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By Colleen Isherwood, senior contributing editor
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May 15, is a 29-room luxury establishment, with room rates starting at $500 per night. It is the brainchild of Zita Cobb, whose idea was to attract wealthy explorer travellers who want a unique and locally authentic experience. To appeal to such clientele, the restaurant must be top notch. It has made enRoute magazine’s shortlist of 35 Top New Restaurants. (This year’s Top 10 and People’s Choice award winners will be announced next month in Toronto.)
JOE BATT’S ARM, NL—Cooking fresh and indigenous meals is a challenge when your location is a rocky island off the coast of Newfoundland—even for someone who has travelled the world and most recently helped open the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel restaurants. The Fogo Island Inn, which opened
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Fogo Island Inn executive chef Murray McDonald. Photo by Alex Fradkin.
Burrito Jax expands
Gord and Eleanor Delano.
By Kristen Smith, assistant editor, digital content HALIFAX—Burrito Jax is expanding in Atlantic Canada with the impending opening of a Charlottetown, PEI, store and a handful of Nova Scotia
franchise locations in the works. Gord Delano, co-owner and president of G4U Foods Inc., which owns the Halifax-based brand, told ARN franchising was always the plan for Burrito Jax. The chain opened its flagship location on Blowers Street in
2009. In October 2012, the first franchise opened in the suburban community of Lower Sackville. Two franchises are planned to open in the Halifax Municipal Region in November at 978 Cole Harbour Rd. and at 3117 Kempt Rd. In the Clayton Park and Burnside areas and in Charlottetown, site selection is underway. “We’re going right across the country with it,” said Delano, who noted new locations will be based on demand and there have been franchise inquiries from British Columbia to Newfoundland. “We have made some verbal commitments to develop in Calgary and Toronto in the next six months.” He said the franchise isn’t rushing into anything and is ensuring everything is in order and its systems work as it expands. “There’s no shortage of appetite for people to be entrepreneurs in this country,” said Delano. “We’re not crawling, but we’re not running yet. We’re walking.” Continued on page 5
2013
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Where locals and tourists mingle...
Delta Prince Edward lobby bar.
By Colleen Isherwood
At the Delta Prince Edward, from left, Zubair Siddiqi, GM, Javier Alarco, executive chef, and Ben Tsang, director of food and beverage.
CHARLOTTETOWN—Zubair Siddiqi, GM of the Delta Prince Edward hotel is proud of the huge transformation of the hotel’s lobby and restaurant, designed by Kara MacGregor of MAC Interior Design, Halifax. Delta president and CEO Ken Greene is equally taken with the results. “The Delta Prince Edward represents the renovations we are doing in other parts of the country,” Greene told ARN. “Stay tuned
for renovations in every single Delta across Canada.” The renovations were completed in time for the Aug. 1 opening of the PEI Convention Centre, which is attached to the hotel. The bar, tucked away before, is now the lobby showpiece. “It’s amazing that people on their way to a gala stop by and have a drink,” said Siddiqi. “Or they can sit at a table and have a meal. It’s a very friendly space that transitions from lobby to lounge.” There are 168 seats in the lobby area. At the bar, seven out of eight beers are regional, with five from P.E.I. “There’s a sense of place,” said Siddiqi, adding that there are far more guests and locals driving afternoon traffic at the bar these days. Javier Alarco, the hotel’s executive chef, previously worked at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre and several Hyatt properties. Water’s Edge, the 44-seat resto/bar/grill with humourous touches on its menus, offers lunch entrees including the Wholly Cow, which is candied maple bacon-wrapped meat loaf. Seasonal dishes have included the Edgggie Vegggie, portabella mushroom caps with gouda, sautéed bell peppers and onions, steak tomatoes and lettuce on a burger bun. Both cost $13. Dinner entrees include Big Bird, three ounces of cast iron-seared ostrich, asparagus and chimichurri for $19; lamb lollies ($19) and tatanka bison ($17). 18 Queen St., Charlottetown, (902) 894-1208, www.watersedgepei.ca.
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Taking a bite out of the burrito market Continued from cover
The bright yellow and red decor accented by blue and green will carry throughout future franchise locations, which will have about five or six cafe-style tables and an average footprint of approximately 1,000 square feet. The chain has a substantial takeout business and caters functions of up to 250 people. Delano said the franchise maintains very strict guidelines regarding how food is prepared. Everything is made in house at the fresh-prep restaurant, including its sauces,
HERE’S TO
such as its cranberry salsa and burrito sauce (sour cream infused with lime, herbs and garlic). “What you see is what you get,” he said. “We don’t pretend to be something we’re not.” Franchisees are expected to eat at one of the Halifax locations at least three times before discussing franchising or any of the brand’s signature items, such as the Jax chicken and pulled pork burritos (between $8 and $10 with a drink, depending on size). Delano said, based on market studies and
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customer feedback, he is comfortable with the brand’s ability to compete in different markets. “Halifax has the advantage of being very much a tourist town in the summer,” said Delano, noting there are many cruise ships bringing tourists to the coastal city from North America and abroad and a large visitor population from Ontario and Quebec. With each burrito tailor-made to diners’ preferences, Delano said it’s a customer-driven restaurant. “If the customer wants it, then it makes sense to do it,” he said.
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The people in your neighbourhood
ince its inception, the restaurant has served as a community hub, drawing together different strata of diners for a common purpose. Especially for smaller neighbourhood restaurants, the difference between profit and bankruptcy can lie in the loyalty of its locals. Some restaurateurs even get by with help from their friends (and the occasional stranger) by crowdsourcing the funds necessary to get their project off the ground; an idea that’s become increasingly popular through sites such as Kickstarter. Born out of community spirit, these restaurants naturally serve as an extension of the neighbourhood in which they reside. As restaurants move increasingly into residential areas, however, like any new neighbour, they can bring new issues. From noise complaints to charges of gentrification, these issues cast a spotlight on the changing role of the restaurant and how responsible it may or may not be to reflect its surroundings. A Corner Brook, NL bar owner found out the hard way last summer that good fences make good neighbours when residential noise
complaints to city council spurred $8,000 worth of changes to his establishment to fix an open garage-style door, requiring additional ventilation and electrical work. “It’s a conflict when you have a commercial zone with residents nearby,” Dave McHugh of McHugh’s Bar on Broadway told The Western Star. In Vancouver, this debate takes shape in protests around high-end restaurants in the Downtown Eastside, framed on one side by the operator trying to make a living and on the other, the people living there. In Toronto, the cap on new restaurants and bars in Parkdale was fuelled by residents who feared the noise and bustle a busy establishment could bring. A Montreal restaurant made national news when it was forbidden by city ordinance from serving alcohol on its patio—a harsh sentence in a city fuelled by its al fresco dining scene in the summer. The restaurant was visible from a local alcoholism treatment centre and although the operator installed large umbrellas to block the view, the concern was that the mere knowledge that alcohol was served would be problematic for the patients.
Bi t s Dome space rebranding as pub Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com
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HALIFAX—The Grafton Connor Group plans to open the Auction House pub Nov. 1 in the former Lawrence of Oregano’s portion of the Dome nightclub on Argyle Street. The seafood-influenced menu will offer “a twist on classic pub items,” vice-president of operations Gary Muise told ARN. Helming the kitchen will be Jeff McInnis, executive chef at the Five Fishermen Restaurant & Grill, which will share a kitchen with the Auction House in the Dome complex. The decor will reflect the pub’s auctionhouse theme and will feature a front section (the Bid), a middle room (the Office) and a back room (the Warehouse), said Muise. The 3,500-square-foot room will seat 125 to 140.
New Palace Cabaret relaunched HALIFAX—The New Palace Cabaret, which closed in April, is rebranding as a sports bar and plans to relaunch in September following renovations. The rebranded and refurbished space will reopen as HFX Sports Bar and Grill, according to The Chronicle Herald. In a statement posted on their website, New Palace owners Michel and Marcel Khoury attributed the Cabaret’s closure to “demographic changes and industry trends.”
Serving up local in NB
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Although these scenarios encompass very different and complex problems without simple solutions, the underlying questions remain the same: to what extent is the restaurant required to take on the identity of its surroundings, and does the operator have a duty to prioritize being a good neighbour over the restaurant’s profit margin to survive? Or does that reasoning lead to the NIMBY attitude currently being displayed in the fight over mega-casinos in urban areas in Vancouver and Toronto? Ultimately, it’s in the restaurateur’s best interest to ensure that they’re not encroaching on the spirit of the neighbourhood they enter. As Nicholas Lander writes in The Art of the Restaurateur, chefs operating out of sync with a neighbourhood can find themselves in hot water. “The leverage that residents have over any restaurateur is wide ranging and extensive, so much so that it can sometimes scupper the whole enterprise,” he observes, advising operators that good neighbours equal good business. After all, as the industry strives to source increasing amounts of local ingredients, it’s crucial to remember the importance of putting the same effort into sourcing local diners.
