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THE CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES ISSUE 

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MARCH/APRIL 2021

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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 

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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 


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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 

18 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH/APRIL 2021 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM 

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, 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 

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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 


- 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+ 


- initial franchise fee $55,000 

(20-year term) 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


- established in 2001 in Montreal 



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



Services 

- architecture/design 

- construction and equipment 


- purchasing 

- research and development 


- supplies 

- training/support 

APPLEBEE’S * 

DINE BRANDS GLOBAL 

450 North Brand Blvd. 

Glendale, CA 91203 

647-533-3333 

President: John Cywinski 


- established in 1983 in Decatur, Ga. 

- 16 units in Canada; 2,200 outside 

of Canada 


- initial franchise fee US$40,000 

- estimated build costs US$556,000 to 

US$2,600,000 

- national advertising fee 3.5% 


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 


- founded in 2007 in Toronto 

- 45+ units in Canada (nearly all 

franchised); 150+ outside of Canada 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 



- nine units in Canada 

- new opportunities available across 

Canada 



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



- local advertising fee 3% 

Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

BACARO 

FOODTASTIC 

9245, rue Thimens 


514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 


Directors, Franchising & Development: 






Canada 






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



THE 2021 FRANCHISE REPORT 

Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

BASKIN-ROBBINS 

INSPIRE BRANDS 

130 Royall St. 

Canton, MA 02021 

800-859-5339 

CEO: Paul Brown 


- 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) 



(20-year term) 

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


- established in 1992 in Laval, Que. 

- 29 units in Canada (26 franchised) 

- plans to expand in Ontario and Quebec 

in 2021 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



BEAVERTAILS CANADA INC. 

3700 St. Patrick St., Ste. 106 

Montreal, QC H4E 1A2 

514-392-2222 

Development Director: Kristina 

Zappavigna 


- established in 1978 in Ottawa 

- 160+ units worldwide 

- currently focusing on U.S. expansion and 

full shops 



- shops start at US$200,000 

- mobiles start at US$75,000 

Services 


- business development coaching 


BEN & FLORENTINE 

RESTAURANTS INC. 

MTY GROUP 



514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 


- founded in 2008 in Montreal 


- plans to expand into Ontario and 

Maritimes, as well as continued growth 

in Quebec 



- equipment/site cost $562,000 to 

$767,000 



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

BENNY ROTISSERIE 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 






- seven units in Canada 

- new opportunities across Canada 



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




Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

BIG RIG 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 






- four units in Canada 


Canada 



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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

BIG SMOKE BURGER 




514-336-8885 



- established in 2011 

- nine units in Canada; nine outside of 

Canada (two corporate) 



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

- marketing/advertising 3% 


Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

BLENZ COFFEE * 

2285 Clark Dr., Ste. 250 

Vancouver, BC V5N 3G9 

604-682-2995 

President: Marc West 


- established in 1992 in Vancouver 




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



Services 


- operational support 

- training 

BOOSTER JUICE 

8915-51st Ave., Ste. 205 

Edmonton, AB T6E 5J3 

780-440-6770 

President & CEO: Dale S. Wishewan 


- established in 1999 in Sherwood 

Park, Alta. 




- equipment/site development cost 

$280,000 to $320,000 

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

key investment) 

- advertising fee 3.5% 


Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 




BOSTON PIZZA* 

BOSTON PIZZA INTERNATIONAL INC. 

1 City Centre Dr., Ste. 708 

Mississauga, ON L5B 1M2 

905-848-2700 


- established in 1964 in Edmonton 




- 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 


- four units in Canada (one franchised) 

- two additional locations (one 

franchised) set to open in 2021 



- 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 


- 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 



- 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 








Services 






- purchasing 


- supplies 

CAFE DEPOT 




514-336-8885 






- start-up capital required $125,000 


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


- marketing/advertising 2% 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

CAPT. SUB. 

GRINNERS FOOD SYSTEMS LTD. 

105 Walker St. 

Truro, NS B2N 5G9 

902-893-4141 


- established in 1972 in Charlottetown 




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



Services 


- design/construction 



- purchasing 


- supplies 

CARLOS & PEPES 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 








Canada 






Services 

-advertising/marketing 

- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

CASA GRECQUE 

MTY GROUP 



514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 





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



Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- 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 


- established in 1978 in Carmen, Man. 

- 39 units in Canada (all franchised) 



(Canada only) 

- equipment/site costs $180,000 

- royalty fee 3% (Canada only) 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

CHICKEN DELIGHT* 

CHICKEN DELIGHT OF CANADA LTD. 

395 Berry St. 

Winnipeg, MB R3J 1N6 

204-885-7570 

President: Jim Cartman 


- established 1958 in Portage la Prairie, 

Man. 




- equipment/site costs $245,000 to 

$270,000 

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 





CHOCOLATO 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 





- established in 2015 in Quebec 



Canada and the U.S. 






Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


- 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. 



- equipment/site cost $420,000 

- unincumbered cash $150,000 

- total costs $450,000 



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



CHUCK’S ROADHOUSE 

BAR AND GRILL 

OBSIDIAN GROUP INC. 

1770 Argentia Rd. 

Mississauga, ON L5N 3S7 

905-814-8030 

Franchise Development Manager: 

Elaine Macheras 


- established in 2015 in Ontario 




- 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 



- management 

- supplies & purchasing 



COFFEE CULTURE CAFE 

& EATERY 




905-814-8030 








- estimated development cost $300,000 

to $400,000 




Services 





- management 




COFFEE TIME 


Toronto, ON M1p 2Y7 

416-288-8515 





- 71 locations worldwide 



- training fee $5,000 

- equipment/leasehold improvements 

$210,000 to $395,000 



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



CORA BREAKFAST 

AND LUNCH* 

CORA FRANCHISE GROUP INC. 

2798 Thamesgate Dr. 

Mississauga, ON L4T 4E8 

905-673-2672 

Manager, Operation Standards: 

Danica Varjacic 


- established in 1987 in St-Laurent, Que. 

- 130+ units in Canada 




$900,000+ 



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

COUNTRY STYLE 




514-336-8885 

COO of QSR: Jason Brading 



- 350+ units in Canada; one outside of 

Canada (358 franchised) 



- royalty fee 4.5% 


- total investment up to $517,000 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

CRABBY JOE’S TAP & GRILL 




905-814-8030 







- estimated development costs $700,000 

to $850,000 




Services 





- management 






CULTURES 

MTY FRANCHISING INC 



514-336-8885 



- founded in 1979 

- 50+ units in Canada (47 franchised) 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

DAGWOODS 




514-336-8885 








Services 


- design 

- franchisee training 


- purchasing 


DAIRY QUEEN CANADA INC. 

1111 International Blvd., Ste. 601 

Burlington, ON L7L 6W1 

905-636-4741 

Director, Franchising: Tony Watters 


- established in 1940 in Illinois 


of Canada (all franchised) 



- investment range $1,083,525 to 

$1,850,425 

- advertising fee 5% to 6% 


Services 


- design 





- supplies 

DENNY’S* 

DENNY’S, INC. 

203 E. Main St. 

Spartanburg, SC 29319 

864-597-8705 

Senior Director of Global Franchise 

Development: Doug Wong 


- established in 1953 in Lakewood, Calif. 

- 75 units in Canada; 1,628 outside of 

Canada (1,633 franchised) 




$2,050,000 

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

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

(exclusive of land) 



Services 


- design 

- lease negotiations 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

DIXIE LEE FRIED CHICKEN 

DIXIE LEE CAPITAL CORPORATION 

RR 2 

Bruce Mines, ON, P0R 1C0 

info@dixieleefriedchicken.com 


- established in 1964 in Belleville, Ont. 

- 40+ locations in Canada 

- recently launched Roosters Diner brand 





Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 


DRUXY’S 

DRUXY’S INC. 

52 Abbotsford Rd. 

Gormley, ON L4A 2C1 

416-637-5976 

VP, Marketing: Peter Druxerman 






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

(full- size café) 



Services 


- design 

- franchisee/staff training 

- intranet and regional director support 


- purchasing 


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 






- average investment $1,300,000 to 

$1,600,000 

- advertising fee 3% national, 1% local 


Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

EDO JAPAN 

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

Calgary, AB T2H 2V6 

403-215-8822 

VP, Operations, Franchising: Terry Foster 


- established in 1979 in Calgary 

- approximately 148 units in Canada (139 

franchised) 






Services 


EGGSMART FOOD CORP. 


Toronto, On M1P 2Y7 

416-288-8515 




- established In 2008 in Toronto 


- five units under development 




- architectural drawings $15,000 to 

$25,000 


$265,000 to $415,000 

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



Services 





- purchasing 



EGGSPECTATION 

RESTAURANTS* 

EGGSPECTATION CANADA 

7960 St. Denis St., 2nd Fl. 

Montreal, QC H2R 2G1 

514-282-0677 

President & COO: Jon Hinkle 



- 15 locations in Canada 



- total cost varies 



- local marketing 1% 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 





ELEPHANT & CASTLE 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 





- two units in Canada, six outside Canada 

(none franchised) 



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

- advertising 2% 


Services 

-advertising/marketing 

- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

EXTREME PITA 




514-336-8885 



- established in 1997 in Waterloo, Ont. 


11 outside of Canada 






Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

FAMOSO ITALIAN 

PIZZERIA + BAR 

FDF BRANDZ 

1901 Rosser Ave., Ste. 401 

Burnaby, BC V5C 6S3 

888-597-7272 (West) 

647-234-2363 (East) 


- founded in 2007 in Edmonton 

- 29 units in Canada (one franchised) 

- plans to expand in Western and Eastern 

Canada and internationally 



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

- marketing fee 2% 

- local store marketing 1% 


Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

FATBURGER 

FATBURGER - CANADA 

401-1901 Rosser Ave. 


