamp, COO

for the casual-dining division with MTY

Group, which has 7,200 sites. “I’m trying to

send a positive message because COVID-19

could be very depressing for a lot of people.

As a company, we have a lot of great stories for

our franchisees and there are some brands

that are doing phenomenally because of

COVID-19.” For example, sales at Yuzu, a

sushi brand that’s mainly in Quebec, have

exploded. “Why?” Beauchamp ponders. “A few

reasons. Anyone can cook a pizza or a chicken,

but they rarely make their own sushi,” she

says, adding MTY’s sushi brands have excelled

over the last 10 months.

So, too, says Beauchamp, have those brands

that had perfected their online ordering systems

before the pandemic. “They were ahead

of the game. The speed at which you were

able to implement or convert your channels

was key. We have brands that had never done

online ordering and delivery, but they went

into it and were able to capture a part of their

market. The willingness of franchisees to

pivot was important.”

The franchisor helped with procurement,

recruitment, digital support, ongoing menu

engineering and safety. For some brands,

MTY adjusted its royalty structure. Some of

the units in downtown urban centres have

closed, but sales in rural regions have been

steady. “We haven’t lost a lot of franchisees,”

Beauchamp says. “As a matter of fact, there

are opportunities. The government, with

labour and rent subsidies, it’s a game changer.

We had to be agile and to adapt all the time

because we were facing challenges all the time.

You had to be on the tip of your toes. I have

some franchisees who had decided they were

going to make it work and they were able to

retain 60 or 70 per cent of their delivery in

the breakfast space. Some really went out of

their way to make sure an eggs Benedict could

Yuzu Sushi Moncton Team

(below); Firkin Pubs (above

left)


travel properly. Our breakfast chains, that had

been open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., were very busy

serving breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. What

COVID-19 did was increase the need for

speed to make [things] happen. We’re testing

different types of equipment, doing drive-thru

with franchisees who’d never done that before.

The franchisees were willing to do all kinds of

things in order to survive.

“Clear and frequent communication with

franchisees was critical,” says Beauchamp.

“We were cheerleaders.” From day one, MTY’s

management team increased communication

efforts, trading annual national meetings

for weekly and, in the early days, twice-daily

check-ins. The franchisor, Beauchamp says,

is there “to simplify operations, to stay top of

mind by making sure their marketing continues

to be involved in the community. Making sure

people don’t forget about them and they have

all the products they need — that they have

the protocol for consistency and the proper

tools to support health-and-safety regimes.

To support them to stay open in at least one

channel. To remain open. And to accompany

them throughout.”

Early in the pandemic, she asked her

franchisees what was important for them and

they said being heard. “People want to know

that you’re there to listen and bring turnkey

solutions, to know they’re not alone. As a franchisor,

they’re my partners. We want to make

sure we’re there for franchisees to do whatever

we can in order for them to succeed.”

To that end, MTY invited franchisees to

submit new recipes with a promise to share

the winners across the network. “We’re interested

in increasing creativity, motivating franchisees,”

Beauchamp says. “We’re trying to focus on the

good, because there’s so much bad right now.

It’s a daily validation. Some of our people

were afraid they’d lose everything.”

You bet, agrees Bryan Burke, owner

of Toronto-based Loaded Pierogi, which

has six locations (three franchises) in

FREEPIK.COM



Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ontario — and

soon Vancouver Island, Regina and P.E.I.

“Communication was the biggest thing for

keeping everybody calm. Everyone was in

panic mode. We had to project strength and

confidence.” Head office went from its onceweekly

franchisee meeting to five. “Every time

there was a new regulation, recommendation

or concern, we would research what was going

on and reach out to our franchisees before

they could digest [it]. We always tried to stay

one step ahead of them before panic could

set in.”

The company waived royalties at the beginning

and provided franchisees with PPEs and

Plexiglas safety barriers. It also stepped in to

maintain supply chains and advised franchisees

they would not be in breach of any agreements

for adjusting operating hours. From an

operational standpoint, pivoting to reduced

or zero dining in was a challenge, Burke

concedes, and a quarter of its franchisees —

particularly those in malls — suffered dips

in sales, but three quarters saw spikes. Burke

credits that to consumers whose dining-out

impulses were stifled, turning to delivery and

takeout. “The pandemic drove people to delivery

platforms who hadn’t used them before.

And, as the main focus of our business was

always takeout, we were only hit by one of our

revenue streams.

“How strong some of the locations stayed

and how they grew was a shock,” Burke

admits. “We anticipated that everybody’s sales

would drop 50 or 60 per cent. And some did,

as the government stoked fear in the public.

But, overall, more than two thirds of our

stores grew, with all three franchisees wanting

to do second locations during the pandemic.

We looked at how we could drive more takeout

business. We didn’t focus on dine in. From

the beginning of the pandemic, we took our

tables out and tried to create an environment

where staff felt safe coming to work, tried to

promote that through social media. We put a

big push on that in the beginning, before

anyone else was doing that. Public safety is

what pays our rent and mortgages. We

didn’t put any marketing or time into

trying to drive dine-in business. We just

focused on takeout and looked at how to

adapt to delivery platforms. We had specials

on takeout orders so we could help franchisees

save on delivery commissions. We really tried

to gear customers to come in, while, at the

same time, pushing how safe it was. We got

some amazing feedback from guests very

excited to see that we were being so proactive

and putting their safety first.”

Going forward, Burke says, “our anticipation

is of continued growth, as people start to feel

more safe, mobile, with vaccines coming out,

government restrictions loosening. It’s about

making sure we’re listening to our franchisees.

They’re our most important customers as a

franchisor. We look at what we were able to

give back to them above and beyond what we

normally would. Don’t look at your business as

finite, as this is all you’ll ever be. Every business

should have the ability to pivot and make

changes to help them grow and stay strong.

It’s a very challenging time, but you [must]

always keep the entrepreneurial positive

outlook. All of this is out of our control, so

let’s find ways to make it work. That was

always the image we projected to franchisees.

They would call and complain about the latest

government requirement; we would say going

against the government isn’t going to increase

your sales. Let’s take this as the new normal,

the new reality, and make the best of it.” FH

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2021 FRANCHISE REPORT

TEAM

EFFORT

A franchisor advisory board is there to

help franchisors every step of the way

BY ALLAN D.J. DICK

FREEPIK.COM

Franchising is a business model that requires a franchisor

to constantly be wearing two hats. Under the first hat, it

retains responsibility for the development of the brand

and oversight of the business economics, much like it

would if it continued to operate the underlying business

by itself. Under the second hat, it operates all of the necessary

business components for franchising — new franchisee

recruitment, disclosure, site selection, brand fund, franchisee compliance,

system growth, human-resource management, territorial expansion, crisis

management, system finance and succession.

Not surprisingly, start-up and developing franchisors don’t usually

possess all of the management talent they need to fulfill all of these

functions in-house. As such, it’s common for them to purchase the

services they require — legal, accounting, sales, marketing, real-estate

brokers and other consultants — on an as-needed basis. Similarly, the

founders often remain the only formal members of the board of directors

and may be heavily reliant on organizations such as their national

franchise association and other providers of continuous education

or programming so they can learn general strategies and best practices.

People experienced in the industry don’t typically want to join a

nascent board of directors because of liability concerns.

It’s strongly recommended that franchisors, from their earliest days,

establish for themselves an advisory board to provide guidance in the

development, oversight and accomplishment of strategic plans. An

advisory board is a collection of industry expertise ownership is not

likely to possess itself. The franchisee principals would retain an

individual to act as the advisory board chair and assist the principals

on the selection and recruitment of board members based on the skill

sets that are not available in-house to the principals.

An advisory board is to be contrasted with a franchisee advisory

council, which the franchisor may also come to have. A franchisee

advisory council is a committee typically made up of franchisees

selected by the franchisor and franchisor management personnel who

discuss issues relating to the operation of the franchise system of

concern to the franchisees or for the discussion and implementation

of potential changes to the system.

An advisory board should be made up of up to six individuals to

ensure full-membership meeting attendance is regular. The board would

meet to assist the principals in establishing their short-, medium- and

long-term strategic plans and provide advice to the principals on


action plans to accomplish the strategies. Members would remain

available between meetings to address any particular issue that may

arise in their areas of speciality. The principals remain accountable to

the advisory board. The board may be used to interview key prospective

members of the management team as the needs arise to hire and, as

resources warrant, the hiring of in-house expertise.

Advisory-board members don’t have the same exposure to liability

as do formal directors — their appointments are generally at will.

They’re often paid a flat fee to attend meetings. Key in-house personnel

may be asked to make appearances at or make presentations to the

advisory board from time to time. The advisory board owes no legal

duty to the franchisor per se; it serves only in a strategy-advisory

capacity to the principals. Membership expertise at the advisory-board

level may change from time to time as the franchisor evolves.

Advisory-board members are expected to bring substantial industry

and franchising expertise to the table and to take a keen interest in the

overall performance of the franchisor. They’re also expected to have excellent

contacts to be able to provide recommendations for whatever services

or resources the franchisor may require in the operation of its business.

As examples, many franchisors are often in need of capital at various

stages of growth. An advisory board with a strong finance representative

should be able to assist in the planning for when such requirements

will arise and the options and contacts for securing capital. Similarly, an

advisory board can assist in the development of a crisis-management

plan and assist if a crisis occurs. An advisory board can also plan for and

assist the principals in determining potential exit scenarios or assist in

identifying the need for and options for system change.

The end result is that a franchisor has access to experts that work

together as a single team at every stage of development to assist the franchisor’s

principals in the development of their franchise system. These

individuals may not be financially invested in the franchisor, but critically,

they can be expected to be emotionally invested in the franchisor and

dedicated to providing value to the achievement of franchisor success. FH

At Sotos LLP, our team of lawyers have significant experience

in the restaurant and hospitality industry.We are

often called upon to assist franchisors in their strategic

planning including the creation and maintenance of

franchisor advisory boards. The writer can be contacted

at adjdick@sotosllp.com


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THE 2021

FRANCHISE

REPORT

241 PIZZA (2006) LTD.

77 Progress Ave.

Toronto, ON M1P 2Y7

416-288-8515

VP, Franchising and Real-Estate

Development: Larry Santolini

History, Plans

- established in 1986 in Toronto

- 64 units in Canada

- four units under development

Franchise Costs

- franchise fee $20,000

- equipment/site cost $60,000 to $75,000

- advertising fee 3%

- royalty fee 5%

Services

- advertising/marketing

- design

- financial assistance

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

A&W FOOD SERVICES

OF CANADA INC.

171 W. Esplanade, Ste. 300

North Vancouver, BC V7M 3K9

604-988-2141

Director of Franchising: Ryan Picklyk

History, Plans

- established in 1956 in Winnipeg

- 1,006 units in Canada

- single franchise opportunities available

with an unencumbered cash investment

from $250,000 to $450,000+

Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee $55,000

(20-year term)

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

ALLO MON COCO

MTY FRANCHISING INC.

8150 Trans-Canada Hwy., Ste. 200

St-Laurent, QC H4S 1M5

514-336-8885

COO of Fast Casual: Marc Benzacar

History, Plans

- established in 2001 in Montreal

Franchise Costs


- initial Investment: $750,000 to $950,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services

- architecture/design

- construction and equipment

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- research and development

- site location

- supplies

- training/support

APPLEBEE’S *

DINE BRANDS GLOBAL

450 North Brand Blvd.

Glendale, CA 91203

647-533-3333

President: John Cywinski

History, Plans

- established in 1983 in Decatur, Ga.

- 16 units in Canada; 2,200 outside

of Canada

Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee US$40,000

- estimated build costs US$556,000 to

US$2,600,000

- national advertising fee 3.5%

- royalty fee 4%

Services

- information available upon request

AROMA ESPRESSO BAR*

AROMA ESPRESSO BAR CANADA INC.

446 Spadina Rd., Ste. 300

Toronto, ON M5P 3M3

416-281-2233

COO: Sam Wadera

History, Plans

- founded in 2007 in Toronto

- 45+ units in Canada (nearly all

franchised); 150+ outside of Canada

Franchise Costs


- Start-up costs $527,500 to $1,495,000


- royalty fee 7%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

AU COQ

FOODTASTIC

9245, Rue Thimens

Pierrefonds, QC H8Y 0A1

514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177

franchise@foodtastic.ca

Directors Franchising & Development:

Nikki Arvanitakis; Guyaume Arseneault

History, Plans


- nine units in Canada

- new opportunities available across

Canada

Franchise Costs


- project cost $500,000 to $700,000

- royalty fee 5%


- local advertising fee 3%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BACARO

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177


Directors, Franchising & Development:


History, Plans




Canada

Franchise Costs


- project cost $400,000 to $600,000

- royalty fee 5%


* Denotes 2021 updates were not received and information is current as of February 2020



THE 2021 FRANCHISE REPORT

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BASKIN-ROBBINS

INSPIRE BRANDS

130 Royall St.

Canton, MA 02021

800-859-5339

CEO: Paul Brown

History, Plans

- established in 1945 in Glendale, Calif.;

first Canadian store opened in 1971

- 104 units in Canada (all franchised);

8,024 worldwide (all franchised)

- expanding newly designed units

primarily in Ontario (Toronto and Ottawa)

Franchise Costs


(20-year term)

- total costs $93,550 to $401,800


- royalty fee 1%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BATON ROUGE

MTY GROUP

200, 8150 Trans-Canada Hwy.

Saint-Laurent, QC H4S 1M5

514-336-8885

COO of Casual Dining: Marie-Line

Beauchamp

History, Plans

- established in 1992 in Laval, Que.

- 29 units in Canada (26 franchised)

- plans to expand in Ontario and Quebec

in 2021

Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,960,000 to $2,500,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

BEAVERTAILS CANADA INC.

3700 St. Patrick St., Ste. 106

Montreal, QC H4E 1A2

514-392-2222

Development Director: Kristina

Zappavigna

History, Plans

- established in 1978 in Ottawa

- 160+ units worldwide

- currently focusing on U.S. expansion and

full shops

Franchise Costs


- shops start at US$200,000

- mobiles start at US$75,000

Services


- business development coaching

- staff training

BEN & FLORENTINE

RESTAURANTS INC.

MTY GROUP



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans

- founded in 2008 in Montreal


- plans to expand into Ontario and

Maritimes, as well as continued growth

in Quebec

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $562,000 to

$767,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BENNY ROTISSERIE

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans


- seven units in Canada

- new opportunities across Canada

Franchise Costs


- project costs $500,000 to $600,000

- royalty fee 5%



Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BIG RIG

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans


- four units in Canada


Canada

Franchise Costs


- project cost $1,000,000 to $1,300,000

- royalty fee 5%


Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BIG SMOKE BURGER




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- established in 2011

- nine units in Canada; nine outside of

Canada (two corporate)

Franchise Costs


- other costs $338,000 to $650,000

- marketing/advertising 3%

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

BLENZ COFFEE *

2285 Clark Dr., Ste. 250

Vancouver, BC V5N 3G9

604-682-2995

President: Marc West

History, Plans

- established in 1992 in Vancouver


Franchise Costs


- store cost $200,000 to $300,000


- royalty fee 8%

Services


- operational support

- training

BOOSTER JUICE

8915-51st Ave., Ste. 205

Edmonton, AB T6E 5J3

780-440-6770

President & CEO: Dale S. Wishewan

History, Plans

- established in 1999 in Sherwood

Park, Alta.