Comm e n t
www.atlanticrestaurantnews.com Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com
AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S
Student with shepherd’s pie at Blanche-Bourgeois school in Cocagne, NS.
Leslie Wu, Editorial Director
a nd
The brothers, who also own Halifax Alehouse, said with a number of upcoming projects and the new mayor’s plan to rejuvenate the downtown core, “we see extreme potential in both the downtown core and our prime location.”
La Chaine des Rôtisseurs to hold national young cooks competition WINNIPEG—Some of Canada’s talented upand-coming chefs will face off at Red River College’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute on Oct. 25 for the chance to represent Canada at the 37th Concours International des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs next September in South Africa. The competing young chefs (under the age of 27) were chosen through regional selection competitions and will be given half an hour to compose a three-course menu using all of the surprise basic ingredients in a basket along with pantry items. The participants then have three and a half hours to create a meal for four. Participants and sponsoring establishments include: Jamie Kerr, Atlantica Hotel Halifax; Dominique Roy, Fairmont Chateau Montebello; Ben Lillico, Benchmark Restaurant Niagara College; Chinnie Ramos for Glendale Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg; Rupert Garcia, Calgary Golf and Country Club; Garrett Rotel, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in NEW BRUNSWICK—French fries and sloppy joes have met their match with an overhaul of school cafeterias planned for the Francophone South School District in southeastern New Brunswick. The school district has partnered with farm co-op Really Local Harvest to bring fresh food, grown on local farms, onto the lunch lady’s menu. “Eating fresh foods is going to have such a huge benefit on health,” Kent Coates, president of Really Local Harvest, told the CBC. The program started in École
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Okanagan, BC; Westley Feist, Vancouver Pinnacle Marriott Dowtown; Brent Lukon, Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria, BC; and Shannon McNainy of Vons Steak & Oyster Bar, Edmonton.
FDA gluten-free labelling follows Canadian standards SILVER SPRING, MD—The Food and Drug Administration has set regulations for glutenfree labelling, establishing a national standard in the United States. As of Aug. 5, 2014, operators ordering gluten-free products from across the border will know that they meet the same standard as in Canada. Manufacturers will only be able to claim products are gluten-free if there is less than 20 parts per million (.002 per cent) of the protein, which is found in wheat, rye and barley. In 2004, the year the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law, sales of gluten-free products were $560 million, and rose to $4.2 billion last year. According to a report by market research firm Packaged Facts, the sales of gluten-free foods and beverages are expected to exceed $6.6 billion by 2017 in the U.S. Blanche-Bourgeois in Cocagne, NS, during the 2011–2012 school year and expanded to include four more schools the next year. This school year, with the involvement of Réseau des cafétérias communautaires (Community Cafeteria Network), 21 of 36 Francophone Sud School District cafeterias are on board. Coates, whose organization represents 28 farms in the region, said an earlier initiative to bring more fresh and local foods into cafeterias saw an increase from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of students purchasing lunch at school. The project will target feeding the approximately 8,000 students across the Francophone South School District, but organizers said the ultimate goal is to see local food incorporated into cafeterias across the province.
Photographer: Gabriel Panaiet
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n the world of franchising, Canada occupies a unique position. Geographically, we share a common border with the U.S. franchise behemoth, as does Mexico, but Canadians are more similar to Americans than any other culture on the planet—which suggests that American franchise successes are more likely to be repeated in Canada than anywhere else. Based on that promise, for decades, many Canadians have sought out and invested in U.S. franchises: some have achieved incredible results (witness the success of McDonald’s Canada) and others have failed miserably (anyone had a Red Barn burger recently?) Let’s take a brief look at some of the most common factors that spell the difference between success and failure.
Will the concept work in Canada? While we Canadians look, dress and speak (somewhat) similarly to Americans, there are some real differences in our cultures and buying habits. The problem is that these differences are not always obvious, which means Canadian franchise investors—and, for that matter,
“A Canadian expansion of a U.S. franchise system is a startup in many ways.”
U.S. franchisors—often make assumptions about the Canadian market that are not true (or not true enough). Foregoing a sufficiently thorough market study for the concept in Canada is like operating a piece of heavy equipment blindfolded. Local knowledge may lead to the investment being rejected or the concept being adapted properly for the Canadian market. Either way, the potential investor comes out a winner.
Can the U.S. franchisor support the system in Canada? In most cases, one of the principal reasons for buying the rights to a U.S. concept is to acquire the knowhow in that business by capitalizing on the franchisor’s experience and knowledge gained over many years and with much investment. Sounds good, but if the U.S. franchisor does not have a sufficient infrastructure to provide the critical and inevitably needed support to the Canadian investor, that great knowledge will be of little value. An examination of the franchisor’s capabilities to support the Canadian expansion is needed, at least in the early years.
Is there enough capital? A Canadian expansion of a U.S. franchise system is a startup in
many ways. Of course, with the knowledge of the franchisor, an expansion is much further along than a brand-new business concept, but the need for working capital will be significant while the business is being established in Canada. The investor will have to fund the initial payments for the rights to the U.S. franchisor, staffing costs, professional fees, initial marketing costs, possibly building costs or sub-franchise selling costs as well as living expenses for the investor until a positive cash flow is achieved. The root cause of failure can often be traced to the lack of adequate capital, which in turn, results from inadequate information provided by the franchisor on the magnitude of the capital needed. This problem is most common when the U.S. franchisor is more interested in closing a deal than making the right deal with the right party.
Does the deal make sense? A good concept with a bad deal for the investor still ends in failure. It is very common for Canadian investors to purchase master franchise rights from U.S. franchisors for parts of Canada or for the entire country. Master franchising means the Canadian investor will be selling sub-franchises and sharing the revenue from those sub-franchises with the U.S. franchisor, i.e. initial franchise fees, royalties, renewal fees and transfer fees. Problems arise when the shared portions of such fees do not match up with the cost of delivering the services upon which the fees are based. If, for example, on a six per cent royalty rate, it takes four per cent to support the system properly in Canada (which is not unrealistic) and the U.S. franchisor demands three per cent of the royalty as its
cut, then disaster lurks just around the corner. One of the most difficult numbers to determine in all of franchising is the amount that should be paid for the front-end franchise fee or territorial-rights fee for the granting of master franchise rights. This number will be influenced by many factors, including the length of the term of the grant, the history of success of the franchise system, the amount of training and initial support to be provided by the franchisor and the level of additional investment required of the franchisee. Drawing analogies to other existing systems with master structures can be helpful in deciding upon the amount to charge, but it is best to relate the fee to the potential for profit and return on capital of both parties. In a survey of master franchisees by John P. Hayes, Ph.D, in 2000, 36 per cent of those studied invested $100,000 to $250,000, 28 per cent invested less than $100,000, 21 per cent invested $250,000 to $500,000 and 15 per cent invested more than $500,000. Another common mistake made in master-franchise deals is the establishment of unrealistic quotas on the opening schedule of units. According to a 2005 study from The Centre for Hospitality Research by Arturs Kalnins, Biting Off More than They Can Chew: Unfulfilled Development Commitments in International Master Franchising Ventures, out of 142 restaurant master franchisees, only 55 were in business at the end of the development term, 21 master franchisees did not open a single unit and six master franchisees met or exceeded their development commitments. It is important to agree on clear growth (and unit maintenance) targets for the master franchisee. On the other hand, according to the above study, most targets in
master franchise arrangements are not met. There are so many reasons why one franchise investment succeeds and another fails that it would take a book, if not several, to do justice to the question. Nevertheless, considering the above factors are crucial to avoiding franchise failure.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: 1. Is the term of the masterfranchise agreement sufficiently long to ensure that a reasonable return on investment can be achieved? 2. Will the master franchisee have to adhere strictly to the franchisor’s form of unit franchise agreement in all circumstances or will there be some flexibility? 3. Will the master franchisee administer a regional advertising fund for the territory or will it all be controlled by the franchisor? 4. If there are critical inventory items, who supplies them to the franchisees: the master franchisee, the franchisor or third parties? Who benefits from volume purchases? Edward (Ned) Levitt is a Certified Franchise Executive, a partner at Dickinson Wright LLP in Toronto, and provides legal services to Canadian and international clients on Canadian franchise law. He was general counsel to the Canadian Franchise Association (2000-2007) and is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, the International Bar Association and the International Franchise Association. As a member of the Ontario Franchise Sector Working Team, he was instrumental in the creation of the province’s franchise legislation. He can be reached at (416) 6463842 or nlevitt@dickinsonwright.com.
