Canadian-based fast-food chain Mary Brown’s Chicken recently opened a new prototype location in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.
The innovative concept is characterized by a spacious 2,500-square-foot interior.
The company said the interiors are outfitted with a cutting-edge design featuring an open dining room with high ceilings and focuses on ample glazing to maximize natural lighting.
Other features of the prototype store include a drive-thru and it adopts the innovative T-line back-of-house kitchen concept which aims to optimize operational efficiencies.
Image: Mary Brown’s Chicken
Exterior elements and a spacious patio, an extension of the interior dining room, have been enhanced to align with Mary Brown’s branding to ensure a cohesive visual identity.
“It’s stunning. It’s gorgeous. It’s a standalone building. It’s 2,800 square feet with an interior of about 2,500 (square feet) useable space,” said Liza Dournayan, Senior Director, Design and Construction.
“It’s everything we dreamed of building for our one of a kind, sort of our prototype store, our anchor store. It’s got unique features. It’s a standalone building. It has a designated patio with a drive-thru. It has a nice wide sort of free open dining area.
“Our main concern is our guests and that quality of experience above the food, the amazing food we serve. The design of the building is unique to Mary Brown’s.”
The company, which is based in Markham, Ontario, has 265 locations across the country. It began in 1969 in Newfoundland.
“By the end of the year, I hope to reach 280,” said Dournayan. “We’re targeting about 40 to 50 a year.”
Image: Mary Brown’s Chicken
Dournayan said the Wetaskiwin location was a brand new build which opened in June.
“We had the opportunity to build there and the way the cards fell that became our first prototype store. We had a landlord that was willing to work with us. And they built the site up for us based on our drawings. It was a great union. We worked well together. That’s where our first prototype was born,” she said, adding that the plan going forward is to have more stores like this one.
“We have provisions for more of these stores. It’s finding the right location and the right partners and we have prospects to build as many prototypes as we possibly can.”
Dournayan said the location is designed to flow the way the company feels an ideal store should replicate.
“When you walk in, you have a large dining room and then we have focal point of purchase or cash desk area with our digital screens and that’s where our guests walk up and place their order. We also have a full drive-thru system and a patio on the exterior,” she said.
In the back are two lines supplying and producing food – one to accommodate the drive-thru area and one for the interior for guests.
“It follows all of our colour schemes, our brand. It’s a replica of our brand ideal and our colours. We basically have a complimentary colour scheme of the blue and the orange. It’s a play with colours and our design and it just represents that Canadian Mary Brown’s culture that we’re spreading across Canada.”
The expansion includes the goal of entering the Quebec market within the next two years with the potential of having between 80 to 100 overall. The first locations will most likely be in and around Montreal.
Many individuals may not fully appreciate the extent to which the world can be excessively noisy, bright, and sensorily aggressive. For most, visiting public spaces like grocery stores or restaurants is a routine experience. While some people seek out intense sensory experiences, with loud music and vibrant lights, for others—such as parents of autistic children, seniors yearning for tranquility while engaging with their community, or anyone desiring a serene environment for daily tasks—the world can seem distinctly unwelcoming.
Recognizing this, an increasing number of retailers, including Walmart, and dining establishments like St-Hubert, are introducing sensory-friendly hours. Similarly, grocers like Sobeys are following suit. During these designated times, wall-mounted televisions display static images, the radio is silenced, and lighting is subdued.
Image: St-HubertImage: St-Hubert
In the realms of marketing and entertainment, the value of calmness is frequently underestimated. This leaves many pondering where they might find environments that cater to their specific needs for comfort and tranquility. As a result, a growing number of people are actively seeking out less sensory-aggressive environments for their shopping and dining experiences.
The modern consumer landscape is characterized by a barrage of sensory input, driven by companies’ relentless efforts to engage their customers. These businesses are adept at identifying, anticipating, and fulfilling customer needs, crafting highly immersive experiences. For example, a grocery store might employ vibrant displays, enticing aromas, and interactive elements, while a restaurant meticulously curates its lighting, music, and décor to enhance the dining ambiance. Such strategies are designed to capture and retain customer attention, fostering a sense of belonging and satisfaction.
