QSR :: Franchise FYI

Tag Archives: QSR

Tim Hortons introduces NHL cards

Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2012 in Food Services

Quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise Tim Hortons has given Canadians another way to show off their pride and support their favourite National Hockey League (NHL) teams, with limited-edition payment cards.

The company unveiled individual cards earlier this year for all 30 NHL teams, as well as one card featuring all 30 team logos. The cards came preloaded with $15 and, when registered at Tim Hortons’ website (www.timhortons.com), could be easily reloaded at the customer’s convenience.

The cards were introduced in the middle of the NHL season, for a limited time, with the expectation they would become highly sought-after collectibles for hockey fans across Canada.

The NHL Tim Cards feature all 30 teams’ logos.

Tags: food service, Franchise FYI, NHL, QSR, Tim Hortons

Topper’s passes healthy eating test

Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 in Food Services

Ontario schoolchildren won’t have to say goodbye to their ‘pizza days,’ despite new healthy eating standards, according to quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchisor Topper’s Pizza.

The company’s recently submitted nutritional chart got a passing grade from an Ontario government dietician, who classified the chain’s menu offerings as ‘100 per cent compliant’ with the new provincial standards.

“Schools across Ontario can be assured that a typical lunch-size slice of Topper’s cheese or cheese and pepperoni pizza either meets or exceeds the new Nutrition Standards for Ontario Schools in all categories, including protein, fibre, sodium, saturated fat and overall fat,” said Emaan Toppazzini, director of product development for Topper’s Franchise Company Inc.

Topper’s recently expanded its menu to include healthier options, including multi-grain and gluten-free crusts, turkey pepperoni and reduced quantities of cheese. These options are all available through Topper’s Pizza School Program. The company also posts nutritional information for its offerings on its website.

Emaan Toppazzini, Topper’s director of product development, recently announced the franchise’s compliance with new healthy lunch standards in place at Ontario schools.

Tags: food service, Franchise FYI, QSR, Topper's Pizza

Special pizza takes Valentine’s to heart

Posted Monday, April 2, 2012 in Food Services

From February 6 to 20, Cupid’s arrow struck Pizza Pizza franchises in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, which offered special heart-shaped pizzas with healthy ingredients to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The Valentine’s Veggie Delight pizza featured Roma tomatoes, green peppers and mozzarella cheese on a heart-shaped crust, equivalent in size to a traditional medium pizza and selling for $9.99.

“Our team takes Valentine’s Day to heart,” says Pat Finelli, chief marketing officer. “Sharing a special meal is an important part of the occasion and we were excited to be able to help.”

The company proudly admitted it was the “cheesiest Valentine’s Day present ever!”

Pizza Pizza’s heart-shaped offering was available only for a limited time.

Tags: food service, Franchise FYI, Pizza, Pizza Pizza, QSR

U.S. Quick-service Restaurant Tossed Coming to Canada

Posted Thursday, April 21, 2011 in Food Services

Jeff Potoroka of Abbotsford, B.C., has signed a franchise agreement to bring Tossed, a U.S. quick-service restaurant (QSR) offering salads, crepe wraps and sandwiches, to Canada. Under the agreement, Potoroka is slated to open his first location early in 2011, with as many as three additional stores to follow. This marks Tossed’s first international expansion.

Tags: Franchise Agreement, Franchise Buzz, QSR

Topper’s Adds New Recruitment Tool

Posted Tuesday, April 5, 2011 in Food Services

In an effort to continue its franchised expansion and reach out to more prospective franchisees, Ontario-based quick-service restaurant (QSR) Topper’s Pizza has implemented a new franchise recruitment software platform.

Using Captivate®, a software system developed by FranConnect, visitors to the Topper’s website will have access to informational and testimonial videos about buying a franchise, along with a series of tests to determine their suitability for life as a franchisee.
“With this system, we will be able to walk prospective franchisees through the process of learning what they need to know about becoming a Topper’s franchisee,” says Topper’s president Keith Toppazzini. “It takes prospective franchisees through the entire qualification process, from the time the initial lead is generated to executing the franchise agreement.”

Founded in 1982 as a family-run business, Topper’s Pizza has since grown to include 35 locations across the province.

Tags: Franchise Agreement, Franchise FYI, Pizza, QSR

Bringing a Franchise to a New Market – Slow and Steady

Posted Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in Franchise Info

By Mark C. Siebert

In highly competitive areas, a franchisor might simply be looking for the right franchisee to make its first foray into the market. However, be wary of franchisors that are too eager to sign you on the dotted line. The franchisor needs to conduct the same assessment of the market and your qualifications as it would if it were adding a location in an established area. In any market, new or established, an unsuccessful franchisee can sink a franchise program—and rushing into a bad situation can spell disaster for you, as well.