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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S
2 013 FR A N CH I S E R E P O R T ————— A ————— A & W FOOD SERVICES OF CANADA INC. T: 604-988-2141 F: 604-988-5531 URL: aw.ca Personnel: Brent Todd Type: Quick Service Menu: Hamburgers, chicken, fries, onion rings, root beer. Units ATL: 61 Units CAN: 773 ARBY’S OF CANADA T: 678-514-4219 F: N/A URL: arbys.ca Personnel: N/A Type: Quick Service Menu: Roast beef/chicken sandwiches, deli sandwiches, french fries. Units ATL: 5 Units CAN: 112
————— B ————— BATON ROUGE (IMVESCOR) T: 905-361-6551 F: 905-361-2633 URL: batonrougerestaurants. com Personnel: Marco Moretto Type: Casual Menu: Baby back ribs, steaks, chicken, seafood. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 29 BEAVER TAILS CANADA INC. T: 514-392-2222 F: 514-392-2223 URL: beavertailsinc.com Personnel: Pino Ioia Type: Quick Service Menu: Pastry treats Units ATL: 14 Units CAN: 88 BOOSTER JUICE T: 416-621-6767 F: 780-461-7161 URL: boosterjuice.com Personnel: Tim Hengel Type: Quick Service Menu: Smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, panini and wraps, matcha green tea, acai and blended yogurts. Units ATL: 16 Units CAN: 264 BOSTON PIzzA INTERNATIONAL INC. T: 604-270-1108 F: 604-270-4168
URL: bostonpizza.com Personnel: Robert Longtin Type: Casual Menu: Pizza, pasta, ribs, salads, appetizers. Units ATL: 18 Units CAN: 347 BURGER KING RESTAURANTS OF CANADA INC. T: 416-626-7444 F: 416-626-6691 URL: burgerking.ca Personnel: Jacqui McGregor Type: Quick Service Menu: Burgers, chicken, salads, fries, breakfast. Units ATL: 21 Units CAN: 306 BURRITO JAx (GFU FOOdS InC.) Phone: 902-406-0088 Fax: N/A URL: burritojax.com Personnel: Gord Delano Type: Quick Service/Fast Casual Menu: Burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, with in-house prepared fillings and sauces. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 2
————— C ————— CAPT. SUB (GRInnER’S FOOd SyStEMS)
T: 902-897-8432 F: 902-895-7635 URL: captsub.com Personnel: David Crane Type: Quick Service Menu: Toasted sub sandwiches Units ATL: 28 Units CAN: 30 CORA FRANChISE GROUP INC. T: 905-673-2672 F: 905-673-8271 URL: chezcora.com Personnel: Candace McAllister Type: Family Menu: Breakfast items, lunch, panini/crepe, salads. Units ATL: 15 Units CAN: 125 COUNTRY STYLE FOOD SERVICES INC. (Mty GROUp) T: 905-764-7066 F: 905-764-8426 URL: countrystyle.com Personnel:Jonathan Czerwinski Type: Quick Service Menu: Coffee, deli, muffins, pastries, soups, sandwiches.
Units ATL: 11 Units CAN: 443
————— D ————— DAIRY QUEEN CANADA T: 905-639-1492 F: N/A URL: dairyqueen.com Personnel: Sherry McNeil Type: Casual Menu: Burgers, fries, ice cream products. Units ATL: 47 Units CAN: 583 DIxIE LEE FOOD SYSTEMS LTD. T: 613-650-5494 F: 613-650-5489 URL: dixieleechicken.com Personnel: Dave Hall Type: Casual Menu: Chicken, pizza, seafood. Units ATL: 37 Units CAN: 52 DOMINO’S PIzzA T: 519-326-5280 F: 519-326-3362 URL: dominos.ca Personnel: Ken Barker Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza, wings, Cinna Stix, bread sticks. Units ATL: 7 Units CAN: 314
FROzÜ (GRInnER’S FOOd SyStEM) T: 506-867-0737 F: N/A URL: frozu.ca Personnel: Mike Whittaker Type: Quick Service Menu: Yogurt. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 1
————— G ————— GREAT CANADIAN BAGEL, LTD., ThE T: 905-566-1903 F: 905-566-1402 URL: greatcanadianbagel.com Personnel: Ed Kwiatkowski Type: Quick Service Menu: Bagels, salads, soups, sandwiches, coffee, desserts. Units ATL: 4 Units CAN: 29 GRECO PIzzA (GRInnER’S FOOd SyStEMS)
DOOLY’S INC. T: 506-857-8050 F: 506-858-7039 URL: doolys.ca Personnel: Pierre Lariviere Type: Quick Service Menu: Finger foods, pizza, simple entrees. Units ATL: 41 Units CAN: 61
————— E ————— EAST SIDE MARIO’S (pRIME REStaURantS)
T: 905-568-0000 F: 905-568-0080 URL: franchise. primerestaurants.com Personnel: Evana Wai Type: Casual Menu: Casual family fare, pasta, pizza. Units ATL: 8 Units CAN: 98 ExTREME PITA (Mty GROUp)
T: 514-520-7770 F: 905-820-7887 URL: extremepita.com Personnel: Vince Moreno Type: Quick Service Menu: Pita sandwiches, pita pizza and smoothies. Units ATL: 12 Units CAN: 179
————— F ————— FAMOUS WOK T: 604-207-8871 F: 604-207-9893 URL: famouswok.ca Personnel: James Tom-Yew Type: Quick Service Menu: Chinese food under Famous Wok etc., sushi under UMI Sushi Express. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 70 photographer: roger kirby
FREShLY SQUEEzED FRANChISE JUICE CORPORATION T: 905-695-2611 F: 888-886-5856 URL: freshlysqueezed.ca Personnel: Talal Samadi Type: Quick Service Menu: Juices. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 82
T: 902-897-8432 F: 902-895-7635 URL: greco.ca Personnel: David Crane, 800565-4389 Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza, wings, donairs, subs. Units ATL: 120 Units CAN: 141
————— H ————— hARVEY’S (CaRa) T: 416-849-4939 F: N/A URL: harveys.ca Personnel: Ryan Lloyd Type: Casual Menu: Burgers, chicken, salads, fries Units ATL: 9 Units CAN: 260
————— J ————— JESSY’S PIzzA T: 902-865-6666 F: N/A URL: jessyspizza.ca Personnel: Robert Hammam Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza, burgers, donairs, chicken, fish, subs, poutine. Units ATL: 15 Units CAN: 15
URL: junglejims.ca Personnel: Stephen Pike Type: Casual Menu: Chicken, steak, ribs, seafood, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, salads, Mexican. Units ATL: 23 Units CAN: 25
————— K ————— KEG RESTAURANTS LTD. T: 416-695-2400 F: 604-276-0138 URL: kegsteakhouse.com Personnel: James Henderson Type: Casual Menu: Steak, prime rib, seafood. Units ATL: 3 Units CAN: 89 KERNELS POPCORN LTD. T: 416-487-4194 F: 416-487-3920 URL: kernelspopcorn.com Personnel: Bernice Sinopoli Type: Quick Service Menu: Gourmet popcorn, soft drinks, seasonings, microwave popcorn sold. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 67 KFC CANADA (yUM! REStaURantS IntERnatIOnal (Canada) COMpany) T: 416-664-5239 F: 416-739-0118 URL: kfc.com Personnel: Douglas Heinrich Type: Quick Service Menu: Chicken on the bone, sandwiches, snackables, salads, fries. Units ATL: 70 Units CAN: 675 KOYA JAPAN INC. (Mty GROUp)
T: 514-336-8885 F: 204-783-1749 URL: koyajapan.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Quick Service Menu: Japanese cuisine,teriyaki meals, noodles, soups, sushi. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 24
————— L ————— LITTLE CAESAR OF CANADA INC. T: 905-822-7899 F: 905-822-9808 URL: littlecaesars.ca Personnel: Dianne Clark Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza, wings, bread sticks, wings, dipping sauce. Units ATL: 7 Units CAN: 193
————— M —————
JUGO JUICE (Mty GROUp) T: 403-207-5850 F: 403-207-5875 URL: jugojuice.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Quick Service Menu: Smoothies, protein shakes, wraps. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 140
