MONTREAL/TORONTO, June 16, 2026 – Foodtastic, a Canadian restaurant franchisor, today announces the acquisition of Kinton Ramen, a Japanese ramen brand founded in Canada with locations across Canada and in the United States.

The acquisition brings an established Asian dining concept into Foodtastic’s portfolio and aligns with the company’s strategy to invest in restaurant brands with clear characteristics and development potential. Founded in Toronto in 2012, Kinton Ramen was among the first Japanese ramen restaurants in the city and has since expanded across Canada and into the United States.

“We have been looking to add a strong Asian concept to our portfolio for some time, and Kinton Ramen is exactly the kind of brand we wanted to bring into Foodtastic,” said Peter Mammas, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Foodtastic. “Kinton has built a clear position in the Canadian restaurant market, with a loyal following, a strong culinary identity and significant room to grow. We believe Foodtastic’s scale, infrastructure and franchise expertise will help support the brand’s next stage of growth across Canada.”

A Kinton Ramen team member serves freshly prepared ramen to guests at a Kinton Ramen restaurant. Foodtastic acquired Kinton Ramen, adding the Canadian-born Japanese ramen brand to its growing portfolio. Photo: Kinton Ramen

Kinton Ramen offers Japanese ramen with a menu designed for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. The brand operates 58 locations in five Canadian provinces and one U.S. state, including Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, and New York.

Following the acquisition, Foodtastic will focus on expanding Kinton Ramen in Canada and will use its operating infrastructure to support the brand. There are no plans to change Kinton Ramen’s menu, loyalty program, brand identity, franchisee relationships, or guest experience.

“Kinton Ramen has always been about delivering a memorable and authentic ramen experience to guests, one bowl at a time,” said James Kim, founder of Kinton Ramen. “Foodtastic understands the strength of the brand and the significance of preserving what guests and franchisees already know and value. We are looking forward to working with the Foodtastic team as Kinton enters its next phase of growth.”

The acquisition expands Foodtastic’s portfolio of established restaurant brands in Canada. Foodtastic now operates brands across the quick-service, fast-casual, coffee, healthy-eating, casual-dining, and specialty-dining categories.

For more information, visit foodtastic.ca and kintonramen.com.

Restaurants Canada welcomed the federal government’s National Food Security Strategy announced today by Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling it an important step toward strengthening Canada’s food system through investments in domestic food production, processing, and distribution infrastructure.

Several recommendations advanced by Restaurants Canada during consultations are reflected in the strategy, including investments in food terminals and food hubs, measures to strengthen competition and consumer affordability, efforts to reduce regulatory barriers, and initiatives aimed at expanding domestic food processing capacity and improving supply-chain resilience.

“We were encouraged to see several of the priorities Restaurants Canada advanced during consultations reflected in the final strategy,” said Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “Food security depends on strong domestic production and processing capacity, efficient distribution networks, competitive markets, and reliable access to food. The strategy recognizes the importance of strengthening each of those elements.”

With the average transaction sitting at approximately $12 per person, restaurants provide an accessible source of nourishment for millions of Canadians. For many Canadians—including busy families, seniors, students, shift workers, travellers, people living in temporary accommodations, and those without access to cooking facilities—restaurants are often the most practical, affordable, and reliable way to obtain meals.

Every day, Canadians make approximately 23.7 million visits to restaurants. The restaurant industry purchases approximately $43 billion in food and beverages annually, including roughly $30 billion from Canadian suppliers, making it the largest purchaser of Canadian agricultural products. It directly employs 1.2 million Canadians and serves as an important link between producers and consumers across the country.

“Restaurants operate at the intersection of food production, processing, distribution, labour, affordability, and consumer demand,” said Higginson. “That gives our industry a practical understanding of how food moves through the economy and reaches Canadians. As the strategy is implemented, Restaurants Canada looks forward to contributing that perspective to help advance the government’s objectives and strengthen food security for Canadians.”

Restaurants Canada’s submission to the National Food Security Strategy can be found here.

Canada's largest Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant chain launches refreshed identity and new daily value program ahead of a summer of soccer.

Alistair Johnston and Lucas Lopez, aka “Coach Burrito,” invite Canadians to barBURRITO this summer for $9.99 Daily Craves.

TORONTO, June 8, 2026 /CNW/ - barBURRITO™, Canada's largest Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant chain, unveils a new national brand platform and Daily Crave™ value program promoted by Canadian Men's National Team defender Alistair Johnston and Toronto creator Lucas Lopez.

The new brand identity introduces an updated logo, refreshed visual system and a new Built for Craves™ positioning. Designed to highlight what has long differentiated the brand: fresh ingredients, in-house preparation and food built to order.

Launching as Canada prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, the campaign affirms barBURRITO's commitment to serving fresh, made-to-order food every day across its growing network of restaurants.