Before agreeing to be the first franchisee in a remote market, you must ensure the franchisor can properly support a franchise in said market. This will depend, in part, on the type of franchise system. For example, a web-based professional services business is easier to support remotely than a quick- or full-service restaurant (QSR or FSR).
You should also inquire about the logistics of delivery and supply issues. For example, is the franchise based around products that are locally sourced or are there national suppliers that can provide crucial materials? Are the products and services necessary for the business so unique that a substitute is not appropriate?

Read the full article Bringing a Franchise to a New Market

Tags: Mark C. Siebert, QSR, Taking Charge

Building a Better Burger Franchise

Posted Thursday, January 27, 2011 in Food Services

By Kristine Archer

Pineapple, beets and a fried egg don’t sound like typical burger toppings—unless you’re ordering an ‘Aussie Burger’ from John Ward, owner of Gourmet Burger Co.

Ward, who moved to Canada from Australia more than 15 years ago and has more than 20 years of restaurant experience, has combined North American burger traditions with those of his native land in the new quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, which offers a variety of high-end burgers and sides.

“Back in Australia, pretty much every street corner has what they call a ‘mixed business,’” Ward explains. “They do hamburgers, rotisserie chickens, salads, and everything’s made from scratch with fresh ingredients. I modelled Gourmet Burger Co. on that theme.”

No stranger to entrepreneurship, Ward has owned five establishments over the course of his career, from traditional full-service restaurants (FSRs) to pubs and bars. After starting a family, he was looking for a new challenge that wouldn’t require as many late nights; soon, he began developing Gourmet Burger Co.

The first location, in the Cabbagetown section of downtown Toronto, opened its doors on Nov. 12, 2008, providing ground-and-grilled-to-order burgers with no added filler and topped with fresh ingredients.

“It snowballed. The first Friday night we were open, we were so busy we ran out of burgers,” he says, noting the restaurant closed almost three hours ahead of schedule.

John Ward is owner of Gourmet Burger Co.

Read the full article: Building a Better Burger Franchise

Tags: burger, Just Beginning, Kristine Archer, QSR

Wendy’s Revamps Salad Offerings

Posted Friday, December 10, 2010 in Food Services

Customers visiting their local Wendy’s now have four new meal-sized salad options to choose from.

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, which originally launched its Garden Sensations line in 2002, introduced the new varieties this summer, promoting the change with an advertising blitz. Diners can now choose from the Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Caesar and Baja salads.

The offerings are designed to differentiate the chain from the competition by providing customers with “high-quality ingredients and interesting flavour combinations they would expect to find in a café or casual dining restaurant,” according to a recent press release.

Wendy’s also introduced new exclusive Marzetti’s dressings to accompany the salads, including Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Avocado Ranch, Lemon Garlic Caesar and Creamy Red Jalapeno. The chain also continues to offer its traditional garden and Caesar side salads.

Tags: advertising, Franchise Buzz, Franchise FYI, QSR

Serving Up Fun

Posted Monday, November 22, 2010 in Food Services

By Diane Peters

Last fall, two different Toronto-based entrepreneurs who were total strangers both heard about a unique frozen yogurt franchise concept called Menchie’s.

Party organizer Sheryl Bielas learned about it from her daughter, who called after visiting an outlet in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, franchise industry veteran Michael Shneer got a call around the same time from a friend in California.

“You need to come down here to see this thing called Menchie’s,” the friend told him. “It’s so popular and busy all the time.”

Within a few months, Shneer had bought the master franchise rights for Canada under his newly formed company Yogurtworld Corporation, and Bielas was introduced to him and agreed to be the concept’s very first Canadian franchisee.

“For a long time I’d been looking for something, a business all my own that had a location I could go to,” says Bielas, who was only busy with her party business part-time.

According to the pair, what sets Menchie’s apart from other yogurt quick-service restaurants (QSRs) is its wide range of health-conscious yogurt varieties (non-fat, low carb, non-dairy, kosher and no-sugar-added), and selection of more than 100 rotating flavours.

Read the full article Serving Up Fun

Tags: Diane Peters, Just Beginning, QSR

MTY Food Group Inc. to Acquire All Shares of Groupe Valentine Inc., a Quebec-based Restaurant Franchisor.

Posted Wednesday, November 17, 2010 in Food Services

MTY Tiki Ming Enterprises Inc., wholly-owned subsidiary of MTY Food Group Inc., has entered into a binding agreement to acquire all issued shares of Groupe Valentine Inc., a Quebec-based quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchisor. In addition to Valentine’s franchising operation, which comprises 86 locations (plus nine corporate locations), the transaction includes seven real estate properties, including land and buildings. Closing was scheduled for September 2010.

Tags: Franchise FYI, QSR