MANChU WOK T: 905-946-7200 F: 905-946-8630 URL: manchuwok.com Personnel: Mariellen Clark Type: Quick Service Menu: Chinese fast-food cuisine. Units ATL: 4 Units CAN: 95
JUNGLE JIM’S RESTAURANTS T: 709-739-5467 F: 709-745-5473
MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY T: 403-287-7633 F: 403-283-7698 URL: marbleslab.ca
Personnel: Lien Trac Type: Family Menu: Freshly made ice cream and treats, ice cream cakes, cupcakes, shakes and smoothies. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 84 MARY BROWN’S INC. T: 905-513-0044 F: 905-513-0050 URL: marybrowns.com Personnel: Sean Donohue Type: Quick Service Menu: Chicken, taters, sandwiches, wraps, salads, nonalcoholic beverages. Units ATL: 43 Units CAN: 90 MCDONALD’S RESTAURANTS OF CANADA LTD. T: 416-446-3354 F: 416-446-3420 URL: mcdonalds.ca Personnel: Ash Vasdani Type: Quick Service Menu: Breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items. Units ATL: 119 Units CAN: 1408 MENChIES T: 647-723-5169 F: 647-723-5178 URL: menchies.com Personnel: David Schneer Type: Casual Menu: Yogurt Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 19 MExICALI ROSA’S T: 877-477-3950 F: N/A URL: mexicalirosas.com Personnel: Matt Youden Type: Casual Menu: Fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, nachos, margaritas. Units ATL: 4 Units CAN: 4 MIKE’S RESTAURANTS INC. (IMVESCOR InC)
T: 514-341-5544 F: 514-341-6236 URL: mikes.ca Personnel: Marco Moretto Type: Casual Menu: Pizza, pasta, hot subs, salads, sandwiches, steak, BBQ chicken, burgers, veal, salmon, seafoods. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 83 MONTANA’S (CaRa) T: 416-849-4939 F: N/A URL: montanas.ca Personnel: Ryan Lloyd Type: Casual Menu: Varied Units ATL: 7 Units CAN: 95 MOxIE’S RESTAURANTS (l.p./nOR)
T: 403-543-2611 F: 403-543-2646 URL: moxies.com Personnel: Laurids Skaarup Type: Casual Menu: Signature salads, entrees (lemon pepper halibut, honey garlic steak), desserts. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 63
MR. SUB (Mty GROUp) T: 905-764-7066 F: N/A URL: mrsub.ca Personnel: Tyler Lane Type: Quick Service Menu: Submarine sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, desserts, smoothies. Units ATL: 6 Units CAN: 316 MRS. FIELDS ORIGINAL COOKIES T: 905-426-2551 F: 905-426-2826 URL: mrsfields.ca Personnel: Walter Jusenchuk Type: Quick Service Menu: Cookies, pretzels, yogurt. Units ATL: 3 Units CAN: 18
————— N ————— NEW YORK FRIES T: 416-963-5005 F: 416-963-4920 URL: newyorkfries.com Personnel: Safiah Arooz Type: Quick Service Menu: Fresh-cut fries, variety of specialty poutines, hot dogs. Units ATL: 13 Units CAN: 129
————— O ————— ORANGE JULIUS (daIRy QUEEn Canada InC.)
T: 905-639-1492 F: 905-681-3623 URL: orangejulius.com Personnel: Sherry McNeil Type: Quick Service Menu: Blended fruit drinks, smoothies, fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Units ATL: 5 Units CAN: 116
————— P ————— PANAGO PIzzA INC. T: 416-559-9993 F: 604-755-6014 URL: panagofranchise.com Personnel: Todd Wylie Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizzas, salads, bread sticks and wings. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 185 PAPA JOhN’S T: 502-261-7272 F: 502-261-4324 URL: papajohnspizza.ca Personnel: Mike Prentice Type: Casual Menu: Pizza, wings. Units ATL: 7 Units CAN: 77 PITA PIT T: 613-546-4494 F: 613-546-1436 URL: pitapit.com Personnel: Kevin Pressburger Type: Quick Service Menu: Pitas, salad, smoothies, soups, snacks. Units ATL: 5 Units CAN: 152 PIzzA DELIGhT (IMVESCOR InC) T: 514-341-5544 F: 506-853-4131 URL: pizzadelight.ca Personnel: Marco Moretto
Type: Family Menu: Pizza, pasta, salads. Units ATL: 76 Units CAN: 94 PizzA HUT CANAdA
(YUM! RestaURants InteRnatIonal (Canada) CoMpanY)
T: 416-664-5329 F: 416-739-0118 URL: pizzahut.ca Personnel: Douglas Heinrich Type: Casual Menu: Pan Pizza, Stuffed Crust, salads, pasta. Units ATL: 12 Units CAN: 324 PizzA PARTiTo T: 506-779-5633 F: 506-776-8793 URL: pizzapartito.com Personnel: Terry Buchanan Type: Family Menu: Pizza, garlic fingers, chicken, sandwiches, fries, donairs, subs. Units ATL: 16 Units CAN: 17 PizzA SHACk HoLdiNgS T: 506-523-6341 F: 506-523-6341 URL: pizzashack.ca Personnel: Allain Bourque Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza, U-Bake Pizza, donairs, garlic fingers, chicken wings, subs, calzones, Caesar salad, lasagna. Units ATL: 30 Units CAN: 30
Units ATL: 24 Units CAN: 57
Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 2
————— Q —————
————— S —————
QUizNoS CANAdA ReSTAURANT CoRPoRATioN T: 647-259-0333 F: 647-259-0341 URL: quiznos.ca Personnel: Olivia Montagna Type: Quick Service Menu: Oven-toasted sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts. Units ATL: 21 Units CAN: 454
SeCoNd CUP LTd. T: 905-362-1818 F: 905-362-1121 URL: secondcup.com Personnel: Wayne Vanderhorst Type: Quick Service Menu: Coffees, specialty coffees, teas, juices, cakes, pastries, sandwiches. Units ATL: 11 Units CAN: 359
————— R ————— ReLiSH goURMeT BURgeRS T: 506-454-9331 F: N/A URL: relishyou.ca Personnel: Rivers Corbett Type: Casual Menu: Burgers, fries. Units ATL: 6 Units CAN: 6 RoBiN’S
(ChaIRMan’s BRand CoRp)
T: 416-288-8515 F: 416-646-2204 URL: robinsdonuts.com Personnel: 416-288-8515 Type: Quick Service Menu: Donuts, coffee, deli items, sandwiches, salads Units ATL: 50 Units CAN: 106
PizzA TowN T: 902-221-8696 F: 902-876-8955 URL: pizzatown.ca Personnel: Rob Toulany Type: Casual Menu: Pizza, donairs, wings, salads, wraps, appetizers. Units ATL: 7 Units CAN: 7
RoTiSSeRieS ST-HUBeRT LTee T: 450-688-4400 F: 450-688-3900 URL: st-hubert.com Personnel: Richard Scofield Type: Family Menu: Roasted chicken meals Units ATL: 5 Units CAN: 132
PReTzeL MAkeR CANAdA T: 905-426-2551 F: 905-426-2826 URL: pretzelmaker.ca Personnel: Walter Jusenchuk Type: Quick Service Menu: Pretzels
RyAN dUFFyS T: 902-421-1116 F: 902-423-0614 URL: ryanduffys.ca Personnel: Becky McGarth Type: Fine Dining Menu: Steaks
SMiTTy’S CANAdA LTd. T: 403-229-3838 F: 403-229-3899 URL: smittys.ca Personnel: Scott Amberson Type: Family Menu: Pancakes, waffles, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, classic dinners. Units ATL: 4 Units CAN: 83 SMoke’S PoUTiNeRie T: 905-427-4444 F: 905-427-9944 URL: smokespoutinerie.com Personnel: Ryan Smolkin Type: Casual Menu: Over 23 different types of poutine. Units ATL: 3 Units CAN: 25 SPLiT CRow PUBS T: 902-422-4366 F: 902-423-5857 URL: splitcrow.com Personnel: Damian Bryne Type: Casual Menu: Pub food Units ATL: 6 Units CAN: 6 SUBwAy FRANCHiSe SySTeMS oF CANAdA LTd. T: 800-888-4848 F: 203-876-6674 URL: subway.com Personnel: Donald Fertman Type: Quick Service Menu: Variety of foot-long and six-inch submarine sandwiches and salads.
