Atlantic Restaurant News - September 2016

i s h c o m p u b l i c at i o n s s i n c e 19 8 6

A T L A N T I C September 2016 | Vol. 18 | No. 3

N AT I O N A L

C O V E R A G E

R E G I O N A L

F O C U S

$ 5 . 9 5

Nova Scotia tests chef apprentice program

By Bill Tremblay HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s future chefs have a new avenue to discover what it is like to build a career in a kitchen.

The Serve It Up apprenticeship program was developed to connect high school students with Red Seal chefs in Nova Scotia, allowing the students to explore careers in the foodservice industry. The program is a joint partnership between Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

“The automotive and construction industries developed a high school program, so we wanted to follow suit with a culinary one,” said Lynn McDonagh Hughes, operations manager Serve It Up student Amanda Jamieson with Minister of Labour and Advanced Edof the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource ucation Kelly Regan and chef Luis Clavel. Photo by Communications Nova Scotia.

Council.

Although the first three participating resServe It Up’s inaugural group of students an employer,” McDonagh Hughes said. “This entered the program throughout the summer, time, because we had only a small number of taurants are all located in Halifax, McDonagh joining the kitchen staff at Cut Steakhouse, At- candidates, we decide to give the employer an Hughes said the program would expand lantica Hotel Halifax and the Stubborn Goat opportunity to meet the students and make throughout the province in coming years.

“Since it was our first year, we had to do Gastropub. For the first year of the program, their own decision.”

While the students are relatively new to a things a little differently, students that are interstudents were required to have previously comkitchen, the program goes well beyond simply ested wouldn’t necessarily have had to do a copleted a foodservice-related co-op placement. op (in future years),” McDonagh Hughes said.

“These are kids who already expressed a washing dishes.

By the end of the summer, the apprentices “The responsibility from the mentor chef is strong interest in cooking, so that was a benefit to the employer as well as the student,” Mc- to make sure they’re learning the cooking end had reaffirmed their dedication to becoming a Donagh Hughes said. “What we’re finding is it’s of things,” McDonagh Hughes said. “It doesn’t chef.

The mentor chefs are also enthusiastically just reinforcing what they thought they would mean they might not help out with dishwashing, but this is very hands-on in the kitchen and awaiting the return of the program and Mclike.”

Donagh Hughes said she has a waiting list of Students in Nova Scotia’s high schools were working under their guidance.”

To complete the apprenticeship program, restaurants planning to participate. As well, one invited to apply for the apprenticeship through their teachers. Applicants were then invited to students must complete 200 hours of work at apprentice has been invited to continue working throughout the school year. one-on-one interviews with the participating the restaurants in July and August.

“It really is a fantastic opportunity, not only Each student is paid minimum wage for his chefs. By the end of the application process, APPROVAL REQUIRED for students but our industry. We’re just so or her time.

“It’s not only providing labour from six students were selected to work in a kitchen The enclosed proof is sent for your approval. We will not proceed with the job until the proof is returned.

NOT GIVE VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS. CHECK CAREFULLY! thrilled we are finally there and able to offer it the Red Seal chef, they’re also committing to throughout the summer, and fourDO students comBeyond this point we cannot accept responsibility for any errors. Alterations (other than typographical errors) will be charged extra. Mark proof “OK” or “OK with corrections” as the case may pay the student for July and August. That’s a for students,” she said. “This is really starting mitted to the program. be, signing your name so we may know that the proof reached the proper authority. you on your path to a career in culinary.”

“Typically we would just pair a student with good investment by the employer,” she said.

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

SIGNATURE OF APPROVAL

centre plate options THERE’S A RECIpE fOR SUCCESS

6

a hoMeGroWn approach at FoX harB’r

5

coMMUnitY helps shape haliFaX eaterY

9

Franchise report HERE’S WHO IS IN BUSINESS IN ATLANTIC CANADA

10

DATE

CONVERT YOUR RESTAURANT

TO A BOSTON PIZZA IT’S WORTH A CALL. IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK.

TILLSONBURG, ONTARIO CONVERTED DECEMBER 2014

CALL US NOW. Felix DeCata Marty Bernard

905.361.3608 905.361.4836

DeCataF@BostonPizza.com BernardM@BostonPizza.com Boston Pizza and the Boston Pizza roundel are registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under licence. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2015.

NAME:

RestaurantNews_Tillsonburg_AD_OCT2015-BP

SIZE:

8" × 3"

DATE:

OCT 2015

JOB NO:

15-785

Move Over Chicken!

New! Steam Grilled Fully Cooked Salmon Strips TM

Don’t get us wrong! We have nothing against chicken, but patrons are looking for more seafood on the menu* these days and new High Liner Steam GrilledTM Fully Cooked Salmon Strips fit the bill in a big way!

Fully cooked with grill marks and a delectable hint of hickory-smoked flavour, they re-heat in as little as 60 seconds, so you can give your customers what they want – the delicious flavour of wild-caught Pacific Salmon in sandwiches, tacos, salads, pasta dishes and more.

Contact your High Liner Foodservice representative today!

Deliciously Simple Seafood

TM

*Technomic 2015 Centre of the Plate Report

1-800-387-7422

www.highlinerfoodservice.com

Add

P.E.I. hospitality company expands to New Brunswick

DONAIR

PIZZA

To your menu

Canada’s #1 supplier – Cones, loaves, sauces and breads

By Don Douloff

1-888-859-7222 www.bonte.ca FEDERALLY INSPECTED

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — Murphy Hospitality Group (MHG) has been busy, launching a Halifax steakhouse in May and announcing plans to open a brewery restaurant inside a boutique hotel in Moncton, N.B., that’s expected to break ground in September and open in late 2017.

In Halifax, The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, whose kitchen is overseen by executive chef Dwayne MacLeod, focuses on Atlantic Beef Plant steak, grass-fed and aged 45 days, locally-caught fresh fish and maritime-harvested oysters. Sommelier Leslie Quinn curates a list of about 200 wines highlighting Nova Scotia vintages.

Located on Barrington Street, the steakhouse features a 60-seat oyster bar on the street level and 100-seat dining room on the second floor, with private rooms and an outdoor patio.

“Our plan has always been to grow more in the Halifax market and this new addition is the perfect complement to our hospitality portfolio,” said Kevin Murphy, president of Charlottetown-based MHG. The Barrington resides in the segment Murphy characterizes as “above The Keg, but below fine dining,” and is similar to MHG’s Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, in Charlottetown,

with each restaurant averaging per-person checks of $45 to $50 (including wine).

In New Brunswick, MHG plans to open The Gahan House restaurant and brewery on the main level of the Wesley Hotel, a 75-room lifestyle property to be located at the corner of Wesley and Queen Streets.

The Gahan House will serve an upscale casual menu and offer a 160-seat dining room, 16-seat oyster bar, 60-seat patio and six-barrel brewing system.

Established in Charlottetown in 2000, the Gahan beer brand began bottling some of its products in 2008, and since 2011, has been selling six of its canned and bottled brews in New Brunswick liquor stores.

As a result, the brewery restaurant will give MHG a flag in New Brunswick, where Gahan beer has built brand recognition, said Murphy.

The Moncton location will be the third Gahan House restaurant, joining sister eateries in Charlottetown and Halifax.

Complementing the menu of sandwiches, burgers, wraps, pizzas, pastas and beef and seafood entrees is a lineup of six to eight raw oysters sourced from Atlantic Canada. At the time of writing, an executive chef had not been named.

Patrons will quench their thirst from a brewed-onsite selection of six core brands and five seasonal labels, along with a lineup of about 15 non-Gahan craft offerings, including two to

three on tap and a dozen in bottles. Intended as a focal point, the brewery will be prominently visible in the restaurant, said Murphy.

The grape will also be represented on the bar menu by 12 to 15 wines focused on Canadian labels sourced from, for example, Nova Scotia and possibly New Brunswick.

The Wesley hotel/Gahan House project marks MHG’s first foray into New Brunswick.

Moncton is a good fit for this property, since there is no boutique hotel operating in the market, said Murphy. Moreover, the city has been experiencing economic growth, and with a new event centre and 10,000-seat arena expected to open in 2018, offers plenty of business potential, he said.

What does the future hold for MHG? For now, there are no other new hotels planned, though Murphy could consider Halifax for a property. Currently, MHG operates two hotels, both boutique-style and both in Charlottetown: The Great George (50 rooms) and The Hotel on Pownal (45 rooms).

Similarly, there are no plans to target any more Gahan locations, but if an opportunity presents itself, Murphy would consider it. He also said there are no plans for additional Sims steakhouses.

Provincial microloan helps launch Hopyard in Charlottetown CHARLOTTETOWN — A new microloan program in Prince Edward Island has helped a restaurant concept become reality.

Hopyard, a craft beer bar and restaurant, was the first business in the province approved for the loan.

After receiving $15,000 through the program, the restaurant opened its doors at 151 Kent St. in May. Brett Hogan, who co-owns the establishment with Mike Ross, said they couldn’t believe how quickly the loan application process came together.

“After applying, they got back to us in probably a couple of days. In two weeks we had the money. It was a big help,” Hogan said. “It’s impressive how quick it actually is.”

Before applying to the program, Hogan said finding a loan for the concept was difficult.

“It’s pretty tough to get financing for a restaurant, we were turned down by a couple of banks,” Hogan said. “We would have found the money somewhere. I like to hope we would have.”

The program, administered through Finance PEI, is designed to support new and expanding businesses with working capital of up

to $15,000. Loans are sourced directly through Finance PEI with repayment terms of up to five years at an interest rate of TD Bank prime, plus 4.5 per cent.

Loans are available for trades, small-scale food production, business start-ups and winter production financing.

At Hopyard, the cash was primarily used to purchase equipment.

While Hopyard was the first to receive the microloan, they are also the first recipients to pay it back.

“That was a big goal for us in the beginning, to pay back as much debt as possible,” Hogan said.

Hopyard features beer from independentlyowned breweries found east of Ontario. For its food menu, Hogan and Ross partnered with

chef Jane Crawford, who created a constantly changing list of options.

“She really revolutionized it for us,” Hogan said.

The Hopyard menu changes its theme every two weeks. For example, the Hopyard kitchen has tackled Italian, Caribbean, southern and carnival food. A new menu is released every second Friday, with entrees priced at a maximum $8.

“When the new menu is released, we’re packed with the same people,” Hogan said. “We have a really great following.”

After four rotations, the fifth menu features the favourite dishes from the previous themes.

Customers are encouraged to vote for which items will appear on the fifth menu.

“It kind of gives them a voice,” Hogan said.

Customers also get the chance to select the music played at Hopyard. The restaurant is equipped with more than 500 records ranging from Frank Sinatra to Justin Bieber.

“People can pick one out and the bartender will put it on the record player,” Hogan said.

“We have a nice mixture of new and old stuff.”