Franchise Costs


- equipment/site development cost

$280,000 to $320,000

- total costs $310,000 to $350,000 (turn

key investment)

- advertising fee 3.5%

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies




BOSTON PIZZA*

BOSTON PIZZA INTERNATIONAL INC.

1 City Centre Dr., Ste. 708

Mississauga, ON L5B 1M2

905-848-2700

History, Plans

- established in 1964 in Edmonton


Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $1,500,000 to

$2,500,000

- 35% liquid funds required for investment

- advertising fee 3% (food sales only)

- royalty fee 7% (food sales only)

Services


BROWNS CRAFTHOUSE

BROWNS RESTAURANT GROUP

3540 W. 41st Ave., Ste. 207a

Vancouver, BC V6N 3E6

778-980-2440

EVP - Business Development: Bruce Fox

History, Plans

- four units in Canada (one franchised)

- two additional locations (one

franchised) set to open in 2021

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site costs $2,500,000

- other costs $450,000

- total costs $3,000,000

- royalty fee 6% (all in)

- no marketing/co-op fees

Services

- culinary development

- lease negotiation

- opening support

- operational reviews and field support

- POS and payment platforms

- purchasing

- site selection

- supplies

BROWNS SOCIALHOUSE


3540 W. 41st Ave., Ste. 207a


778-980-2440


History, Plans

- established in 2004 in North Vancouver,

B.C.

- 67 units in Canada (64 franchised);

- two new Ontario franchises to open in

2021 (Ottawa and Waterloo)

- primarily focused on Western Canada

infill and Ontario expansion

Franchise Costs







Services


- lease negotiation

- opening support



- purchasing

- site selection

- supplies

CAFE DEPOT




514-336-8885


History, Plans



Franchise Costs

- start-up capital required $125,000


- other costs $243,000 to $460,000

- royalty fee 6%

- marketing/advertising 2%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

CAPT. SUB.

GRINNERS FOOD SYSTEMS LTD.

105 Walker St.

Truro, NS B2N 5G9

902-893-4141

History, Plans

- established in 1972 in Charlottetown


Franchise Costs


- total investment $204,500 to $278,500


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design/construction


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- supplies

CARLOS & PEPES

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans




Canada

Franchise Costs


- project cost $700,000 to $800,000

- royalty fee 5%


Services

-advertising/marketing

- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

CASA GRECQUE

MTY GROUP



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans


Franchise Costs


- initial Investment $750,000 to $900,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies (central kitchen and

distribution centre)

CHICKEN CHEF FAMILY

RESTAURANTS*

CHICKEN CHEF CANADA LTD.

97 Plymouth St.

Winnipeg, MB R2X 2V5

204-694-1984

President: Jeff Epp

History, Plans

- established in 1978 in Carmen, Man.

- 39 units in Canada (all franchised)

Franchise Costs


(Canada only)

- equipment/site costs $180,000

- royalty fee 3% (Canada only)

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

CHICKEN DELIGHT*

CHICKEN DELIGHT OF CANADA LTD.

395 Berry St.

Winnipeg, MB R3J 1N6

204-885-7570

President: Jim Cartman

History, Plans

- established 1958 in Portage la Prairie,

Man.


Franchise Costs


- equipment/site costs $245,000 to

$270,000

- total cost $273,000 to $306,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies





CHOCOLATO

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans

- established in 2015 in Quebec



Canada and the U.S.

Franchise Costs


- project cost $300,000 to $500,000

- royalty fee 6%


Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

THE CHOPPED LEAF

INNOVATIVE FOOD BRANDS

531 North Service Rd. E.

Oakville, ON L6H 1A5

905-337-7777

Brand President and Founder:

Blair Stevens

History, Plans

- established in 2009 in Kelowna, B.C.

- 100 units in Canada (all franchised);

one outside of Canada (franchised)

- expanding to Quebec, Nova Scotia

and U.S.

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $420,000

- unincumbered cash $150,000

- total costs $450,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

CHUCK’S ROADHOUSE

BAR AND GRILL

OBSIDIAN GROUP INC.

1770 Argentia Rd.

Mississauga, ON L5N 3S7

905-814-8030

Franchise Development Manager:

Elaine Macheras

History, Plans

- established in 2015 in Ontario


Franchise Costs


- estimated development cost $375,000

to $750,000


- royalty fee 3.75% on gross sales up to

$38,000/week; 7% on gross sales in

excess of $38,000/week

Services


- design and construction


- lease negotiation

- management

- supplies & purchasing

- site location

- staff training

COFFEE CULTURE CAFE

& EATERY

OBSIDIAN GROUP INC.

1770 Argentia Rd.


905-814-8030


Elaine Macheras

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- estimated development cost $300,000

to $400,000


- royalty fee 7%


Services




- lease negotiation

- management


- site location

- staff training

COFFEE TIME

77 Progress Ave.

Toronto, ON M1p 2Y7

416-288-8515



History, Plans


- 71 locations worldwide

Franchise Costs


- training fee $5,000

- equipment/leasehold improvements

$210,000 to $395,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

CORA BREAKFAST

AND LUNCH*

CORA FRANCHISE GROUP INC.

2798 Thamesgate Dr.

Mississauga, ON L4T 4E8

905-673-2672

Manager, Operation Standards:

Danica Varjacic

History, Plans

- established in 1987 in St-Laurent, Que.

- 130+ units in Canada

Franchise Costs



$900,000+


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

COUNTRY STYLE




514-336-8885

COO of QSR: Jason Brading

History, Plans


- 350+ units in Canada; one outside of

Canada (358 franchised)

Franchise Costs


- royalty fee 4.5%


- total investment up to $517,000

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

CRABBY JOE’S TAP & GRILL

OBSIDIAN GROUP INC.

1770 Argentia Rd.


905-814-8030


Elaine Macheras

History, Plans



Franchise Costs

- estimated development costs $700,000

to $850,000



- royalty fee 5%

Services




- lease negotiation

- management


- site location

- staff training



CULTURES

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 1979

- 50+ units in Canada (47 franchised)

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

DAGWOODS




514-336-8885


History, Plans


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- franchisee training

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

DAIRY QUEEN CANADA INC.

1111 International Blvd., Ste. 601

Burlington, ON L7L 6W1

905-636-4741

Director, Franchising: Tony Watters

History, Plans

- established in 1940 in Illinois


of Canada (all franchised)

Franchise Costs


- investment range $1,083,525 to

$1,850,425

- advertising fee 5% to 6%

- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- site selection

- staff training

- supplies

DENNY’S*

DENNY’S, INC.

203 E. Main St.

Spartanburg, SC 29319

864-597-8705

Senior Director of Global Franchise

Development: Doug Wong

History, Plans

- established in 1953 in Lakewood, Calif.

- 75 units in Canada; 1,628 outside of

Canada (1,633 franchised)

Franchise Costs



$2,050,000

- other costs $150,528 to $354,695

- total costs $1,330,528 to $2,404,695

(exclusive of land)


- royalty fee 4.5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiations

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

DIXIE LEE FRIED CHICKEN

DIXIE LEE CAPITAL CORPORATION

RR 2

Bruce Mines, ON, P0R 1C0

info@dixieleefriedchicken.com

History, Plans

- established in 1964 in Belleville, Ont.

- 40+ locations in Canada

- recently launched Roosters Diner brand

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

DRUXY’S

DRUXY’S INC.

52 Abbotsford Rd.

Gormley, ON L4A 2C1

416-637-5976

VP, Marketing: Peter Druxerman

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total cost $175,000 to $225,000

(full- size café)


- royalty fee 6.5%

Services


- design

- franchisee/staff training

- intranet and regional director support

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

EAST SIDE MARIO’S

RECIPE UNLIMITED CORPORATION

199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255

VP, Franchising & International

Development: Courtney Hindorff

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- average investment $1,300,000 to

$1,600,000

- advertising fee 3% national, 1% local

- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

EDO JAPAN

6807 Railway St. S.E., Ste. 310

Calgary, AB T2H 2V6

403-215-8822

VP, Operations, Franchising: Terry Foster

History, Plans

- established in 1979 in Calgary

- approximately 148 units in Canada (139

franchised)

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


EGGSMART FOOD CORP.

77 Progress Ave.

Toronto, On M1P 2Y7

416-288-8515



History, Plans

- established In 2008 in Toronto


- five units under development

Franchise Costs



- architectural drawings $15,000 to

$25,000


$265,000 to $415,000

- signage fee $15,000 to $30,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services




- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

EGGSPECTATION

RESTAURANTS*

EGGSPECTATION CANADA

7960 St. Denis St., 2nd Fl.

Montreal, QC H2R 2G1

514-282-0677

President & COO: Jon Hinkle

History, Plans


- 15 locations in Canada

Franchise Costs


- total cost varies


- royalty fee 5%

- local marketing 1%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies





ELEPHANT & CASTLE


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans


- two units in Canada, six outside Canada

(none franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,400,000 to $1,600,000

- advertising 2%

- royalty fee 5%

Services

-advertising/marketing

- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

EXTREME PITA




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- established in 1997 in Waterloo, Ont.


11 outside of Canada

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

FAMOSO ITALIAN

PIZZERIA + BAR

FDF BRANDZ

1901 Rosser Ave., Ste. 401

Burnaby, BC V5C 6S3

888-597-7272 (West)

647-234-2363 (East)

History, Plans

- founded in 2007 in Edmonton

- 29 units in Canada (one franchised)

- plans to expand in Western and Eastern

Canada and internationally

Franchise Costs


- initial investment $400,000 to $700,000

- marketing fee 2%

- local store marketing 1%

- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

FATBURGER

FATBURGER - CANADA

401-1901 Rosser Ave.

Burnaby, BC V5C 6S3

888-597-7272

History, Plans

- founded in 1952 in Los Angeles, Calif.;

first Canadian location opened in

Vancouver in 2005

- 63 units in Canada (three franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total required investment $425,000 to

$525,000

- marketing fee 3%

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

FAT FRANKS*

10560-114 St.

Edmonton, AB T5H 3J7

780-413-0278

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- minimum cash required $150,000, plus

working capital and net worth >$300,000

- total average investment $300,000, plus

lease deposit

- royalty fee 3%


Services

- central purchasing

- complete turnkey package

- development and design

- field support

- inspection system

- lease negotiation

- management training

- quality assurance

- quality control

- staff training

- technical services

FETA & OLIVES*

FETA & OLIVES MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

1 Palace Pier Ct., Ste. 809

Toronto, ON M8V 3W9

416-251-3353

President: Vicki Vasiliou

History, Plans

- established in 2006 in Barrie, Ont.


- opportunities available in Ontario,

Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia

and Alberta

Franchise Costs


Services


FIONN MACCOOL’S


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- average investment $1,300,000 to

$1,600,000

- advertising fee 1% national; 3% local

- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

FIREHOUSE SUBS

FIREHOUSE SUBS OF CANADA

12735 Gran Bay Pkwy., Ste. 150

Jacksonville, FL 32257

800-388-3473

VP, Franchise Development: Greg Delks

History, Plans

- established in 1994 in Jacksonville, Fla.

- 41 units in Canada; 1,191 units total (38

company-owned)

- expanding throughout Ontario

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

- system marketing fund 1%

Services


- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

(THE) FIRKIN GROUP OF PUBS

FIRKIN CAPITAL CORP.

20 Steelcase Rd. W., Unit 1C

Markham, ON L3t 1B2

905-947-4444

Director, Franchising: Paul Saraiva

History, Plans


- 27 units in Canada (18 franchised); one

in U.S.

Franchise Costs




- total cost $830,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

(THE) FORTUNATE FOX

THE PEGASUS GROUP

44 Upjohn Rd.

Toronto, ON M3B 2W1

terry@pegasusgroup.ca

History, Plans

- established 2018 in Toronto

- one unit in Canada

- seeking franchise partners across





Franchise Costs


- royalty fee 4%


- estimated total costs $520,000 to

$1,700,00

Services

- accounting services (by request, billable

service, not included in fees)


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

FOX & FIDDLE

THE PEGASUS GROUP

44 Upjohn Rd.

Toronto, ON M3B 2W1


History, Plans





Franchise Costs


- royalty fee $3,000 to $4,000/month

- advertising fee $500/month


$1,700,00

Services

- accounting services (by request, billable

service, not included in fees)


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

FRESHII*

2 Toronto St., Ste. 235

Toronto, ON M5C 2B5

Founder & CEO: Matthew Corrin

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- advertising fee 1.5% corporate; 1.5%

local

- royalty fee 6%

Services


FROZU!


105 Walker St.

Truro, NS B2N 5G9

1-800-565-4389

History, Plans

- founded in 2013 in Truro, N.S.


- plans to expand in Atlantic Canada,

Ontario and Western Canada; clip-on

concept also available

Franchise Costs



- total costs $39,985 to $60,985


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease-negotiation advice


- purchasing

- site-location training and support

GABBY’S RESTAURANT & BAR

URBAN DINING GROUP INC.

41 Industrial St., Unit 204

Toronto, ON M4G 0C7

416-967-9671

President: Todd Sherman

History, Plans


- 16 units in Canada (eight franchised)

- two units set to open in 2021

- plans to convert restaurants that have

closed due to COVID-19 to Gabby’s brand

Franchise Costs






- royalty fee 4%

It’s in the bag.

One bag, endless opportunities.

Safe Sous Vide offers high quality proteins that can easily

be used to create multiple dishes on any menu. From center

of plate or as an ingredient in a variety of menu applications,

experience the perfect protein for all your culinary creations.

Learn more at SafeSousVide.com


Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

GOOD EARTH COFFEEHOUSE

GOOD EARTH CAFES LTD.

4020 7th St. S.E.

Calgary, AB T2G 2Y8

403-294-9330

Founders: Nan Eskenazi & Michael Going

President & COO: Gerry Docherty

Director of Franchising: Gerry Docherty

History, Plans

- established 1991 in Calgary


- plans to expand in Greater Victoria,

Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Edmonton in

2021

Franchise Costs


- site costs $395,000 to $595,000


- royalty fee 7%

Services

- commissioning support


- field support

- lease negotiation

- marketing

- product development

- site selection

- staff training

- supply chain management

(THE) GREAT CANADIAN BAGEL

3300 Hwy. 7, Ste. 101

Vaughan, ON L4K 4M3

905-566-1903

President: Ed Kwiatkowski

History, Plans



Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee full $20, 000 to

$30,000

- equipment/site cost (full production)

$300,000 to $350,000

- non-production fee $85,000 to $175,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

GRECO PIZZA


105 Walker St.

Truro, NS B2N 5G9

902-893-4141

History, Plans

- established in 1977 in Moncton, N.B.