However, this intense engagement can lead to sensory overload. With an abundance of stimuli—ranging from colorful advertisements and background music to digital screens and promotional materials—customers can become overwhelmed. The intention to cater to every conceivable need and preference results in environments saturated with information and choices, complicating the decision-making process. While these efforts aim to make customers feel valued and connected, the sheer volume of sensory input can sometimes have the opposite effect, inducing fatigue and decision paralysis. Consequently, the very strategies designed to build loyalty and attention can inadvertently alienate some customers.
Therefore, a shift in the approach to sensory stimuli is welcomed by many. In an era where instant information is the norm, businesses striving to remain competitive often inundate customers with constant updates. However, this can be counterproductive. A growing number of people are rejecting the notion that they must be constantly bombarded with information and sensory input.
Efforts to make food retail and service more inclusive are commendable, benefiting both retailers and food service establishments that can adapt to these needs. In the food industry, diversifying the menu, such as by adding plant-based options, is one approach. Equally important is creating an environment conducive to a diverse range of sensory preferences.
In essence, calm and serenity in public spaces are underrated, but that is slowly changing. This evolution represents a significant step forward, and more businesses should consider adopting such practices where feasible.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past three days.
OpenShine, a new division of OpenRoad Auto Group, is bringing the first-ever Tommy’s Express Car Wash to Canada with a location to be launched in Brampton next year.
Christian Tjia
OpenShine hopes to open the brand in the summer of 2025 with more locations to come. Three additional Ontario-based locations are already in the works – St. Thomas, London and Waterloo.
Christian Tjia, Operations Manager, OpenShine, said there is currently nothing quite like the upscale car wash service in Canada that Tommy’s Express Car Wash provides.
“There is a lot of potential, and we can’t wait for customers to get a first look very soon,” he said.
Groundbreaking photo ID: L-R: Ryan Essenburg, President and CIO, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; Christian Tjia, Operations Manager, OpenShine; Alex Lemmen, CEO, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; Moe Saboune, Director, Project Development, OpenRoad Group; Tom Essenburg, Founder and Chairman, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; and Gaurav Manhas, Director, Corporate Affairs and General Consul, OpenRoad GroupTommy’s Express Car Wash (Image: OpenShine)
With more than 200 locations across the United States, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is known as innovators of the modern-day car wash platform, featuring a free-standing car wash tunnel with record-breaking power and processing ability – creating a smarter, cleaner, and greener car wash experience. It was named #7 on the 2023 Professional Car Wash and Detailing Magazine Top 50 Conveyor Car Washes brands list.
“They’ve got over 50 years of experience in car washes. Back in about 2015, 2016 they started franchising their car washes. They’ve grown to about 200 locations across the United States. So it’s actually one of the fastest growing franchises in the U.S.,” said Tjia. “They have a beautiful product.
“OpenShine is a new group that was created from the overall OpenRoad Group which is a mainly automotive retailer group based in B.C., Ontario and Washington State. OpenShine is a new business that’s been created that’s kind of adjacent to the core business of OpenRoad.
“It’s a complementary business so we can bring our customers a full service from purchasing a car to servicing their car and now finally being able to wash their car in between their dealer visits . . . It’s a new opportunity to bring this new elevated car wash experience that currently isn’t really developed here. The Canadian market is 10 years behind the American market in terms of the offerings for car washes.”
Tommy’s Express Car Wash (Image: OpenShine)
Key Tommy’s Express Car Wash highlights include belt conveyors, free vacuums and mat washers (including a first-to-market moulded mat washer), auto-entry via license plate scanners for monthly club members, and special Detail Kits for additional interior cleaning.
