Two new Chick-fil-A restaurants will open this month in Ontario, continuing the brand’s long-term investment in Canada.
In a news release, the company said the two new locally-owned and operated restaurants will create approximately 170 jobs combined. Both restaurants, at CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa, and Cambridge Centre, will offer dine-in and take-out, with Cambridge Centre also serving people with drive-thru
service.
New Restaurants Opening in Ontario
● Chick-fil-A Rideau Centre will begin serving the Ottawa community Thursday, January 9 and is
located within the CF Rideau Centre Food Court at 50 Rideau Street, and will be open from 10 a.m.
to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Hussein Tohme has been selected as the independent
franchised Owner-Operator. Tohme is from the Ottawa community and has a background managing
food and beverage teams for several national restaurant chains.
● Chick-fil-A Cambridge Centre will begin serving the Cambridge community Thursday, January 16
and is located at 405 Hespeler Road, and will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Olivia O’Brien (nee Efford) has been selected as the independent franchised Owner-
Operator. O’Brien is also the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Kitchener and will be the company’s second multi-restaurant Owner-Operator in Canada.
“Chick-fil-A’s franchise model is essential to how the restaurant serves others. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants
are owned and operated by a single individual, which means Chick-fil-A’s local Owner-Operators are small business owners, not passive investors, who work in their restaurants side by side with their Team Members each day,” said the company.
“Day-to-day activities of the business include employing approximately 70-100 full- and part-time Team
Members, serving Guests, cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses, and tailoring
philanthropic efforts to meet the community’s needs.”
Since 2020, the company said it has donated about C$2 million (US$1.46 million) to Second Harvest to support local hunger-relief organizations. Second Harvest is one of Canada’s largest food rescue organizations and helps reduce the environmental impact of food waste by redistributing surplus food from across the supply chain to non-profits throughout the country.
“These two new restaurants will also be participating in the Chick-fil-A Shared TableTM program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from participating Chick-fil-A restaurants to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and non-profits to help feed those in need,” said the company.
“To date, more than 30 million meals have been created using Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from 2,200 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout Canada and the U.S.
“Chick-fil-A met its goal of opening 20 stores in Canada by 2025 ahead of schedule and is excited to continue its long-term investment in Canada, with the aim to open seven to ten restaurants per year. We are seeking franchise candidates in Canada with an entrepreneurial spirit and a CEO mindset, who are passionate about serving great food and providing exceptional hospitality in a fast-paced environment.”
Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, known for its freshly-prepared food, signature hospitality and unique franchise model. More than 200,000 Team Members are employed by independent Owner-Operators in more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the company shared plans to expand by 2030 into Europe and Asia. The family-owned and privately held company was founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy.
Related Retail Insider stories:
 to Second Harvest to support local hunger-relief organizations){kind=link}