- plans to expand in Nova Scotia, New

Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland

Franchise Costs



$105,000

- other costs $79,500 to $108,500

- total costs $184,500 to $233,500


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation advice


- purchasing

- site location training and support

HARVEY’S


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans

- established 1959 in Ontario


Franchise Costs


- total costs $500,000 to $1,000,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

HERO CERTIFIED BURGERS

ANGUS INC.

78 Signet Dr., Ste. 201

Toronto, ON M9L 1T2

416-740-2304

President: John Lettieri

History, Plans


- 50 units in Canada; one outside Canada

- actively expanding HERO VK concept

Franchise Costs



- total costs $275,000 to $300,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

HOUSTON AVENUE BAR & GRILL

MTY GROUP INC.

4628 Louis B. Mayer St. Laval, QC H7P 6E4

450-688-3793

CEO: Eric Lefebvre

History, Plans

- established in 1998 in Rosemère, Que.

- 12 units in Canada (three franchised)

- seeking expansion opportunities in

Quebec

Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,070,000 to $3,705,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

HUMPTY’S FAMILY

RESTAURANTS/ HUMPTY’S

CLASSIC CAFES*

HUMPTY’S RESTAURANTS

INTERNATIONAL INC.

2505 Macleod Trail S.

Calgary, AB T2G 5J4

403-269-4675

Director, Franchising: Sergio Terrazas

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- equipment package $130,000




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

IL FORNELLO

IL FORNELLO RESTAURANTS

576 Danforth Ave.,

Toronto, ON M4K 1R1

416-920-9410, ext. 113

President: Ian Sorbie

History, Plans


- six units in Ontario (four franchised)

- plans to open one corporate and two

franchised locations in 2021; three

franchised locations planned for 2022

Franchise Costs


- equipment costs $100,000 to $160,000

- turnkey costs $350,000 to $800,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management


- purchasing

- site location

- social media

- staff training

- supplies

FORNELLO PRESTO

IL FORNELLO CORPORATION

576 Danforth Ave.,

Toronto, ON M4K 1R1

416-920-9410, ext. 113

President: Ian Sorbie

History, Plans

- new fast-casual/quick-service concept

based on the IL FORNELLO model

- plans to open a corporate and

franchised location in 2021; three to four

additional locations by 2022




Franchise Costs

- franchise fee $25,000 to $35,000

- equipment costs $80,000 to $140,000

- turnkey costs $250,000 to $600,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management


- purchasing

- site location

- social media

- staff training

- supplies

INDUSTRIA




514-336-8885

CEO: Eric Lefebvre

History, Plans


Franchise Costs


- initial investment $1,066,000 to

$3,705,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

JIMMY THE GREEK INC.

1 First Canadian Pl.

100 King St. W., P.O. Box 334

Toronto, ON M5X 1E1

416-214-9237

President: Jim Antonopoulos

History, Plans



- continued expansion planned for Ontario

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost available upon

request


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- site location

- staff training

JOEY’S SEAFOOD / JOEY’S FISH

SHACK / STREATS – TAQUERIA |

POUTINERIE | FISH & CHIPS

JOEY’S FRANCHISE GROUP

3048 9th St. S.E.

Calgary, AB T2G 3B9

403-243-1216

Vice-President: Max Gagnon

History, Plans



Franchise Costs



$285,000


- royalty fee 5%of net sales

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

JUGO JUICE


A4, 416 Meridian Rd. S.E.

Calgary, AB T2A 1X2

877-377-5846


History, Plans

- founded in 1998 in Calgary

- 133 units in Canada; two outside of


Franchise Costs



- marketing fee 4%

- royalty fee 6%


They’re in the bag.

Save time, reduce labour and increase profits.

Safe Sous Vide proteins are created with the needs of

the modern kitchen in mind. They are cooked to perfection,

reheat in minutes, require minimal prep time and have

100% yield. Your cooks, and your books, will thank you.



Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

JUNGLE JIM’S*

SAFARI EATERTAINMENT INC.

657 Topsail Rd.

St. John’s, NL A1E 2E3

709-745-5467

Partners: Stephen Pike; Barry Walsh;

Sean Brake

History, Plans

- founded in 1991 in St. John’s


Franchise Costs


$750,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

KARMA




514-336-8885


History, Plans


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

(THE) KEG STEAKHOUSE & BAR

KEG RESTAURANTS LTD.

10100 Shellbridge Way

Richmond, BC V6X 2W7

604-276-0242

EVP, Business Development:

James Henderson

History, Plans

- established 1971 in North Vancouver, B.C.

- 98 units in Canada; 10 in the U.S.

Franchise Costs



$5,500,000

- marketing fee 2%

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

KELSEYS


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans

- established 1978 in Ontario


Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,300,000 to $1,600,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

KFC*

KFC CANADA COMPANY

191 Creditview Rd., Ste. 100

Vaughan, ON L4L 9T1

416-664-5200

Sr. Development Manager:

Jeremy Alexander

History, Plans

- established 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah


Canada

- expects to increase Canadian store

count to 800 in the medium term

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost available upon

request


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

KIM CHI



St-laurent, QC H4S 1M5

514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 2007

Franchise costs


- initial investment: $340,000 to $555,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

KORYO KOREAN BBQ




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 2004


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

KOYA JAPAN




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 1985


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6% to 7%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

LA BELLE ET LA BOEUF

FOODTASTIC

2365 Guenette St.

Montreal, QC H4R 2E9

514-856-5555, ext. 260

info@foodtastic.ca

Director of Franchising: Nikki Arvanitakis

History, Plans


- 14 units in Canada; one outside Canada

(seven franchised)


Canada and the U.S.

Franchise Costs


- total $1,100,000 to $1,300,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

LA BOITE VERTE




514-336-8885


History, Plans


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies




LA CAGE - BRASSERIE

SPORTIVE

SPORTSCENE GROUP INC.

1180 Place Nobel, Ste. 102

Boucherville, QC J4B 5L2

450-641-3011

President: Jean Bédard

History, Plans

- established 1984 in Montreal


Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $2,400,000



- advertising fee national 3%

- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

LA CARNITA

MONARCH & MISFITS INC.

44 Upjohn Rd.

Toronto, ON M3B 2W1


History, Plans

- established 2011 in Toronto; franchising

since 2015

- six units in Canada (five franchised); two

units outside of Canada



Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 4%


$2,000,000

Services

- accounting service (by request, billable

service not included in fees)


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

LA CHAMBRE

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans

- established in Montreal

- three units in Canada

Franchise costs


- projected cost $500,000 to $700,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

LA CREMIERE

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885


History, Plans



Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee $25,000 to $30,000


Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies


It’s in the bag.

Reduce prep time, labour and waste…

while improving consistency, quality and taste.

Safe Sous Vide proteins are fully cooked, repeatable,

versatile and don’t need to be frozen allowing you to go

from cooler to plate in minutes. Save your kitchen time

and money with Safe Sous Vide.



LA DIPERIE




514-336-8885


History, Plans


Franchise Costs


(five-year agreement)



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

LA PREP*

4500 Dixie Rd,

Mississauga, ON L4W 1V7

514-510-5001

CEO: John Essaris

VP of Franchise Development:

John Beauparlant

History, Plans



- expansion planned in Canada and U.S.

Franchise Costs


- total cost $450,000 to $650,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

L’GROS LUXE

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans



Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

LIBERTY KITCHEN


3540 W. 41st Ave., Ste. 207a


778-980-2440


History, Plans

- first franchise open in B.C.

- new location set to open in 2021

Franchise Costs







Services


- lease negotiation

- opening support



- purchasing

- site selection

- supplies

LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA*

LITTLE CAESAR OF CANADA ULC

2301 Royal Windsor Dr.

Mississauga, ON L5J 1K5

905-822-7899

Director of Real Estate & Franchise

Development: James Jenkins

History, Plans

- established 1959 in Garden City, Mich.

- 200 units worldwide

- opportunities available across Canada

Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee $20,000; $15,000

per unit thereafter

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- supplies

LOADED PIEROGI*

839 Queen St. W.

Toronto, ON M6J 1G4

647-352-5060

Owners: Adam Dolley; Bryan Bruke

History, Plans


- opportunities available across Ontario

Franchise Costs


- royalty fee 5% turn key locations

$225,000+

- advertising/marketing fee 2%

Services

- available upon request

LOOKOO

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans


- two units in Canada

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MADISONS

MTY GROUP



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans

- established in 2006 in Dollard des

Ormeaux, Que.

Franchise Costs


- initial investment $1,066,000 to

$3,035,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MANCHU WOK




514-336-8885


History, Plans


- 75 units in Canada (all franchised); 35

outside of Canada

Franchise Costs




- marketing fee 1%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MANDARIN RESTAURANT

MANDARIN RESTAURANT FRANCHISE

CORPORATION

8 Clipper Ct.

Brampton, ON L6W 4T9

647-533-2610

President: James Chiu

History, Plans

- established in 1979 in Brampton, Ont.


Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $1,500,000

- other costs $1,200,000


- advertising fee $10,000

- royalty fee $25,000

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other




MARY BROWNS CHICKEN

MARY BROWNS INC.

100 Renfrew Dr., Ste. 130

Markham, ON L3R 9W7

905-513-0044

franchising@marybrowns.com

History, Plans

- established in 1969 in St. John’s


- projected to reach 300 units by 2022

Franchise Costs

- initial franchisee fee $30,000


$600,000

- total cost $650,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services



- operations/marketing support

- lease negotiation

- management/staff training

- purchasing/supply chain

- site location

McDONALD’S RESTAURANTS

OF CANADA LIMITED*

1 McDonald’s Pl.

Toronto, ON M3C 3L4

416-443-1000

Franchising Manager: Tom Marlow

History, Plans

- established 1967 in Richmond, B.C.

- 1,450 units in Canada (85% franchised)

Franchise Costs


Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MENCHIE’S FROZEN YOGURT*

YOGURTWORLD ENTERPRISES

259 Yorkland Rd., 3rd Fl.

Toronto, ON M2J 5B2

416-645-5110, ext. 401

President: David Shneer

History, Plans


- 58 units in Canada; 300+ outside of

Canada

- plans to expand throughout Maritime

provinces

Franchise Costs


- equipment cost $140,000

- site cost/construction $150,000

- total costs $300,000 to $350,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MICHEL’S BAKERY CAFE*

THREECAF BRANDS CANADA INC.

55 Administration Rd., Unit 37

Vaughan, ON L4K 4G9

905-482-7300

1-877-434-3223

Director of Operations: Ian McDougall

History, Plans


- five units in Canada (four franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total costs $450,000 to $775,000


- royalty fee 7%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

MILESTONES GRILL AND BAR


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4k 0b8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans

- established 1989 In B.C.


Franchise Costs


- total costs $2,000,000 to $3,000,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MONTANA’S


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244 Ext 2255



History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,400,000 to $1,800,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MONZA

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177

francise@foodtastic.ca



History, Plans


- six units in Canada

Franchise Costs


- project cost $1,100,000 to $1,400,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MR. GREEK RESTAURANTS INC.

44 Upjohn Rd.

Toronto, ON M3B 2W1

647-993-3266

franchising@mrgreek.com

History, Plans



- four new units planned in 2021 in

Ontario; one unit under development

outside of Canada

- plans to expand in Canada and

internationally

Franchise Costs


- start-up capital required >$150,000

- total investment $300,000 (retro) to

$400,000+ (new)


- royalty fee 5%

Services

- administrative support


- design

- construction (turn key)

- lease negotiation

- location

- menu development

- purchasing

- training

MR. MIKES RESTAURANT

CORPORATION*

RAMMP HOSPITALITY BRANDS INC.

3700 N. Fraser Way, Ste. 100

Burnaby, BC V5J 5H4

647-527-9574

Director of Franchising: Ryan Lloyd

History, Plans

- established 1960 in Vancouver


- plans to open 30 units in Canada in the

next five years

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other





MR. SOUVLAKI




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 1997


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


MR. SUB




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 1968


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MUCHO BURRITO




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- established 2006 in Mississauga, Ont.

- 119 units in Canada (all franchised); two

outside of Canada

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

MUFFIN PLUS




514-336-8885


History, Plans


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

NEW ORLEANS PIZZA

CHAIRMAN’S BRANDS CORP.

77 Progress Ave.

Toronto, ON M1P 2Y7

416-288-8515



History, Plans

- established 1978 In Waterloo, Ont.


Franchise Costs



- architectural drawings $12,500 to

$20,000

- signage fee $8,000 to $12,000


$129,500 to $167,500

- advertising fee 3 %

- royalty fee 5%

Services


NEW YORK FRIES


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, On L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans


- 151 units in Canada; 36 outside of Canada

(132 franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total costs $230,000 to $350,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

NICKELS DELICATESSEN

FOODTASTIC INC.

9245 rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- project cost $700,000 to $800,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

(THE) OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY

OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY CANADA LTD.

55 Water St., Ste. 210

Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1

604-684-1287

Director, Franchising: Ken Lobson

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- royalty fee 5%


Services

- marketing assistance

- opening assistance

- procurement

- research/development

- site approval

- staff training

- support and development

OPA! OF GREECE

OPA! SOUVLAKI FRANCHISE GROUP INC.

7235 Flint Rd. S.E.

Calgary, Ab T2H 1G2

403-245-0033

President, CEO: Dorrie Karras

History, Plans

- founded 1998 in Calgary


- plans to expand within Canada

Franchise Costs

Food Court:


- equipment cost $150,000 to $200,000

- total investments $355,000 to $480,000

- advertising fee 3% of sales

- royalty fee 6% of sales

Street Front:



- total costs $405,000 to $497,000

- advertising fee 3% of sales

- royalty fee 6% of sales

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

ORIGINAL JOE’S

RESTAURANT & BAR


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,400,000 to $1,700,000

- advertising 2%

- royalty fee 5%




Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

PANAGIO’S ALL DAY GRILL*

PANAGIO’S INC.

6085 Creditview Rd., Unit 17

Mississauga, ON L5B 0C5

800-265-6298

History, Plans



- seeking franchisees for Ontario-wide

expansion

Franchise Costs



$400,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- business development

- lease negotiation

- opening assistance

- pricing/quality controls

- procurement

- research/development

- site selection

- training

PANAGO PIZZA INC. *

33149 Mill Lake Rd.

Abbotsford, BC V2S 2A4

604-859-6621

Director of Franchising: Nigel Beattie

History, Plans

- established 1986 in Abbotsford, B.C.


- capitalizing on new market opportunities

in Western Canada; building the

momentum in key Eastern-Canadian

markets

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 5%


Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

PANNIZZA RESTAURANTS INC.*

3230 des Aristocrates

Laval, QC H7E 5H7

514-501-7876

President: Pierre Guertin

VP Marketing & Strategic Planning:

Ritou Maloni

History, Plans

- founded 2013 in Montreal


Franchise Costs


- total costs $175,000 to $225,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

(THE) PANTRY RESTAURANTS*

TRIUMPH HOSPITALITY GROUP

33048 – 1583 Marine Dr. W.

