WINDSOR, ON, Dec. 1, 2022 /CNW/ - Redberry Restaurants ("Redberry") is excited to announce the grand re-opening of Canada's first-ever Burger King location in Windsor, Ontario. Located at 2850 Tecumseh Rd. E, Windsor, this inaugural Burger King first opened its doors in September 1969 and was recently completely renovated to include a stunning new interior, an outdoor digital menu board in the Drive-Thru, and a modern new exterior. The overall design is focused on flexibility, innovation, and convenience to enhance the guest experience.

"This is a special location for both Burger King and Redberry, and we're incredibly proud of the work that has gone into this renovation," says Matt Wright, General Manager of Burger King Canada. "The guest experience is at the forefront of everything we do, and this design concept takes into consideration how our guests interact with Burger King, making the ordering and dining experience easier and more enjoyable."

This original Burger King is one of eight Redberry-owned Burger Kings in the Windsor area, and one of 30 locations being redesigned by Redberry across the country in 2022 and 2023. These renovation plans are part of the Area Development Agreement between Redberry and Burger King Canada to build more than 150 new restaurants, and remodel nearly 65 locations in the next six years. 

"Redberry is thrilled to accelerate both new unit growth and remodels for the Burger King brand. This remodel is especially dear to us," says Ken Otto, CEO of Redberry. "As Canada's first-ever Burger King it was incredibly important for us to make this renovation a standout. There have been a lot of memories over the years at this first-ever Burger King, and this renovation sets the restaurant up for years of future enjoyment."

The partnership between Burger King and Redberry Restaurants has already yielded impressive results – by the end of 2022, Redberry will have opened over 30 new Burger King restaurants and re-modeled almost 20 locations over the past four years.

BENTONVILLE, AR – December 1, 2022 — Step-by-step planning and close collaboration can greatly speed up restaurant remodels focused on boosting drive-thru sales, advises HFA Architects and Engineers’ Steven Baker (AIA, NCARB) in an advisory piece for decision-makers in the fast-casual and quick-serve sectors.

In “Reinventing QSRs—one square foot at a time,” the architect and co-leader of HFA’s Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) team notes that chains across the country continue to reconfigure buildings and sites for faster and easier pickup of online orders.

But “adapting QSRs can be a big undertaking,” writes Baker, who works with one of the country’s fastest-growing QSR chains. “In our experience, these projects run most efficiently when all parties collaborate and communicate from the outset and when key questions are asked and addressed in the right order.”

In today’s QSR sector, Baker notes, up to 75 percent of sales occur at drive-thrus, a trend fueled in part by the rapid growth of online-ordering apps from the likes of McDonald’s, Starbucks, Domino’s, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell.

Meanwhile, fast-casual operators such as Panera, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sweetgreen are honing their approaches to drive-thru lanes and pickup spaces. “Panera and Popeyes are even testing speech-recognition software—an AI called ‘Tori’—to take customers’ drive-thru orders,” Baker writes.

But to capitalize on the demand, restaurant owners need to rethink how their sites and stores function. “For existing locations, the biggest trend is toward demolishing part or all of the dining room,” Baker writes. “This frees up the square footage needed to increase back-of-house/kitchen capacity and/or support more drive-thru service.”

Some QSR chains are even moving ahead with prototypes that eliminate dining areas entirely.

One example from the c-store sector is HFA’s recent collaboration in Morrisville, Pa. on a drive-through-only store for Wawa. “The much-smaller buildings required for drive-thru-intensive prototypes can be built faster and at lower cost,” Baker notes. “This is no small consideration given today’s steep increases in construction costs and delays.”

In addition, HFA’s QSR group has consulted with several restaurant clients on higher-capacity equipment that allows these companies to meet growing demand without needing additional square footage.

Digital kiosks are also becoming more commonplace, allowing more and more customers to use their phones to input their orders and table numbers straight from the dining room—no counter-ordering required.

On restaurant remodels, HFA’s role includes inquiring into technical factors and constraints, such as whether the client’s proposed changes would require additional plumbing, electrical or grease-interceptor capacity. HFA engineers also communicate with municipal officials and inspectors throughout the permitting process.

Municipal parking ratios tend to be an important variable.