For more information on the loan program, visit financepei.ca/microloan.

September 2016 | 3

A T L A N T I C

EDITORIAL

A promising future for food production Producers are creating new ways to circumvent Canada’s climate

W

hat was once considered exotic has become intriguingly domestic, thanks to innovative food producers throughout Canada.

Bananas no longer need to travel from a tropical climate, and who needs a natural body of water for shrimp or salmon anymore?

In recent issues of our Ontario, Atlantic and Pacific Prairie editions, we’ve been fortunate to tell the stories of several food producers who refuse to let Canada’s harsh climate dictate what may grow where. (If you know of others, please let us know.)

The unimaginable is becoming conceivable, and put into practice.

Take First Ontario Shrimp, for example.

Paul Cocchio and his son Brad have built Canada’s first successful inland shrimp farm, using 16 concrete growth tanks and four starter tanks in what once served as a pig barn.

With about three years of research and development behind them, the farm is now producing about 100 pounds of shrimp per week.

They hope to eventually quadruple production using the same amount of space.

In Centre Burlington, N.S., Sustainable

Fish Farming has developed a closed-containment, land-based, fish farm system capable of producing Atlantic salmon of similar quality to those caught in the wild.

The water movement created by recirculation means fish must swim against the current, helping to raise a leaner fish than other farmed salmon.

After eight years of aquaculture development, Sustainable Fish Farming harvested its first full production run on May 2.

By the end of the year, Sustainable Fish Farming expects to produce 100 tonnes of salmon.

In a Mississauga, Ont. industrial complex, Aqua Greens is growing leafy greens for about a dozen restaurants in the GTA. Using a system that combines hydroponics and aquaculture, plants, fish and light work together to create a nutrient-rich system similar to a pond.

The facility has the capacity to grow about 12,000 plants and keep 5,000 fish.

The owners and urban farmers, Craig Petten and Pablo Alvarez, plan to move to a larger building and increase capacity in the coming years.

In Blyth, Ont., Terry Brake and farm owner Laurie Macpherson built heated hoop

houses to grow bananas, papayas, guavas, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, lemons and limes.

Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are also grown year round.

For its bananas, each hoop house has 72 plots and each plot is capable of growing as much as 2,000 pounds of bananas a year.

With four hoop houses (a greenhouse frame covered with plastic and heated with a wood stove) built and producing crops, Canada Banana Farm has plans to build 100 more of the structures.

Even more amazing, they’re ready and willing to share their technology.

The future of food production is certainly proving to show the ingenuity of Canadian producers, and a recurring theme in these stories is Canadian foodservice operators are usually among the first to embrace products grown outside of their natural habitat.

It’s a promising partnership that benefits our environment and economy.

We can’t wait to see what’s next.

Bill Tremblay Assistant Editor

NEWS BRIEFS Air Canada enRoute announces Best New Restaurants nominees MONTREAL — Air Canada enRoute announced 35 nominees in contention for Canada’s Best New Restaurants of 2016, the 15th anniversary of the awards.

The top 10 restaurants will be featured in the November issue of the in-flight magazine along with the consumer’s choice winner.

Three Atlantic Canada restaurants made the nominee list: chef Michael Smith’s Fireworks at Inn at Bay Fortune on Prince Edward Island; Seto Kitchen + Bar, St. John’s, N.L. by head chef and owner Ken Pittman and Highwayman in Halifax, a second venture for Field Guide owners Dan Vorstermans and Ceilidh Sutherland, who teamed up with bartenders Michael Hopper and Adam MacLeod for the 40seat Barrington Street establishment.

Canada’s Best New Restaurants recognizes restaurants launched in the last year (roughly June 2015 to June 2016).

No pop on IHOP kids menu GLENDALE, Calif. — DineEquity, Inc., parent company of IHOP Restaurants and Applebee’s Grill & Bar, announced that soft drinks will no longer be featured on the kids’ menus at restaurants across Canada.

“Our menus at both Applebee’s and IHOP throughout Canada offer a wide variety of delicious options designed to

4 | Atlantic Restaurant News

meet the needs of our guests, and while the choice is always up to our guests, we hope that removing soft drinks from our kids’ menus will make it easier for parents to help their children make the best choices for them,” said Daniel del Olmo, president, international, DineEquity.

Beverage items currently featured on the kids’ menus include apple juice, orangetangerine juice, milk and chocolate milk.

There are 16 Applebee’s in Canada and 24 IHOP restaurants.

Student transition program TORONTO — The Canadian Association for Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) recently launched a pilot program for culinary, hospitality, dietitian graduate students.

The student transition program will pair students with a diverse set of restaurants and chefs for a three- to four-month placement.

Launched under the direction of Ontario Greenbelt Fund program manager Franco Naccarato, students are expected to receive one-on-one training around a specific skill set of type of cuisine from a mentor/coach.

MadWok opens in P.E.I. CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — The first MadWok outside of China has opened in Charlottetown.

Neil Guo, a Chinese immigrant who has been living in Canada for more than a decade, opened the outpost earlier this summer on Lower Queen Street in a 1,500 -square-foot storefront.

MadWok originally comes from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China, and has hundreds of locations abroad.

The fast casual eatery focuses on stirfried Asian cuisine prepared with a fiery cooking show before the customer. The menu features 10 signature dishes highlighting flavours from China, Japan and Thailand.

Moosehead plans new brewery SAINT JOHN, N.B. — Moosehead Breweries has announced it will open a second brewery in its hometown of Saint John, N.B. The new 10,000-square-foot venture will serve as a small-scale brewing innovation centre focused on product development and new brewing techniques and will include two small-scale brewing systems and a tap room.

Moosehead plans to have the new location open in 2017, in time for the company’s 150th anniversary.

Its current brewery on Main Street West will continue to operate as its home base and main packaging facility.

The location has not been announced.

pUBLISHER

Steven Isherwood ext. 236 · sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com MANAGING EDITOR

Kristen Smith ext. 238 · ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR EDITOR

Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 · cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Bill Tremblay ext. 226 · wtremblay@canadianrestaurantnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Don Douloff ext. 232 · ddouloff@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 · dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Kim Kerr ext. 229 · kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com pRODUCTION

Kathy Lat ext. 0 · klat@canadianrestaurantnews.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Peter Elliott ext. 228 · pelliott@canadianrestaurantnews.com CONTROLLER

Stacey Holmes ext. 237 · sholmes@canadianrestaurantnews.com

CONTACT US: 905-206-0150

ATLANTIC RESTAURANT NEWS VOLUME 18 · NO. 3 · SEpTEMBER 2016 Atlantic Restaurant News (www.atlanticrestaurantnews.com) is published 4 times a year by Ishcom publications Ltd., 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ont. L4X 2W1 T: (905) 206-0150 · F: (905) 206-9972 Toll Free: 1(800)201-8596 Other publications include the Canadian Chains Directory and Buyers’ Directory as well as:

O N T A R I O

www.ontariorestaurantnews.com P A C I F I C / P R A I R I E

www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com C A N A D I A N

LodgingNews www.canadianlodgingnews.com Subscriptions: Canada & U.S.A.: $24.95/year or $39.95/2 years.

Single copy: $5.95 (Plus taxes where applicable) Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1702-3483 GST number R102533890

@CANRestonews

Ishcom Publications

Canadian Restaurant News

Space to grow at Fox Harb’r

By Kristen Smith

WALLACE, N.S. — Growing its own greens on site not only ensures fresh lettuce in the kitchen at Fox Harb’r Resort, it also comes with a significant return on investment.

During the month of July, executive chef Shane Robilliard and his team used 2,700 heads of lettuce. To buy that amount, it would cost an average of $2.75 a head for a total of about $7,400. Producing it in hanging baskets to utilize growing space in the greenhouses costs about $1.20 a head, including labour, a total of about $3,200 in the busy summer month, a savings of more than 50 per cent for the resort restaurants.

“All of the greens that we’ll need this season — I haven’t bought a single green — are all being produced in the greenhouse,” Robilliard said.

Not all restaurants sit on a 1,150-acre property with plenty of room for small-scale farming. Nor do they have access to the green thumb of horticulturalist Michael Steward, who also grows a number of other vegetables — tomatoes, beans, heirloom peppers, eggplants, zucchini and peas, for example — and all the flowers for the property. Robilliard has no plans to squander the resources at the kitchen’s doorstep.

“It’s amazing how much he [Steward] is able to produce. We actually just cleared another acre of land to do some more vegetables next season — we plan to grow more carrots and heirloom patty pan squash and that sort of thing,” Robilliard said.

“The dining room is probably one of the nicest dining rooms with one of the nicest views is Eastern Canada and it was being under-utilized for 15 years,” he added.

Over the winter season, the dining room got a facelift and a new name, Cape Cliff, for the 2016 season.

Robilliard, who joined the property last year, is putting his personal touch on the menu.

The 88-seat restaurant features as many local ingredients as possible, such as lobster from Chase’s Lobster Pound. Pheasants are from the property and rainbow trout are from on-site stocked fish ponds, which have catch and release rules for everyone other than the culinary team.

Salmon is sourced from Sustainable Blue, halibut is line-caught, the scallops are farmed, mussels are from Indian Point Marine Farms and roe is from Acadian Sturgeon.

With the exception of Alberta beef, other protein is sourced from Nova Scotia farmers,

including a chicken farmer a 10-minute drive down the road.

“For the most part, it’s as local as you can get,” said Robilliard.

Grape expectations Peter Phillips is a man who wears many hats, from director of sport shooting to construction manager.

He is also involved in the new Fox Harb’r estate vineyard, which will produce a number of varietals in partnership with nearby Jost Winery, located in Malagash, N.S. Planting started last year with Riesling and Lac le Blanc grapes.

This year New York Muscat is being added to the mix. When all is said and done, Fox Harb’r Resort will be home to 25 acres of vineyard with rows planted four feet apart to maximize growing capacity.

The first vintage (the 2018 harvest) will be ready in Shane Robilliard 2019.

Phillips compared the area’s micro-climate to that of the Niagara Peninsula, noting the area has a longer growing season than other parts of Nova Scotia.

Growing wisely Under the direction of president Kevin Toth, expansion is underway at Fox Harb’r Resort on Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Strait.

Owner Ron Joyce brought Toth — who was previously with Skyline Hotels and Resorts — on in 2015 and tasked him with creating a master plan for the 1,150-acre property.

“Mr. Joyce asked me to think 10 years down the road,” Toth told various Canadian media during a recent familiarization trip to Fox Harb’r.

Joyce, a Tatamagouche, N.S., native, was a police officer in Hamilton, Ont., when he discovered the two-unit Tim Hortons brand. The co-founder of The TDL Group, Joyce sold the business to Wendy’s International in 1996. After acquiring land along the Northumberland Strait, Joyce created Fox Harb’r both because he wanted to contribute to the community and have a place where he and his friends could golf. As Toth tells the story, the next logical step was to add guest suites so his golfing companions could stay awhile, then a spa for when their wives joined them.