Vancouver, BC V7V 4W7

604-281-1380

History, Plans


Franchise Costs


Services


PARAMOUNT FINE FOODS*

10 Four Seasons Pl., Ste. 601

Toronto, ON M9B 6H7

416-695-8900

Franchise Coordinator:

Magda Chelminska

History, Plans

- founded 2006

- 65 units globally

- plans to expand across Canada and

internationally

Franchise Costs


Services


- lease negotiations

- regional operations support

- site selection

- supplies

- training

PARKER’S BBQ & PRIME

RIB GRILL

PARKERS BRANDS INC.

1770 Argentia Rd.


905-814-8030


Elaine Macheras

History, Plans


- five units in Canada

Franchise Costs


- estimated development costs $250,000

to $400,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services




- lease negotiation

- management


- site location

- staff training

PERKINS RESTAURANT

& BAKERY*

6075 Poplar Ave., Ste. 800

Memphis, TN 38119-4709

901-766-6400

VP, Franchising: Dave Blouin

History, Plans

- established 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio

- 16 units in Canada; 355 outside of

Canada

- seeking to expand in Alberta, B.C.,

Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and

Saskatchewan

Franchise Costs



- local advertising commitment 0.5%

- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

PINKBERRY

PINKBERRY CANADA INC.

210 Shields Ct.

Markham, ON L3R 8V2

905-479-8762

Chairman and CEO: Aaron Serruya

History, Plans

- established 2005 in Los Angeles


- plans to expand across Canada and

internationally via traditional and nontraditional

units

Franchise Costs


- total costs US$150,000 to US$500,000

- advertising fee 3% of gross sales

- royalty fee 6% of gross sales

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

PITA PIT CANADA

425 Princess St.

Kingston, ON K7L 1B9

855-748-2748

Franchise Development: Melanie D’Aloisio

History, Plans

- established in 1995 in Kingston, Ont.


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5% of monthly gross sales

Services


PIZZA 73

PIZZA PIZZA LIMITED

4949 51 St. S.E.

Calgary, AB T2B 3S7

403-221-7373

SVP of Operations and Development:

Philip Goudreau

History, Plans

- established in 1985 in Edmonton

- 89 traditional locations; 17 nontraditional

locations in Canada

Joint Venture Costs

- initial partnership fee $50,000


- administration fee 3%





Services

- accounting/finance

- call centre operations

- IT infrastructure


- payroll

- real-estate development/renewals

- training

PIZZA DELIGHT

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans

- established 1968 in Shediac, N.B.

- 71 franchised units in Canada

Franchise Costs

- initial franchise fee $30,000 (street);

$15,000 (mall)

- total costs $288,000 to $646,000

- advertising fee 1.5% to 3%

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

PIZZA HUT*

YUM! BRANDS INC.


Vaughan, ON L4L 9T1

416-664-5200

Director of Development: Marco Moretto

History, Plans

- established 1958 in Wichita, Kan.


Franchise Costs


- application fee CAD$12,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- site location

- staff training

PIZZA NOVA

2247 Midland Ave.

Toronto, ON M1P 4R1

416-439-0051

President: Domenic Primucci


Meraj Jamal

History, Plans



- continued expansion into key markets

with plans to add up to 10 units

Franchise Costs


- site cost $450,000 to $505,000

- total costs: $450,000 to $525,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

PIZZA PIZZA

PIZZA PIZZA LIMITED

500 Kipling Ave.

Toronto, ON M8Z 5E5

416-967-1010

VP of Franchising: Sebastian Fuschini

History, Plans



- 204 non-traditional locations

- continued growth planned in B.C.,

Maritimes and Quebec

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost $350,000 (depends

on location; turnkey)


- royalty fee 6%

Services

- call centre operations

- financing assistance

- IT infrastructures

- marketing support


- real-estate development

- training

PIZZAVILLE INC. *

741 Rowntree Dairy Rd., Unit 1

Woodbridge, ON L4L 5T9

416-736-3636

History, Plans



Franchise Costs

- total costs $300,000 to $350,000

- flat-fee advertising (weekly)

- flat royalty fee (weekly)

- more information available upon request

Services


POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL

5707 Blue Lagoon Dr.

Miami, FLA 33126

General Manager, Canada: Rob Manuel

History, Plans

- founded 1972 in New Orleans

- 230 units in Canada; 3,300 worldwide

- continuing global expansion through

2021

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

POULET FUSÉE

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans



Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

PRESSE CAFE*

LES CAFES V.P.

1422 Nôtre-Dame W.

Montreal, QC H3C 1K9

514-935-5553

History, Plans

- founded in 1994

- 62 units in Canada; eight outside of

Canada

Franchise Costs


- total cost $200,000 to $400,000

- minimum investment required 40% to

50% of project cost

Services


PUMPERNICKELS*

JSF FRANCHISE GROUP INC.

90 Adelaide St. W., Ste. 700

Toronto, ON, M5H 4A6

877-308-4889

Franchising: Joel Friedman

History, Plans

- established 1986


- plans to expand in the Greater Toronto

Area and other parts of Canada

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6.5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

QUESADA BURRITOS - TACOS

QUESADA FRANCHISING OF

CANADA CORP.

1240 Bay St., Ste. 304

Toronto, ON M5R 2A7

866-854-2400

President: Steve Gill

History, Plans



- 15 locations in development




Franchise Costs



- construction cost $110,000 to $155,000

- total costs $238,500 to $320,500


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- franchisee training

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

QUIZNOS*

QUIZNOS CANADA RESTAURANT

CORPORATION

1267 Cornwall Rd., Ste. 301

Oakville, ON L6J 7T5

647-259-0333

Director, Franchising: Marc Choy

History, Plans

- established 1981 in Denver, Colo.

- 750+ locations worldwide

Franchise Costs



- marketing fee 2%

- royalty fee 5%

Services


RICKY’S GROUP OF FAMILY

STYLE RESTAURANTS

401-1901 Rosser Ave.

Burnaby, BC V5C 6S3

888-597-7272

History, Plans



Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

ROBIN’S DONUTS (2006) LTD.

CHAIRMAN BRANDS CORP.

77 Progress Ave.

Toronto, ON M1P 2Y7

416-288-8515



History, Plans

- established 1975 in Thunder Bay, Ont.


Franchise Costs




$165,000 to $350,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services




- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

ROTISSERIE BENNY

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

info@foodtastic.ca

Director of Franchising: Nikki Arvanitakis

History, Plans



- franchise opportunities across Canada

Franchise Costs


- project costs $500,000 to $600,000



- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SALAD LOOP*

SALAD LOOP GROUP INVESTMENTS INC.

124 W. 1st St., Unit 1002

North Vancouver, BC V7M 3N3

604-729-4717

President: Sean Kim

History, Plans

- founded 2000 in Vancouver


Franchise Costs


Services


SAN FRANCESCO FOODS*

28 Industrial St., Unit 203

Toronto, ON M4G 1Y9

416-535-7805

History, Plans

- founded in 1954 in Toronto


- plans to expand in Southern Ontario

Franchise Costs


Services


- purchasing

- staff training

- other

SAWMILL PRIME RIB &

STEAK HOUSE*

4180 Calgary Trail S., 2nd Fl.

Edmonton, AB T6H 5H5

780-463-4499

Director of Operations: Len McCullough

History, Plans


- nine units in Canada (seven franchised)

- continued growth in Alberta, B.C.,

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario,

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and

Newfoundland

Franchise Costs



$3,000,00 (based on size/location)

- total costs $1,500,000+


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SCORES

MTY GROUP



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,000,000 to $1,200,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- site location

- staff training

SECOND CUP COFFEE CO. *

AEGIS BRANDS

6303 Airport Rd.

Mississauga, ON L4V 1R8

905-362-1818

VP, Franchise Development: Audra Wosik

History, Plans


- approx. 300 units in Canada

Franchise Costs


- Pinkberry fee $5,000

- total costs $300,000 to $500,000


- royalty fee 7.5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- regional operations support

- site location

- training

- other

SHOELESS JOE’S SPORTS GRILL*

SHOELESS JOE’S LTD.

551 Jevlan Dr.

Woodbridge, ON L4L 8W1

905-760-1295

VP Business Development: Danny

Grammenopoulos

History, Plans

- founded 1985 in Toronto


- planning to expand across Canada;

primary growth in the Ontario,

Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta;

accepting opportunities for Nova Scotia,

Newfoundland and B.C.

Franchise Costs


- development cost $1,000,000 to

$2,000,000


- royalty fee 5 to 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies





SMITTY’S CANADA INC.

501 18th Ave. S.W., Ste. 500

Calgary, AB T2S 0C7

403-229-3838

Director, Franchising: Jim Weidinger

History, Plans



Franchise Costs



$180,000

- leasehold improvements $50,000 to

$700,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SMOKE’S POUTINERIE

SMOKE’S POUTINERIE INC.

85 Kingston Rd. E., Unit 5

Ajax, ON L1S 7J4

905-427-4444

mark@smokespoutinerie.com

VP Franchising,Global Development Officer:

Mark Cunningham

History, Plans


- 150+ units in Canada; nine additional

countries with locations

- aggressive expansion planned for

Canada, the U.S. and international

locations; traditional, non-traditional,

sports and entertainment, educational

and amusement portfolios

Franchise Costs


- total costs $350,000 to $450,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management


- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- training

SOUTH STREET BURGER

MTY FOOD GROUP INC.

2 Bishop St., Ste. 400

Toronto, ON M5R 1N2

416-963-5005


History, Plans


- 40 units in Canada; one outside of


- additional units planned in Canada and

internationally

Franchise Costs



$650,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- management

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SOUVLAKI BAR

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- project cost $700,000 to $800,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

ST. LOUIS BAR & GRILL*

ST. LOUIS FRANCHISE LIMITED

2040 Yonge St., Ste. 200B

Toronto, ON M4S 1Z9

416-485-1094

CEO/Founder: Brent Poulton

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $850,000 to $950,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

- other

STATE & MAIN KITCHEN & BAR


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext 2255



History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,400,000 to $1,700,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

STEAK FRITES ST.

MTY GROUP



514-336-8885


Beauchamp

History, Plans


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SUBWAY

DOCTOR’S ASSOCIATES INC.

325 Sub Way

Milford, CT 06461-3059

203-877-4281

Chief Development Officer: Don Fertman

History, Plans

- established 1965 in Bridgeport, Conn.

- 3,000+ locations in Canada

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 8%

Services

- floor plans

- ongoing training

- site selection assistance

- staff training

SUKIYAKI

MTY FRANCHISING INC..



514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded 1979

- 10 units in Canada; nine outside of

Canada (all franchised)

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SUNNYSIDE GRILL

2 Jane St., Ste. 202

Toronto, ON M6S 4W3

416-604-0650

President: Jeff Parissi

History, Plans

- established 2004


- plans to grow by one to two units per

year

Franchise Costs


- total turnkey build-out cost $200,000


- royalty fee 4%




Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- ongoing support

- purchasing

- site location

- social media

- staff training

- supplies

SUNSET GRILL

RESTAURANTS LTD.

5100 Erin Mills Town Centre

P.O. Box 53036

Mississauga, ON L5M 5A7

905-286-5833

CEO: Angelo Christou

History, Plans



- expansion planned across Canada and

in the U.S.

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SUSHI MAN




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- purchased in 2014

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SUSHI SHOP




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded 2000


three outside of Canada

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SWEET JESUS

HOLY SWEET INC.

210 Shields Ct.

Markham, ON L3R 8V2

905-479-8762

CEO: Aaron Serruya

History, Plans

- established in 2015 in Thornhill, Ont.

- seven units in Canada; two outside of

Canada

- plans to expand across Canada

Franchise Costs


- total costs $231,025 to $670,080


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SWISS CHALET ROTISSERIE

AND GRILL


199 Four Valley Dr.

Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8

905-760-2244, ext. 2255



History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $1,100,000 to $1,400,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

SYMPOSIUM CAFE INC. *

6021 Yonge St., Ste. 475

Toronto, ON M2M 3W2

416-449-3611

Director of Franchising: Ron Ansett

History, Plans

- established in 1996 in London, Ont.;

franchising since 2004


Franchise Costs


- equipment/other costs $85,000 to

$130,000

- total costs $625,000 to $675,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

TACO BELL*

TACO BELL CANADA COMPANY


Woodbridge, ON L4L 9T1

416-254-4266

Development Manager: Alex Grudkin

History, Plans

- established 1952 in Downey, Calif.

- 170+ units in Canada (all franchised);

7,000 outside of Canada

- plans to expand throughout Canada

Franchise Costs



- build cost $1,200,000 to $1,400,000


- total cost $1,249,100

- marketing fee 4.7% of gross sales; 1%

local store marketing

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TACO TIME




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded 1978


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TANDORI




514-336-8885


History, Plans


- 12 units in Canada (10 franchised); one

outside of Canada (franchised)

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TASTE OF MEDITERRANEAN*

T.O.M FRANCHISE INC.

2 Toronto St., Ste. 324

Toronto, ON M5C 2B5

416-821-5561

CEO: Sam Hussein





History, Plans


- nine units in Canada; one outside of


Franchise Costs



- no advertising fee

- royalty fee $1,000 flat

Services

- financing

- lease negotiation

- marketing

- site location

- store set up

- training

TCBY




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- established in 1980 in Little Rock, Ark.

- established in Canada in 1990 in Montreal

and Toronto

Franchise costs

- initial franchise fee $25,000; $10,000 for

co-brand


- advertising fee included in cost of goods;

3% for co-brand

- royalty fee included in cost of goods; 5%

for co-brand

Services


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TERIYAKI EXPERIENCE

INNOVATIVE FOOD BRANDS

531 North Service Rd. E.

Oakville, ON L6H 1A5

905-337-7777

Director of Franchising: Nik Jurkovic

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total costs $300,000 to $500,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training (assist onsite)

- other

THAI EXPRESS

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885

Vice President: Dennis Ng

History, Plans

- founded 2000 in Montreal

- 288 units in Canada; five international

(all franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total costs $336,000 to $714,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

THAI ZONE

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded 2007

- 39 units in Quebec (all franchised)

Franchise Costs


- total costs $468,000 to $855,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TIKI MING




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded 1983

- 30 units in Canada (28 franchised); 10

outside of Canada (all franchised)

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


TILTED KILT PUB & EATERY*

JSF FRANCHISE GROUP INC.

3636 Bathurst St., Ste. 1611

Toronto, ON M6A 2Y5

416-819-2644

VP of Franchising: Joel Friedman

History, Plans

- founded 2005 in Arizona

- six units in Canada; 100 outside of


Franchise Costs




- advertising fee 2% (national); 4% (local)

- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TIM HORTONS

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL

130 King St. W.

Toronto, ON M5X 2A2

888-601-1616

President, Americas: Axel Schwan

History, Plans

- established 1964 in Hamilton, Ont.

