INDUSTRY NEWS
Your source for what’s happening in Canadian franchising Sola Salons Accelerates Canada Expansion Sola Salons, the world’s largest and fastest-growing salon studios franchise, announced in April the signing of four franchise development agreements that will expand its presence in key territories across Ontario, including Toronto, Durham, Kitchener-Waterloo, Markham, Richmond Hill, Hamilton, and Barrie. These new signings will bring nine new Sola locations to Canada over the next several years, in line with the brand’s aggressive domestic franchise development plans. In the past year, Sola opened 53 new locations, signed 72 franchise agreements, and reached a milestone of 18,000 independent beauty professionals across North America. “While Canada just reopened salon businesses in late 2021 due to challenges the pandemic brought, Sola Salons continued to grow its international development, further showcasing the strength of our business model,” said Christina Russell, CEO at Sola Salons. “We are excited to continue to plant our roots in Canada through our membership with the Canadian Franchise Association, welcome new franchisees, and watch our existing owners grow throughout Canada.” Sola Salons is a recession-resilient franchise with an understanding of markets across Canada. The realestate rental model requires minimal staff, drives unparalleled occupancy, and is backed by more than 17 years of salon studio expertise. Sola supports a growing community of more than 18,000 independent beauty professionals across more than 600 locations by providing a turnkey solution for beauty professionals to explore a better life as an entrepreneur.
The model continues to grow in popularity, especially amid the pandemic as beauty professionals seek to go independent to offer their clientele more control over their salon experience. More than 2,000 new beauty professionals joined the Sola family in 2021 alone. Sola brings firstin-Canada market resources like its new BookNow engine, which allows customers to book online and customize their appointments with their independent hairdressers, nail technicians, estheticians, massage therapists, or other beauty professionals. Sola is driven by its desire to use real estate to help aspiring business owners achieve their dreams and is looking for franchisees who feel the same way. As part of its continued franchise growth strategy, Sola Salons will be targeting a number of markets across North America. Franchise opportunities in Canada include Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Reopens in South Surrey with Weekend Breakfast Trattoria Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Breakfast Trattoria, a prominent neighbourhood Neapolitan pizzeria located at The Shops at Morgan Crossing in South Surrey, B.C., recently made a comeback to the community with a fresh new makeover, along with its first-ever weekend Breakfast Trattoria for the brand. Famoso in Morgan Crossing has been a mainstay restaurant in the community since 2014 and has built a strong following among local residents as well as many visitors over the years. It closed at the onset of the pandemic, but this local pizzeria
is ready to welcome regular and new guests back to dine in at its fresh, casual, and authentic atmosphere. “We’re excited to reopen in this community. We love our guests and we want to move forward as the pandemic situation changes. By giving this restaurant a makeover, we are making a fresh restart to reconnect with the community again,” says CEO Frank Di Benedetto. Famoso is known for its authentic Neapolitan pizza, which has regularly won awards and has become a favourite with many. Staying true to keeping things authentic, it uses imported Italian dome ovens, ingredients imported from Italy, and traditional culinary techniques in pizza making that have gone unchanged for generations. To provide more variety and excitement for guests, it has added a new weekend and holiday Monday Breakfast Trattoria menu, which includes signature breakfast pizzas, Famoso style Frittatas served in skillets, and mouth-watering Famoso Benedicts, giving guests a wide array of exciting options to choose from. Azim Hajee, the new franchise owner and operator, holds an InterProvincial Journeyman and Red Seal Certification, and has years of experience as an executive chef. “I’m passionate about making delicious food and working in the restaurant industry. My team and I are looking
Franchise Canada July | August 2022
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