888-597-7272 


- founded in 1952 in Los Angeles, Calif.; 

first Canadian location opened in 

Vancouver in 2005 

- 63 units in Canada (three franchised) 



- total required investment $425,000 to 

$525,000 



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

FAT FRANKS* 

10560-114 St. 

Edmonton, AB T5H 3J7 

780-413-0278 






- minimum cash required $150,000, plus 

working capital and net worth >$300,000 

- total average investment $300,000, plus 

lease deposit 



Services 

- central purchasing 

- complete turnkey package 

- development and design 

- field support 

- inspection system 


- management training 

- quality assurance 

- quality control 


- technical services 

FETA & OLIVES* 

FETA & OLIVES MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 

1 Palace Pier Ct., Ste. 809 

Toronto, ON M8V 3W9 

416-251-3353 

President: Vicki Vasiliou 


- established in 2006 in Barrie, Ont. 


- opportunities available in Ontario, 

Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia 

and Alberta 



Services 


FIONN MACCOOL’S 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 








- average investment $1,300,000 to 

$1,600,000 

- advertising fee 1% national; 3% local 


Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

FIREHOUSE SUBS 

FIREHOUSE SUBS OF CANADA 

12735 Gran Bay Pkwy., Ste. 150 

Jacksonville, FL 32257 

800-388-3473 

VP, Franchise Development: Greg Delks 


- established in 1994 in Jacksonville, Fla. 

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

company-owned) 

- expanding throughout Ontario 





- system marketing fund 1% 

Services 


- purchasing 



- 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 



- 27 units in Canada (18 franchised); one 

in U.S. 





- total cost $830,000 



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

(THE) FORTUNATE FOX 

THE PEGASUS GROUP 

44 Upjohn Rd. 

Toronto, ON M3B 2W1 

terry@pegasusgroup.ca 


- established 2018 in Toronto 

- one unit in Canada 

- seeking franchise partners across 









- estimated total costs $520,000 to 

$1,700,00 

Services 

- accounting services (by request, billable 

service, not included in fees) 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



FOX & FIDDLE 

THE PEGASUS GROUP 

44 Upjohn Rd. 










- 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 


- management 

- purchasing 



FRESHII* 

2 Toronto St., Ste. 235 

Toronto, ON M5C 2B5 

Founder & CEO: Matthew Corrin 






- advertising fee 1.5% corporate; 1.5% 

local 


Services 


FROZU! 




1-800-565-4389 


- founded in 2013 in Truro, N.S. 


- plans to expand in Atlantic Canada, 

Ontario and Western Canada; clip-on 

concept also available 




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



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 



- 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 








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 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


- established 1991 in Calgary 


- plans to expand in Greater Victoria, 

Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Edmonton in 

2021 



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



Services 

- commissioning support 


- field support 


- marketing 

- product development 



- supply chain management 

(THE) GREAT CANADIAN BAGEL 

3300 Hwy. 7, Ste. 101 

Vaughan, ON L4K 4M3 

905-566-1903 

President: Ed Kwiatkowski 





- 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 



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 

GRECO PIZZA 




902-893-4141 


- established in 1977 in Moncton, N.B. 


- plans to expand in Nova Scotia, New 

Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland 




$105,000 

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

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



Services 


- design 

- lease negotiation advice 


- purchasing 

- site location training and support 

HARVEY’S 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 




- established 1959 in Ontario 




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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



HERO CERTIFIED BURGERS 

ANGUS INC. 

78 Signet Dr., Ste. 201 

Toronto, ON M9L 1T2 

416-740-2304 

President: John Lettieri 



- 50 units in Canada; one outside Canada 

- actively expanding HERO VK concept 




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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

HOUSTON AVENUE BAR & GRILL 

MTY GROUP INC. 

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

450-688-3793 

CEO: Eric Lefebvre 


- established in 1998 in Rosemère, Que. 

- 12 units in Canada (three franchised) 

- seeking expansion opportunities in 

Quebec 



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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 






- equipment package $130,000 





Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

IL FORNELLO 

IL FORNELLO RESTAURANTS 

576 Danforth Ave., 

Toronto, ON M4K 1R1 

416-920-9410, ext. 113 

President: Ian Sorbie 



- six units in Ontario (four franchised) 

- plans to open one corporate and two 

franchised locations in 2021; three 

franchised locations planned for 2022 



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

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



Services 


- design 


- management 


- purchasing 


- social media 


- supplies 

FORNELLO PRESTO 

IL FORNELLO CORPORATION 

576 Danforth Ave., 

Toronto, ON M4K 1R1 

416-920-9410, ext. 113 

President: Ian Sorbie 


- 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 fee $25,000 to $35,000 

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




Services 


- design 


- management 


- purchasing 




- supplies 

INDUSTRIA 




514-336-8885 






- initial investment $1,066,000 to 

$3,705,000 



Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- 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 




- continued expansion planned for Ontario 



- equipment/site cost available upon 

request 



Services 


- design 




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 







$285,000 


- royalty fee 5%of net sales 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 

JUGO JUICE 


A4, 416 Meridian Rd. S.E. 