Units ATL: 191 Units CAN: 2850 SUkiyAki (MtY GRoUp) T: 514-336-8885 F: 514-336-9222 URL: mtygroup.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Quick Service Menu: Japanese cuisine, teriyaki. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 27 SwiSS CHALeT (CaRa) T: 416-849-4939 F: N/A URL: swisschalet.ca Personnel: Ryan Lloyd Type: Casual Menu: Chicken, ribs. Units ATL: 16 Units CAN: 224
————— T ————— TACo BeLL oF CANAdA
(YUM! RestaURants InteRnatIonal (Canada) CoMpanY)
T: 416-664-5239 F: 416-739-0118 URL: tacobell.ca Personnel: Douglas Heinrich Type: Quick Service Menu: Tacos, burritos, nachos, fries. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 57 TCBy CANAdA (MtY GRoUp) T: 514-336-8885 F: 514-336-9222 URL: tcbycanada.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Quick Service Menu: Frozen yogurt, ice cream. Units ATL: 19 Units CAN:92 TeRiyAki exPeRieNCe T: 905-337-4918 F: 905-337-0331 URL: teriyakiexperience.com Personnel: Nik Jurkovic Type: Quick Service Menu: Teriyaki rice and noodle meals, noodle soup bowls, wraps, salad, sushi. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 106
TiM HoRToNS (tdl GRoUp) T: 905-339-5710 F: 905-845-1536 URL: timhortons.com Personnel: Victoria Lynch Type: Quick Service Menu: Coffee, tea, specialty coffee, donuts, muffins, cookies, soup, sandwiches, chili, wraps. Units ATL: 360 Units CAN: 3436 TiMoTHy’S woRLd CoFFeeTHReeCAF BRANdS CANAdA iNC. T: 905-482-7312 F: 905-482-7330 URL: timothyscafes.com Personnel: Chris Cheek Type: Quick Service Menu: Coffee, lattes, tea, hot chocolate, frappes, bottled drinks, pastries, cookies, muffins and croissants. Units ATL: 4 Units CAN: 85 TReATS CANAdA CoRPoRATioN T: 613-563-4073 F: 613-562-1982 URL: treats.com Personnel: Doug Lippay Type: Quick Service Menu: Coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, soups. Units ATL: 11 Units CAN: 71
————— V ————— VANeLLi’S ReSTAURANTS LiMiTed (MtY GRoUp) T: 514-336-8885 F: 905-764-8426 URL: mrsvanellis.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Quick Service Menu: Pizza and pasta. Units ATL: 5 Units CAN: 46 ViLLA MAdiNA (MtY GRoUp) T: 514-336-8885 F: 514-336-9222 URL: villamadina.com Personnel: Bill Hamam Type: Casual Menu: Pitas, salads, entrees, desserts.
photographer: alex
photographer: elisa nobe
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O C TO B E R 2 013
photographer: roberto ribeiro
photographer: macin smolinski
photographer: dc works
photographer: javier armendariz
photographer: elisa nobe
Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 39
——— WXYZ ——— weNdy’S ReSTAURANTS oF CANAdA iNC. T: 905-337-4652 F: 905-849-5545 URL: wendys.ca Personnel: Jane Dann Type: Quick Service Menu: Hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, french fries, chili, Frosty’s, baked potato, poutine. Units ATL: 35 Units CAN: 369 weST Side CHARLie’S T: 709-738-4747 F: 709-726-4849 URL: westsidecharlies.com Personnel: Wade Gravelle Type: Casual Menu: Wings, chicken, fries. Units ATL: 11 Units CAN: 11 wok Box FReSH ASiAN kiTCHeN T: 778-571-4200 F: 778-571-4400 URL: wokbox.ca Personnel: Lawrence Eade Type: Casual
Menu: Wok-cooked stir-fries, regional rice bowls, asian sharables, soups. Units ATL: 3 Units CAN: 45 woRkS goURMeT BURgeR BiSTRo, THe T: 855-799-6757 F: 855-699-6757 URL: worksburger.com Personnel: Bruce Miller Type: Casual Menu: Gourmet beef burgers, fries, beer. Units ATL: 2 Units CAN: 20 yogeN FRÜz CANAdA iNC. (MtY GRoUp)
T: 905-479-8762 F: 905-479-5235 URL: yogenfruz.com Personnel: Sarah Oziel Type: Casual Menu: Frozen yogurt, soft serve yogurt, smoothies and ice cream. Units ATL: 1 Units CAN: 142 Research by Peter Elliott. Please email any changes to data for our online listings or next year’s report to lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com, subject line: Franchise Report 2013 changes.
photographer: ezran kamal
photographer: ariel da silva parreira
photographer: takis kolokotronis
photographer: mac pale
photographer: stephen j. sullivan
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Foraging on Fogo Island
Fogo Island Inn’s dining room. Continued from cover
Fogo Island Inn executive chef Murray McDonald calls local Newfoundland fare “survival food.” For early Newfoundland settlers, diets consisted of fish, salted fish, salt meat, and produce from the garden and the root cellar. If any of these elements were missing, they might have starved. “We don’t fly things in from all over the
world—we make the menu as local as possible. Every single piece of protein on the menu is from Newfoundland except beef, which is from Prince Edward Island.” Last year, he and his staff put up 900 bottles of preserves; they plan to preserve 1,200 bottles this year. They bring in organic produce from Grand Falls and Thornbrook. Sheep, pigs and ducks come from Kilbride, Port Leamington and Grand Falls.
The bow lounge on the cruise ship Nova Star.
Yarmouth ferry afloat Relaunching next year with three onboard restaurants YARMOUTH, NS—More than four years after it was cancelled, ferry service between Yarmouth and Portland, ME, is planned to resume May 1, 2014, on a cruise ship featuring three onboard restaurants, a casino and a conference centre/theatre. The province has reached an agreement with STM Quest, Inc., a proposed joint venture between ST Marine Ltd. and Quest Navigation, to operate the ferry service. Finalization of the deal is pending. For
its part, the province has agreed to provide STM Quest $21 million over seven years. Service for the nine-hour journey between Yarmouth and Portland will be provided by a new 160-metre cruise ship, Nova Star, built in Singapore by ST Marine. Ferry service will operate annually from May 1 until Oct. 31. To feed its 1,215 passengers, the ferry will feature a 100-seat, full-service, fine-dining restaurant; a 107-seat, full-service, casual
“We use Atlantic Grocers a little, but we make our own mustard, butchery, sausage and vinegar. All baked goods are done in house. And the first thing I ask any rep is where everything comes from,” said McDonald. McDonald does make some appropriate concessions. Historically, citrus was brought in to Newfoundland at Christmas—not quite fresh and local, but historically correct. “We want people to come here to eat local Newfoundland food. We go foraging—the locals think we’re nuts. But in Newfoundland in general, the restaurant scene has grown,” he said. The kitchen serves up cod tongues, scrunchions, salt cod and lobster. A sample dish might consist of smoked capelin (a local fish), crushed berries and toast. Pease pudding and cod are two traditional Newfoundland dishes. McDonald grew up in Deer Lake on the west coast of Newfoundland, and he harkens back to his grandfather’s diet as inspiration for authentic Newfoundland food. “My grandfather ate fish and chips on Friday, pea soup on Saturday, and on Sunday it was Jiggs dinner.” He described the latter as salt beef, split peas and root vegetables all boiled together in the same pot, similar to a New England boiled supper.
Starting from scratch McDonald started working at the inn on May 1, 2012 when the dining room was “just dirt.” It wasn’t built until October 2012. He spoke of his background starting with Deer Lake. “When I was 18, I never wanted to see Newfoundland again.” He attended culinary school in P.E.I., and then worked in Ontario at the Stratford Chef School and Vineland Estates Winery.
restaurant/pub; and a 210-seat buffet eatery. Onboard amenities include a 3,200-square-foot casino, 4,500-square-foot, 232-seat conference centre and theatre, retail store, 5,500-square-foot outdoor deck and bar, with live entertainment and dancing, fitness centre, spa and art gallery. Currently, the Yarmouth ferry terminal “will require remediation work” before service can resume, Greg Shay, acting general manager of the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission, told ARN. Shay estimated that by mid-October, the Commission will have “a much clearer picture of what’s needed” to ready the terminal for the May 1 launch. In addition, the Municipality of Yarmouth is negotiating with the terminal’s owner, Transport Canada, to assume ownership. Ferry service ended in December 2009, when the provincial government cancelled the operation. The closure of the ferry affected local business, including the Rodd Hotels and Resortsowned Colony Restaurant and Chowder House in Yarmouth, which closed its doors in November, 2012, after 43 years of service. Rodd director of marketing and sales, Mary Ellen Davies, told
AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S
Wanderlust took him to Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Cook Islands, China, New Zealand and Vancouver, where he worked as sous chef at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. McDonald’s job at Fogo Island was never posted. A fellow Newfoundlander working security at the Pacific Rim told him a highend hotel was under construction on Fogo Island. He applied and got the job four hours later.