"This summer marks an important milestone for barBURRITO," said Marina Baric, Vice President of Marketing.

"Consumers have increasingly come to expect convenience at the expense of freshness. At barBURRITO, we've always believed great food should deliver both. BarBURRITO has partnered with two distinctly Canadian personalities to expand the brand's fan base."

• Canadian Men's National Team defender Alistair Johnston brings a reputation for consistency, preparation and performance at the highest levels of the sport.
• Joining him is Toronto-based creator Lucas Lopez, known for his comedic digital content and four-million online audience. Lopez introduces Coach Burrito, an original barBURRITO campaign character: part motivational coach, part burrito enthusiast.

"Proudly Canadian-owned and operated, we're excited to celebrate a summer when soccer will capture the attention of the entire country," added Baric. "Alistair and Lucas don't seem like an obvious pair, a Celtic FC defender and a comedian with four million followers, but they play well together, and that's so on-brand for us."

The campaign will run nationally across TSN, Sportsnet, CTV, Global and Crave throughout the summer. Until July 5, guests can also enjoy free delivery on the barBURRITO app and website.

"With our new brand platform, refreshed identity and Daily Crave program, the best part for Canadians is simple: fresh food, every day, at $9.99," said Baric.

Daily Crave™ is a rotating lineup of featured menu items available for $9.99 each day of the week throughout the summer.

*Veggie Ground Burrito available at select locations.

This summer, with the world watching, barBURRITO is making sure no one watches hungry.

About barBURRITO

barBURRITO™ is Canada's largest Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant chain, with more than 400 locations operating from coast to coast.

Built for Craves.™ | barburrito.ca

Valid at participating locations only. Plus applicable taxes. Prices subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined with any other offer. No substitutions. TM and ® owned or used under licence by BarBURRITO Inc. Copyright 2026 BarBURRITO Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: barBURRITO

First 100 guests will receive a free 6-inch sandwich on June 12 and $6.99 Classics from June 15 to June 17

ST. THOMAS, Ont., June 4, 2026 – Jimmy John’s is set to bring the “Sandwich of Sandwiches” to St. Thomas with the grand opening of its first location in the city at 1025 Talbot Street, Unit 5, on Friday, June 12. This marks the 16^th Jimmy John’s location in Canada.

A grand opening celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. To mark the occasion, the first 100 guests will receive a free 6-inch sandwich and a 16 oz. fountain drink. From June 15 to June 17, all guests can enjoy $6.99 Classic sandwiches.

“We’re excited to officially open our doors in St. Thomas and introduce the community to the Jimmy John’s experience,” said Mike Warren, director of operations at Jimmy John’s. “We look forward to welcoming guests for great food, fast service and a fun grand opening celebration.”

Franchisees Abhay Panchal and Akshay Patel will celebrate the grand opening of Jimmy John’s St. Thomas on June 12, 2026. The first 100 guests will receive a free 6-inch sandwich and a 16 oz. fountain drink as part of the opening celebration. Photo: Foodtastic.

Guests can choose from Jimmy John’s menu of sandwiches, including signature options such as the Beach Club and Italian Night Club, classics such as The Pepe and Turkey Tom, and the brand’s the new Canadian wraps, the Chicken Caesar Club and Tuscan Italian.

“We’re proud to bring Jimmy John’s to St. Thomas and introduce guests to the fresh flavour and great service the brand is known for,” said Abhay Panchal, franchisee, Jimmy John’s St. Thomas. “We look forward to becoming part of the community and welcoming our first guests on June 12.”

For more information, follow Jimmy John’s on Instagram at instagram.com/jimmyjohns.ca or visit JimmyJohns.ca.

-30-

About Jimmy John’s

Founded in 1983, Jimmy John’s has immortalized the role of the sandwich in modern society. Driven by its bold aspiration “The Sandwiches of Sandwiches”, the banner offers hungry Canadians a meat-packed menu of made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and sides – all with the freshest ingredients and speed of service. Under the care of Montreal-based Foodtastic, which launched the brand in Canada in 2024, Jimmy John’s now has more than seven locations in the great north. For more information, visit JimmyJohns.ca.

About Foodtastic

Foodtastic is a leading Canadian restaurant franchisor with a portfolio of 27 diverse brands and over 1,200 establishments across the country. As a growing industry player, Foodtastic focuses on innovation, operational excellence, and the legacy of local brands to drive both national and international expansion. Iconic brands include Rotisseries Benny, La Belle et La Bœuf, Monza, Second Cup, Quesada, Freshii, and Pita Pit, among others. With a bold vision and strong franchise partnerships, Foodtastic continues to build a dynamic and influential presence in the global food service industry. More information is available at  www.foodtastic.ca.