Ryan Essenburg
“OpenRoad Auto Group is one of Canada’s leaders in the automotive industry, and we are pleased to partner with OpenShine to launch Tommy’s Express Car Wash in Canada for the very first time,” said Ryan Essenburg, President and CIO of Tommy’s Car Wash Systems. “Car wash technologies have seen vast advancement in development especially with belt conveyors, app-based club memberships, and high volume processing tunnel speed – all of which sets Tommy’s Express Car Wash apart from others.”
Tjia said the company has a number of car washes in the pipeline that should be opening up in the next few years.
The first location will be a 110-foot tunnel.
“Looking into the future, we’re trying to expand as much as possible. As much as the market can support,” he said. “So for example, in London, we’re looking to be at least three to four washes there. Each of our core markets we want to be able to have enough car washes that our customers feel like they’re getting value out of their membership program. If you’re a member of Tommy’s Express you can visit any wash and be able to get the same quality, the same experience, whichever wash you go to.
“We’re really looking to grow throughout all of southern Ontario for now and then in the future we are also looking at expanding further west as well.
“We’re really focused on our customer satisfaction and our customer experience with these car washes. We’re trying to improve from your standard gas station tunnel . . . And I think one thing that makes Tommy’s unique is when we say unlimited washing for our members, we actually mean unlimited washing for our members.”
Vancouver adidas at 969 Robson Street (Rendering: Provided)
Earlier this year, adidas announced through a Retail Insider exclusive that the German athletic brand will be opening a massive concept store at the northeast corner of Robson and Burrard Streets in downtown Vancouver.
With the construction hoarding going up earlier this month, we’re able to share what the sportswear giant has been strategically planning behind the scenes for the last three years in preparation for the 35,000 square foot, two level store that will open at the former Victoria’s Secret location at the Robson Central building.
Lesley Hawkins
“Vancouver is a very international market, one of the most diverse cities in North America and a true gateway to the Pacific region, so a strong presence in the city just makes sense,” shared Lesley Hawkins, VP of Retail for adidas. “With regards to the building, Robson Central has a long and very meaningful cultural history, from its initial function as the central library, to its time as home to iconic brands/institutions such as Virgin (Canada’s first Megastore), Planet Hollywood, HMV and still to this day Bell Media (CTV).
“The vision behind the project was to strip the heritage building down to its core and let the beauty of the award-winning architectural design shine, exposing the high ceilings and utilizing the natural light. An intent that aligns very well with our Home of Sport concept, rooted in functional simplicity. With elements like the Running Lab and modular fixturing which will allow for community events in the space, we look to bring back the cultural relevance of the building.”
Vancouver adidas at 969 Robson Street (Rendering: Provided)
This move shows adidas’s strong belief in downtown Vancouver, especially after recently expanding and reopening its adidas Originals store on Granville Street.
“The Robson store is the first iteration of the Home of Sport concept in Canada and the US. This concept is rooted in sport and amplified through culture. It represents everything that sport was, is, and could be,” said Hawkins. “Customers can expect to experience the Run Lab, which uses an advanced biometric running analysis to help consumers find the right fit for them. We are also launching the new Made For You customization space on the main level. In addition, an exclusive Made For You VIP room will provide adiClub members further customization and experiential opportunities, as well as a space for local activations.”
Looking ahead, adidas plans to make additional moves in the Canadian market, through partnerships, in-store experiences, further solidifying its presence and innovation in the retail market.
“We continue to evolve our retail footprint with concept upgrades, introduce new experiences, drive community activations, deliver localized products, and drive trends in the marketplace with our performance and lifestyle assortments,” Hawkins explained.
Vancouver adidas (Rendering: Provided)
In recent months, adidas has opened and expanded several new stores, including a stunning halo store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and the originals flagship at The Well in downtown Toronto. These stores not only showcase the latest in adidas designs but also offer immersive shopping experiences that reflect the brand’s commitment to innovation and bringing its fans into the middle of the action.
“There were, and to some extent still are, countless learnings from both of those projects. One of the biggest takeaways is the value of our retail spaces serving a purpose to the consumer within the community beyond just a place to purchase products,” said Hawkins. “For instance, the seasonal fashion shows at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, celebrations of key cultural moments at The Well, and our involvement at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Vancouver Sun Run.”