- 3,981 units in Canada; 953 outside of

Canada

- continuing global expansion through

2021

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 4.5% to 6%

Services


- design

- equipment

- furniture

- management

- purchasing

- staff training

TIMOTHY’S WORLD COFFEE


55 Administration Rd., Unit 37

Woodbridge, ON L4K 4G9

877-434-3223, ext. 7314


History, Plans

- established 1975 in London, Ont.


two outside of Canada

- exploring potential sites in various

markets

Franchise Costs


- total cost $241,000 to $633,000


- royalty fee 9%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

TOMMY CAFE

FOODTASTIC

9245, rue Thimens


514-856-5555, ext. 260

855-771-0177




History, Plans



Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design


- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

TOPPER’S PIZZA

TOPPER’S FRANCHISING COMPANY INC.

551 Bryne Dr., Unit N

Barrie, ON L4N 9Y3

705-735-2127


Anik Gaumond

History, Plans

- established 1982 in Sudbury, Ont.


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 5%




Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

TOUJOURS MIKES




514-336-8885

COO of Casual Dining:

Marie-LineBeauchamp

History, Plans

- established in 1967 in Quebec


Franchise Costs



- total costs $600,000 to $700,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

TRIPLE O’S RESTAURANT

WHITE SPOT LIMITED

200 - 8223 Sherbrooke St.

Vancouver, BC V5X 4E6

604-321-6631

Business Development Manager:

Karen Dosen

History, Plans



- focusing on growth in Western Canada

and Ontario

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost approx. $1,100,000

(depending on site)

- total cost approx. $1,140,000 (depending

on site)


- royalty fee 6.0%

- other fees 1.0%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

TURTLE JACK’S MUSKOKA GRILL


3370 S. Service Rd., Ste. 300

Burlington, ON L7L 3M6

905-332-6833, ext. 234

CEO: Eric Lefebvre

History, Plans

- established 1992 in Burlington, Ont.


- one new unit under construction

Franchise Costs


Services


TUTTI FRUTTI




514-336-8885

COO of Casual Dining:

Marie-Line Beauchamp

History, Plans

- founded 1996


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5% (6% Alta. and B.C.)

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

URBAN KITCHEN/SELECT

SANDWICH*

SELECT FOOD SERVICES INC.

155 Gordon Baker Rd., Ste. 214

Toronto, ON M2H 3N5

416-391-1244

Director of Franchising: Carol Kahn

History, Plans


- 11 properties in Canada

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 7%

Services


VALENTINE




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 1984


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

VAN HOUTTE




514-336-8885


History, Plans


- 51 franchised units in Canada

Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

VERA’S BURGER SHACK *

42 W. 8th Ave., Ste. 3

Vancouver, BC V5Y 1M7

604-683-8372

President: Gerald Tritt

History, Plans



Franchise Costs


- total cost $164,500 to $353,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

VIA CIBO ITALIAN STREET FOOD

VIA CIBO FRANCHISING INC

2829 Sherwood Heights Dr., Ste. 101

Oakville, ON L6J 7R7

416-449-2221, ext. 114

VP of Development: Sean Black

History, Plans

- established 2014

- eight units in Canada

- plans to expand franchises in British

Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec

Franchise Costs



750,000

- turnkey costs $650,000 to $800,000


- royalty fee 5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management


- purchasing

- social media

- site location

- staff training (opening)

- supplies

VIE & NAM




514-336-8885

Vice-President: Dennis Ng

History, Plans


Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Service


- design


- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies




VILLA MADINA




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 2003


Franchise Costs




- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

WASABI GRILL & NOODLE




514-336-8885


History, Plans

- founded in 2012

Franchise Costs



- marketing fee 1%


Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

WENDY’S RESTAURANTS OF

CANADA INC.

5515 N. Service Rd., Ste. 201

Burlington, ON. L7L 6G4

905-331-0341

wendys.franchising@wendys.com

Manager, Franchise & Strategic Planning:

Jane Dann

History, Plans

- established in 1969 in Columbus,

Ohio; established in Canada in 1975 in

Hamilton, Ont.


Franchise Costs

- application fee $5,000 (new franchises)


- total investment $2,000,000 to

$3,500,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- quality assurance

- site development/location

- staff training

- supplies

WHITE SPOT RESTAURANT

WHITE SPOT LIMITED

200 - 8223 Sherbrooke St.

Vancouver, BC V5X 4E6

604-321-6631

Business Development Manager:

Karen Dosen

History, Plans



- focusing on growth in Western Canada

Franchise Costs


- equipment/site cost approx. $1,900,000

(depending on site)

- total cost approx. $1,975,000 (depending

on site)


- royalty fee 5%

- other fees 0.5%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

WILLIAMS FRESH CAFE INC.

52 Abbotsford Rd.

Gormley, ON L4A 2C1

416-637-5976

VP, Marketing: Peter Druxerman

History, Plans

- established 1993 in Stratford, Ont.


Franchise Costs


- total cost $180,000 (express unit) to

$650,000 (sit-down café)


- royalty fee 6.5%

Services


- design

- franchisee/staff training

- intranet

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- regional director support

- site location


WIMPY’S DINER INC. *

160 Konrad Crest., Unit 1

Markham, ON L3R 9T9

888-594-6797

GM: Jim Daikos

History, Plans

- founded 1961


Franchise Costs


- total cost $250,000 to $500,000


- royalty fee 4%

Services


WOK BOX FRESH ASIAN

KITCHEN*

19074 22nd Ave., Unit 102

Surrey, BC V3S 3S6

778-545-0233

CEO: Lawrence Eade

History, Plans

- established 2004 in Edmonton


- expanding in Western Canada during

the next two years; planned growth in

Ontario and Eastern Canada

Franchise Costs



- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

(THE) WORKS

MTY FRANCHISING INC



514-336-8885


History, Plans

- established 2001 in Ottawa


Franchise Costs


- total costs $622,000 to $1,063,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

YEH!

YEH! WORLDWIDE INC.

210 Shields Ct.

Markham, ON L3R 8V2

905-479-8762

CEO: Aaron Serruya

History, Plans

- established 2008 in Quebec


- plans to expand across Quebec

Franchise Costs

- initial franchise cost $32,000

- total costs $219,850 to $399,500


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies

YOGURTY’S

INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISING INC.

210 Shields Ct.

Markham, ON L3R 8V2

905-479-8762

Founder: Aaaron Serruya

History, Plans



- plans to expand across Canada

Franchise Costs



$483,000

- total costs $178,000 to $508,000


- royalty fee 6%

Services


- design

- lease negotiation

- management

- purchasing

- site location

- staff training

- supplies


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Hospitality

Headlines

TECHNOLOGY

AHEAD OF SCHE

TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED RESTAURANTS TO CREATE A NEW REALITY

BY BRITTAIN BROWN

Brittain Brown is president of

Givex. Since joining Givex in

2003, he’s held various managerial

roles in the national accounts and

Operations divisions and has been

responsible for some of the company’s

largest client successes. As president,

Brown has driven Givex’s international

expansion efforts and

overseen the successful acquisition

of new additions to the Givex

family of companies.

The pandemic served

a harsh blow to the

restaurant industry,

forcing countless establishments

to permanently

shut down, leaving many

Canadians out of work

and, ultimately, cutting

people off from the local

watering holes that, for

many, served as critical community hubs.

The realization that the only way out of this

is through it, had restaurant owners across

the country quickly finding ways to adapt

to the new normal, implementing technology

to enhance safety for staff and guests and

pivoting their services and operations to

meet evolving customer demands. After a

year of innovative technology adoption and

re-imagining the restaurant experience, the

profound resilience of this tenacious industry

has catapulted restaurants far into the future,

accelerating the modernization of operations

and launching them into a new reality.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH

THE NEW NORMAL

COVID-19 came in like a wrecking ball, devastating

restaurants across the country and leaving

the survivors grappling with how to. While

many fast-food restaurants were able to maintain

drive-thru operations and some restaurants

were able to switch to a take-out model, dining

establishments that relied primarily on dine-in

service lacked the technology and infrastructure

to keep running — a reality that forced immediate

and sweeping closures. Since the beginning

ISTOCK.COM/TIJANA87


DULE

of the pandemic, at least 10,000 restaurants have

closed across Canada, according to Restaurants

Canada, which reported industry layoffs totalling

approximately 800,000 at the height of

COVID-19. Turning to technology was the only

way for many establishments to survive.

Social restrictions and lockdowns resulted

in a surge in delivery and takeout as Canadians

continued to support local businesses from the

comfort of their homes, requiring restaurants

to establish digital systems to accommodate the

influx of orders. Many businesses utilized thirdparty-delivery

apps to reach new customers, capitalizing

on the easy set up and access to drivers.

Others opted to develop in-house ordering

systems, which allowed them complete control

over customer service and the ability to drive

customer loyalty without the costly fees of

third-party apps. User-friendly online solutions

were critical in streamlining ordering to

maintain restaurants’ revenue.

Adopting in-house technology to

streamline orders has also been critical in

reducing costs and maintaining efficiency.

Implementing kitchen display systems

(KDS) allows restaurants to streamline

orders for the back-of-house by replacing

the traditional paper-chit system with

digital tools. In kitchens known for their

fast-paced and chaotic environments, KDS

streamline food preparation by automatically

calculating cooking times and queuing

up orders, negating the need to shout across

the kitchen and preventing food waste and

other costly errors caused by the manual

organization of paper chits at the risk of

misplacing or mis-ordering them.

Restaurants have also widely adopted technology

for the front of house to improve efficiency

and reduce high-touch points in a dedicated

effort to enhance safety for both staff and

guests. Since the beginning of the pandemic,

there’s been a notable spike in tableside QR

codes to direct guests to digital menus accessible

from smartphones, as restaurants quickly

worked to reduce touch points by replacing

physical menus with online-ordering tools. QR

codes also served to direct guests to restaurants’

social-media channels and website.


Many restaurants replaced shared point-ofsales

(POS) systems with personal, handheld

tablets for servers. This not only limits contact

by preventing servers from lining up for their

turn at a shared POS system, but reduces the

risk of costly errors by allowing servers to ring

through an order directly at the table placing

it. Additionally, contactless payment options

have become the new normal, with touchless

technology such as tap payments more often

expected than considered a luxury.

The demand for gift cards also grew, offering

customers a means of supporting local businesses

at the start of the pandemic, and hitting new

records during the holiday season as e-gift cards

provided a safe solution to gift-giving. Ongoing

safety concerns meant that gift cards became an

ideal form of payment to reduce the use of cash.

LEVERAGING FUTURISTIC

TECHNOLOGY

The re-imagining of restaurant operations has

catapulted the industry into the otherwise distant

future, expediting restaurant innovation

to levels well beyond where we expected to be

at this point in time.

In many ways, the restaurant experience is

being re-designed to meet evolving customer

demands and expectations of heightened safety

protocols, especially as customers continue to

opt for convenience and at-home dining. If the

future of restaurants relies on automation, then

Toronto’s Box’d has a vision we can expect to

see more of. Box’d operates on a new model

whereby a digital-ordering system and contactless

pick-up has removed any need for frontof-house

staff. Robots may have seemed like

an unattainable futuristic idea, but 2020 has

evidently launched us into the future.

Similarly, quick-service restaurants are

implementing new concepts to re-define the

drive-thru experience. The launch of Taco

Bell’s new “Go-Mobile” concept is a sign of

the shift in drive-thrus as they begin to offer

digital ordering through mobile apps to create

a frictionless ordering experience.

While previously, loyal bar patrons may

have been missing their favourite bartenders,

convenience and health concerns have customers

avoiding in-store experiences, meaning

the date nights and trips to the grocery

store are increasingly replaced by delivery

services — and restaurants are taking note.

Through in-house ordering platforms, many

restaurants have pivoted their services to

offer grocery delivery and meal kits, capitalizing

on the stay-at-home trend and meeting customers

where they are — at home.

TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Last year saw rapid digitization and the rise of

the country’s most tech-savvy restaurants,

catapulting 2021 into an evolved state, lightyears

ahead of previous forecasts, and giving

restaurants the tools to re-boot once restrictions

are lifted. As vaccines roll out, the weather

improves and restaurant patrons slowly

begin to re-introduce dining out into their

weekly routines, the restaurant industry will

continue to evolve to meet the ever-changing

demands of its beloved and loyal customers.

While foodservice has already shifted to

require reduced contact between servers and

guests, we anticipate the increased reliance on

support-staff to cater to guests’ needs. As many

longtime hospitality workers have left the industry

in search of stable employment during the

pandemic, advanced technology that streamlines

ordering and service operations will support an

increase in entry-level positions and support

staff roles. New positions will likely be created

for delivery and sanitation management, to

ensure all customer needs are met and safety

is the utmost concern. For restaurants operating

with servers, we expect to see more widely

adopted personal tablets for front-of-house

staff to reduce shared touchpoints and streamline

orders. Tableside QR codes with ordering

capabilities could also blossom as a means of

frictionless ordering and payment for an automated

tableside experience.

Now that restaurateurs have had time to settle

into the digital world, this will be an opportunity

to re-claim ownership of the customer experience

from third-party apps. We’ll likely see widespread

adoption of in-house integrated-ordering apps,

which will allow restaurants to have complete

control over customer satisfaction and food-delivery

quality, reservations and loyalty programs that

will encourage returning customers.

The restaurant industry has undergone a

dynamic transformation, evolving rapidly to

meet the ever-changing needs of customers and

ensuring safety is always the top priority. If 2020

taught us anything, it’s that we can’t predict the

future. But the widespread adoption of innovative

restaurant technology and savvy restaurateurs

will ensure that the industry is not just

well-prepared to weather any storm, it’s created

a new reality ahead of schedule. We’ve imagined

what the future could look like — we’re already

living in it. FH


WE FOUND THAT, AFTER

THE FIRST MONTH OR

TWO OF PEOPLE BEING

LOCKED DOWN AND

HAVING CASUAL FOOD EVERY

SINGLE DAY, THERE WAS A

DEMAND AND NEED FOR

HIGH-END DINING

AT HOME

ISTOCK.COM/DISOBEYART


CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

TAKE

TWO

COVID-19 restrictions offered

opportunities for operators to

re-think takeout strategies

THE CHALLENGE

BY AMY BOSTOCK

When dining-rooms shuttered

across the country, operators

were forced to re-think their takeout

strategies in order to survive.

While some segments — such

as quick-service and fast-casual

restaurants — were better suited

to pivot, for others, a number of

challenges presented themselves.

“We’ve always taken pride

in having a very diverse portfolio,”

says Nick Di Donato,

president and CEO of Liberty

Entertainment Group (LEG).

“We go from casual dining (Cibo

Wine Bar), which always offered

takeout and was ready to move

forward [during COVID-19], to

BlueBlood, a very high-end steakhouse

with very expensive products.”

With the average check at

BlueBlood ranging between $75

to $100 per person, ensuring the

quality of the takeout experience

matched that of in-restaurant

dining was a challenge. “When

people are spending that kind of

money, they want to have that

quality. We knew steak would

lend itself to being able to be

packaged, because the quality of

steak would resonate, but [the

challenge was] finding the right

packaging, the right containers,

the right products.”

