Thai Express is making another play for premium protein, this time with calamari. The Canadian-born QSR has launched its first Crunchy Calamari, making a premium seafood favourite accessible to more Canadians, says the brand.
The launch follows last year’s highly successful lobster debut, which quickly became one of Thai Express’ most in-demand limited-time offerings and revealed an appetite for premium proteins beyond the usual quick-service choices, it noted.
The new Crunchy Calamari also goes beyond the traditional appetizer plate. Crispy and golden, it can be enjoyed with fried rice as a main, on its own with a sauce, or added as the protein to an eligible Thai Express favourite.
“Our guests have shown us they’re ready for more premium protein choices,” said Loune Thongvan, co-founder of Thai Express. “We want to keep surprising them with premium favourites prepared with a distinctly Thai Express twist.”
In 1999,Thongvan opened her first Thai Express location in downtown Montreal, using the insight she gathered and developed over the years, to create a new Thai Express concept that gained massive recognition and success.
From the first location in Montreal, the brand has now grown to over 300 locations worldwide.
In 2004, it joined MTY Food Group, one of Canada’s largest and most successful restaurant franchisors, further fueling the brand’s growth.
The brand said the new Crunchy Calamari headlines the Meet the Crunchies lineup, joined by another new limited-time offering, Spiced PopBok, featuring crispy, bite-sized chicken with a spicy kick. The two new additions join existing favourites Imperial Rolls and General Thai Beef, creating a four-item lineup that puts the spotlight on some of the biggest crunches on the menu.
Dennis Ng, Senior Vice President of Innovation, of the MTY Group, which operates Thai Express, said the company saw an opportunity around growing interest in more distinctive proteins and more experiential menu choices.
“The success of our 2025 Lobster LTO showed us that guests were open to trading up when the product felt new, indulgent and worth discovering.
“Calamari was a natural next step. It gives us a premium but approachable protein that also brings texture and versatility to the menu. It became the hero of Meet the Crunchies, a broader platform built around the experience of crunch rather than a single product,” he explained.
“Lobster was an important proof point for us. The strong response showed that there was an appetite for a more elevated protein experience at Thai Express.
“The bigger learning was that guests are open to exploring beyond traditional proteins when the offer still feels accessible and relevant to the brand. That gave us confidence to continue experimenting, with calamari bringing a different price point, texture and eating experience.”
Ng said the priority was making sure the brand could deliver the same quality, texture and experience consistently across a large restaurant network while keeping execution manageable for its teams.
“The versatility of the product was also important. Crunchy Calamari can be enjoyed as part of a meal, as an appetizer or added to an eligible dish, giving guests multiple ways to experience it while allowing us to build several menu occasions around one core innovation,” he said.
“Meet the Crunchies represents an evolution in how we approach LTOs. Rather than building the entire campaign around one product, we created a broader platform around a feeling and experience: crunch.
“Crunchy Calamari is the new hero, while Spiced PopBok, Imperial Roll and General Thai Beef give guests multiple ways to experience the platform. It allows us to introduce something new, bring renewed attention to existing favourites and encourage greater menu exploration throughout the campaign. Ultimately, the goal is to keep Thai Express fresh and relevant while continuing to share the love of Thai food in new and approachable ways.”
Thai Express began in Montreal with a simple ambition: to make Thai food more accessible and share the love of Thai food with more people. As the brand has expanded internationally, that ambition has remained at the centre of how it thinks about growth, said Ng.
“Innovation plays an important role in keeping the brand relevant. Products like Crunchy Calamari give existing guests something new to discover, introduce new guests to Thai Express and allow us to keep evolving the menu while staying connected to the flavours and experiences people come to us for,” he said.
“For us, growth is not just about adding locations. It is about continuing to give more people more reasons to discover and love Thai food.”
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