Calgary, AB T2A 1X2 

877-377-5846 



- founded in 1998 in Calgary 

- 133 units in Canada; two outside of 








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 


- purchasing 



- 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 


- founded in 1991 in St. John’s 




$750,000 



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



KARMA 




514-336-8885 








Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

(THE) KEG STEAKHOUSE & BAR 

KEG RESTAURANTS LTD. 

10100 Shellbridge Way 

Richmond, BC V6X 2W7 

604-276-0242 

EVP, Business Development: 

James Henderson 


- established 1971 in North Vancouver, B.C. 

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




$5,500,000 



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



KELSEYS 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 




- established 1978 in Ontario 




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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

KFC* 

KFC CANADA COMPANY 

191 Creditview Rd., Ste. 100 

Vaughan, ON L4L 9T1 

416-664-5200 

Sr. Development Manager: 

Jeremy Alexander 


- established 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah 


Canada 

- expects to increase Canadian store 

count to 800 in the medium term 



- equipment/site cost available upon 

request 



Services 


- design 

- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

KIM CHI 



St-laurent, QC H4S 1M5 

514-336-8885 




Franchise costs 


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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

KORYO KOREAN BBQ 




514-336-8885 










Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

KOYA JAPAN 




514-336-8885 









- royalty fee 6% to 7% 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- 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 



- 14 units in Canada; one outside Canada 

(seven franchised) 


Canada and the U.S. 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

LA BOITE VERTE 




514-336-8885 








Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 




LA CAGE - BRASSERIE 

SPORTIVE 

SPORTSCENE GROUP INC. 

1180 Place Nobel, Ste. 102 

Boucherville, QC J4B 5L2 

450-641-3011 

President: Jean Bédard 


- established 1984 in Montreal 




- equipment/site cost $2,400,000 



- advertising fee national 3% 


Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



LA CARNITA 

MONARCH & MISFITS INC. 

44 Upjohn Rd. 




- established 2011 in Toronto; franchising 

since 2015 

- six units in Canada (five franchised); two 

units outside of Canada 








$2,000,000 

Services 

- accounting service (by request, billable 

service not included in fees) 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



LA CHAMBRE 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 





- established in Montreal 

- three units in Canada 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

LA CREMIERE 




514-336-8885 






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


Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- 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 






(five-year agreement) 




Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

LA PREP* 

4500 Dixie Rd, 

Mississauga, ON L4W 1V7 

514-510-5001 

CEO: John Essaris 

VP of Franchise Development: 

John Beauparlant 




- expansion planned in Canada and U.S. 



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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

L’GROS LUXE 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 












Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

LIBERTY KITCHEN 


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


778-980-2440 



- first franchise open in B.C. 

- new location set to open in 2021 








Services 






- purchasing 


- 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 


- established 1959 in Garden City, Mich. 

- 200 units worldwide 

- opportunities available across Canada 


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

per unit thereafter 


Services 


- design 


- supplies 

LOADED PIEROGI* 

839 Queen St. W. 

Toronto, ON M6J 1G4 

647-352-5060 

Owners: Adam Dolley; Bryan Bruke 



- opportunities available across Ontario 



- royalty fee 5% turn key locations 

$225,000+ 

- advertising/marketing fee 2% 

Services 

- available upon request 

LOOKOO 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 






- two units in Canada 






Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

MADISONS 

MTY GROUP 



514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 


- established in 2006 in Dollard des 

Ormeaux, Que. 



- initial investment $1,066,000 to 

$3,035,000 



Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

MANCHU WOK 




514-336-8885 




- 75 units in Canada (all franchised); 35 

outside of Canada 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

MANDARIN RESTAURANT 

MANDARIN RESTAURANT FRANCHISE 

CORPORATION 

8 Clipper Ct. 

Brampton, ON L6W 4T9 

647-533-2610 

President: James Chiu 


- established in 1979 in Brampton, Ont. 




- equipment/site cost $1,500,000 

- other costs $1,200,000 


- advertising fee $10,000 

- royalty fee $25,000 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 




MARY BROWNS CHICKEN 

MARY BROWNS INC. 

100 Renfrew Dr., Ste. 130 

Markham, ON L3R 9W7 

905-513-0044 

franchising@marybrowns.com 


- established in 1969 in St. John’s 


- projected to reach 300 units by 2022 


- initial franchisee fee $30,000 


$600,000 

- total cost $650,000 



Services 



- operations/marketing support 


- management/staff training 

- purchasing/supply chain 


McDONALD’S RESTAURANTS 

OF CANADA LIMITED* 

1 McDonald’s Pl. 

Toronto, ON M3C 3L4 

416-443-1000 

Franchising Manager: Tom Marlow 


- established 1967 in Richmond, B.C. 