Making space to offer takeout

safely, while adhering to physicaldistancing

guidelines, can also

prove challenging — especially

to restaurants with smaller footprints.

For Vancouver-based

Browns Restaurant Group, (BRG)

which has a number of casualdining

brands under its umbrella,

that meant re-thinking the layout

of their restaurants.

“We’ve increased takeout

packaging and pick-up area

allocation, as well as designating

specific driver access doors wherever

possible to reduce contact

occasions,” explains Bruce Fox,

executive vice-president, Business

Development for Browns (BRG).

Changing consumer behaviour

also impacted takeout

success, says Di Donato. “[Our

takeout business] fluctuates

based on timing and periods. For

example, during special events

such as the Christmas season or

Thanksgiving, it goes up a little

bit, but I found it slowed down

a little bit in January, because

people are staying at home and

making their own food — they

may be getting tired of takeout all

the time.”

THE OPPORTUNITY

While takeout is not a substitute

for in-restaurant dining, Di

Donato says government wage

and rent subsidies are making it

a sustainable alternative in the

short term and, long-term, will

help make re-opening the diningroom

easier.

“Right now, I’ve got my executive

chef for every restaurant,

I’ve got my general manager, my

sous chef and her other assistant

manager, all working. And so,

when I’m re-opening, they can

create and build our team.

While Cibo Wine Bar already

had the logistics of takeout —

from online ordering to packaging

and containers — Di Donato

wondered about the feasibility of

BlueBlood offering its menu to go.

It was here he found an unexpected

opportunity with a consumer

base craving the finer things.

“We decided it was feasible to

create some fantastic products,

but we’d have to scale it a little

bit so it would be more accessible

to homes,” says Di Donato, adding

choosing the right packaging,

containers and products was key

to maintaining both food quality

and the concept’s fine-dining

image. “We found that, after the

first month or two of people

being locked down and having

casual food every single day, there

was a demand and need for highend

dining at home.”

BlueBlood’s current takeout

offerings include Alaskan Crab

Fritters with dill and jalapeño aioli

($22), Short-Rib Wellington ($55),

a selection of steaks ($60 to $75),

side dishes, sauces and desserts.

Di Donato says every order is also

packed with a hand-written note

from the BlueBlood team.

Overall, LEG used the challenges

thrown at it by the pandemic to

find opportunities to re-visit and

re-think its pickup model “and

really fine tune them to be more

effective and make it a part of our

business. We’ve gone through the

effort of creating many [takeout]

packages — cost effective ones —

and can produce a great product to

take home, so that will stay with us

moving forward.”

One of the biggest opportunities,

says Di Donato, has been the new

ability to sell wine and spirits as

part of the company’s takeaway

and delivery options. “This was

not previously permitted, but

the new government provisions

mean we can include a selection

of wine and beer for delivery,

which has allowed us to increase

our sales.”

He’s also taken the opportunity

to “cut the fat” when it comes

to operations. “We’ve become

lean, more effective and have

been forced to look at our weekly

and monthly costs and come up

with ways to do things a little

more cost effectively. This business

really is a nickel-and-dime

business so cutting some of those

costs and being more effective will

make a difference — and that

will continue on as we come out

of this.” FH



TRADING

SPACES

Inventory levels fall as operators

shift their focus to smaller footprints

BY AMY BOSTOCK

ISTOCK.COM/HALFPOINT



THERE’S A LOT OF GREAT

COLLABORATION HAPPENING

IN THE FOODSERVICE

INDUSTRY WITH OPERATORS —

SHARING SPACE, DEVELOPING

NEW PROJECTS AND

COLLABORATING IN SUPPORT

OF ONE ANOTHER — LOTS

OF CREATIVITY

THE CHALLENGE

In March, the phones at Torontobased

CHI Real Estate Group, a

hospitality-business broker that

helps clients buy and sell restaurants

and commercial properties,

stopped ringing.

“The number of incoming

calls our team receives is a good

indication of the market. The

month of March was definitely

‘a brace-and-see-what-happens’

month,” says Ori Grad, broker

and managing director at CHI.

“Our team works as a trusted

partner to some of our city’s finest

restaurateurs with high-quality

locations. A lot of what we do

is discreet and off-market. The

buyers generally attracted to the

calibre of opportunities we offer

dried up and the phone pretty

much stopped ringing.”

In mid-April, he says the

phone started ringing again and,

by summer, his team was back to

being busy, but most callers were

window shopping or looking to

downsize their operations.

“January and February 2020

were historically bad months

for many businesses,” says Grad.

“The combined impact of the

minimum-wage increases and the

uptick in the costs of goods affected

the industry. Typically, business

owners can look forward to business

improvement in March, but this is

when the province-wide shutdown

occurred, leaving most owners

in the most stressful situation of

their career.

“We know picking up the

phone to call us is sometimes not

an easy decision to make. While

there’s a tremendous outpouring

of support for the restaurant

industry, at the end of the day, if

continuing to operate your business

does not make good financial sense,

there’s no shame in admitting defeat

by a global pandemic.”

Bruce Fox, executive vicepresident,

Business Development

for Vancouver-based Browns

Restaurant Group, says the biggest

real-state issue facing his company

right now is rent. “Reduced

seating means reduced revenue,”

he says. “Profit margins are thin

enough in good times and the

pandemic formula, with higher

delivery fees and reduced dine-in

revenue, is a death sentence for

marginal units.” Fortunately, he

adds, “we have very few that fall

into that category and our franchisees

are sharp operators, willing

to adapt.”

As restaurants were forced to

close dining-rooms and pivot to

takeout and delivery only, Grad

says there was a significant shift

in demand for locations with

outdoor space. “Outdoor space

turned into an extremely hot commodity.

We also saw a considerable

increase in demand for smaller

takeout spots in busy areas, but

at the time, landlords were still

expecting 2019 rental rates.”

Browns’ concepts, which

have always boasted small, more

efficient footprints, made some

immediate changes when the

pandemic first hit, pivoting to

COVID-19-compliant seating

“We added plenty of (high-quality)

Plexiglas barriers and have

increased spacing,” says Fox. “We

now remove seats that are not in

use rather than leaving them in

and closing off tables, which just

leads to unnecessary guest discussions/explanations

about why

they can’t sit at a vacant table.”

According to Grad, operators

shifted their focus to quick-service

locations under 1,500 sq. ft.

instead of larger dine-in locations

and locations in the suburbs

became more desirable than those

in downtown Toronto. “Suburban

plazas with direct-entry QSR

[units] became a prized location,

and many independents and franchisors

were chasing after them.”

The rapid rise of off-premise

dining, says Vince Sgabellone,

industry analyst, Canada

Foodservice at NPD Group, has

forced operators to think of new

and faster ways to fill these orders.

Dedicated digital drive-thru lanes,

touchless pick-up lobbies, multiple

drive-thru lanes and curb-side

pickup parking are all considerations

when looking at locations.

As a result all of these shifts,

inventory became a challenge as

there was a lack of suitable spaces

under 2,000 sq. ft. that were in a

good location, but not part of an

existing mall/plaza. Although one

would expect that there would be

a lot of lease availability and lower

lease rates, Grad says for the most

part, there has been little restaurant

inventory. “Existing operators

and their landlords are receiving

assistance through the various

subsidies and programs. There’s

still a risk that a flood of vacancies

may come at some point,

depending on the recovery speed

and the continuation of government

stimulus, but all in all, the

government programs have helped

to avoid a catastrophe thus far.”

THE OPPORTUNITY

As the real-estate challenges

brought on by COVID-19 continued

to mount, CHI took the

opportunity to offer consultations

with its landlord and tenant

clients, participated in educational

offerings with Restaurants

Canada and shared information

via its blog. “There was going

to be no easy or immediate

solution,” says Grad. “The best

way forward was to foster an

open and transparent relationship

where both parties worked

together and compromised to

stay resilient. It was a matter of

trying to draw out the humanity

and creativity required to confront

such a unique and challenging

situation as COVID-19.”

Grad says the situation showed

landlords that tenants cannot pay

the same for rent as they did in

good times — especially in certain

areas that have been affected

the most by COVID-19, such

as financial districts. “Rent and

additional rents (TMI) are high

in the financial core and, without

people going into their offices to

work, restaurants in these pockets

are struggling for consumers,”

says Grad.

It’s a situation that helped fuel

the rise of ghost kitchens, says

Grad. “We have a lot of interest

in ghost kitchens — essentially, a

place in a busy area that is already

set up for foodservice but at discounted

rental rates. These are hard

to come by as downtown Toronto

is expensive, even if it is an industrial

building on a side street.”

CHI has also seen an increased

demand from investors wanting

to buy commercial buildings with

restaurants. “There’s a lot of great

collaboration happening in the

foodservice industry with operators

— sharing space, developing

new projects and collaborating in

support of one another — lots of

creativity,” says Grad. FH



SLUG HERE

ISTOCK.COM/APIWAN BORRIKONRATCHATA

ROLL

CALL

Operators are forced to reexamine

staffing strategies in

the wake of COVID-19 restrictions

BY AMY BOSTOCK



THE CHALLENGE

According to Restaurants

Canada’s Restaurant Outlook

Survey published in April 2020,

an estimated 800,000 foodservice

employees were either laid off or

not currently working as a result

of government-imposed restrictions

put in place to slow the

spread of COVID-19.

“The initial effects were like a

Tsunami that kept on coming and

[there was] no real plan for such

an event as everything happened

very quickly,” recalls Dorrie Karras,

CEO of Calgary-based OPA! Of

Greece. “Our first priority was to

support our franchisees, as most

were forced to close or limit their

operations. We proceeded to slash

royalties and marketing fees by 66

per cent in the form of an abatement

and not a deferral.”

That meant the fast-casual

chain now had its major revenue

stream reduced to 33 per cent.

“And that was on much lower

sales, which meant we had to cut

expenses to keep the company

OUR FIRST

PRIORITY WAS TO

SUPPORT OUR

FRANCHISEES, AS MOST

WERE FORCED TO CLOSE

OR LIMIT THEIR

OPERATIONS

from bleeding at a rapid rate. At

that time, I had to make one of

the most difficult decisions of

my professional career and layoff

almost half the head-office staff.

The remaining staff’s salaries and

hours were also cut, but after a few

months, all staff were brought back

and full salaries reinstated.”

Finding ways to keep people was

a challenge also faced by Calgarybased

Browns Restaurant Group

(BRG). “We have so many great

people in our restaurants and the

biggest challenge has been to find

ways to sustain sales revenues to

allow us to keep as many of our

people employed as possible,” says

James MacFarlane, vice-president,

Operations at BRG. “Maximizing

our off-premise dining as a sales

channel has been key in this effort.

We have adopted new technologies,

adjusted how we operate, changed

our floor plans and our restaurant

designs all to facilitate greater offpremise

sales while keeping our

guests and our teams safe.”

The logistics of staffing were

also a challenge, as regulations

across the country continued

to change when the virus hit its

second wave and sales volumes

continued to fluctuate.

“Typically, in our restaurants,

we can forecast our daily/weekly

sales quite accurately to allow us

to schedule properly to provide

the best possible guest experience,”

says MacFarlane. “Through

the pandemic, forecasting has

become challenging. Consumer

spending habits and patterns seem

to change weekly, depending on

reports in the news or changes in

provincial COVID-19 regulations.

This has resulted in some tough

times for our teams where we have

been unexpectedly understaffed.

Conversely there have been periods

of overstaffing that have challenged

us financially.”

Changes to roles and responsibilities

as a result of these fluctuations

presented yet another

challenge for BRG. “In our

restaurants, and throughout our

organization, our people have

taken on more work or different

work than they did before.

Keeping people engaged and

feeling valued while they take on

more work, or work they weren’t

accustomed to, is an ongoing

challenge,” says MacFarlane.

And as an industry that relies

heavily on part-time workers,

MacFarlane says the introduction of

the Canadian Emergency Response

Benefit (CERB) meant, in many

cases, “we have not been able to

secure the part-time people we need

as they have opted to not work and

collect the CERB benefit instead.”

MacFarlane says, at BRG, “we

haven’t needed to do much hiring,

but when we have, it’s clear that

experienced staff and managers

are not actively looking for work.

We hope that this is because experienced

people are staying put in

their current roles, but we fear this

is a sign that many experienced

people have fled the F&B business

in search of a more stable sector.”

THE OPPORTUNITY

In the 2020 Canadian Chain

Restaurant Industry Review published

by CWB, NPD Group

and fsSTRATEGY, Allan Dick,

co-managing partner, Sotos LLP,

predicted the volume of restaurant

closures “would generate

a tremendous pool of available

employees at a time when

demand had previously outstripped

supply — a trend which

had previously been expected to

accelerate rather than decline.”

The opportunity now exists, says

Dick, for restaurant owners to be

aggressive in attracting top talent.

This is also the time, says

MacFarlane, to re-examine operational

efficiencies. “While we’ve

always prided ourselves on being

very effective and efficient in running

well-planned and well-costed

schedules, the pandemic forced us

to re-visit what lean looked like. In

order to survive the worst days of

the initial COVID-19 shutdown,

and ups and downs since then,

we had to re-visit every minute

of every schedule shift for every

person in our restaurants. This

perspective has allowed us to really

zero-in on where inefficiencies

have existed in the past and how

we can better deploy our people.”

He also points to the newfound

opportunity for cross

training and teamwork as a silver

lining over the past year. “From

our GMs and chefs through to the

front- and back-of-house staff,

everyone has had to become more

knowledgeable and versatile. This

has resulted in improved efficiency

levels and an increase in comradery

and pride,” says MacFarlane.

The biggest opportunity

Karras says he was able to leverage

at Opa! was the “benefit of clear,

open communication. To keep

our restaurants open and make

sure our team rosters were full, we

needed to trust each other (to follow

the rules, to stay home when

you’re sick and come to work when

you’re not). Clear expectations,

strong commitments and trust are

essential and you can’t have those

without communication.”

Operationally, he said the chain

adjusted and accommodated along

the way, but has not made any

permanent changes. “There’s been

a tectonic shift to online ordering,

[which has] added an extra level

of complexity to the stores. For

that reason, we continue to investigate

and adopt new technologies

that can make the operators’ lives

less stressful in managing the new

way of doing things.”

“COVID-19 has thrust change

upon us in many parts of our

business,” agrees MacFarlane.

“This rapid succession of change

and adaptation has made our

teams nimbler and has better

equipped everyone in our restaurants

to handle the evolutions

that will be critical in our recovery

going forward.” FH



AS RESTAURANTS PLAN FOR

RECOVERY, A CONSISTENT SUPPLY

OF FRESH, LOCAL FOOD CAN HELP

MINIMIZE COSTS AND ENSURE

AVAILABILITY OF KEY INGREDIENTS.