“When restaurants ramp up drive-thru capacity, they need to avoid demising too many parking spaces, which could violate those municipally-established parking minimums,” Baker says. “Our QSR team has years of experience in helping restaurants’ legal and real estate experts sort through such questions.”

In addition, it is important to understand how the protective lease clauses of fellow shopping center tenants could limit options for the remodel. “For example, if the plan is to remove all windows from that restaurant and convert it into a drive-thru-only location, the landlord and/or co-tenants may need to give their approvals,” he explains.

Potential obstacles related to utilities, parking ratios, lease restrictions and more should be addressed early—not after beautiful renderings and detailed plans have already been produced for municipal review, he notes.

“At HFA, we’re excited to be a part of the QSR world’s successful adaptation,” Baker concludes. “We also see broad potential to apply lessons from these projects to our grocery, retail and c-store clients as they pursue their own creative strategies in the face of rapid change.”

WICHITA, Kan.– Fast-casual restaurant conceptFreddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers® announced today the signing of a Master Franchise and Development Agreement in Canada to begin growing Freddy’s footprint across nine of Canada’s provinces excluding Quebec, marking the brand’s entry into the country. Led by veteran franchisees Jim Werschler and Gregg Most of North 49 Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, the deal is part of the brand’s latest efforts to strategically expand across target markets throughout North America as new operators join its attractive franchise model. The Master Franchise and Development Agreement will see the group both develop on their own and initiate master franchising activity in Canada with an initial agreement to develop at least 20 Freddy’s restaurants. Since the start of the year, Freddy’s has added 140 units to the pipeline in both new and existing markets and is poised to continue the momentum well into 2023.

“Gregg and Jim are well-known and highly respected franchisees, especially within Canada, and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with them as they introduce Freddy’s to their home country,” said Andrew Thengvall, Chief Development Officer at Freddy’s. “We work hard to continuously improve upon our franchise business model to adapt to the ever-changing fast casual landscape, and this milestone is a testament to those ongoing efforts as we further propel our growth mission on a global scale. We’re proud to partner with such experienced operators and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them as they bring Freddy’s delicious offerings to the residents of Canada.”

With backgrounds in large scale development for multiple quick-service restaurant brands, Gregg and Jim have worked together for over 16 years as franchise partners with much success in North America and Canada alike. The group joined the Freddy’s franchise network earlier this year to help the brand enter into the Dakotas with a store in Fargo, North Dakota, and has plans to build three additional locations in North Dakota markets, including Grand Forks, Minot, and Bismarck. Gregg and Jim have a history of international development for multiple brands in Canada.

“We were first introduced to Freddy’s by a fellow franchisee and after learning more about the concept and the franchise opportunity, we immediately knew we wanted to be involved with the brand, as we were thoroughly impressed by its notable AUVs and strong leadership team. Jim and I have been long-time business partners in growing our franchise portfolio and after seeing the success of our North Dakota location, we felt it made sense to continue our partnership and introduce Freddy’s to Canada,” said Gregg Most, Franchise Owner of North 49 Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. “We’re excited to bring this iconic, forward-looking brand to our country for the first time, while simultaneously bringing other franchisees on board to expand Freddy’s Canadian footprint.”

Franchise opportunities are now available in Canada and remain in areas across the U.S., including the Northeast, Upper Midwest, California, Florida, Oregon, and Washington and large metro areas such as Pittsburgh and many of its surrounding markets. For more information about development opportunities, contact Mary Coots, Director of Franchise Development, atmaryc@freddysusa.comor 316-719-7854; or contact Gregg Most and Jim Werschler atfranchising@freddyscanada.netfor Canadian inquiries. Prospective franchisees can also visitfreddysfranchising.comfor the latest information regarding available opportunities.

Sirha Lyon, the global Food Service event, highlights the rising stars of the hospitality, restaurant and food industry. More than 4,000 exhibitors and brands from France and abroad will be honored during this new edition: discover below the second selection of four ambitious profiles and witnesses of the ingeniousness of a sector in full transition.

→ To download the press release "Rising Stars 2" in pdf: click here | To download the visuals: click here

→ To download the press release "Rising Stars 1" in pdf: click here |To download the visuals: click here

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