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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

MENCHIE’S FROZEN YOGURT* 

YOGURTWORLD ENTERPRISES 

259 Yorkland Rd., 3rd Fl. 

Toronto, ON M2J 5B2 

416-645-5110, ext. 401 

President: David Shneer 



- 58 units in Canada; 300+ outside of 

Canada 

- plans to expand throughout Maritime 

provinces 



- equipment cost $140,000 

- site cost/construction $150,000 

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 



- five units in Canada (four franchised) 



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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 


MILESTONES GRILL AND BAR 



Vaughan, ON L4k 0b8 

905-760-2244, ext. 2255 




- established 1989 In B.C. 




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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

MONTANA’S 




905-760-2244 Ext 2255 








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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

MONZA 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 

francise@foodtastic.ca 





- six units in Canada 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

MR. GREEK RESTAURANTS INC. 

44 Upjohn Rd. 


647-993-3266 

franchising@mrgreek.com 




- four new units planned in 2021 in 

Ontario; one unit under development 


- plans to expand in Canada and 

internationally 



- start-up capital required >$150,000 

- total investment $300,000 (retro) to 

$400,000+ (new) 



Services 

- administrative support 


- design 

- construction (turn key) 


- 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 


- established 1960 in Vancouver 


- plans to open 30 units in Canada in the 

next five years 





Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 





MR. SOUVLAKI 




514-336-8885 










Services 


MR. SUB 




514-336-8885 










Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

MUCHO BURRITO 




514-336-8885 



- established 2006 in Mississauga, Ont. 

- 119 units in Canada (all franchised); two 







Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

MUFFIN PLUS 




514-336-8885 








Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

NEW ORLEANS PIZZA 

CHAIRMAN’S BRANDS CORP. 



416-288-8515 




- established 1978 In Waterloo, Ont. 





- architectural drawings $12,500 to 

$20,000 

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


$129,500 to $167,500 

- advertising fee 3 % 


Services 


NEW YORK FRIES 



Vaughan, On L4K 0B8 

905-760-2244, ext. 2255 





- 151 units in Canada; 36 outside of Canada 

(132 franchised) 



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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

NICKELS DELICATESSEN 

FOODTASTIC INC. 

9245 rue Thimens 


514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 












Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 








Services 

- marketing assistance 

- opening assistance 

- procurement 

- research/development 

- site approval 


- 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 


- founded 1998 in Calgary 


- plans to expand within Canada 


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 


- management 

- purchasing 



ORIGINAL JOE’S 

RESTAURANT & BAR 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 








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

- advertising 2% 





Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

PANAGIO’S ALL DAY GRILL* 

PANAGIO’S INC. 

6085 Creditview Rd., Unit 17 

Mississauga, ON L5B 0C5 

800-265-6298 




- seeking franchisees for Ontario-wide 

expansion 




$400,000 



Services 


- business development 


- opening assistance 

- pricing/quality controls 

- procurement 

- research/development 


- training 

PANAGO PIZZA INC. * 

33149 Mill Lake Rd. 

Abbotsford, BC V2S 2A4 

604-859-6621 

Director of Franchising: Nigel Beattie 


- established 1986 in Abbotsford, B.C. 


- capitalizing on new market opportunities 

in Western Canada; building the 

momentum in key Eastern-Canadian 

markets 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 

PANNIZZA RESTAURANTS INC.* 

3230 des Aristocrates 

Laval, QC H7E 5H7 

514-501-7876 

President: Pierre Guertin 

VP Marketing & Strategic Planning: 

Ritou Maloni 


- founded 2013 in Montreal 




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



Services 


- design 


- management 



- supplies 

(THE) PANTRY RESTAURANTS* 

TRIUMPH HOSPITALITY GROUP 

33048 – 1583 Marine Dr. W. 

Vancouver, BC V7V 4W7 

604-281-1380 





Services 


PARAMOUNT FINE FOODS* 

10 Four Seasons Pl., Ste. 601 

Toronto, ON M9B 6H7 

416-695-8900 

Franchise Coordinator: 

Magda Chelminska 


- founded 2006 

- 65 units globally 

- plans to expand across Canada and 




Services 


- lease negotiations 

- regional operations support 


- supplies 

- training 

PARKER’S BBQ & PRIME 

RIB GRILL 

PARKERS BRANDS INC. 



905-814-8030 





- five units in Canada 



- estimated development costs $250,000 

to $400,000 



Services 





- management 




PERKINS RESTAURANT 

& BAKERY* 

6075 Poplar Ave., Ste. 800 

Memphis, TN 38119-4709 

901-766-6400 

VP, Franchising: Dave Blouin 


- 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 




- local advertising commitment 0.5% 


Services 


- design 

- management 

- purchasing 



PINKBERRY 

PINKBERRY CANADA INC. 