FOCUSING ON STAPLES WILL HELP

DRAW IN GUESTS BY SATISFYING

THEIR CRAVING FOR COMFORT IN

UNCERTAIN TIMES

ISTOCK.COM/HALFPOINT



THE CHALLENGE

COST

CRUNCH

New challenges are shifting

restaurants’ operating costs

In an industry with notably low

margins, inflation and added

expenses have a significant

impact on profitability. And,

given revenues have been negatively

impacted by the ongoing

crisis, increased costs weigh heavy

on operators.

As, Nick Di Donato, president

& CEO of Toronto-based Liberty

Entertainment Group, explains,

efforts to pivot to different revenue

streams weren’t enough to

make up for restrictions. “There’s

no way anybody can be profitable

under those circumstances, where

you still have to pay rent, taxes,

hydro and so on, in large spaces,

and your sales were minimal.”

fsSTRATEGY Inc.’s 2020

C-Suite Survey indicates the

majority of industry leaders (68

per cent) expect the cost of sales

as a percentage of revenues to

change in 2021 (up from 60 per

cent in 2019). And, 16 per cent

of respondents anticipate cost of

BY DANIELLE SCHALK

goods sold will increase by more

than two per cent this year.

In terms of food costs, the 11th

edition of Canada’s Food Price

Report predicts an overall foodprice

increase of three to five per

cent for 2021. The report forecasts

meat and vegetables will see some

of the most significant increases,

with expected increases of 4.5 to

6.5 per cent for both categories.

Most C-Suite Survey respondents

(60 per cent) also indicated

they expected other operating

costs (such as utilities, repair and

maintenance, advertising and

promotion) as a percentage of

revenues will increase in 2021.

And, an increase of 0.1 to 1.5 per

cent is anticipated by about half

(48 per cent) of those surveyed.

Continuous efforts to adapt to

ongoing restrictions and requirements

have also proved taxing.

In fact, a recent survey of The

Fifteen Group’s Canadian restaurant

clients found the businesses

had spent an average of $15,000

on pandemic-specific operational

changes. David Hopkins, president

of the Toronto-based consulting

agency, points to items such as

personal protective equipment,

enhanced cleaning supplies, airfiltration

units and patio improvements

as additional expenses

restaurants have taken on.

“In terms of long-term [challenges],

certainly the biggest one

we’re trying to model out for our

clients is the overall, long-term

impact of takeout and delivery

service,” says Hopkins. As he points

out, when third-party services cannibalize

direct/on-site sales, it takes

a real toll. “If you’re a $2-million

restaurant and $100,000 of that

revenue pivots to ordering from

[third-party delivery] instead of

either picking it up themselves or

going to your restaurant, then that’s

costing you $30,000 in straight

profit that you would have had

otherwise,” he explains.

And, he adds, increased demand

for takeout also results in an

increased need for packaging supplies,

which, as we approach a

national ban on many single-use

plastics, represent a greater expense

than in the past. “Restaurants are

going to have to start factoring that

into their entire pricing model,”

adds Hopkins.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The residual effects of the pandemic

are expected to present

some opportunities and relief

on certain operating-cost fronts.

“Probably the biggest one we’re

expecting, and we’re already seeing,

is with the labour market,”

shares Hopkins, noting the current

environment has shifted this

to an employer market — at least

for the short term.

Similarly, restaurant closures

have made the rent market more

favourable. Hopkins notes this

almost exclusively impacts new

openings, but there may be room

for established restaurants to

negotiate better deals.

And, while increased food

costs present a challenge, as

Hopkins explains, coping with

challenges around meat pricing

over the last five years has

dwarfed recent changes in this

category. Having weathered this

on-going problem, he is confident

operators are well equipped to

pivot their menus and pricing to

accommodate increases.

“As restaurants plan for recovery,

a consistent supply of fresh,

local food can help minimize

costs and ensure availability of

key ingredients. Focusing on

staples will help draw in guests

by satisfying their craving for

comfort in uncertain times,”

Sarah Caron, director, Marketing

and Nutrition, Egg Farmers of

Canada, stated in Restaurants

Canada’s Foodservice Facts 2020.

Through this time, restaurateurs

have been forced to adapt and, in

many cases, become more agile in

order to run their businesses as efficiently

as possible. “The restaurant

industry, as a whole, has demonstrated

just how resilient, creative

and innovative it is,” Brian Deck,

CEO of Smooth Commerce, said

during the Canadian Restaurant

Investment & Leadership Summit

in November.

For example, Oakville, Ont.-

based The WORKS Craft Burgers

& Beer took the pandemic as

an opportunity to re-create and

evolve the brand. Changes included

reducing the brand’s menu by

about 20 per cent to help streamline

operations. However, as part

of the re-design, the brand also

introduced a wider selection of

craft beer, new craft poutines and

added successful LTOs such as

The Tragically Maple burger to

the permanent menu.

As the brand’s president, Bruce

Miller explains, these efforts were

made “to make sure that, when

we come out of the pandemic,

that we are set up for success.” FH



ISTOCK.COM/AKE1150SB

DELIVERING

CONFIDENCE

New delivery procedures ensure orders get

from place to place without the need for

face-to-face contact

BY DANIELLE SCHALK



THE CHALLENGE

In order to ensure consumer

confidence and continued trust,

companies offering food delivery

— both in-house and third-party

— were forced to scramble to

define protocols and implement

the digital infrastructure to enable

effective contactless delivery to

meet the demand brought on by

the sudden onset of the pandemic.

The fact that this was essentially

a new service only added to

the challenge restaurants faced

when navigating how to implement

it. Ordering systems now

had to facilitate pre-payment and

collection of drop-off instructions;

restaurant staff and delivery

drivers had to be trained on new

procedures; and many operators

sourced solutions for tamperevident

packaging.

“We’re privileged to be able to

AGILITY HAS BECOME

ESSENTIAL TO BUSINESS

SUCCESS AND DIGITAL-

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

THE MAJOR ENABLER. THE

URGENCY TO ADVANCE HEALTH

AND SAFETY AND CONSUMER

CONVENIENCE IS FAST-TRACKING

INNOVATION TO ORGANIZATIONAL

BUSINESS MODELS IN

THE INDUSTRY

provide service to our customers,

but having to incorporate

new zero-contact procedures

— whether it’s delivery or

carry out — [required] a lot

of work,” shares Jeff Kacmarek,

VP Marketing and Product

Development, Domino’s Pizza of

Canada. “A lot of changes have

taken place in our operations as

a result.”

Restaurants had to update

their digital-ordering platforms,

which let to brands such as Swiss

Chalet releasing updated mobile

apps featuring integration with

new contactless-delivery and

curbside-pickup options.

And, once everything was in

place, significant effort had to

be put into communicating the

new offering and educating customers

on the new procedures.

Depending on the contactlessdelivery

procedures employed,

communicating with customers

through the delivery process

has also become increasingly

important.

In an open letter released

during the early days of the

pandemic, Restaurant Brands

International CEO Jose Cil

highlighted the significant work

a company of its scale had to

undertake to quickly respond to

these needs. “Our in-house digital

team has done great work to

rapidly expand and enhance our

online-ordering platforms for all

three brands,” he explained. “At

the same time, our marketing

teams have quickly pivoted to redirect

our substantial marketing

efforts to focus on the importance

and safety of our mobile

app, delivery and drive-thru

channels, in addition to other

major health-and-safety measures

like contactless payments.”

Using tech to communicate

health and safety is of great

importance, Manoj Jasra, Chief

Marketing & Digital Officer,

Northland Properties, stressed

during the Canadian Restaurant

Investment & Leadership Summit

in November, highlighting preorder

communication on this

front as a key element operators

need to be “really great at.” This,

he explained, is because, in the

future, attracting customers will

come down to providing “what

gives consumers the most confidence,

more than anything.”

“As the second wave of the

pandemic intensifies, complying

with stringent safety protocols

is the only way for businesses to

remain open and for our consumers

to have peace of mind

when using services such as food

delivery,” says Di Han, general

manager of Facedrive Foods.

THE OPPORTUNITY

While significant effort was

required to get contactlessdelivery

offerings off the ground,

the opportunity they provided to

build trust and loyalty through

these challenged times will serve

operators well going forward.

“Letting our guests behind the

curtain has always been counterintuitive,

but…being transparent

with respect to what steps

and measures you’re taking [is

important] and guests are willing

to meet you halfway if you make

those steps on that [front],” Royal

Nasager, VP Marketing, St. Louis

Franchise Ltd., shared during the

Canadian Restaurant Investment

& Leadership Summit.

And, those who have invested

on this front are expected to see

continued benefits beyond the

short term. “I really believe there’s

going to be a collective [pandemic]

PTSD or hangover,” says Nasager.

“Even when there is a ‘cure’ or vaccine,

consumer consumption habits

[and] how they want to engage

and interact and brands will not

change that much.”

Having to adopt new tech

and procedures to survive the

pandemic could also shift the

historically slow-to-adapt foodservice

industry, collectively, into

a more agile sector. A Panasonic

Corporation of North America

survey (August 2020), reveals

businesses within the industry

now see an urgent need to rapidly

adapt to changing customer

behaviour and demands. One

in four foodservice operations

and food retailers now view their

companies as tech-forward early

adopters — up from one in eight

prior to the pandemic.

“Agility has become essential

to business success and digitaltechnology

adoption the major

enabler. The urgency to advance

health and safety and consumer

convenience is fast-tracking innovation

to organizational business

models in the industry,” says

Lauren Sallata, Chief Marketing

Officer, Panasonic Corporation of

North America.

As time goes on, there is also

a growing roster of tools to help

restaurants more easily facilitate

and streamline contactless delivery.

For example, Lightspeed launched

Order Ahead in September, an

online-ordering management

system that allows for seamless

integration of ordering platforms

with Lightspeed POS and

the ability to provide real-time

status updates to customers. In

December, DoorDash also introduced

DoorDash Self-Delivery,

which allows operators to handle

delivery in-house while appearing

on the DoorDash marketplace.

And, as Jasra points out, the

future of foodservice will likely

focus on providing “a variety of

different types of experiences,”

rather than relying so heavily on

on-premise visits. FH



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EQUIPMENT

SAFETY

FIRST

- AND THEN SOME

Safety planning has taken on a

whole new dimension in a

COVID-19 world

BY DENISE J. DEVEAU

ISTOCK.COM/VICHIE81

Safety first has always been a

mantra for responsible foodservice

operations from sanitation

and cleaning practices to

work wear and food prep. With

COVID-19, safety planning has

expanded exponentially as customers

demand re-assurances that protocols are

being met in all facets of operations.

Then there are the safety features being

introduced behind the scenes, such as antimicrobial

materials for appliances and clothing,

enhanced ventilation and air-purification

systems and UV sanitation.

Anyone in the planning stages of opening

new locations or expanding have had to

re-think their entire approach to safety. After

Fresh began its chain-wide renovation and

expansion project, planning took a significant

turn, says Randall Papineau, vice-president,

Growth and Operations for the Toronto-based

chain of plant-based restaurants. “We started

planning to be successful in a pre-COVID

world. Then we had to re-design all our projects

to be successful in a COVID world.”

A core part of that planning was upping

the safety protocols to match the new normal,

from HVAC equipment and filtration, to signage

and barriers, to protective equipment for

employees. “Now we’re exploring questions

like where signage needs to be placed, how

much fresh intake we need and how we can

serve the greatest number of guests safely,”

Papineau says.

Another part of the equation is delivering

that message to customers. “The challenge was

how to prove safety and transparency without

the place feeling like a hospital,” Papineau says.

To that end, one change in the revisions



GRATE

MACHINE

FOR YOUR

OPERATION

With safety on high alert, it’s also important to keep pace with protocols. “A hand

sink is a hand sink, but how do you operate it to make sure the process is properly

sanitized? That’s where an audit comes in,” says Patrick Watt, principal with A

Day in Life Foodservice Development in Saint John, N.B. “We look at everything

related to the preparation and serving of food, from processes and cleaning to

food handling and temperature control. In total we look at about 160 criteria,”

says Ed Moran, principal, Kaizen Foodservice and Design in Oakville, Ont.

Here’s a sampling of what an audit can cover:

SCREENING AND SOCIAL-

DISTANCING PRACTICES

MAINTENANCE AND

CLEANING SCHEDULES

PPE AND

THERMOMETER SUPPLY

COMMONLY TOUCHED SURFACES

(INCLUDING SWAB TESTS)

SOCIAL-DISTANCING

SIGNAGE/MARKERS

FOOD LOGS

PARTITIONING AND HAND-

SANITIZING-STATION

PLACEMENT

WASTE MANAGEMENT

EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS

TAMPER-PROOF PACKAGING

FOR TAKEOUT

POUNDS

OF CHEESE

IN THREE

MINUTES

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SLICE, DICE & JULIENNE

Robot Coupe USA, Inc.

264 South Perkins

Ridgeland, MS 39157

1-800-824-1646

www.robot-coupe.com

New technology, such

as UV disinfection

robots, are helping

operators up their

cleaning games

includes switching to open kitchens

behind clear barriers so guests can see

the safety-and-sanitation protocols in

place. “Before guests expected it to be

done. Now they want to see everything

from the ingredients down to the cleanliness

of the uniforms and the use of PPE.”

The importance of having the right

safety equipment and protocols in place

should never be underestimated, says

Patrick Watt, principal with A Day in

Life Foodservice Development in Saint

John, N.B.

One of the “non-sexy safety [features],”

he says, is built-in fire suppression systems

for ventless combi, self-venting

hoods and rapid cook ovens. “Safety First

(Aurora, Ont.) and Ansul (Marinette,

Wis.) have units that can be installed

under cabinets with pull stations that

can be connected to appliances. Halton

and Equipex (Providence, R.I.) also have

hoods that with fire suppression built in.

Ventilation is another key area of focus

as the market sees a growing demand

for various air purifiers and cleansers.

Some can be added to existing duct systems,

Watt says. “If that’s not feasible you

can use self-contained units that can be

mounted on ceilings. Generally, they cover

about 700 sq. ft. per unit.”

Demand for anti-microbial surfaces

and clothing is also growing. These

can be found in everything from metal

casings and appliances to the fabrics

used for uniforms and aprons. “UV

will also find new homes in HVAC and

even for sterilizing utensils and other

re-usable wares,” Watt says. “We see it

being used by manufacturers like Edlund

(Burlington, Vt.) for its UV knife-sterilization

cabinets.”

UV emitters and sunlight spectrum

light bulbs are among of the biggest

requests from operations, says Andrew

Rodricks, vice-president, Sales &

Marketing for R.E.D. in Newmarket, Ont.

“They tend to kill the Coronavirus in air-


ISTOCK.COM/RAZOOMGAMES

borne particles. Garland Canada is doing

really well in integrating those features in

appliances it already has.”

Jeffrey McMullen, VP Sales for

Canada at Welbilt Canada in Toronto,

notes other appliance features gaining

traction include self-contained cleaning

systems, anti-microbial housings and “a

lot of foot-pedal and knee-activated type

options. In other words, anything that

minimizes the number of touches on

equipment required to operate it.”