“The new adidas concept store on Robson Street is set to be a game-changer for Vancouver’s retail scene,” Hawkins continued. “Its prime location and impressive size show adidas’s confidence and investment in the city, promising an exciting and dynamic shopping space for everyone. We’ve concentrated our design efforts around experiences that add value to the consumer who enters our doors. We want to capture the imagination of our consumers through the accomplishments they will make while wearing our product and this applies to our athletes as much as our lifestyle consumers. Through our Maker Lab, consumers will have the opportunity to customize a breadth of product with locally inspired graphics.”
Mario Negris and Martin Moriarty of Marcus & Millichap negotiated the lease deal on behalf of adidas. Morguard is the landlord of the building at 969 Robson Street where adidas will be located.
Robson and Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver. Photo: Lee Rivett.
“The move of adidas to the former Victoria’s Secret location on Robson Street is significant,” said Craig Patterson, Founder and Publisher of Retail Insider. “As a journalist I covered the opening of the Victoria’s Secret store in that building over a decade ago when Retail Insider was a young publication, and it was a pleasure earlier this year to announce the new adidas flagship store that will replace it.
Craig Patterson
“The adidas store will act as a key anchor and traffic generator for the area,” Patterson went on to say. “Given the vast size, product and experiences that will be provided, I predict that the store will be a draw for residents of the Lower Mainland and beyond. I also think it will be a strong co-tenant to Lululemon across the street, as well as the new Arc’teryx store that will be replacing Roots at the northwest corner of Robson and Burrard, and other sporting goods retailers that will be opening nearby including Peak Performance and JD Sports”.
Patterson said that adidas’ choosing downtown Vancouver for such a concept store spelled confidence in downtown Vancouver retailing, which includes new tenants for retail spaces along Robson Street and nearby commercial arteries.
“The redevelopment of the former Nordstrom store nearby at CF Pacific Centre will further invigorate Vancouver’s downtown core, which is seeing a lot of foot traffic right now. Vancouver is one of the few commercially successful downtowns left in North America in terms of retail spending, and it also has a large residential population to support it, which is rare”, Patterson went on to say.
Vancouver adidas at 969 Robson Street (Rendering: Provided)
This new downtown Vancouver adidas store will leverage community events to bring together lifelong fans and new customers. It will provide opportunities for the adidas team to utilize skills not traditionally seen in brick-and-mortar retail, such as social media and after-hours events. “The flexibility of the space and fixtures allows it to be very versatile – hosting events, special guests, running clubs, community partners, and celebrating local cultural moments. We will have a full-time Consumer Experience Manager who will be tasked with utilizing the space and tools provided to drive that community engagement,” Hawkins elaborated.
The new adidas concept store on Robson Street is poised to become a significant landmark in Vancouver’s retail landscape. Its strategic location and impressive scale highlight the brand’s confidence and investment in the city, promising a dynamic and engaging space for shoppers.
Adidas will have a number of employment positions available for the Opening Team, including Visual Merchandising, Back of House, and Part Time & Full Time Retail Sales Associates. Interested applicants can visit Careers.Adidas-Group.com for more information.
Future Tahini's at 175 Bloor Street E (Image: Craig Patterson)
Tahini’s Restaurants, renowned for Mediterranean Fusion Cuisine, has successfully transitioned from a single standalone eatery in London, Ontario, to becoming an industry leader in the culinary scene across Canada, accomplished strategically through its franchising initiatives.
“Our journey has always been about more than just food; It’s about creating an experience that people remember and want to come back to,” said Omar Hamam, Founder and CEO at Tahini’s Restaurants.
“We are thrilled to expand our footprint and assemble a network of dedicated entrepreneurs who are committed to maintaining the experience and quality of Tahini’s.”
The first location opened in 2018 and today it has 45 locations, three of them corporately owned. The latest opening was in Kelowna, B.C.