The recent rebranding of Fox Harb’r Resort, which dropped the previous “golf ” and “spa” portions of the name, is aimed at highlighting the plentiful amenities at the property.

In addition to a championship course designed by renowned architect Graham Cooke and Par 3 short course set along the shoreline, there is Dol-as Spa, fly fishing, sport shooting, a wellness centre, tours and day trips. There is also a jetport and marina.

For those wanting a place of their own at Fox Harb’r, there are single-detached residences and town-style Golf Villas on the property.

Harbour Stone Village is phase one of the residential component of the resort. Marina duplexes will be the next phase, with sales launching this fall.

Future development will also include a riding stable, harbour lots, pond cottages and golf lots.

There are 12 guest buildings, each with six units (four executive and two studio). Fox Harb’r recently reconfigured the beds in some units opting for two double queens in anticipation of more group and family business.

Uninhabited residences are also available as rental properties.

Fox Harb’r is situated on a peninsula, so on clear days, guests can see the shores of Prince Edward Island.

“We want to keep a lot of it natural for recreational use as well as expand our vineyards,” noted Toth.

Open for business Toth feels it is important the property communicate to the public that Fox Harb’r is a luxury resort, but not a private enclave.

“We also want the people vacationing in the area, even if they’re not staying at the resort, to be able to experience some of our dining options,” he added.

Toth thinks one area Fox Harb’r has an opportunity to grow in is small group golf getaways.

“This seems to be a growing trend and that’s why we actually built those double queen rooms,” said Toth, adding cruise ships are also “looking for a different type of bed configuration.”

This summer, Robilliard noticed an increase in individual travellers and estimated there were 25 per cent more diners at Cape Cliff as well as The Willard, the resort’s more casual restaurant, than during the 2015 season.

“As the IT business picks up, the demand on the two outlets grows,” said Robilliard, adding there are plans to expand the kitchen facilities to accommodate this.

The 10-year plan includes the addition of a conference centre with a meeting capacity for about 220 and an inn with about 40 rooms, “when we get to a certain occupancy level,” Toth noted.

“Down the road, we’ll have to have a third [foodservice] option for people, just because of the amount of people we’re going to have on property at any one time,” said Robilliard.

Toth said he feels the area is an emerging destination and a worthy one at that, not only in terms of its natural beauty, but also its culinary and winery potential.

“We’re working with Tourism Nova Scotia to help position North Shore as a destination,” said Toth.

With respect to the Fox Harb’r property, Toth doesn’t think the seasonal operation will become year-round, but is keen to expand the edges of the season through group business.

September 2016 | 5

Centre PLAte

Pan-Seared Ontario Lake Trout.

The International Centre.

Operators who want to keep their plate costs in check can turn to a number of creative solutions without sacrificing value.

By Kristen Smith

A

t The International Centre in Mississauga, Ont., executive chef Tawfik Shehata looks forward to serving the foodservice community at the annual Friends of We Care Gala.

Often, for large dinner events, he is relegated to the traditional people-pleasing chicken breast or beef tenderloin and he doesn’t have much freedom to “play with interesting proteins.”

Usually this means his focus is on using highquality meat and cooking it well, while adding creative flair with seasonal sides.

“My focus is a lot on the veg and the starch components,” Shehata said. “I think interesting sides are what makes the plate. We do brussels sprouts with sage and caramelized onions in the winter months.”

It’s at events like the We Care Gala when Shehata and his kitchen team have the opportunity to get creative with the protein.

“The theme was Kentucky Derby, so we did a southern-style spicy, pickled shrimp as a starter with a cornmeal crostini,” he said. For dinner, smoked and grilled Cornish hens.

The traditional North American plate consisted of a large piece of meat, a side of vegetables, a starch and a sauce. That large piece of meat was always the centre of the plate, the largest cost with the highest return, the item the dish was built around.

With food costs expected to continue rising and international cuisine becoming com-

6 | Atlantic Restaurant News

monplace, the centre of the plate isn’t always as clear.

The culinary minds behind Canada’s Smartest Kitchen in Charlottetown — specifically product developers Jen Bryant and Marshall Bell, Tiffany Tong, strategic initiatives lead, and Emilee Sorrey, marketing and communications — put their heads together to look at the trends and evolution of centre of the plate.

They suggest, as Canadian palates have become more multicultural, food isn’t as “compartmentalized.” Instead of everyone having their own plate, many cuisines are composed of smaller dishes, shared on a large table, for example Chinese dinners or Ethiopian meals. In these instances, “there is no real centre of the plate.”

Consumer tastes According to Technomic, chicken will remain the leading centre-of-the-plate category.

The research company’s data shows chicken is the leading entrée at the top 250 limited service restaurants and the second most popular — slightly behind pork — at the top 250 full service restaurants.

Due to its high prevalence, this means, “differentiation will be crucial” to restaurateurs.

When asked what protein consumers eat at least every 90 days, 89 per cent of consumers answered chicken and 81 per cent said beef.

Pork, seafood and turkey followed with 68, 57

and 39 per cent, respectively.

When it came to vegetarian substitutes, Technomic data indicates 22 per cent of consumers order these entrees, while 10 per cent have ordered vegan substitutes as a main dish in the past three months. Interestingly, the number of respondents was more heavily weighted to those in the 18-to-35 age range (27 versus 19 per cent for vegetarian and 12 versus 9 per cent in the vegan category).

“Meat-free options can help drive traffic and sales by broadening appeal and reducing the veto vote, especially among younger consumers,” stated the Canadian Centre of the Plate key themes report.

Andrea Nicolson, Maple Leaf Foods’ corporate media and social chef, believes the centre-plate formula is evolving.

“I think centre of the plate is really changing now — look to how we’re really focusing on vegetables and alternative proteins. I think that old concept of building a dish around a six-ounce portion of protein, two ounces of vegetables, a starch and a sauce, I think that’s really changing,” she said. “[Chefs still] build a dish around a decentsize portion of protein, but I don’t think it’s as literal as it used to be, where you have to have those three components of a dish.”

Nicolson’s role with Maple Leaf includes creating the benchmark product for the research and development as well as developing recipes for the consumer-facing Appehtite.ca.

“We get a lot of insight that people still are looking to eat really healthy and clean so, a lot of our centre of plate are a simply cooked, but properly cooked, piece of protein,” she said.

Hand on the pulse In addition to lean meats, Nicolson has been experimenting with alternative proteins.

“We’re really venturing into pulses,” she said. “A pulse is such a great vessel for flavour;

Grille and Galley Chicken.

Flanagan Foodservice.

you can carry such strong flavours with pulses.”

She suggests mixing them with ground meat to create a chicken lentil meatball, for example.

“It changes the flavour completely; it also gives you a really smooth consistency,” said Nicolson. “It kind of eliminates that need for bread crumbs and then you get added nutritional benefits.”

Pulses are nutrient dense and high in fibre and protein. They are also good for the bottom line and are considered to have a low carbon footprint.

Beef it up Brad Heard, protein category manager for Flanagan Foodservice, said two decades ago beef was the most sought-after protein in restaurant — it probably still is.

“During the last seven or eight years, cattle have become way too expensive for the average restaurateur to be profitable,” said Heard.

Operators are combating this with portion size — smaller, but high quality — and the use of different cuts.

“Everyone still wants a steak — or they want a lower-end steak — they just don’t want to pay through the nose for it,” said Heard.

Cuts that used to head straight for the grinder, such as chuck, are being used in new ways.

“You see major chains in the Canadian marketplace putting chuck rolls on the menu, rotisserie-style chuck rolls,” said Heard.

When Allan Weisberg founded The Butcher Shoppe 35 years ago in Toronto’s Kensington Market, up-and-coming chefs wanted something different, so that’s what he provided. Weisberg cut steaks to specifications, made sausages and took custom orders.

A few years later, when The Butcher Shoppe moved to its current location on Shorncliffe Road in Etobicoke, Ont., and turned its focus from retail to wholesale, Weisberg stuck with that method of operation.

Now, they serve about 1,200 Ontario foodservice customers every month, shipping 60,000 pounds of meat every day.

“What do chefs want now? There has been lots of change in the last five years, as much as there has been in the last 35 years,” said Stacey Weisberg, Allan’s son.

He pointed to the increase in attention being given to food and restaurants — where it comes from and how it’s prepared.

“That’s impacted the industry in a wonderful way,” said Weisberg.

Thirty years ago, steaks were generally cut

Grille and Galley Beef. Flanagan Foodservice.

of antibiotics are being increasingly sought. According to Technomic, consumers are willing to pay more for beef raised that way.

“Every customer that I see — and I probably see about 100 to 120 a year — they are all asking the question: ‘What can I say about my product’?” said James Keppy, national culinary manager at Maple Leaf Foodservice.

He noted that in the past, cost was pretty much the deciding factor, but now they want to tell a story and they want cleaner decks.

“My line has always been: every adjective is worth 45 cents. You want to tell a story about the product, say where it’s from, how you made it, why it’s different,” said Keppy.

When it comes to free-from production claims, Heard warns there may be some faulty advertising involved, specifically with respect to chicken without steroids or added-hormones, but the label still sells.

“There are no hormones in any chicken in any farm in Canada, it’s against the law,” said Heard.

He isn’t sure free-range, organic, and raisedwithout proteins — the “no-no products” — are a trend.

“That could come and go, that could become just tradition,” said Heard.

Halal: the next veto vote

Orange Ginger Chili BBQ Chicken Thighs. Maple Leaf Foods.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Satay. Maple Leaf Foods.

from three muscles: the tenderloin, striploin and rib.

“Everything else was pretty much ground up, diced up or not presented as a centre of the plate item,” he said.

A cow has far more than three muscles and Weisberg estimated that a dozen are now used on restaurant menus.

“I think that’s a huge shift … we’re using all of the meat in different ways, in a great way.

We’re highlighting all these different muscles in a more premium way,” he said.

Weisberg suggests this shift was producerdriven, although chefs and consumers certainly had important roles to play.

“It’s costly today to raise a cow,” he said.

Being able to make more money on secondary, non-traditional, cuts of meat as a centre-ofthe plate option — instead of the price when

ground or cut up — helps make up for that cost.

On the other side of the value chain, Weisberg noted chefs have also looked for new, creative ways to stand out and perhaps decrease costs in an increasingly competitive industry, thus finding ways to use other parts of the cow.

“We’re using a lot more of the animal in a lot more creative ways, innovative ways and wonderful ways,” he said.

Making claims According to Technomic, socially responsible initiatives will be increasingly important to Canadian consumers. This applies to every protein category.

Consumers are looking for sustainably raised and harvested fish and seafood. On land, claims signifying natural production such as hormoneand steroid-free as well as raised without the use

Handling Halal

Peppercorn-Crusted Beef Tenderloin and Herbed Hasselback Potato with Summer Vegetable Succotash. The International Centre.