210 Shields Ct. 

Markham, ON L3R 8V2 

905-479-8762 

Chairman and CEO: Aaron Serruya 


- established 2005 in Los Angeles 


- plans to expand across Canada and 

internationally via traditional and nontraditional 

units 



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

- advertising fee 3% of gross sales 

- royalty fee 6% of gross sales 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

PITA PIT CANADA 

425 Princess St. 

Kingston, ON K7L 1B9 

855-748-2748 

Franchise Development: Melanie D’Aloisio 


- established in 1995 in Kingston, Ont. 






- 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 


- 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 




514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 


- established 1968 in Shediac, N.B. 

- 71 franchised units in Canada 


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

$15,000 (mall) 

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

- advertising fee 1.5% to 3% 


Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

PIZZA HUT* 

YUM! BRANDS INC. 


Vaughan, ON L4L 9T1 

416-664-5200 

Director of Development: Marco Moretto 


- established 1958 in Wichita, Kan. 




- application fee CAD$12,000 



Services 


- design 



PIZZA NOVA 

2247 Midland Ave. 

Toronto, ON M1P 4R1 

416-439-0051 

President: Domenic Primucci 


Meraj Jamal 




- continued expansion into key markets 

with plans to add up to 10 units 



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

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 

PIZZA PIZZA 

PIZZA PIZZA LIMITED 

500 Kipling Ave. 

Toronto, ON M8Z 5E5 

416-967-1010 

VP of Franchising: Sebastian Fuschini 




- 204 non-traditional locations 

- continued growth planned in B.C., 

Maritimes and Quebec 



- equipment/site cost $350,000 (depends 

on location; turnkey) 



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 





- 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 


- founded 1972 in New Orleans 

- 230 units in Canada; 3,300 worldwide 

- continuing global expansion through 

2021 





Services 


- design 

- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

POULET FUSÉE 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 












Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

PRESSE CAFE* 

LES CAFES V.P. 

1422 Nôtre-Dame W. 

Montreal, QC H3C 1K9 

514-935-5553 



- 62 units in Canada; eight outside of 

Canada 



- 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 


- established 1986 


- plans to expand in the Greater Toronto 

Area and other parts of Canada 





Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

QUESADA BURRITOS - TACOS 

QUESADA FRANCHISING OF 

CANADA CORP. 

1240 Bay St., Ste. 304 

Toronto, ON M5R 2A7 

866-854-2400 

President: Steve Gill 




- 15 locations in development 







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

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



Services 


- design 

- franchisee training 


- purchasing 


QUIZNOS* 

QUIZNOS CANADA RESTAURANT 

CORPORATION 

1267 Cornwall Rd., Ste. 301 

Oakville, ON L6J 7T5 

647-259-0333 

Director, Franchising: Marc Choy 


- established 1981 in Denver, Colo. 

- 750+ locations worldwide 






Services 


RICKY’S GROUP OF FAMILY 

STYLE RESTAURANTS 

401-1901 Rosser Ave. 


888-597-7272 








Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

ROBIN’S DONUTS (2006) LTD. 

CHAIRMAN BRANDS CORP. 



416-288-8515 




- established 1975 in Thunder Bay, Ont. 






$165,000 to $350,000 



Services 





- purchasing 



ROTISSERIE BENNY 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

info@foodtastic.ca 

Director of Franchising: Nikki Arvanitakis 




- franchise opportunities across Canada 



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




Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


- founded 2000 in Vancouver 




Services 


SAN FRANCESCO FOODS* 

28 Industrial St., Unit 203 

Toronto, ON M4G 1Y9 

416-535-7805 


- founded in 1954 in Toronto 


- plans to expand in Southern Ontario 



Services 


- purchasing 


- other 

SAWMILL PRIME RIB & 

STEAK HOUSE* 

4180 Calgary Trail S., 2nd Fl. 

Edmonton, AB T6H 5H5 

780-463-4499 

Director of Operations: Len McCullough 



- nine units in Canada (seven franchised) 

- continued growth in Alberta, B.C., 

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, 

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

Newfoundland 




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

- total costs $1,500,000+ 



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

SCORES 

MTY GROUP 



514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 






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



Services 


- design 


- management 



SECOND CUP COFFEE CO. * 

AEGIS BRANDS 

6303 Airport Rd. 

Mississauga, ON L4V 1R8 

905-362-1818 

VP, Franchise Development: Audra Wosik 



- approx. 300 units in Canada 



- Pinkberry fee $5,000 

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



Services 


- design 


- regional operations support 


- 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 


- 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. 



- development cost $1,000,000 to 

$2,000,000 


- royalty fee 5 to 6% 

Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 





SMITTY’S CANADA INC. 