Image: Tahini’s Image: Tahini’s Image: Tahini’s
The total number of corporate and franchise locations is projected to exceed 60 storefronts by year end.
“We’re going for about 40 to 50 stores a year. That’s the numbers we’ll be doing in the next year or two in Canada,” said Hamam. “And within the next 12 months I think we’re opening six locations in the States.
“In Canada we’ve identified 230 locations. But we might not open all of them. So I’d say around 200 locations. The States is a monster. There’s no limit. The States could take like 3,000 locations easy. It’s a completely different animal.”
Hamam said the brand is looking for AAA locations, trying to be in busy plazas, busy intersections, neighbourhoods that are thriving, more high income than low income areas.
In 2018, he was operating another restaurant under a different name for about seven years. He started reading about franchising. It was interesting for him. So we wondered what he could do with that. But he didn’t think the restaurant he had was franchisable. The idea for Tahini’s was born and he opened his first location in the north end of London. It was tough at the beginning because it was a new brand name. The first six months were slow but then business started picking up. That led to a decision to expand and he hasn’t looked back. After he opened his second location, a franchisee wanted to open in Whitby.
He built a commissary under a different name, Alex Food Services, for the products for the restaurants and as a wholesaler. By then, he had opened five Tahini’s locations.
Future Tahini’s Restaurants
Hamam was approached by Sobeys who wanted him to take some of their commercial kitchens at FreshCo. The first FreshCo location opened in Edmonton and then two more in Calgary.
He said the brand opened 25 locations last year and this year they have opened 26 locations already. In 2025, it will expand by 40 to 50 locations.
“We’re very different from the average. What we do is Mediterranean fusion. It’s not your typical shawarma store. We have a fusion between the Middle East and all other cultures, just like Canada is. Canada is a huge mix of different people. And the way we’ve designed our menu is to be something like that.”
In August 2020, Tahini’s became one of the first restaurant chains to invest 100 per cent of its cash reserves into cryptocurrency.
“This bold move into Bitcoin has been instrumental in aiding our expansion, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and soaring inflation prices,” said Hamam.
“All companies have some cash reserves. We decided to invest it in Bitcoin. Inflation was at all-time high and especially during COVID, it’s a problem when inflation is this high, your money is actually losing value so we decided to put all our cash reserves in Bitcoin. It’s been great. Bitcoin has skyrocketed.”
Sectional sellers are businesses or retailers which specialize in selling sectional sofas. These are large pieces of furniture that are composed of multiple sections, or modules, which can be arranged in a variety of configurations to suit different room layouts and customer requirements. It has long been a trend for furniture buyers to purchase sectional sofas from big name stores like Wayfair and Home Depot.
The trend now appears to be towards the ordering and purchasing of customized sectional sofas from a new type of business that has entered the market like DreamSofa. As a result, the big name stores are losing business.
Furniture Sales Statistics
Wayfair, a popular online home goods concern, revealed a net revenue of $2.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, but this was a drop of 1.6% year-over-year. The only way it could recover from this loss was by reducing its workforce by 13 percent. Similarly, Home Depot also highlighted a 2.3 percent drop in net sales to $36.4 billion for the first quarter of the year.
This is not all that is happening in the sofa furniture market.
There is another trend in sales that’s emerging and that’s the demand for customized sectional sofas like these. This is being led by DreamSofa, a company whose sales are growing at a fast pace. This is a good time for a business to enter the customized sectional sofa market as revenue gained in this industry in the country is projected to reach US$263.20bn this year, with an expected yearly growth rate of 3.82% between 2024 and 2029. The furniture market is also experiencing a flood in demand for the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials which reflects a growth in consumer preferences today.
Living Room Furniture, is forecast to reach a revenue of US$73.08bn in 2024. On a global scale, the United States makes the most revenue from the furniture market, with US$263.20bn in 2024. This adds up to be US$769.90 per person in 2024.