Once a halal protein enters the kitchen, it must remain halal all the way to the guest’s table.

Chef and kitchen managers should understand the standards and how to handle a halal request.

• Pork and alcohol are haram, meaning forbidden, the opposite of halal. Other meat and poultry must be slaughtered according to Islamic law to be considered halal, which means per missible.

• If a server receives a halal request, the guest should be offered the opportunity to speak with the kitchen manager, who can explain how the operation will handle the meal.

• During storage, ensure halal food remain separate from non-halal food before and after cooking.

• Ensure all other ingredients are permissi-

According to Pew Research Centre, the number of Muslims living in Canada is expected to double in the next 15 year to nearly 3 million people in 2030, up from about 1.3 million in 2015.

Halal is a major buzzword in the meat world, according to Heard. It’s not a trend or a moniker; it’s the way a growing part of the Canadian population must eat in order to be in accordance with Islamic law.

“I think it will change manufacturing for a long time,” said Heard. “Halal is a growth industry, 100 per cent, and it’s going to grow extremely fast. All the manufacturers that I deal with have already launched, or are in the process of launching, halal product lines.”

Keppy noted universities are often on the cutting edge of change in the foodservice scene and some have completely made the switch to halal in order to meet the needs of their Muslim student population.

“We’re finding more and more of the chain restaurants and some of the independents are realizing the money that can be made if they start using halal products. They didn’t realize the business they were missing,” said Keppy.

ble food, according to Islamic law. Grains, vegetable and fruits are generally acceptable, but avoid alcohol, animal lard, pork and pork by-products.

• Use a clean or separate, designated cutting board from non-halal products to avoid cross contamination.

• Use a separate, designated fryer, clean part of the grill or bake in the oven to avoid contamination. French fries, onion rings and seafood are halal by nature and can be cooked in the same fryer oil as halal proteins.

• When plating, ensure utensils (such as knives and tongs) haven’t been used to handle non-halal foods.

Compiled with information from Mina Halal, a division of Maple Leaf Foods.

September 2016 | 7

Grafton Connor hires new corporate chef HALIFAX — The appointment of Kunal KR as director of culinary for Grafton Connor Group comes with changes to some of the Halifax-based restaurant group’s 17 properties.

In addition to some menu alterations and future renovations, Taboo Nightclub was cut in half to make room for a new venture, Pong Social Club, which opened in early September.

Both venues now have a capacity for 225 people.

Grafton Connor’s nightclub business is made up of Taboo, Cheers and The Dome.

“We dominate that sector, so we’re looking for something just a little bit different to give our customers an alternative,” said Gary Muise, vice-president of operations for Grafton Connor Group. “People are still going out to socialize, they are just looking for different ways to socialize — that’s where the Pong concept came from.”

Muise said ping pong is a more social activity than billiards.

“The skill level involved to play ping pong versus playing pool is a little bit different. You can get more people involved in it, if you make a bad shot, nobody looks stupid. It’s a lot more fun,” Muise said.

Pong will feature craft cocktails and beer — “the whole package,” said Muise.

In line with the social atmosphere of Pong, KR created a menu intended to be fun, such as various types of popcorn.

“It’s all finger food, nothing with a fork and knife,” said KR, who joined the restaurant group this past spring. “We’re going to do different plays on mac ‘n’ cheese, for example mac ‘n’ Cheetos. We’re going to use basic dishes people are comfortable with, just add our twist to it.”

Muise said Pong isn’t aimed at only one particular demographic. He sees the concept appealing to corporate events, birthday parties and weekend get-togethers. “The bar business is still super strong for us, we’re just looking for an alternative to go after a little bit of a different market,” he said.

KR also lent his talents to the Auction House, located at 1726 Argyle St., drawing on his background as corporate regional chef for The 3 Brewers to create a new menu.

Grafton Connor installed a Smart Brew system at the historic property last year to create its own in-house beer, George’s Island Brewing Company. The kitchen team is using the GIBC brews in a variety of different ways, including to make mustard sauce and barbecue sauce, deglazing, in vinaigrettes and even on the dessert menu with a beer caramel sauce.

Five Fishermen executive sous chef Greg Balingit, Grafton Connor Group director of culinary Kunal KR and Five Fishermen executive chef Chris Kyprianou.

“We’re trying to use our beer that we make in all of our dishes on the menu,” said KR. “Cooking with beer is really different than cooking with wine, you really have to know the bitterness levels of each beer.”

Over time, KR will revamp menus for Grafton Connor’s other foodservice properties.

“I have 17 different chefs in each operation, there’s another director of food and beverage and [a director] in operations, so our team is pretty stacked,” said KR. “Coming on board and taking a look at the menus, it’s not something you can change overnight. You’ve got to

properly plan and execute.”

He especially wants to include local suppliers on Grafton Connor’s menus.

“Involving farmers and fishermen, that’s very important and we have that all in our backyard, so it makes it easy,” KR said.

Early next year, Grafton Connor’s flagship property, The Restaurant at Five Fishermen, will be getting a refresh.

“We like to continuously invest in our properties,” said Muise. “You can’t do them all at the same time. The Five Fisherman’s number came up — it was time for them to get some love.”

Meet The Robertson The Shadow Lawn Inn reinvents its onsite restaurant ROTHESAY, N.B. — When the Shadow Lawn Inn began planning to revamp its restaurant, it turned to its past in order to move forward.

The 70-year-old inn was originally built in 1870 as a summer home for businessman James Robertson. About six years ago, James Gallagher purchased the inn from his parents, who had operated the facility for 24 years. After renovating the inn’s nine rooms, Gallagher began to tackle the Side Door Café, a fine dining restaurant added to the property by his parents in the early ’90s.

“The food was great, the presentation was great, but the atmosphere didn’t wow you,” he said. “We wanted to attract a younger crowd.

We needed to make sure we had modern facilities and amenities.”

About five years ago, Gallagher had purchased the original 1866 counter from Rothesay’s Manchester Robertson Allison department store, which was also owned by Robertson.

“When I saw it again, I just fell in love with it,” he said.

When they begin to tackle renovations, he decided to incorporate the antique counter. “It’s been a great conversation piece,” Gallagher said.

The restaurant’s designer took the tribute one-step further and suggesting naming the restaurant after the property’s original owner, and building a theme around its history.

The restaurant was renamed The Robertson, and a local artist was commissioned to paint portraits of the restaurant’s namesake, the inn and the former department store.

“It’s like a storyboard on the wall,” Gallagher said. “For people from Saint John, they

8 | Atlantic Restaurant News

have many fine memories of the store, MRA’s, as they call it.”

While the restaurant’s renovations finished in March, menu development began about three years ago. Gallagher hired Markian Shafransky, a certified chef de cuisine, to modernize the menu at the 35-seat restaurant.

“There was an aura about this place that you had to have a reservation and you had to show up in a suit,” Shafransky said.

The chef added the previous menu focused on high-end cuts of meat, like beef wellington or rack of lamb.

“It’s unrealistic to sell these things with today’s price point. They weren’t really doing much in the way of sourcing local products or ingredients that were in season,” Shafransky said. “We have tons of farms around here.”

Shafransky began slowly testing new menu items to see how the clientele would react. Today, the menu has evolved from a static offering to a seasonal menu complemented by a tasting menu. Dinner for two costs about $90 to $120.

“Over the course of a season half of it will change,” Shafransky said.

He added farmers in the area now call the restaurant when they have new product available.

“If I could give Canadian food an identity, it would be using what’s in season wherever you are,” Shafransky said. “Taste the place.”

The restaurant has also moved from a special occasion dining spot, to offering a lunch and dinner menu seven days a week.

“With traffic throughout the week and lunch hour, the peaks and valleys of the business have really levelled out,” Gallagher said.

Community input helps shape Halifax restaurant HALIFAX — When Frédéric Tandy, Ezra Edelstein and Rosemary McKernan set out to open a new restaurant in Halifax’s North End, they turned to the eatery’s future neighbours to help shape the concept.

Halifax’s North End, a community in the midst of gentrification, is home to a diverse population. While creating what would become The 244, located at 2150 Gottingen St., McKernan explained they wanted to open a restaurant that would cater to the wide demographic.

“Our initial goal was to feed the neighbourhood. If you spend any time on the block, you realize there’s young professionals, well-off people living in beautiful eco lofts, low-income housing and methadone services,” McKernan said.

“We wanted to do something that everyone can enjoy.”

To find out what type of restaurant the community needed, McKernan approached the North End Community Action Committee.

“It is a group of young people that live in our community and are essentially saying, ‘We want our voices to be heard, and we don’t want to be pushed out’,” she explained.

McKernan began attending the committee’s weekly meetings to gather input on the type of jobs they would like to see in the community, what they consider affordable and, of course, what they like to eat. The menu suggestions were endless.

“We talked about gravy a lot. We talked about

Beet Rouge

Frédéric Tandy, Ezra Edelstein and Rosemary McKernan. curries and biscuits. It really went all over the place,” she said. “We talked about how there’s too much pizza in the neighbourhood.”

As well, the committee members contributed to the design of The 244. They decided the restaurant’s exterior should include a mural illustrating the neighbourhood’s progression.

“It’s really cool because now the people in our community are making decisions about how our community grows,” McKernan said. “As opposed to typical gentrification where there’s little to no consultation.”

The concept became a take-out restaurant with a large kitchen, four stools and a community bulletin board. The restaurant opened in July.

The eatery’s name pays homage to The French Casino, a fine-dining restaurant that once occupied the space. The building’s address was once 244 Gottingen St., before the city’s blocks were renumbered.

Menu items range from $5 to $13, with Nash-

Hilary Hendsbee photo

ville-style fried chicken becoming the eatery’s most popular item.

Nashville-style fried chicken is tossed in fat and spiced, after it is deep-fried, and served on a piece of white bread to absorb some of the grease. At The 244, the chicken is tossed in duck fat, rather than the traditional lard.

“One of our owners is French and this is a fat that is acceptable to us,” McKernan said.

The use of duck fat, as well as ingredients like homemade pickles or local meat, gives The 244 a high-end twist to traditional food.

“That’s not something we really advertise, nowhere on our chalkboard menu does it say ‘duck fat’ … that’s not part of the marketing,” McKernan said. “It’s a nice surprise.”

The mix of comfort food, price point and higher quality ingredients is allowing The 244 to reach the varied demographic in its host community, according to McKernan.

“We’ve had complete success there,” she said.

HALIFAX — Rosemary McKernan spends the growing season bringing the farmgate to Halifax restaurant kitchens.

She shows up at the door of her foodservice clients with her truck filled with products picked up from local producers.