Training local cooks Located a six-hour drive plus an hourlong ferry trip from St. John’s, Fogo Island Inn could easily have experienced the problem of attracting qualified kitchen staff. Thanks, in part, to the buzz surrounding the impending opening, Cobb had no problem recruiting McDonald and Jacob Luksic, food and beverage manager, who also hails from Fairmont Pacific Rim. But one of Cobb’s reasons for establishing the inn was to bring economic prosperity to Fogo Island, which is her home. Long before the Fogo Island Inn opened, 10 local residents started training—none of whom had worked in a kitchen before—using a 23-week emerit culinary training program. At the end of the program, the inn had seven trained cooks. “For most, it was a second career,” McDonald noted. Cobb told ARN that 95 per cent of the inn’s staff are local residents. Fogo Island Inn has partnered with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador to use emerit training products for their line cooks, housekeeping room attendants, food and beverage servers and front desk agents. McDonald lives nearby with his wife and two children. He says the winters on Fogo Island are “really mild, nothing compared to Deer Lake. I never picked up a shovel once last year,” he notes.
ARN in February 2011 that the closure of their Colony Harbour Inn a month earlier was due to a massive decrease in business because of the closure of the ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine. “An expert ferry panel reported that the decline of the previous ferry operation was due to decreased ridership and increased fuel costs,” according to a statement by the province. “By 2009, Nova Scotians were covering the ferry’s losses of almost $7 million annually.” The current deal is the culmination of a process begun in April, 2012, when the province appointed an expert panel to review studies on ferry service between Yarmouth and the U.S. and met with interested parties to determine the conditions needed for a viable service.
The Nova Star’s 100-seat fine-dining restaurant.
rant.
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A field guide to sourcing locally Dan Vorstermans and Ceilidh Sutherland. Photo by Jordan Blackburn.
By Leslie Wu HALIFAX—Using primarily local ingredients as the focus, chef Dan Vorstermans and
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partner/general manager Ceilidh Sutherland are spotlighting Nova Scotia’s produce with the opening of Field Guide in mid-October. The 1,100-square-foot, 36-seat new-build
on the ground floor of a condo complex at 2076 Gottingen St. will source food from producers and farmers from around the province, although some concessions will have to be made, such as bringing in cheese from New Brunswick and flour from Quebec City. “We don’t plan to have things like rice on the menu, but something obvious like citrus at the bar is a given…we’re not trying to be extreme about it,” Sutherland told ARN. Rather than a printed menu, a chalkboard will list the daily dishes, including items such as smoked mackerel devilled eggs, donair steam buns and a cured-meat board. Average check for two people is $100 (plus tax and gratuity), with sharing plates ranging from $6 to $30. Although the decor focuses on the open kitchen, where all diners will have clear sightlines to the chef and team and be able to interact throughout their meal, there is also a real emphasis on the bar side, said Sutherland. Jeffrey Van Horne, bartender at The Bicycle Thief, is working as a consultant to hire and train a bartender, write the seasonally changing cocktail menu, and establish a local craft beer supply that includes Halifax-based Propeller Brewery. The wine list will focus on smaller and organic wineries. The room incorporates reclaimed wood and subway tile to create a space that’s “classic with a timeless look,” said Sutherland. “We decided to take care of all the design stuff ourselves, since it wasn’t in our budget to hire a design firm,” she said. The pair also asked friends and family for input. As young, first-time restaurateurs, Vostermans and Sutherland received funding and mentoring from the Nova Scotia-based Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED) and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in Toronto to start their dream project. “We’ve always both known that we wanted to be entrepreneurs,” said Sutherland. “We both come from families where food is a really important thing—I grew up near the woods, and Dan is from Toronto, but both of our families always sat down to eat together and we’ve continued that with our own lives.”
Supply
li ne S
Demaine & Collis splits OAKVILLE, ON—Partners Kevin Collis and Steve Demaine announced in September that the smallwares and furniture manufacturer’s agent and distributor Demaine & Collis was separating into two companies as of Oct. 1. Demaine & Collis was founded in 2004 as a manufacturer’s agent, which expanded into distribution. “Our company became very diversified,” Demaine told ORN. “It grew every year in the last 10 years, with a range from dishes to outdoor furniture. Moving forward, we wanted to concentrate on more specific market segments.” Collis said the company split because there were too many lines, so Demaine is going in one direction with furniture and he is heading in another with smallwares. The split also made sense because the furniture side currently distributes across Canada, while the smallwares section focuses on Ontario and Quebec, said Demaine. Collis’s new company will be called Total Tabletop Plus Inc. and distribute Churchill and Bugambilia in Eastern Canada, Walco in Canada, Rosseto in Ontario and Quebec, Taylor, Riedel and John Boos in Ontario, and continue to represent Eurodib, KitchenAid and Winco for Ontario. Demaine’s new company will be named Bum Contract Furniture Inc. and will continue to distribute Emu, Nardi and Tuuci in Canada, Forbes in Ontario and Mity-Lite and Grand Rapids Chair Co. in Ontario and Quebec. Both companies will continue to work out of the 20,000-square-foot-plus facility at 2150 Winston Park Dr. that houses the showroom, warehouse and office space until the location’s lease expires in 2014. Collis said his company will most likely stay in the Winston Park unit, but that “it’s still up in the air.” Demaine will potentially be looking for a more streamlined, 15,000-square-foot space in Oakville, ON, after the lease expiry, he said.
High Liner buys American Pride
2076 Gottingen St., Halifax. Fieldguidehfx. com, @fieldguidehfx.
From goat to grub in downtown Halifax By Don Douloff HALIFAX—A team of Halifax restaurant veterans are opening the Stubborn Goat Gastropub in the city’s downtown core in mid-October. Partners include Geir Simensen, owner of Saege Bistro and Scanway Catering and Kyle Drake and Joe McGuinness, of Durty Nelly’s Irish pub. The final partner, Ryan Dubois, is a newcomer to the hospitality industry. Set to open at 1579 Grafton St., the Stubborn Goat positions itself as a “social place” with a “fun, pubby atmosphere and restaurantquality food,” Simensen told ARN. Adhering to that social-place mandate, the gastropub is “not a first/second/third-course kind of experience,” he said. Instead, the shared plates build on locally sourced ingredients— whatever’s best and freshest at the area’s farmers’ markets, said Simensen. Planned dishes included roasted shishito peppers, whole roasted fish with root vegetables,
a burger, smoked pork loin and California-style pizza. Other expected dishes included meatballs and bocconcini with roasted-tomato sauce and variations on mac and cheese—with chanterelles, for example, or double-smoked bacon. Average check is expected to be about $25. A dozen cheeses and at least 12 varieties of charcuterie, some made in house and others provided by outside suppliers, will be featured, said Simensen, who is executive chef. Among the cheeses planned for the pub’s roster is a variety made by Ran-Cher Acres, a dairy goat farm in the Annapolis Valley. Simensen said the pub plans to adopt the Ran-Cher goat that’s supplying milk for the gastropub’s cheese. Those cheeses could be paired with the 60 to 70 labels (many Canadian) expected to make up the wine list, or partnered with the lineup of beers, some sourced from Halifax microbreweries. The beer list will include 16 Canadian microbrews and one cider on draft and about 30
bottled brands culled from Canada and abroad. The Stubborn Goat’s rustic look revealed itself after the team “went to the roots of the building and exposed the original wood beams and stone work,” said Simensen. The pub features hardwood floors on the ground level and top floor, and an 18-foot bar top fashioned from the centre-cut portion of a tree. The two floors each seat 55 and, along with the basement wine cellar, total 7,000 square feet. Simensen expects a patio, with at least 30 seats, to operate next summer. Simensen also plans to present live entertainment drawn from the East Coast’s deep and eclectic pool of musicians. The second-floor space will host musical acts Wednesday to Saturday evenings, with a matinee on weekends. 1579 Grafton St., Halifax. (902) 405-4554, www.stubborngoat.ca, @stubborngoat.
LUNENBURG, NS—High Liner Foods has paid $34.5 million to buy the principal assets and operations of value-added frozen seafood foodservice and scallop processing company American Pride Seafoods LLC from Seattlebased American Seafoods Group LLC. The acquisition is expected to bolster High Liner Foods’ market position in the foodservice segment of the U.S. value-added frozen seafood industry. Moreover, High Liner will add significant U.S.-based scallop processing operations to its portfolio. Included in the purchase were American Pride’s inventory, plant and equipment located in New Bedford, MA. Excluded from the purchase were accounts receivables of approximately $15.5 million, for a total enterprise value of approximately $50 million.
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Healthy, sustainable and in high demand, shellfish (and crustaceans) offer big bang for the shuck.