Why Customers Seek Customized Sectional Sofas
The consumer increasingly seeks furniture that reflects their own personal taste and fits perfectly into their living space. Companies like DreamSofa offer customized sectional sofas so that the customer can choose their preferred materials, colors, designs, and any other features that match their home décor preferences. Sectional sofas have established a reputation for their versatility and functionality so that the customer can request customization for a sofa which meets their specific needs.
The growth in e-commerce has made it simpler for a consumer to customize and order sectional sofas online, as retailers provide online tools and virtual room planners that assist the customer to visualize their customized sofa in their home before they go ahead and make a purchase.
With the growing trend of urban living and a smaller living space the consumer is looking for furniture like a customized sectional sofa that maximizes space and can be tailored to fit an exact room dimension and its layouts. An eco-conscious consumer is driving more demand for ethically-made sustainable furniture, so companies which offer customized sectional sofas and other furniture are now focusing on the use of sustainable materials as well.
DreamSofa is a successful furniture business that specializes in custom-made sofas, which includes sectional sofas. They offer several customization options which allow the customer to select what suits their requirements. DreamSofa endeavors to provide high-quality, personalized furniture that meets the specific requirements and preferences of their customers.
Key features of DreamSofa include the following:
Quality materials are offered by DreamSofa to ensure a customized sectional sofa is both durable and comfortable. This typically includes the use of hard wearing frames, the finest fabrics and comfortable cushions.
A customizationservice so that the customer is given the opportunity of designing their sofa by choosing from various options that create a piece that suits their home and lifestyle perfectly. This includes selecting the fabric, color, cushion density, and its configuration such as L- or U-shape.
It provides online tools which allow every customer the opportunity to visualize their customized sofa and decide if it’s right for them.
It often emphasizes its focus on its customer service as it provides support throughout the design and buying process so customer satisfaction is assured.
Each customized sectional sofa is made-to-order and the design is based on the customer’s specifications so that a unique and personalized product is created
DreamSofa prides itself on providing a fast delivery service and may provide an assembly option which ensures convenience for the customer.
DreamSofa has received a significant amount of favorable feedback from customers across various locations in the U.S. Customers praise the company for its exceptional customer service, great quality products, and the ease of customization available for their sofas. Many reviews highlight how helpful the staff is and the overall pleasant shopping experience, which makes DreamSofa a favored choice for many seeking new furniture.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.
Anatomy of a Leader: Matt McGowan, General Manager, Canada at Snapchat
A born and bred New Yorker turned Torontonian who has lived on three continents, Matt McGowan has worked alongside founders, executives, venture capitalists, private equity professionals and others representing some of the world’s best known and hundreds of lesser known companies.
McGowan, General Manager, Canada at Snapchat, was born and raised in New York City. He went to school there and high school in the Bronx and college in rural Pennsylvania.
“I grew up in about 900 square feet with two brothers and two parents, a dog and a cat. So room was at a premium you might say. Didn’t spend alot of time at home. At home everyone was fighting for who could get the extra inch,” said McGowan.
“So we were out and about a lot. Education took place in the playgrounds, the parks, the school. I’d come home to shower and go to bed. Growing up on the streets of New York City is like a whole other level of education. It’s hard to explain. Especially in the 70s and the 80s.”
London England 2006 (Image: Matt McGowan)Image: Matt McGowan
What did he learn on those streets that helped him in his career?
“A few things. I think the big one is that no decision is a decision. Indecision is a decision. If you take what you’re given, you deserve what you get,” he said. “Excuses don’t matter. You’ve got to go for it in life.
“New York is a crowded place. If I didn’t go in to play basketball like in the park someone else would and I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity. If I didn’t like raise my hand, agree to participate, someone else would. There were so many people. You had to figure out how to know what you need. Assertive for sure. Definitely.
“Also open minded. I think that was the biggest thing. We used to call New York the melting pot of the world. And I think it’s a lot like Toronto is today to be fair. But New York was a lot of different people from a lot of different places all put in a really tight place and you had to learn how to negotiate, how to work with individuals. You were never alone. I was never alone growing up.”