“They get a visual look at the season,” said McKernan, who is also involved in launching The 244 in Halifax’s North End. In the midst of wrapping up her second season delivering local produce from Nova Scotia growers to chefs, McKernan spent time getting to know Halifax chefs and area farmers before launching her distribution business.

What she found was that the farmers didn’t want to work with restaurants and they were wary of working with her.

“I had to gain the trust of the farmers,” said KcKernan. “My first year was about growing relationships.”

She visited farms twice weekly and paid onsite. Now, she has a core group of about 10 producers and distributes foraged edibles from FD Wildfoods.

“I think Nova Scotia is a perfect place for this [business]. Nova Scotia is on its way to being a serious food destination,” said McKernan, who has an interest in specialty products and crop diversity.

“I never push my farmers on price,” she said.

CASH ON TAP!

YOUR

ADVERTISEMENT

COULD BE

HERE

Provide your clientele with an ATM and easy access to cash and improve your bottom line.

Contact DC Payments for more information: email: sales@canadianrestaurantnews.com call: 1 (800) 201-8596 | (905) 206-0150

tf 1.888.414.3733 e sales@directcash.net w dcpayments.net

September 2016 | 9

2016

A T L A N T I C

Franchise Report ANNUAL LIST OF FOODSERVICE FRANCHISES RESEARCHED AND COMPILED BY PETER ELLIOTT

241 Pizza (Chairman’s Brand CorP) TEL: 416-288-8515 www.241pizza.com PERSONNEL: 416-288-8515 TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, chicken wings, potato wedges.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 60 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 8.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—a— a&W Food serviCes oF Canada TEL: 604-988-2141 www.aw.ca TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Hamburgers, chicken, fries, onion rings, A&W root beer.

UNITS (ATL): 58 UNITS (CAN): 854 FRANCHISE FEE: $55,000 ROYALTY FEE: 2.5% AD FEE: 2.5% arBy’s oF Canada TEL: 678-514-4219 www.arbys.ca TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Sandwiches and french fries.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 61 FRANCHISE FEE: $37,500 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—B— Basha TEL: 514-393-3970 www.basharestaurant.com MENU ITEMS: Middle Eastern dishes.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 47 Baton rouge (imvesCor) TEL: 514-341-5544 www.batonrougerestaurants. com PERSONNEL: Peter Tsafoulis TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Ribs, steaks, chicken, seafood.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 31 FRANCHISE FEE: $60,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 2.0% Beaver tails Canada TEL: 514-392-2222 www.beavertailsinc.com PERSONNEL: Pino Di Ioia TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pastry treats.

UNITS (ATL): 9 UNITS (CAN): 79 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% Booster JuiCe TEL: 416-621-6767 www.boosterjuice.com

PERSONNEL: Tim Hengel TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, Panini and wraps, matcha green tea, acai and blended yogurts UNITS (ATL): 16 UNITS (CAN): 292 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 6.0% Boston Pizza international inC. TEL: 905-848-2700 www.bostonpizza.com PERSONNEL: Marty Bernard, 905-361-4836 TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pizza, pasta, ribs, salads, appetizers.

UNITS (ATL): 18 UNITS (CAN): 372 FRANCHISE FEE: $60,000 ROYALTY FEE: 7.0% AD FEE: 3.0% Burger King restaurants oF Canada inC. TEL: 416-462-0199 www.burgerking.ca PERSONNEL: Kaan Yilmaz, 416626-7424 TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Burgers, chicken, salads, fries, breakfast.

UNITS (ATL): 31 UNITS (CAN): 280 FRANCHISE FEE: $55,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 4.0% Burrito Jax TEL: 902-406-0085 www.burritojax.com PERSONNEL: Jeff Clarke TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Burritos.

UNITS (ATL): 8 UNITS (CAN): 8 FRANCHISE FEE: $15,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—C— CaPt. suB (grinner’s Food systems) TEL: 902-897-8432 www.captsub.com PERSONNEL: Guy Gallant TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Toasted sub sandwiches.

UNITS (ATL): 37 UNITS (CAN): 37 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0% Cheese Curds gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie TEL: 902-446-3095 www.cheesecurdsburgers.com PERSONNEL: Melinda Lee TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and poutine.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 2

1 0 | Atlantic Restaurant News

FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 2.0% CheF insPired grouP oF restaurants TEL: 902-444-2433 www.chefinspired.ca PERSONNEL: Melinda Lee TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Gourmet burgers, hot dogs, poutine, Mexican fusion, seafood, pizza, pasta, Asian fusion.

UNITS (ATL): 10 UNITS (CAN): 10 FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 2.0% Cora FranChise grouP inC. TEL: 888-673-2672 www.chezcora.com PERSONNEL: Liz Riley TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Breakfast items, lunch, paninis, crepes, salads.

UNITS (ATL): 15 UNITS (CAN): 132 FRANCHISE FEE: $45,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.50% Country style (mty Food grouP) TEL: 905-764-7066 www.countrystyle.com PERSONNEL: Jonathon Czerwinski TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Coffee, deli, muffins, pastries, soups, sandwiches.

UNITS (ATL): 13 UNITS (CAN): 396 FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.50% AD FEE: 3.50% CrePe de liCious TEL: 905-326-2969 www.crepedelicious.com PERSONNEL: Elik Farin TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Crepes.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 18 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—d— dairy Queen Canada TEL: 905-639-1492 www.dairyqueen.com PERSONNEL: Fiona Bottoms TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Burgers, fries, ice cream products.

UNITS (ATL): 48 UNITS (CAN): 671 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 5.0% dixie lee Food systems TEL: 613-650-5494 www.dixieleechicken.com PERSONNEL: Dave Hall

TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Chicken, pizza, seafood.

UNITS (ATL): 18 UNITS (CAN): 45 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 1.00% domino’s Pizza TEL: 519-326-5280 www.dominos.ca TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, wings, Cinna Stix, bread sticks.

UNITS (ATL): 15 UNITS (CAN): 386 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.5% AD FEE: 4.0% don Cherry’s sPorts grill inC. TEL: 866-821-0468 www.DonCherrysSportsGrill. com TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Wings, steaks, pasta, ribs, burgers, salads and sandwiches.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 17 FRANCHISE FEE: $50,000 ROYALTY FEE: 2.75% dooly’s inC. TEL: 506-857-8050 www.doolys.ca PERSONNEL: Pierre Lariviere TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Finger foods, pizza, simple entrees.

UNITS (ATL): 38 UNITS (CAN): 61 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0%

—e— east side mario’s (Cara) TEL: 905-568-0,000 www.franchise.primerestaurants.com PERSONNEL: franchising@ cara.com TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Casual family fare, pasta, pizza.

UNITS (ATL): 7 UNITS (CAN): 78 FRANCHISE FEE: $50,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0% extreme Pita (mty) TEL: 905-820-7887 www.extremepita.com PERSONNEL: Wendy MacKinnon TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pita pizza, pita sandwiches, smoothies.

UNITS (ATL): 9 UNITS (CAN): 169 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—F— Freshii TEL: 312-636-8049 www.freshii.com PERSONNEL: Matthew Corrin TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Custom-designed salads made from more than 70 ingredients.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 81 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% Freshly sQueezed FranChise JuiCe CorP. TEL: 905-695-2614 www.freshlysqueezed.ca PERSONNEL: Talal Samadi TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Juices UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 53 Frozu (grinner’s Food systems) TEL: 506-867-0737 www.frozu.ca PERSONNEL: Guy Gallant TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Frozen yogurt UNITS (ATL): 16 UNITS (CAN): 16 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—g— great Canadian Bagel, the TEL: 905-566-1903 www.greatcanadianbagel.com PERSONNEL: Ed Kwiatkowski TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Bagels, salads, soups, sandwiches, coffee, desserts.

UNITS (ATL): 4 UNITS (CAN): 25 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 1.5% greCo Pizza (grinner’s Food systems) TEL: 902-897-8432 www.greco.ca PERSONNEL: Guy Gallant TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, wings, donairs, subs.

UNITS (ATL): 88 UNITS (CAN): 98 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—h— haBaneros modern taCo Bar TEL: 902-446-3095 www.chefinspired.ca PERSONNEL: Melinda Lee TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Tacos.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 3

FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 2.0% harvey’s (Cara) TEL: 416-979-1120 www.harveys.ca PERSONNEL: Ryan Lloyd, 905760-2244 TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Burgers, chicken, salads, fries UNITS (ATL): 10 UNITS (CAN): 268 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—J— Jessy’s Pizza TEL: 902-865-6666 www.jessyspizza.ca PERSONNEL: Robert Hammam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, burgers, donairs, chicken, fish, subs, poutine.

UNITS (ATL): 13 UNITS (CAN): 13 FRANCHISE FEE: $70,000 ROYALTY FEE: 2.50% Jugo JuiCe (mty) TEL: 403-207-5850 www.jugojuice.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Smoothies, protein shakes, wraps.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 129 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 4.0% JumPing Bean CoFFee TEL: 709-754-4538 www.jumpingbeancoffee.ca PERSONNEL: Jeff LeDrew TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Coffee.

UNITS (ATL): 7 UNITS (CAN): 7 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% Jungle Jim’s restaurants saFari eatertainment TEL: 709-745-5467 www.junglejims.ca PERSONNEL: Stephen Pike TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Chicken, steak, ribs, seafood, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, salads, Mexican, kids’ menu.

UNITS (ATL): 25 UNITS (CAN): 26 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 2.0%

—K— Keg restaurants ltd.

TEL: 604-276-0242 www.kegsteakhouse.com PERSONNEL: James Henderson TYPE: Casual

MENU ITEMS: Steak, prime rib, seafood.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 91 FRANCHISE FEE: $75,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% Kelsey’s restaurants (Cara) TEL: 604-276-0242 www.kelseys.ca PERSONNEL: Ryan Lloyd, 905760-2244 TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Ryan Lloyd, 905760-2244 UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 71 FRANCHISE FEE: $60,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0% KFC Canada (yum!)

TEL: 416-664-5261 FAX: 905-265-7505 www.kfc.com PERSONNEL: Kiet Ngo TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Chicken on the bone, sandwiches, snackables, salads, fries.

UNITS (ATL): 59 UNITS (CAN): 661 FRANCHISE FEE: $48,400 (US) ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 5.0% Koya JaPan inC. (mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.koyajapan.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Japanese cuisine; teriyaki meals, noodles, soups, sushi.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 23 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 7.0%

—l— little Caesars oF Canada inC. TEL: 905-822-7899 www.littlecaesars.ca PERSONNEL: Dianne Clark TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, wings, crazy bread, italian bread, crazy sauce.