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

Calgary, AB T2S 0C7 

403-229-3838 

Director, Franchising: Jim Weidinger 







$180,000 

- leasehold improvements $50,000 to 

$700,000 



Services 


- design 




- 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 



- 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 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

- training 

SOUTH STREET BURGER 

MTY FOOD GROUP INC. 

2 Bishop St., Ste. 400 

Toronto, ON M5R 1N2 

416-963-5005 




- 40 units in Canada; one outside of 


- additional units planned in Canada and 





$650,000 



Services 


- design 

- management 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

SOUVLAKI BAR 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 












Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 






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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

- other 

STATE & MAIN KITCHEN & BAR 




905-760-2244, ext 2255 








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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

STEAK FRITES ST. 

MTY GROUP 



514-336-8885 


Beauchamp 








Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

SUBWAY 

DOCTOR’S ASSOCIATES INC. 

325 Sub Way 

Milford, CT 06461-3059 

203-877-4281 

Chief Development Officer: Don Fertman 


- established 1965 in Bridgeport, Conn. 

- 3,000+ locations in Canada 





Services 

- floor plans 

- ongoing training 

- site selection assistance 


SUKIYAKI 

MTY FRANCHISING INC.. 



514-336-8885 




- 10 units in Canada; nine outside of 

Canada (all franchised) 





Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

SUNNYSIDE GRILL 

2 Jane St., Ste. 202 

Toronto, ON M6S 4W3 

416-604-0650 

President: Jeff Parissi 




- plans to grow by one to two units per 

year 



- total turnkey build-out cost $200,000 






Services 


- design 



- management 

- ongoing support 

- purchasing 




- supplies 

SUNSET GRILL 

RESTAURANTS LTD. 

5100 Erin Mills Town Centre 

P.O. Box 53036 

Mississauga, ON L5M 5A7 

905-286-5833 

CEO: Angelo Christou 




- expansion planned across Canada and 

in the U.S. 






Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

SUSHI MAN 




514-336-8885 



- purchased in 2014 





Services 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

SUSHI SHOP 




514-336-8885 





three outside of Canada 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

SWEET JESUS 

HOLY SWEET INC. 



905-479-8762 

CEO: Aaron Serruya 


- established in 2015 in Thornhill, Ont. 

- seven units in Canada; two outside of 

Canada 

- plans to expand across Canada 



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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

SWISS CHALET ROTISSERIE 

AND GRILL 




905-760-2244, ext. 2255 








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



Services 


- design 



- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

SYMPOSIUM CAFE INC. * 

6021 Yonge St., Ste. 475 

Toronto, ON M2M 3W2 

416-449-3611 

Director of Franchising: Ron Ansett 


- established in 1996 in London, Ont.; 

franchising since 2004 




- equipment/other costs $85,000 to 

$130,000 

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



Services 



- management 

- purchasing 



TACO BELL* 

TACO BELL CANADA COMPANY 


Woodbridge, ON L4L 9T1 

416-254-4266 

Development Manager: Alex Grudkin 


- established 1952 in Downey, Calif. 

- 170+ units in Canada (all franchised); 

7,000 outside of Canada 

- plans to expand throughout Canada 




- 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 


Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

TACO TIME 




514-336-8885 










Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

TANDORI 




514-336-8885 




- 12 units in Canada (10 franchised); one 

outside of Canada (franchised) 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

TASTE OF MEDITERRANEAN* 

T.O.M FRANCHISE INC. 

2 Toronto St., Ste. 324 

Toronto, ON M5C 2B5 

416-821-5561 

CEO: Sam Hussein 







- nine units in Canada; one outside of 





- no advertising fee 

- royalty fee $1,000 flat 

Services 

- financing 


- marketing 


- store set up 

- training 

TCBY 




514-336-8885 



- established in 1980 in Little Rock, Ark. 

- established in Canada in 1990 in Montreal 

and Toronto 


- 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 



- purchasing 



- supplies 

TERIYAKI EXPERIENCE 

INNOVATIVE FOOD BRANDS 

531 North Service Rd. E. 

Oakville, ON L6H 1A5 

905-337-7777 

Director of Franchising: Nik Jurkovic 






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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 


- staff training (assist onsite) 

- other 

THAI EXPRESS 




514-336-8885 

Vice President: Dennis Ng 


- founded 2000 in Montreal 

- 288 units in Canada; five international 

(all franchised) 



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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

THAI ZONE 




514-336-8885 




- 39 units in Quebec (all franchised) 



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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

TIKI MING 




514-336-8885 




- 30 units in Canada (28 franchised); 10 

outside of Canada (all franchised) 






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 


- founded 2005 in Arizona 

- six units in Canada; 100 outside of 






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


Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

TIM HORTONS 

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL 

130 King St. W. 

Toronto, ON M5X 2A2 

888-601-1616 

President, Americas: Axel Schwan 


- established 1964 in Hamilton, Ont. 