Search Engine Strategies Conference and Expo 2010 (Image: Matt McGowan)
He went to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was known for its engineering background and he was an engineer early on. The college also had a strong hockey team where McGowan played.
“I didn’t apply early to colleges. I didn’t know where I wanted to go. I couldn’t make a decision which ended up becoming a decision. The Director of Admissions at Lafayette College met with me which I thought was cool. I met with the woman responsible for admissions. And as I’m walking out of her office she said ‘let me leave you with one thing’. And I’ll never forget it to this day. ‘You can go to a university anytime. You can only go to a small college once because colleges don’t have graduate programs’,” said McGowan.
“When I was deciding between Lafayette and some larger universities like Purdue I chose Lafayette because this is a once a lifetime opportunity. If I don’t go now I’ll never go back.”
Adestra Oxford UK Office 2017 (Image: Matt McGowan)
At the time, math and sciences were always his strength. He thought he would become a chemical engineer. When he wanted to go abroad, he switched to business economics and he thought he was going to end up going to Wall Street, which he eventually did and worked for a few years.
“It wasn’t for me,” he said. “I think what always attracted me to engineering was building something and on Wall Street I found that I was trading other people’s kind of hard work. For me, I really wanted to build something. I got transferred to the San Francisco desk in 1998. San Francisco was going through a renaissance you might say at the time with all these tech opportunities. I quickly gave up a very well paying Wall Street job and rolled up my sleeves and tried to build something on my own.”
Today, McGowan is the General Manager of Snap Inc. in Canada, the technology company and augmented reality (AR) leader behind Bitmoji, Snapchat and Spectacles. He is also a Partner in an early stage venture capital firm, C2 Ventures, sits on several Boards, and volunteers his time as a mentor at both Techstars and Elevate.
Previously, he served as President and a member of the Board of Directors at Adestra, an enterprise Marketing Automation Platform which was acquired by Upland Software in Dec 2018. Prior to Adestra, McGowan focused on expanding Google and YouTube’s leadership in the advertising and marketing space. He has also held leadership positions at Incisive Media (acquired), PropertyRoom.com, Headland Digital Media (acquired), and Charles Schwab Inc.
He also has a Master’s from the University of Oxford.
Snap Canada makes Matt McGowan country manager – 2019 (Image: Snap Inc)
How does a Wall Street professional end up where he is today?
“It has all to do with San Francisco in the late 90s. I was in the minority there as a Wall Street guy and everyone else was building on this thing they called the internet,” he said, adding he had a background in computers and during college he had a business building websites for offline businesses.
“It just all kind of fit together. I spent a lifetime until about the age of 22 figuring out things I didn’t want to do . . . I was peeling back layers of the onion so to speak for a few years saying I don’t want to be on Wall Street. I don’t want to be an engineer. I don’t want to be this. And then boom I saw my peers building these really kind of innovative future looking businesses on this thing called the internet. And I said that’s what I want to do.
“I built a career since then – over half my life – working with founders building digital products and digital businesses.”
Snap Canada Partner Summit in Toronto 2023 (Image: Snap Inc.)
McGowan described himself as a “transparent servant leader”.
“By servant leader, I mean I like to flip the org chart upside down. When I started out on Wall Street the head of the trading floor told me it was our job to make him look good,” he said. “In order to make him look good we had to do all these things and that was how we dressed, how we showed up. What I learned quickly, I’m an older brother of two younger brothers, all in the same room and I found that leadership came natural to me. They always looked up to me because I was older and had gone through whatever it was with my parents or with the teachers, the community, neighbours, whatever,” he said.
“I quickly found that I don’t want my team to make me look good. I think the best leaders help make their team look good. So we flipped the org chart upside down. It’s my job as a leader to make sure that everyone in this office knows what’s expected of them and when. And that they have the freedom to get that job done and that I’m open-minded enough to realize that they may have a better way.