UNITS (ATL): 6 UNITS (CAN): 216 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0%

—m— manChu WoK (mty) TEL: 416-484-1132 www.manchuwok.com PERSONNEL: Mariellen Clark TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Chinese fast food cuisine.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 71 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 7.0% AD FEE: 1.0%

Marble Slab CreaMery TEL: 403-287-7633 www.marbleslab.ca PERSONNEL: Lien Trac TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Freshly made ice cream and treats. Ice cream cakes, cupcakes, shakes and smoothies.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 80 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% Mary brown’S InC. TEL: 905-513-0044 www.marybrowns.com PERSONNEL: Peter Rakovalis TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Chicken, taters, sandwiches, wraps, salads, non-alcoholic beverages.

UNITS (ATL): 49 UNITS (CAN): 127 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 4.0% MCDonalD’S reStaurantS of CanaDa ltD. TEL: 416-446-3354 www.mcdonalds.ca PERSONNEL: Ash Vasdani TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items, including burgers, sandwiches, wraps.

UNITS (ATL): 122 UNITS (CAN): 1,440 FRANCHISE FEE: $45,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 4.0% MenChIe’S frozen yogurt TEL: 647-723-5169 www.menchies.ca PERSONNEL: David Shneer TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Self service, payby-the-weight, frozen yogurt.

UNITS (ATL): 6 UNITS (CAN): 107 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% MexICalI roSa’S TEL: 506-878-7672 www.mexicalirosas.com PERSONNEL: Matt Youden TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, nachos, margaritas.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 3 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 2.0% MIke’S reStaurantS InC. (IMveSCor) TEL: 514-341-5544 www.mikes.ca PERSONNEL: Peter Tsafoulias TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pizza, pasta, hot subs, salads, sandwiches, steak, chicken, veal, salmon, seafoods.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 73 FRANCHISE FEE: $45,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0% Montana’S (Cara) TEL: 416-979-1120 www.montanas.ca PERSONNEL: Ryan Lloyd, 905760-2244 TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Varied.

UNITS (ATL): 7 UNITS (CAN): 99 FRANCHISE FEE: $60,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0% MoxIe’S reStaurantS l.P. (nor) TEL: 403-543-2611 www.moxies.com PERSONNEL: Laurids Skaarup TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Signature salads, classic entrees (lemon pepper halibut, honey garlic steak),

desserts.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 66 FRANCHISE FEE: $100,000 Mr. Sub (Mty) TEL: 905-764-7066 www.mrsub.ca TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Submarine sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, desserts, smoothies.

UNITS (ATL): 9 UNITS (CAN): 295 FRANCHISE FEE: $15,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% MrS. fIelDS orIgInal CookIeS TEL: 905-426-2551 www.mrsfields.ca PERSONNEL: Walter Jusenchuk TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Cookies, pretzels, yogurt.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 23 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0%

—n— new york frIeS (Cara) TEL: 416-963-5005 www.newyorkfries.com PERSONNEL: Safiah Arooz TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Fresh cut fries, variety of specialty poutines, hot dogs, soft drinks and toppings.

UNITS (ATL): 7 UNITS (CAN): 122 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0%

—o— orange JulIuS (DaIry Queen) TEL: 905-639-1492 www.orangejulius.com PERSONNEL: Fiona Bottoms TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Blended fruit drinks, smoothies, fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 97 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0-6.0%

—P— Panago PIzza InC. TEL: 416-559-9993 www.panago.com PERSONNEL: Tara Watson, 877731-0310 TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizzas, salads, breadsticks and wings.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 188 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 5.0% PaPa John’S TEL: 502-261-7272 www.papajohnspizza.ca PERSONNEL: Mike Prentice TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pizza, wings.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 98 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 (US) ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 6.0% PIta PIt TEL: 613-546-4494 www.pitapit.com PERSONNEL: Kevin Pressburger TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pitas, salad, smoothies, soups, snacks.

UNITS (ATL): 21 UNITS (CAN): 220 FRANCHISE FEE: $10,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 1.0% PIzza DelIght (IMveSCor InC) TEL: 514-341-5544 www.pizzadelight.com PERSONNEL: Serge Comeau, 506-853-0990

TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Pizza, pasta, salads.

UNITS (ATL): 80 UNITS (CAN): 89 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% PIzza hut CanaDa (yuM!) TEL: 416-664-5213 www.pizzahut.ca PERSONNEL: Bobby Disenhouse TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pan pizza, stuffed crust, salads, pasta, wings.

UNITS (ATL): 16 UNITS (CAN): 397 FRANCHISE FEE: $24,200 (US) ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 5.0% PIzza PIzza lIMIteD TEL: 416-341-9929 www.pizzapizza.ca PERSONNEL: Sebastian Fuschini TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, chicken, sandwiches, salads.

UNITS (ATL): 11 UNITS (CAN): 630 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 6.0% PIzza ShaCk holDIngS TEL: 506-523-6341 www.pizzashack.ca PERSONNEL: Allain Bourque TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza, U-Bake Pizza, donairs, garlic fingers, chicken wings, subs, calzones, caesar salad, lasagna.

UNITS (ATL): 28 UNITS (CAN): 28 FRANCHISE FEE: $15,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% PIzza twICe www.pizzatwice.com pizzatwice@hotmail.com TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza.

UNITS (ATL): 16 UNITS (CAN): 16 PIzzatown TEL: 902-221-8696 www.pizzatown.ca PERSONNEL: Rob Toulany TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pizza, donairs, wings, salads, wraps, appetizers.

UNITS (ATL): 7 UNITS (CAN): 7 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 3.0% Pretzel Maker CanaDa TEL: 905-426-2551 www.pretzelmaker.ca PERSONNEL: Walter Jusenchuk TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pretzels.

UNITS (ATL): 19 UNITS (CAN): 45 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0%

—Q— QuIznoS CanaDa reStaurant CorP TEL: 647-259-0333 www.quiznos.ca TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Oven-toasted sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts.

UNITS (ATL): 13 UNITS (CAN): 250 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 7.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—r— relISh gourMet burgerS TEL: 506-454-9331 www.relishyou.ca PERSONNEL: Rivers Corbett TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Burgers, fries.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 8 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 2.0%

robIn’S (ChaIrMan’S branD CorP) TEL: 416-288-8515 www.robinsdonuts.com TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Doughnuts, coffee, deli items, sandwiches, salads.

UNITS (ATL): 46 UNITS (CAN): 113 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0% rotISSerIeS St-hubert (Cara) TEL: 450-688-4400 www.st-hubert.com PERSONNEL: Richard Scofield TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Roasted chicken meals.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 119 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 3.0% ruby thaI kItChen (Irg) TEL: 416-498-9880 www.irg168.com PERSONNEL: P Huang TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Thai food.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 7 FRANCHISE FEE: $45,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 1.0%

—S— SeConD CuP ltD. TEL: 416-366-7735 www.secondcup.com PERSONNEL: Audra Wosik TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Coffees, specialty coffees, teas, juices, cakes, pastries, sandwiches.

UNITS (ATL): 17 UNITS (CAN): 310 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 9.0% AD FEE: 2.0% SMItty’S CanaDa ltD. TEL: 403-229-3838 www.smittys.ca PERSONNEL: Chris Chan TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Breakfast, pancakes, waffles, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, classic dinners.

UNITS (ATL): 9 UNITS (CAN): 97 FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0% (not currently charged) SMoke’S PoutInerIe TEL: 905-427-4444 www.smokespoutinerie.com PERSONNEL: Mike Graham TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: More than 23 types of poutine.

UNITS (ATL): 4 UNITS (CAN): 100 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% St. louIS franChISe lIMIteD TEL: 416-485-1094 www.stlouiswings.com PERSONNEL: Steve Drexler TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Proprietary wings and ribs. A variety of sandwiches, salads, etc.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 47 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 1.5% Subway franChISe SySteMS of CanaDa ltD. TEL: 800-888-4848 www.subway.com PERSONNEL: Donald Fertman TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Variety of footlong and six-inch submarine sandwiches and salads.

UNITS (ATL): 210 UNITS (CAN): 3,247 FRANCHISE FEE: US$15,000

ROYALTY FEE: 8.0% AD FEE: 4.5% SukIyakI (Mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.sukiyaki-restaurants.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Japanese cuisine.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 16 SuShI naMI royale TEL: 902-422-9020 www.sushinami.ca TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Sushi, sashimi, maki, bento boxes and tempura.

UNITS (ATL): 5 UNITS (CAN): 5 SwISS Chalet (Cara) TEL: 416-979-1120 www.swisschalet.ca PERSONNEL: Ryan Lloyd, 905760-2244 TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Chicken, ribs.

UNITS (ATL): 18 UNITS (CAN): 217 FRANCHISE FEE: $60,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 4.0%

—t— taCo bell CanaDa (yuM!) TEL: 416-664-5200 www.tacobell.ca PERSONNEL: Alexandra Grudkin TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Tacos, burritos, nachos, fries.

UNITS (ATL): 9 UNITS (CAN): 181 FRANCHISE FEE: $48,800 (US) ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 5.0% taCo Del Mar TEL: 855-425-0868 www.tacodelmar.com TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Burritos, tacos, quesadillas.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 47 FRANCHISE FEE: $15,000 ROYALTY FEE: 8.00% AD FEE: 4.50% tCby CanaDa (Mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.tcbycanada.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Frozen yogurt, ice cream.

UNITS (ATL): 16 UNITS (CAN): 43 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 terIyakI exPerIenCe (Ifb) TEL: 905-337-4918 www.teriyakiexperience.com PERSONNEL: Nik Jurkovic TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Teriyaki rice and noodle meals, noodle soup bowls, wraps, salad, sushi.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 110 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% thaI exPreSS (Mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.thaiexpress.ca PERSONNEL: Dennis Ng TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pad Thai, pad sew.

UNITS (ATL): 6 UNITS (CAN): 197 thaI Ivory CuISIne TEL: 902-431-8424 www.thaiivorycuisine.ca TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Thai.

UNITS (ATL): 4 UNITS (CAN): 4 the battereD fISh TEL: 902-491-4734 www.thebatteredfish.ca TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Seafood, poutine, tacos, burgers and fries.

UNITS (ATL): 8 UNITS (CAN): 10

FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 1.0% the MIDDle SPoon TEL: 902-407-4002 www.themiddlespoon.ca PERSONNEL: Lacey Doherty TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Desserts.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 2 FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% tIM hortonS (reStaurant branDS InternatIonal) TEL: 905-339-5710 www.timhortons.com PERSONNEL: Victoria Lynch TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Coffee, tea, specialty coffee, doughnuts, muffins, cookies, soup, sandwiches, chili, wraps.

UNITS (ATL): 368 UNITS (CAN): 3,650 ROYALTY FEE: 4.5% AD FEE: 4.0% tIMothy’S worlD Coffee TEL: 905-482-7312 www.timothyscafes.com TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Coffee, lattes, tea, hot chocolate, frappes, Timtations, pastries, cookies, muffins and croissants.

UNITS (ATL): 2 UNITS (CAN): 47 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 9.0% AD FEE: 2.0% treatS CanaDa CorPoratIon TEL: 613-563-4073 www.treats.com TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, soups.