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obster rolls a n d fresh oysters have always been popular, but these days a new wave of interest in a wider range of shellfish and crustaceans is driving demand for variations such as lobster poutine, lobster mac and cheese and shrimp tacos from a North American clientele hungry to change up their traditional protein choices. “We’ve been doing a lot of freshcooked lobsters,” says Denis Galliera, commodities sales manager for High Liner Foods Inc. “We’ve just seen more demand for lobster in general; the catches have been very good.” High Liner has been supplying the McDonald’s lobster roll program for several years in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This summer, with low lobster prices, “this is the first time they’ve expanded the program to Ontario; it was very successful and we’re in talks for repeating it,” he says. However, cautions Martin Kouprie, chef-owner of Pangaea in Toronto, “lobster prices are not going to stay low, because the fisherman has to make a living.” (The low lobster prices caused a week-long strike in May of this year, with more than 700 Atlantic Canada fishermen tying up their boats in protest.)
Ironically, Kouprie notes, because lobster is fished in cycles and then stored, “when the landed supply diminishes, the quality is lowest and price is highest, so at the lowest price it’s usually the freshest.” “Shrimp continues to grow and is very popular,” notes Mike Tigani, director of marketing for King & Prince Seafood, based in Brunswick, Georgia. “Our company focuses on breaded and battered shrimp, and we definitely see that in the sales.” Shellfish are also on the upswing. “When I got in this business 30 years ago, I thought it was different and unique—and an aphrodisiac,” confesses Adam Colquhoun, owneroperator of Oyster Boy in Toronto. “Now I’m selling more and more oysters all the time. And that’s not going to go away.” Philman George, High Liner Foods chef and culinary manager, says having seafood on the plate boosts perceived value. “With a seafood pasta, it’s nice to have some black mussel shells on a plate. If you have a clam chowder, it’s very nice to upscale it by adding in a few of our ready-cooked clamshells,” said George. The primary driver of the move to seafood, however, appears to be environmental awareness. “Honestly, I think the biggest trend is that move towards sustainable product,” says executive chef Kyle Groves of Catch & The Oyster Bar, Calgary’s
only 100 per cent Ocean Wise-certified seafood restaurant. “It’s not just sustainability; customers want to know where their food comes from; they’re starting to demand a story behind their product,” says Robert Clark. As executive chef at Vancouver’s C Restaurant and Raincity Grill, he helped pilot the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program. He is now opening his own sustainable seafood establishment, The Fish Counter. “If you’re serving one type of oyster, the logical choice is serving what’s local,” says Clark. “Farmed shellfish is one of the most sustainable foods we have in Canada. Using shellfish is sustainable; using one that’s close to home is even more sustainable.” Local pride is a great selling point. “Restaurants are afraid to take something off the menu,” says Clark. “You don’t want to run out, but that is old thinking. You should be proud of when our oysters are available, and that’s when we serve them. Whether you’re a mom-and-pop organization or a large national chain, if you get back to local, it makes a lot of sense.” Kouprie points out that abundance in shellfish—similar to most local fare—is seasonal. “[Restaurateurs] can certainly make use of festivals to generate a lot of interest and leverage the sustainability by featuring the seafood,” he said. At the Five Fishermen Restaurant
AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S
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and Grill in Halifax, there is an oyster happy hour every day, featuring more than nine different types of Nova Scotia oysters, says executive chef Jeffrey McInnis. He also serves an oyster fritter with Annapolis Valley apple slaw, chioggia beet reduction and bacon onion jam. “The oysters are from the Northumberland shore of Nova Scotia, and apples, beets and onions from one of my local farmers,” McInnis says. “Oysters and scallops are two of our more popular items and, of course, Nova Scotia lobster,” says McInnis, who offers lobster-stuffed seared Digby scallops with potatoparsnip purée, braised leeks, tarragon cream and blueberry coulis. “These are delicious and easy to make,” he says. “I get fresh day-boat scallops, slice them three-quarters of the way, and stuff them with a lobster mousse.” Even far from the ocean, “it’s [becoming] a lot easier to start featuring sustainable seafood options,” says Sal Battaglia, vice president of marketing of Vaughan, ON-based Seacore Seafood Inc. In July 2013, Seacore joined five other North American seafood distributors to form Sea Pact, an innovative alliance that offers grants towards sustainable seafood research. “All six of us had our own individual sustainable seafood programs, and we still do, but we thought that by creating an alliance we could have a stronger ef-
fect on the whole industry,” he says. A new program called This Fish operated by Ecotrust Canada, a Vancouver based non-profit, allows purchasers to trace every item back to its source. “With this program, the fish are handled more by hand than machine, so it hasn’t been bent or folded or killed in the net,” says Kouprie. Another way to capitalize on the increasing North American appetite for seafood is to play with Asian ingredients. “Currently, Asian flavours are really popular,” says George. “This could be driven by the increase in sushi all across the board, but we’re also seeing some interest in Thai flavours.” Ingredients such as teriyaki or hoisin lend themselves to seafood because of the combination of sweet, sour and spicy, which works well with all types of crustaceans, especially shrimp, he says. “People have been used to butter sauces, but after a while you realize that’s very heavy.” Mussels in particular marry well with the Asian spice spectrum. “We do a frozen and fully cooked mussel from Canada and Chile and a frozen clam from Vietnam that’s very popular, and both of those are a category that’s been growing,” says Galliera. George cooks these with lemongrass and ginger instead of the traditional marinara. Chili and ginger are also good choices. “There’s really no limitation as long as you’ve got a flavourful broth,” he says.
Sea Change: R isks for shrimp and shellfish supplies “Restaurateurs are becoming more cautious about where the fish come from, especially since the Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster. When I was in Korea, all the chefs were using Geiger counters when they bought the fish,” says Martin Kouprie, chefowner at Toronto’s Pangaea.
This is an extreme case, but even as the North American appetite for seafood increases, seafood distributors are reporting potential threats to world supplies. The most immediately pressing is a condition known as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) afflicting shrimp stocks in Thailand. “The concern is that the prices will be going up significantly before
the end of 2013. It’s going to affect everybody globally,” says Mike Tigani, director of marketing for Georgia-based King & Prince Seafood. Solutions are in the works. Pacific North American shellfish suppliers are facing potential challenges from “upwelling.” Adam Colquhoun, owner-operator of Oyster Boy in Toronto, explains
that the term refers to ocean activity that raises acidic carbon deposits from the bottom of the sea to shallower shellfish breeding grounds. “The shellfish aren’t able to extract the calcium from the water, so we’re having a hard time getting baby oysters,” he says. “That’s going to be a problem 50 years from now all over the world.”
Even more alarming is the possible stalling of the Gulf Stream due to glacial melting, says Colquhoun. In this scenario, the warming of the earth would chill northern oceans far below current norms. “You’re going to get red tide; that’s just naturally occurring,” he says. “The big problem for shellfish is climate change.”
A saucy tale Although purists often prefer shellfish plain, chefs can take advantage of sauces and garnishes to elevate the dish. Corporate chef for Tabasco brand pepper sauce, Ryan Marquis, shares his tips on how to elevate your shellfish with sauces: Match the right shellfish with the right sauce • Salty and meaty shellfish, like mussels and oysters, pair well with vinaigrettes and vinegar-based sauces. • Less salty shellfish, like scallops and shrimp, are best paired with sweet, fruity sauces that are not as acidic. • Tap into international flavours with an Asian-inspired sauce of rice wine, ginger and soy, or go Mediterranean, with citrus and fennel. Pairing your prep • Serve fresh shellfish ceviche in sauces that have both acidity and heat, to balance the flavour. • Fried shellfish should be served with thicker dipping sauces, since runny sauces will ruin the crisp texture of the batter. • Keep pan-seared or baked shellfish moist by pairing with salsas or rich, creamy sauces. Put a creative twist on your standby sauces • Try a Marie Rose sauce (tomato, mayonnaise, Worcestershire and lemon juice) in lieu of traditional cocktail sauces. • Add a sweet, unexpected touch to typical salsa-style sauces by adding spiced fruit. • Introduce new flavours to your favourite sauces by incorporating different acids. For example, rice vinegar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc. • Instead of wine, try beer, sherry or tequila, to give wine-based sauces new dimension.
Photos courtesy of L-eat Catering.
At Catch, Groves serves a Buffalo wing oyster: “We bread and deepfry them, toss them in hot sauce and serve them with blue cheese dip and celery. Those have been a popular seller, a fun thing to do in an oyster bar that mimics hot wings.” He also serves a signature dish of tableside smoked oysters. “Set into a bed of rock salt, we put the oyster over burning cedar chips and cover that up with a glass so it extinguishes the flames. It sits there for 30 seconds; when you lift the glass, the room gets that lovely cedar smoke smell. We’ve done that with clams as well.” As the saying goes, there are lots of good fish in the sea—including some that are still relatively new to diners. “We don’t eat enough clams in Canada,” declares Colquhoun. Whereas American diners eat an abundance of clams, many Canadians are unfamiliar with them. “They’re very good for you and they’re not too fattening,” he says. “We have a lot of clams in Canada for 15 to 30 cents apiece, whereas an oyster is upwards of a dollar.” Colquhoun has numerous simple clam recipes at his fingertips. “To open them raw is hard; they’re very brittle, and they have two adductor mussels where an oyster just has one.