“I get enjoyment out of watching our business grow and watching those who are growing our business grow in their roles and into new roles. I get enjoyment out of watching (my) kids grow and learning how to do things themselves . . . Those things all add enjoyment to my life and give me a sense of accomplishment that allows me to feel like I’m doing something of value.”
Dispatch Coffee on Bay Street (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
According to the Coffee Association of Canada (CAC), the country has enjoyed the fastest coffee importing growth among leading traditional world markets with over 30 developing countries exporting coffee to Canada.
Robert Carter
The impact of the industry in the country is massive – 160,000 jobs, $6.2 billion in total sales.
“Overall, coffee consumption remains quite robust. In fact, it is the number one consumed beverage in the Canadian marketplace. More so than tap water. Canadians love their coffee,” said Robert Carter, President of the Coffee Association of Canada.
“In terms of per capita consumption, Canada is number two or number three on a global standpoint. The consumption of coffee has always been a staple for the Canadian population but continues to rise in popularity.”
Carter said Canadians have grown up in a coffee culture. In the last decade, there’s been a lot of innovation in the industry. There’s more coffee products and drinks expanding beyond the typical brewed coffee.
“The Coffee Association of Canada is a non-profit organization that’s been in existence for over 40 years and the primary goal is to represent our members and the coffee industry at large, the $6 billion coffee industry in the Canadian market,” said Carter.
“So our pillars of focus are on education, awareness and advocacy. And that means understanding consumers’ coffee preferences and purchase behaviour through our proprietary research as well as our GR (government relations) focus in working with the government on any legislation or supply chain or any labeling issues for coffee. And connecting and supporting the industry through understanding issues such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion and making sure that the coffee industry has a stable future in Canada.”
Carter said the fastest growing area in the coffee market in Canada is the cold brews and espresso style beverages.
“This innovation is bringing in younger consumers. Consumers that may not have traditionally been in the coffee category. So it’s really expanding the scope of who is actually consuming coffee,” he said.
“We’re seeing the coffee portfolio expand beyond your traditional coffee houses. Pretty much a number of different environments you can go into from a convenience gas station store to a workplace to hotel environments.
“It’s moving from a commodity based product offering to more of a value add.”
Carter said there is a very robust coffee culture that is emerging, particularly in regions like Alberta where you’re seeing many micro roasters and independent gourmet coffee houses, Indigenous supported and focused businesses, in the market.
“There’s this whole subculture of consumers, particularly with the Gen Z, who are just so motivated by coffee, understanding coffee. In generations past it would be more like alcohol stuff that they might be interested in. Now with the technology on home brewing systems, the transparency on countries of origin, the high quality, this whole culture of cafe or coffee culture has become trendy and mainstream and it’s helping drive the growth through these independent coffee roasters and coffee shops. It’s becoming the cool factor of the coffee industry and consumers are supporting it,” he said.
“They’re looking for these diverse, different offerings. So it’s a really good news story.”
Metro Front Street Coffee Section (Image: Dustin Fuhs)Coffee Section at Farm Boy (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Carter said grocers are also realizing that coffee is moving beyond just a commodity. The days of having just some standard brands in a small section of a grocery aisle is expanding.
“And they’re recognizing that there is a demand for greater diversity and variety so they’re expanding their offerings which consumers are responding to,” said Carter. “The older consumers continue to be part of the category. We don’t see older consumers moving out of the category as we see younger consumers coming into the category.
“So the overall distribution and consumption is now the largest we’ve ever seen in terms of touching multiple age groups and demographics overall.”
Everyday Gourmet at the St. Lawrence Market (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Recently CAC announced that Canadian business icon Arlene Dickinson will be the keynote speaker for its annual conference in November in Toronto with the theme Coffee Unites.
“Coffee brings people together over shared moments,” said Dickinson, who is also a dragon on the popular CBC television series Dragons’ Den. “It is a beloved beverage that serves as a powerful catalyst in uniting people worldwide. I look forward to delving into the power of relationships and how strong connections can empower us all.”