UNITS (ATL): 10 UNITS (CAN): 56 FRANCHISE FEE: $15,000 ROYALTY FEE: 7.0-8.0% AD FEE: 1.0-2.0%

—v— vanellI’S reStaurantS lIMIteD (Mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.vanellisrestaurants.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Pizza and pasta.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 28 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% vIlla MaDIna (Mty) TEL: 514-336-8885 www.villamadina.com PERSONNEL: Bill Hamam TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Pitas, salads, entrees, desserts.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 42 FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000

ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% wIng n It TEL: 709-237-5465 www.wingnit.ca TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Wings, ribs and pizza flatbreads.

UNITS (ATL): 10 UNITS (CAN): 10 wok box freSh aSIan kItChen TEL: 778-571-4200 www.wokbox.ca PERSONNEL: Lawrence Eade TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Wok-cooked stirfries, regional rice bowls, Asian sharables, soups.

UNITS (ATL): 4 UNITS (CAN): 49 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% wooDy’S bar-b-Q TEL: 905-455-1938 www.woodysbarbq.ca PERSONNEL: Dan Masters TYPE: Family MENU ITEMS: Barbecue ribs, chicken.

UNITS (ATL): 3 UNITS (CAN): 13 FRANCHISE FEE: $39,500 ROYALTY FEE: 5.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—y— yeh yogurt (DynaMIC franChISIng) www.yehyogurt.com PERSONNEL: franchise@ yehyogurt.com TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Frozen yogurt.

UNITS (ATL): 4 UNITS (CAN): 18 FRANCHISE FEE: $35,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 2.0% yogen fruz CanaDa InC. (Mty) TEL: 905-479-8762 www.yogenfruz.com PERSONNEL: Sarah Kulbatski TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Frozen yogurt, soft serve yogurt, smoothies and ice cream.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 129 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0% yogurty’S TEL: 905-479-5040 www.yogurtys.com PERSONNEL: Jeff Johnston TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Frozen yogurt.

UNITS (ATL): 1 UNITS (CAN): 38 FRANCHISE FEE: $25,000 ROYALTY FEE: 6.0% AD FEE: 3.0%

—w— wenDy’S reStaurantS of CanaDa InC. TEL: 416-355-7419 www.wendys.ca PERSONNEL: Jane Dann TYPE: Quick Service MENU ITEMS: Hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, french fries, chili, Frosty’s, baked potato, poutine.

UNITS (ATL): 35 UNITS (CAN): 369 FRANCHISE FEE: $40,000 ROYALTY FEE: 4.0% AD FEE: 4.0% weSt SIDe CharlIe’S TEL: 709-738-4747 www.westsidecharlies.com PERSONNEL: Wade Gravelle TYPE: Casual MENU ITEMS: Wings, chicken, fries.

UNITS (ATL): 10 UNITS (CAN): 10 FRANCHISE FEE: $20,000

Please email changes or additions for our online listings and next year’s report to pelliott@ canadianrestaurantnews.com, subject line: Franchise Report 2016 changes.

September 2016 | 1 1

McCain announces french fry plant expansion FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL, N.B. — McCain Foods is investing $65 million in its french fry plant that will expand capability and create between 40 and 50 new jobs.

The company is adding a new production line to the Florenceville-Bristol, N.B., plant meet growing demands for hash brown patties and similar potato products.

The investment will include a 32,000-squarefoot expansion to the existing fry plant as well as state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and technology.

McCain Foods regional president for North America Jeffery DeLapp said the new line will allow the company to better meet the needs of its retail and foodservice customers in Canada, the United States and other export markets.

“Hash browns and other specialty products are the fastest-growing segment of the potato market,” he said.

“This investment will help us continue to grow our North American and export businesses and just as importantly, allow us to support our customers’ growth targets as well.”

Shai Altman, president of McCain Foods (Canada), said the enhanced capability of the Florenceville-Bristol facility, following its expansion, will allow the company to offer a broader range of products to its Canadian customers and consumers.

“Consumers are demanding more choice than ever before,” Altman said.

“This investment will help us meet that demand by expanding our existing product port-

folio and developing new innovative potato specialties that people can enjoy at home or at their favourite restaurant.”

McCain expects the project will benefit New Brunswick. Dale McCarthy, vice-president of integrated supply chain, North America, noted that the expansion will stimulate economic growth in the area and will have a significant impact on New Brunswick potato growers.

“We are probably going to need an additional 4,000 acres of potatoes or more to feed the new production line,” he said.

“We will obviously buy all that we can locally, but we may have to even reach across borders to meet our needs.”

McCarthy noted this is the biggest single investment McCain has made in any Canadian

facility since 2008, when it opened the new french fry facility in Florenceville-Bristol to replace the first plant ever built by the company in 1957.

“We are delighted to be making this investment in our home town,” he said.

“The Florenceville area has been good to us over the last 60 years. It has provided us with the skilled workforce and dedicated farmers that helped build our company and achieve the international success that we enjoy today. It is great to be able to continue to invest in the community in this way.”

Construction at the facility began in June and the company expects the new line to begin producing hash browns, and other products, in late 2017 or early 2018.

Unipco celebrates 30 years

New vice-president of member services Matt Doiron.

1 2 | Atlantic Restaurant News

MONCTON, N.B. — Unipco is an Atlantic Canada company with “national aspirations,” according to president and CEO Eric Sloan.

“The dream of [founder] Ken Judson, at the time, started in 1986,” Sloan said of the 30-year-old purchasing group.

The members purchased the business from Judson in 1997.

“Remarkably, that was a critical point and really a turning point in Unipco because it got the imagination of the grassroots industry and really drove the membership to a new level,” said Sloan, who has been with the company for eight years and at the helm for about six.

Sloan said growth in the Maritimes was relatively steady before the member buyout.

“Then once the members bought him out, there was a strong growth for a good number of years, but then it became relatively stagnant in the Maritimes,” said Sloan.

The board and Dave MacTavish, who is now Unipco executive vice-president, decided the organization needed to move into new provinces if it were to survive long-term.

Eight years ago, Unipco moved into Newfoundland and Labrador, then Ontario and most recently Quebec.

With about 670 members in six provinces, Sloan estimates the number of independent foodservice operators Unipco serves has doubled in the last five years.

Unipco has exclusive arrangements geographically with broadline distributors: ADL Foods for Prince Edward Island, Capital Foodservice in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Colabor Food Distributor in Quebec and Flanagan Foodservice in Ontario.

“We have a very advantageous cost plus arrangement with our broadline partners. We also have about 140 contracts that we manage with manufacturing and service providers, which give preferential treatment to the end user,” said Sloan, adding Unipco also monitors pricing for its independent operator members.

Sloan noted Unipco has zero retained earnings, meaning there is par value to shares, but no accumulated wealth.

“A [shareholder] and a member share in the earnings the exact same way,” Sloan explained.

“The shareholder has a vote where the member does not, but we’re very member focused, so we appreciate and certainly listen to each and every member.”

Zero retained earnings also means Unipco typically doesn’t advertise, so growth takes time and word of mouth, Sloan noted.

“We certainly see the opportunity to double our membership to grow beyond the Ontario border,” he said.

“We’d like to be known as a national group purchasing organization — we have national aspirations.”

Distillery draws from Nova Scotia’s rum-running past

By Kristen Smith HALIFAX — The women behind Prince Edward Distillery are running rum to Nova Scotia’s bars and restaurants.

Julie Shore and Arla Johnson opened Halifax Distilling Company in mid-July on Lower Water Street in the former Mother Tucker’s restaurant across from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

“We took over the 10,000 square feet, we gutted the entire building,” said Johnson.

However, the pair didn’t do away with the original wood bar, which the former owners brought over from England.

“It’s this massive bar that’s just beautiful … we kept that of course,” she said.

Drawing on the province’s rum-running past, interior decor features denote the history of the rum trade that took place on Nova Scotia shores, including bootlegging women. A map is planned to show the routes. In addition to the rum-soaked history of the province, Shore will be carrying on a family tradition.

There is distilling in her heritage and this history will be on display as well.

When Prohibition started, Shore’s family turned to farming.

“So she is the first generation since four generations ago to bring distilling back into the family,” Johnson noted.

Like the moniker of her great-great-grandfather’s

whisky, I.C. Shore, Halifax Distilling will name its rum for its maker, J.D. Shore.

Halifax Distilling will produce what it is calling its social line: white, black, amber and spiced rum. It’s named as such because it is “approachable in flavour character and price,” said Johnson.

It will also sell some products onsite only: a single rye, bourbon-style whisky and reserve rum.

“We started making whiskies and rum nine years ago, so we have beautiful cask-aged products that we’re launching as a reserve line,” Johnson said.

Shore and Johnson’s original distilling company opened in Hermanville, P.E.I., and still operates with a focus on vodka. The couple hopes to be able to promote their craft products throughout Atlantic Canada.

Right now, Shore and Johnson are focusing on “peddling” their rum to bars and restaurants.

“We’ve signed on quite a few [licensees]. That’s what we’re concentrating on now, signing on a lot of new clients,” said Johnson. “Nova Scotia is great, when they say they support local, they truly do.”

Shore uses fancy grade molasses — a very sweet type of molasses commonly used as a topping for pancakes — from Guatemala. A splash of Caribbean rum from Trinidad adds a tropical note and the finished product is stored in once-filled bourbon barrels. “[Shore] uses big totes of fancy grade molasses so it’s really rich in character and then she takes it to the nice copper still,” Johnson said.

Arla Johnson and Julie Shore.

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company is now national cess. It’s kind of hard work and patience that wins the day,” he said. “We’re not coming in with a giant advertising budget thinkVANKLEEK HILL, Ont. — Beau’s All Natural Brewing is mark- ing we will just take over and sell all the beer.”

Beauchesne added craft breweries being purchased by large ing its 10th anniversary by distributing its product nationwide.

In July, the brewery announced its flagship Lug Tread La- beverage corporations also sparked the move to national distrigered Ale would be available throughout most of Canada by the bution.

“There’s a real need for strong independent Canadian voices end of summer.

“In turning 10, we’ve been doing a lot of soul searching,” said in the beer world, in particular craft beer,” he said.

He added when a small brewery is sold to a major brand, Beau’s co-founder Steve Beauchesne. “We took the milestone not as an opportunity to pat ourselves on the back, but to set forth Beau’s inbox and phones lines are overwhelmed by customers ensuring they don’t plan to make the same direction.” move.

About a year ago, Beau’s took its first “A part of why people love us is we’re steps into the Canadian market, outside of local and independent,” Beauchesne said.

Ontario, into Quebec.

Beau’s also celebrated its 10th anniverWithin six months, Quebec represented sary by selling the company to its employabout 10 per cent of the company’s sales. ees, through an employee share ownership In 2015, the brewery sold five million litres program. of beer.