- 3,981 units in Canada; 953 outside of 

Canada 

- continuing global expansion through 

2021 




- royalty fee 4.5% to 6% 

Services 


- design 

- equipment 

- furniture 

- management 

- purchasing 


TIMOTHY’S WORLD COFFEE 


55 Administration Rd., Unit 37 

Woodbridge, ON L4K 4G9 

877-434-3223, ext. 7314 



- established 1975 in London, Ont. 


two outside of Canada 

- exploring potential sites in various 

markets 



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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 


TOMMY CAFE 

FOODTASTIC 



514-856-5555, ext. 260 

855-771-0177 












Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

TOPPER’S PIZZA 

TOPPER’S FRANCHISING COMPANY INC. 

551 Bryne Dr., Unit N 

Barrie, ON L4N 9Y3 

705-735-2127 


Anik Gaumond 


- established 1982 in Sudbury, Ont. 









Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



TOUJOURS MIKES 




514-336-8885 

COO of Casual Dining: 

Marie-LineBeauchamp 


- established in 1967 in Quebec 





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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



TRIPLE O’S RESTAURANT 

WHITE SPOT LIMITED 

200 - 8223 Sherbrooke St. 

Vancouver, BC V5X 4E6 

604-321-6631 

Business Development Manager: 

Karen Dosen 




- focusing on growth in Western Canada 

and Ontario 



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

(depending on site) 

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

on site) 



- other fees 1.0% 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



TURTLE JACK’S MUSKOKA GRILL 


3370 S. Service Rd., Ste. 300 

Burlington, ON L7L 3M6 

905-332-6833, ext. 234 



- established 1992 in Burlington, Ont. 


- one new unit under construction 



Services 


TUTTI FRUTTI 




514-336-8885 

COO of Casual Dining: 

Marie-Line Beauchamp 








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

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- 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 



- 11 properties in Canada 





Services 


VALENTINE 




514-336-8885 










Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

VAN HOUTTE 




514-336-8885 




- 51 franchised units in Canada 






Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

VERA’S BURGER SHACK * 

42 W. 8th Ave., Ste. 3 

Vancouver, BC V5Y 1M7 

604-683-8372 

President: Gerald Tritt 






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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 



- eight units in Canada 

- plans to expand franchises in British 

Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec 




750,000 




Services 


- design 


- management 


- purchasing 



- staff training (opening) 

- supplies 

VIE & NAM 




514-336-8885 

Vice-President: Dennis Ng 







Service 


- design 



- purchasing 



- supplies 




VILLA MADINA 




514-336-8885 










Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- supplies 

WASABI GRILL & NOODLE 




514-336-8885 









Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



- 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 


- established in 1969 in Columbus, 

Ohio; established in Canada in 1975 in 

Hamilton, Ont. 



- application fee $5,000 (new franchises) 


- total investment $2,000,000 to 

$3,500,000 



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 

- quality assurance 

- site development/location 


- supplies 

WHITE SPOT RESTAURANT 

WHITE SPOT LIMITED 

200 - 8223 Sherbrooke St. 

Vancouver, BC V5X 4E6 

604-321-6631 

Business Development Manager: 

Karen Dosen 




- focusing on growth in Western Canada 



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

(depending on site) 

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

on site) 



- other fees 0.5% 

Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



WILLIAMS FRESH CAFE INC. 

52 Abbotsford Rd. 

Gormley, ON L4A 2C1 

416-637-5976 

VP, Marketing: Peter Druxerman 


- established 1993 in Stratford, Ont. 




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

$650,000 (sit-down café) 



Services 


- design 

- franchisee/staff training 

- intranet 


- purchasing 

- regional director support 



WIMPY’S DINER INC. * 

160 Konrad Crest., Unit 1 

Markham, ON L3R 9T9 

888-594-6797 

GM: Jim Daikos 






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



Services 


WOK BOX FRESH ASIAN 

KITCHEN* 

19074 22nd Ave., Unit 102 

Surrey, BC V3S 3S6 

778-545-0233 

CEO: Lawrence Eade 


- established 2004 in Edmonton 


- expanding in Western Canada during 

the next two years; planned growth in 

Ontario and Eastern Canada 





Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

(THE) WORKS 




514-336-8885 



- established 2001 in Ottawa 




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



Services 


- design 


- purchasing 



YEH! 

YEH! WORLDWIDE INC. 



905-479-8762 

CEO: Aaron Serruya 


- established 2008 in Quebec 


- plans to expand across Quebec 


- initial franchise cost $32,000 

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- supplies 

YOGURTY’S 

INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISING INC. 



905-479-8762 

Founder: Aaaron Serruya 




- plans to expand across Canada 




$483,000 

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



Services 


- design 


- management 

- purchasing 



- 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 


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.” 


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 




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.” 


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 


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 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 




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. 


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 

YOU CAN ALSO 

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 


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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