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But steamed, they’re easy. Steamed clams with white wine, onions and garlic is one way,” he says. “I like them steamed in beer, and then I put a little Tabasco sauce on each clam.” He also recommends clams casino, with grilled cheese, onions, herbs and spices, or simple baked clams. “We’ve done a spin or variation on clams casino,” say Groves. “We take large clams and cook them with pork belly, bread crumbs and parsley—clams and pork work so well together—and serve them in the shell.” While chefs across the country are familiar with B.C. spot prawns, they may not yet know Pandalus borealis, “a Canadian cold water shrimp caught in the North Atlantic,” says Galliera. “We call it Ice Shrimp Cooked and Peeled or High Liner Cold Water Shrimp,” he says. “They range from a U-150 (under 150 in a pound) to 400 and up. They’re very sweet and they have a nice firm bite. Most of it
is sold into Europe and the UK, but it’s growing more in Canada and the US.” Restaurants have many options beyond the traditional shrimp cocktail, says George. “I would recommend that every restaurant across the board should have a shrimp item for breakfast; a shrimp omelette would be good, with small shrimp and some vegetables,” he says. “Even doing some simple grilled shrimp on a bed of wilted greens, maybe using our zipperback shrimp, which is deveined and split down the middle so it can easily be peeled by the customer or the chef.” No longer the domain of the finedining establishment alone, shellfish and crustaceans are offering fresh possibilities to restaurants of all kinds across the country.
Catering Tips for Shellfish There’s no doubt about it, seafood displays provide one of the greatest wow factors at an event; however, there are a number of elements to consider when setting up the display. Here are some tips and tricks, from Tony Loschiavo, owner of L-eat Catering, to making your seafood station both visually appealing and safe: Presentation • Use colours intermittently to make items stand out. Blander-coloured items such as oysters, for example, look best alongside a more vibrant-coloured item such as the deep purple hue of grilled octopus. • Use highs and lows. If you have the same item continued throughout the entire station, such as shrimp and sweet pea mousse cups with crème fraîche and tobiko, use varying heights to break up the monotony, giving the overall display depth and visual interest. • To elevate the tasting experience, consider pairing seafood with beer, wine or flavoured shots. In the image to the near left, jumbo tiger shrimp, lobster tails and claws, grilled octopus and kumamoto and malpeque oysters in the half shell are paired with mini shots of dark ale, pepperoncini-infused vodka, housemade clamato juice, prosecco and riesling. • Obviously, ice is mandatory, but not just any ice will do. Typically, crushed ice works best for items such as oysters, since it allows the shell to be pushed deep into ice, keeping it cooler, and making it simply look better. Trust companies who provide quality ice without air bubbles and impurities, allowing the ice cubes to last longer/melt slower, keeping your display fresh. • Never have seafood as the only option. Not only do many people have shellfish allergies, some just prefer not to eat it. For example, the shrimp shooter and gazpacho station (shown at far left) also included a vegetarian option of asparagus and potato leek soup vichyssoise. • Proper lighting is crucial. Display your station in a well-lit area. In almost every case, natural light makes seafood look its best. Handling & Safety • Do not leave seafood out at room temperature. Either prepare it in a temperature-controlled environment or leave it at room temperature for as short a period as possible. • Use colour-correct chopping boards for seafood • Do not leave a seafood display out for a long time. Usually two or three hours is the maximum, ideal for a cocktail hour prior to a wedding, for example. • Do not stack the seafood too high and replenish regularly with fresh items. • Wash chopping boards in a sanitizing dishwasher and clean surfaces with a 10:1 solution of water and bleach. • Kitchen staff should always wear gloves when handling seafood to prevent cross-contamination when preparing other foods, lessening the risk of an allergic reaction. Have guests use small forks or picks when appropriate to also prevent cross-contamination.
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Beverage News A REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
Devonian Coast’s grape expectations
From left: Morgan Wilson, Bernard Casavant, Chris Mills, David Wong (not competing), Andrew Springett, Michael Noble, Ryan Stone, Arthur Chen, Scott Jaeger and Jane Ruddick.
The Canadian Culinary Foundation (CCFCC) announced the Bocuse d’Or Laureate team who will compete in the Dubai World Hospitality Championships in November. The team is comprised of former Canadian Bocuse d’Or competitors, who will go up against 12 teams from around the world on Nov 17. Managed by Jane Ruddick, a Bocuse d’Or team “management laureate”, the team consists of: Michael Noble, of Calgary’s NOtaBLE – The Restaurant; Chris Mills, JOEY Restaurant Group; Andrew Springett, SAIT Polytechnic Institute; Scott Jaeger, The Pear Tree in Burnaby, BC; Ryan Stone, Centerplate; Arthur Chen, Edmonton Shaw Conference Centre; culinary consultant Bernard Casavant; and support member Morgan Wilson, Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria. High Liner Foods Incorporated announced on Sept. 4 that chief financial officer Kelly Nelson will be retiring after 30 years with the frozen seafood processor. Nelson joined High Liner in 1984 and has served as CFO since 1990. Keith Decker has been appointed to the newly created position of president and chief
operating officer of High Liner Foods, according to a Sept. 19 release. He will assume the day-to-day responsibilities from president and CEO Henry Demone, who will remain in the CEO position and focus on strategy and growth opportunities. Decker was previously responsible for the overall performance of High Liner Foods’ U.S. operations, where he held the president and COO position since 2008, during which time he led the integration of three U.S. acquisitions. Second Cup announced the appointment of Steve Boyack to the position of vice-president, finance and chief financial officer in a Sept. 11 release. Boyack joins the Canadian coffee company from The Source, where he held the positions of senior vice-president, sales and operations, and CFO. He began his career in the consumer packaged goods industry with Kraft and The Quaker Oats Company. Boyack assumed his responsibilities at Second Cup on June 24 when he was appointed to the same role on an interim basis.
and s for and way Kelly Nelson
Keith Decker
Steve Boyack
WOLFVILLE, NS—Devonian Coast Wineries has bought Muir Murray Estate Winery in Wolfville, NS, increasing its portfolio of wine producers to three. “We are delighted to add this third location to our winery operations,” Carl Sparkes, president and owner of Devonian Coast Wineries, told ARN. “Being the closest winery to downtown Wolfville offers a great opportunity to build a premium winery experience here in Atlantic Canada.” Sparkes said the Devonian team will concentrate on vineyard development while the winery and wine shop close for renovations and improvements. The operation will reopen in 2014 as a new winery under a new name. The Muir Murray acquisition closed on Sept. 30. “Our plan is to create new wines, both white and red, in the premium category,” said Sparkes. “This location allows us to do something really special in the [Annapolis] Valley,” he added. The 35-acre former Muir Murray vineyard, which offers a south-facing ridge and good drainage, will yield a “very decent harvest this year,” he said. Moreover, the vineyard “has a capacity that offers opportunities for expansion. There’s more potential for the footprint.”
Grinner’s gets frozen
TRURO, NS—Nova Scotia based Grinner’s Food Systems is moving into the frozen yogurt business. The franchisor of Greco Pizza and Capt. Submarine brands hopes to have 20 units of FROZÜ operating by the end of 2014. “We know the Atlantic Canadian market
Carl and Donna Sparkes.
Sparkes is in no rush to get the newly acquired lands into production. The plan is for the Devonian team to learn about viticulture in other parts of the world and apply those principles to the company’s own vineyards and winemaking, he said. Devonian Coast Wineries owns and operates Jost Vineyards on the North Shore and Gaspereau Vineyards, in the Annapolis Valley, four kilometers from the former Muir Murray tract. In 2011, Sparkes and his wife Donna founded Devonian Coast Wineries with the goal of acquiring, developing and growing select Nova Scotia wine brands. Currently, Devonian Coast’s wines are marketed across Canada, Japan and China. and we can leverage our food knowledge base and franchise infrastructure to open a lot of units quite quickly,” said Grinner’s president Michael Whittaker in a release. Whittaker (shown far left) rolled out the concept with partner Bill Hay (shown left) in late July. The concept will have 30 rotating yogurt flavors and over 100 rotating topping options. Operators will have a straight per-cup contribution rather than a royalty based on sales (with the exception of their own current cobranded franchises). Footprint size will range from a 200-square-foot add-on to a 2,500-squarefoot standalone unit, and Grinner’s intends to combine the concept with its Capt. Submarine and Greco Pizza brands to maximize overhead efficiencies, according to the release. The first unit opened in a Capt. Submarine in Truro, NS in mid-August.
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