Another must-have item that was

barely a blip on a radar screen until 2020

is Plexiglas barriers, says Kristy Barber,

owner/operator Avondale Restaurant

Equipment Ltd, in Hamilton, Ont. “Now

we get requests for everything from rolling

and stationary, to standard and custom

designs.”

The other demand that comes as no

surprise is sanitizing stations, she adds.

“We always sold soap and dispensers.

Now table-mount or standalone sanitizing

stations are a hot [product]. Along

with barriers, sanitizing stations for customers

are the most-asked-for items

right now.”

Foggers are moving up

the ranks, for both front-

and back-of-house cleaning.

“They’re very effective and fast

without getting surfaces wet, so

operators can re-seat people more

quickly without having to literally

wipe everything down,” Barber

says. Systems can run anywhere

from $300 to $3,000 depending on

the space and need.

As more restaurants

transition to

groceries and takehome

meal kits,

some are

swapping out

conventional hot

and cold units for

open merchandisers.

“Doors used to be more

popular for efficiency

to prevent cold air

going into the atmosphere,”

Barber says.

“COVID-19 changed the game completely.

One customer that always had

a salad bar knew it wouldn’t be the service

model for them in the future, so

took them out and put in hot and cold

open merchandisers.”

For those not willing to give up their

current refrigeration system, there’s

always the option to install non-contact

door openers for refrigerators, as well as

entry and exit doors.

Social-distancing guidelines are also

increasing demand for all-in-one appliances

such as combi and rapid-cook ovens,

Rodricks notes. “Some operators are

reducing kitchen size with technology

with less touchpoints so workers don’t

have to stand together. Combi ovens are

one of the biggest ones and any other

pieces that have combined abilities like

steamers that also do pressure steam and

pressure fryers.”

As for personal protective equipment,

restaurants need to up their game, Watt

says. “The big mistake I see is that many

are focusing on protecting customers, but

not as much on staff. If anything

happens to them, you won’t

have staff and you could end

up being a super spreader.”

Useful items include wallmounted,

hands-free temperature

sensors that allow people

to stand in front of it for an

instant reading; antimicrobial

aprons, chef coats and pants; a

bountiful supply of masks, hats

and gloves; and portable hand

sinks that can be

operated by a foot

pedal or touchless

faucets.

Whatever

the choices,

Papineau at

Fresh says

many are

here to stay.

“Those pieces we

are putting in now will

remain for a while for

a lot of the customer

base we serve.” FH



SLUG HERE

POURING FOR PROFITS

Collective Power

“What no one’s talking about right now that I

think is going to impact the [beer] industry is a

massive amount of consolidation,” notes Garett

Senez, VP Marketing, PACRIM Distributors. “As

smaller breweries start to have issues, they’re

going to start looking to sell.”He explains that

macro-beer companies such as Budweiser and

Molson already have divisions dedicated to

acquiring craft-beer brands. “There’s going to be

some major acquisitions coming up in the next

six to 12 months for sure,” he says, adding that

some of this consolidation had already began

pre-pandemic.Similarly, Senez expects smaller/craft

brands will band together to form coalitions,

alliances and buying groups in order to weather

the storm and better compete

with ‘big beer.’

The pandemic has caused significant shifts in beer trends

BY DANIELLE SCHALK

iSTOCK.COM/LILECHKA75 [COCKTAIL WITH MINT AND CUCUMBER]; SSTAJIC [ROSES]; CONTRAIL1 [ [Y [YUZU]

When was

the last

time you

went

out for

a beer? Odds are, it’s been

a while.

“Beer occasions in

general are impacted by

COVID-19,” says Garett

Senez, VP Marketing at

Vancouver-based craftbeer

distributor PACRIM

Distributors. “The idea

of going out to a bar or

socializing with people

is gone — and it will be

gone for the next few

months — which means

drinking at home is

now [key].”

“You rewind back

to March of 2020 and,

essentially overnight,

bars and restaurants were

shut down,” says Luke

Chapman, interim president,

Beer Canada. “In a

typical year, those channels

account for between 25

and 30 per cent of total

beer sales in Canada [and

they] were eliminated,”

Chapman explains, noting

these channels are yet to

fully recover. “There was

a pretty strong uptick in

off-trade beer sales (retail

sales for home consumption)

somewhere in the

range of 11 or 12 per cent.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t

enough to offset the elimination

of on-trade sales

in 2020.”

“It’s going to be a

tough road for the [beer]

industry in general, particularly

for the next two

to three years,” Senez adds.

And, the beer industry was

already facing challenges

before the pandemic

struck last year.

“There were some

changing consumer-consumption

patterns prior

to COVID-19 — consumers

seem to be looking

more towards wine and

hard salters are becoming

very popular,” Chapman

explains. “In some ways,

COVID-19 has accelerated

some of the changes

in consumer demand and

I anticipate that will continue

into 2021.”

Senez notes that, while

beer sales have been

down, unit prices have

been up. “That means

premiumization is happening,”

he explains,

which lends itself well

to the craft-beer movement.

And, he points

out, heightened interest

in supporting local businesses

has also benefitted

craft beer.

However, the premiumization

trend limits

volume consumption

because, as consumers

trade up, they tend to

consume less.

This also ties into consumers’

heightened focus

on health and wellness.

Senez highlights demand

for “better-for-you” offerings

as another key trend

LOOSENING

RESTRICTIONS

Over the past year,

many provinces adjusted

regulations to support

businesses by allowing new

channels for alcohol sales,

such as allowing alcohol

as part of takeout/delivery

orders and producers to

deliver their product directly

to customers.

“There’s a great opportunity

in that space and, from

an industry-association

perspective, we’re pleased

to see many provincial governments

have taken the

steps to make those once

temporary changes

permanent,” says Luke

Chapman, interim president,

Beer Canada.

According to Restaurants

Canada’s Foodservice

Facts 2020, 54 per cent of

licensed restaurateurs felt

the ability to offer alcohol

with takeout meals had a

positive impact on

their sales.

that has been influencing

beer. As he explains, this

has led to greater interest

in low-calorie beverages,

as well as a growing appetite

for non-alcoholic beer.

As Chapman points

out, low- and no-alcohol

offerings have been a

bright spot for the beer

segment. “It’s still a relatively

small segment of the

Canadian beer market,

but COVID-19 definitely

has accelerated growth in

that area.”

Not all Canadians have

taken to the less-is-more

mentality. At-home beer

consumption still leans

heavily to large-format

packs, which means many

are turning to domestic

economy lagers from

big breweries.

“In tough times people

always buy beer and lipstick,”

says Senez. “They’re

small luxuries that people

actually have a very high

esteem value for.” FH

68 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

MARCH/APRIL 2021 MARCH/ARPIL 2021 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

68

TECHNOLOGY

BY ANDREA VICTORY

FILLING THE

Tech companies are stepping up to help

restaurants run more efficiently

ISTOCK.COM/FRANCESCOCH

In the new normal, government restrictions

and labour shortages have had extensive

impacts on restaurant operations of all sizes.

Over the past year, technology has stepped

in to fill the gap, ensuring kitchens run more

efficiently without breaking the bank.

ACCELERATING WITH ONLINE ORDERING

Previously, where restaurants could rely on consistent walk-in business,

delivery was supplementary. But 2020 saw most foodservice businesses

pivot to a takeout/delivery model. “Online ordering is not going to go

away — the shift from offline to online has happened,” says Zhong Xu,

co-founder & CEO of New York-based Deliverect. “Restaurants are

looking at how to increase online sales and a logical step is to increase

online channels for more sales.”

Launched in 2018, Deliverect offers seamless integration with more

than 50 of the biggest POS vendors to streamline delivery apps. Xu

says that, over the last year, the company experienced massive demand

for its software. In 2019, the company processed 2.3-million delivery

orders and in 2020, that number jumped to more than 16 million.

Adoniram Sides, senior director of Product Global Hospitality for

Montreal-based Upserve by Lightspeed agrees. “We’ve seen the labour

picture change dramatically in the past year and seen a significant change

in what restaurateurs are using our products to do. For example, they’re

using online ordering in a very heavy way. Restaurants that have never

used online ordering now rely on it as a major part of their business.”

Forced to reach customers online, many restaurateurs found managing

a host of delivery options to be labour-intensive, as well as rife with a

high margin of error. Sides makes it clear, “The POS and technology

platforms you choose really determine whether you need a lot of

human labour to cover the gaps or not.”

THE INTEGRATION ECOSYSTEM

Outside of delivery, smart appliances are available to take care of headache-inducing

tasks such as temperature monitoring. Texas-based Swift

Sensors monitors and records food temperatures for compliance and


safety using sensors in refrigeration units that send real-time temperatures

to any device and store the information for compliance reporting.

Being able to roll with the daily challenges means owners and operators

can add new technology as needed. Chris Adams, vice-president of

Strategy at Oracle Food and Beverage notes, “Our partner ecosystem

and open API architecture gives customers the ability to spin up new

channels with modern technology that’s fast and easy to roll out, so

they can test, learn and pivot as needed.”

INSIGHTS ADD VALUE

The responsiveness and agility of today’s restaurateur is made possible

by the unprecedented amount of information that even the smallest

operation has within its POS and integrated platforms.

“Understanding business performance, from sales channel to kitchen

productivity, is essential to ensuring restaurants can re-bound and rebuild

their business, even in the face of reduced foot traffic,” says Adams.

Sides says ensuring guests’ return and understanding menu performance,

online and off, is crucial. “Restaurateurs think about cost of

acquisition for a diner. We know it costs you less when a diner comes

back because they enjoyed your meal.”

In addition, modern tech-based POS systems can pull summaries and

predictions based on historical and real-time data at the click of a button

from anywhere be it the restaurant office, on the floor or on the go.

TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

“We’re all in this together” can feel like overused rhetoric, but tech

companies are taking it seriously. With dizzyingly robust options for

every aspect of running a restaurant, customer-service teams are at the

ready to ensure their tools are understood and optomized by customers.

At Oracle Food and Beverage, Adams notes, “We developed a program

to help reduce the upfront capital expense for customers looking to

upgrade their legacy technology and move to the cloud. Our One-for-

One program gives restaurateurs the opportunity to replace their existing

workstation or tablet with an Oracle MICROS device for one dollar

with every Oracle MICROS Simphony license.”

At Deliverect, customer support provides advice on how to optimize

menus, suggesting caption sizes and keywords. “We see [the relationship]

as a partnership with our customers,” says Xu. FH


CHEF’S CORNER

ROLLING WITH

THE PUNCHES

Chef Brandon Clemens on leading through COVID-19

After a period of time cooking

in Europe and England, chef

Brandon Clemens returned to

southwestern Ontario last year.

But, ironically, the day he stepped

into the kitchen as The Bruce Hotel’s new

executive chef in March 2020, he found his

staff busy packing up food and supplies.

“I walked into the kitchen and it’s literally

the first day of lockdown. Chefs are cleaning

out fridges and shutting it down. Being there

while it was happening was a strange experience,”

Clemens recalls.

Fast forward to today and both The Bruce, a

boutique hotel with 25 guestrooms and suites

in Stratford, Ont., and Clemens reflect on what

the pandemic has meant. “How we operate

changed,” he says of a condition that’s industrywide.

“But it was an opportunity to learn new

styles of cuisine — food that we could package

and travels well. It was a dynamic shift and a

whole new market, essentially.”

Cambridge, Ont.-born Clemens, 29, started

BY ANDREW COPPOLINO

his hospitality journey at the nearby Elm

Hurst Inn. “I knew some cooks there and

started as a dishwasher when I was 15 years

old.” It was a time-honoured progression:

having paid his dues in the dish pit, Clemens

was eventually able “to crack some eggs,” he

says, and do some cooking. A high-school

apprenticeship came next and, though he had

an interest in graphic design, he enrolled at

Fanshawe College for formal culinary training.

“It wasn’t until my last high-school year that

I realized cooking was something I was really

interested in. I discovered I liked the push of

the kitchen. Every five minutes there’s a new

adventure, a new problem to solve.”

After achieving his Red Seal, he left for

Alberta’s Fairmont Château Lake Louise to

apply those problem-solving skills as chef de

partie — a position that, in 2015, led him to

another Fairmont icon: The Savoy Hotel in

London, U.K., where he ran Kaspar’s seafood

program and oversaw menu development for

then executive chef Holger Jackisch.

His varied experiences have

helped prepare him for the current

reality. Noting the contrasts and

the varied systems from kitchen

to kitchen and country to

country — how chefs organize

and approach their tasks — is

something he says he’s brought

to his role at The Bruce Hotel.

The times are challenging: the

kitchen — and the tasting menu

— are circumscribed by the

pandemic; it means a crew of

eight cooks, many of whom

attended the Stratford Chefs

School a few blocks away. “We’d love to have

some more,” Clemens says, acknowledging

that COVID-19 has likely changed dining for

a long time. He cites a San Pellegrino forum

he’s joined with chefs around the world discussing

the post-pandemic world and how

food at restaurants is going to be received.

“I think people are going to be so thankful

when they are able to sit together at a table

again and share food with friends. Before the

pandemic, diners were very focused on their

needs and less on the restaurant experience.”

Post-pandemic will be different, he says,

despite the joy we will feel given our new freedom.

A tasting menu offers an experience that

includes engaged conversation about food,

according to Clemens. “It’s the evolution of an

evening that is about more than the food.” But

there will be obstacles too, he notes, including

dealing with a new way of looking at food

and serving across the industry — and not

just at higher-end venues with tasting menus.

“It’s part of a bigger question for after the

pandemic. Food will cost more and it might

be difficult for businesses to prosper in this

market,” Clemens says, predicting small plates

and sharing will be popular.

“When everything re-opens, there will be

a big surge in the sharing scene. That will be

because of cost, but it’s also something that

people will want — that sharing and breakingbread

moment.” FH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERRY MANZO PHOTOGRAPHY


E27. THE EDUCATORS

featuring five leading educators

E28. FOOD FOR THOUGHT

featuring Christine Couvelier,

President of Culinary Concierge

E29. SAVING HOSPITALITY

featuring John Sinopoli, President

of the Ascari Hospitality Group

E30. SURVIVAL MODE

featuring Tony Elenis, President & CEO

of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, Motel

Association and Ian Tostenson, President

& CEO of the B.C. Restaurant Association

E31. HOSPITALITY HEROES

featuring 2020’s Hospitality Heroes

E32. LENDING A HAND

featuring Todd Barclay, President

and CEO of Restaurants Canada

E33. RESPONDING TO CHANGE

featuring Susan Senecal,

President and CEO of A&W Restaurants

E34. ERADICATING RACISM – PART 2

featuring a group of industry leaders

E35. THE EMPATHETIC ENTREPRENEUR

featuring Mohamad Fakih, Founder

and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods

E36. IN SEARCH OF HOSPITALITY

featuring Andy Hickl-Szabo,

professor at George Brown

College in Toronto

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW!

EPISODES AVAILABLE ON APPLE PODCASTS AND SPOTIFY

March/April (Revised)

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