“It’s purchasing real shares. It’s not “Our success in Quebec has given us the profit sharing or virtual stock,” Beauchesne confidence to push beyond the regional basaid. sis we were holding,” Beauchesne said.

Through the program, employees re“We were able to do in one year in ceive an annual dividend, with a third-party Quebec what it took us five years to do in firm calculation of the brewery’s valuation.

Ontario. We’re still seeing it grow at a magEach year, employees also have a chance to nificent pace.” purchase stock.

The expansion began with New BrunsSteve Beauchesne “The goal is to move it so 100 per cent wick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and of the company is owned by people that are Alberta. In mid-July, the company gained active in the company,” said Beauchesne. “The power this has for approval to sell in British Columbia and Newfoundland.

“By this time next year we’ll be in all the provinces. We’re our employees is tremendous.”

As well, the brewery announced a legacy gift for students in hopeful we might get into the territories as well,” Beauchesne Niagara College’s brewmaster and brewery operations managesaid.

The expansion strategy will begin by establishing relation- ment programs. Each year, the brewery will provide three $1,000 ships with bars and restaurants throughout the country, explained awards and one $2,000 scholarship to students for diversity in brewing and for innovation in brewing.

Beauchesne.

While the brewery makes its way across Canada, Beauchesne “When you go that method, you don’t expect overnight sucBy Bill Tremblay

said he doesn’t see the company opening secondary breweries outside of Vankleek Hill, Ont., to meet demand.

“We will need to expand in terms of internal capacity,” he said, noting the brewery has enough space to produce five times more beer.

23 Venture Crescent, Elmsdale, NS 902-883-3244 • www.jymline.com jymline@jymline.com • sales@jymline.com

Your LOCAL choice for custom decorated drink ware since 1969.

September 2016 | 1 3

Understanding HMR

By Scott Stewart

I

n recent years, the Home Meal Replacement (HMR) segment of the foodservice market has continually gained recognition as a growing trend and evolving category. Within a decade, this segment has developed from rotisserie ovens full of chicken, to salad bars, pizza ovens and pre-made gourmet meals.

However, despite the shift in offerings from this segment, many still perceive the consumer set as similar to the days of chickens rotating in an oven. The term HRM evokes an image of a mom or dad picking up hot, prepared food from the grocery store after work because they don’t have time to make dinner at home. But is that really the core consumer in today’s HMR segment?

Striking a chord with millennials Despite the assumption that HMR is primarily designed for parents and families, evidence shows it is actually millennials who are the most attracted to this foodservice segment.

According to The NPD Group, 34 per cent of all HMR occasions come from 18 to 34 year olds. In comparison, this age group represents 28 per cent of QSR and FSR visits. Furthermore, households without kids actually make up a larger share of HMR (64 per cent) than QSR and FSR (62 per cent).

While these numbers do not mean that it is strictly millennials who visit HMR, it highlights there are more people than just parents using grocery stores as foodservice outlets, and

Why did consumers choose that food option?

it shows the younger generation of adults are more willing to adopt this developing segment as a legitimate foodservice option. This suggests HMR will continue to grow in the future, because younger generations have grown up with it and these grocery stores will be in their consideration sets right alongside leading QSR and FSR chains.

Provides healthy choices

5%

11%

Not just about convenience One part of the traditional assumptions about HMR is correct: convenience is a key motivator. Consumers who visited HMR because they were rushed for time represent 15 per cent of all HMR visits, while only 10 per cent of QSR and FSR visits were driven by this time crunch.

However, even though convenience is a key factor at HMR, it is not its sole differentiator.

Among HMR consumers, 11 per cent say they visited because of the healthy choices available.

This is more than twice as high as the five per cent of QSR and FSR consumers who visit for the same reason. So while convenience is certainly important, this segment of foodservice is also positioned to capitalize on the health trends in the industry.

Dependence on off-premise As much as grocery stores work to develop their on-premise seating, HMR is still heavily dependent on the off-premise occasion. Almost half, 44 per cent, of all HMR meals are eaten at home, compared to 22 per cent of QSR and FSR; and 18 per cent is consumed at work

 QSR & FSR  HMR

10%

Had limited time

15% 0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

Understanding the real HMR

ment is likely to become more and more competitive with traditional QSR and FSR options, as younger generations become more comfortable and familiar with using grocery stores as a foodservice option.

For the rest of the market, this means it will become increasingly important to differentiate from the HMR experience. Highlighting the on-premise experience that HMR cannot yet match will remind consumers that QSR and FSR outlets provide more than just food — they provide a complete dining experience.

As the HMR trend continues to grow, it is important to fully understand the consumers most likely to use this segment of the industry.

HMR has differentiated itself from the rest of the market by developing strong health perceptions, and it is resonating well with the younger demographics. In the future, this means this seg-

Scott Stewart is an account manager, foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. The NPD Group has more than 25 years of experience providing reliable and comprehensive consumer-based market information to leaders in the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com.

versus only 10 per cent for QSR or FSR. This highlights an opportunity for non-HMR operators to compete with this segment. While HMR has been successful with emerging trends like millennials and healthy options, providing an all-around dining experience is still very difficult for the segment. QSR and FSR operators can leverage their dining rooms to show consumers what makes them better than buying from a grocery store.

Life-threatening food allergies: Making front and back of house communication work

By Andrea Lobel Shainblum

W

hen Jennifer Michelin ordered a meal at a Montreal restaurant, she never expected to leave in an ambulance. Having explained her peanut allergy to the server, she felt confident in her meal’s safety.

“He assured us the food would be safe. He had even stated that he checked with the chef,” Michelin said. And yet, she reacted after a single bite. The restaurant had no allergy procedures in place, but they called 9-1-1 and Michelin injected herself with her EpiPen. As Michelin explains, “To this day, it was the scariest few minutes of my life.”

Communication breakdowns Like Simon-Pierre Canuel, who recently suffered an anaphylactic reaction in a Sherbrooke, Que. restaurant, leading to the arrest of a waiter who allegedly served him his allergen, Michelin informed her server of her allergy. The question is what happened next in the communication sequence.

I’m often asked how to reduce allergen cross-contact, and this is a core component of allergy training. But equally important are clear communication between the customer and the front and back of house, and a printed allergyreadiness plan rehearsed during training to prepare employees to serve allergic diners.

Once an allergy-readiness plan is in place, it takes little time to respond to diners with food

1 4 | Atlantic Restaurant News

allergies. This planning can help restaurants avoid lawsuits, criminal charges and most importantly, the need to call an ambulance for a diner in distress. An effective plan addresses two broad training goals: allergy risk-reduction and emergency response. Here are some tips to help improve allergy communications across both.

Risk-reduction: information flow For all staff, education is key. First, they should be informed that food allergies can be deadly, and that allergic customers are not simply being picky.

I recommend a clear menu to make it easier for the allergic customer to order. There are several ways to implement this. One method is to include priority allergens in the titles of menu items. Another is to provide current ingredient listings. It’s also useful to include a menu notice asking guests to inform their server of food allergies or other special dietary requirements, such as gluten-free meals.

When the server is informed of the allergy, this immediately sets the allergy plan into motion. Next, the server should notify a pre-designated point person — ideally the chef or the manager. This person should come to the table to speak with the customer to help them choose a safe menu item. This may include advising against higher-risk dishes with invisible ingredients, such as stews, fried foods and desserts. If it is impossible to prepare a safe meal, this should be communicated to the diner.

Next, the point person communicates the allergy to the chef, who verifies all ingredients.

The point person or the chef then returns to the diner to discuss the ingredients and place the order.

In the kitchen, it’s preferable for one person, usually the chef, to handle the order and oversee risk-reduction processes. A thorough allergy training program can provide more detail regarding best-practices and cross-contact avoidance.

The manager, chef or server then carries the plate to the table separate from other orders.

Shortly after the guest begins eating, the server or point person should check with them to ensure the meal meets their needs.

We’re only human It’s crucial to admit to a mistake, and the order should be made again from scratch. Removing the allergen from the meal does not remove allergenic traces, and these can trigger reactions.

Emergency response Despite risk-reduction measures, accidents happen, so it’s important for all employees to be ready. If a guest reacts, they must be taken seriously. Don’t wait to see if symptoms improve.

Take action immediately.

If the diner has an EpiPen, they should inject without delay. They should not stand, as this has been linked to fatal anaphylaxis.

A checklist of emergency steps and the restaurant address should be kept near the phone.

Call 9-1-1 and say it is an allergic emergency.

If there is a second dose of epinephrine available and symptoms aren’t improving, this can be administered as soon as five minutes after the first dose. Someone should then call their emergency contact.

Putting it in writing An ideal allergy plan is in writing, and covers risk-reduction and emergencies. This includes steps to follow from the moment a guest with allergies arrives to the time they leave. The plan also designates the people responsible for answering allergy questions, checking ingredients, preparing meals and responding to emergencies.

As Jennifer Michelin sees it, “education is needed for the entire restaurant staff.” With an allergy readiness plan, staff training, and clear communication strategies and tactics in place, restaurants can serve food allergic diners with increased confidence. And with food allergies on the rise, this is an industry goal well worth working toward.

Andrea Lobel Shainblum is president of Allercom Allergy Consulting, Inc., which trains restaurants and other organizations Canada-wide in allergy riskreduction services, and is the exclusive provider of the AllergyAudit System. For more information, visit www. allercom.com or contact her at info@allercom.com

2016 – 2017

PRINT & ONLINE PACKAGE Includes unlimited online access to chainsdirect.net for one year for multiple users, plus a two-volume desktop reference set.

C

A

N

A

D

I

A

N

VOLUME 2

VOLUME 1

Chains Directory

THE MOST UP-TO-DATE CHAINS DIRECTORY FOR THE CANADIAN FOODSERVICE AND LODGING INDUSTRIES.

VOLUME 1 - FOODSERVICE FEATURES: Restaurants & Fast Food, Casinos & Racetracks, Equipment Dealers and Food Distributors, Health Care Institutions, Hospitals, Government Institutions, Contract Caterers, Colleges & Universities.

Listings for more than 5,572 companies, including more than 5,000 purchasing contacts; 497 restaurant chains representing over 27,000 locations or $32.4 billion in sales; and 2,248 hotel developer/owners, parent companies, head offices, management companies and units.

VOLUME 2 - HOTELS FEATURES: Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Developers/Owners, Managers, Parent Companies, Head Offices and Units.

CONTACT SALES@CANADIANRESTAURANTNEWS.COM OR 800-201-8596 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

CHAINSDIRECT.NET

Need a 100% Genuine OEM foodservice kitchen replacement part?

Let us handle it.

Our dedicated parts specialists and same-day shipping make it easy for you to get the part you need, when and where you need it.

800.268.6316 Š2016 TM/MC Heritage Foodservice Group Canada