1Pür & Simple Breakfast and Lunch Chain Launches Significant Expansion
Quebec-based restaurant chain Pür & Simple Breakfast and Lunch has an impressive nine locations under construction amid an expansion. The company’s first location opened in Laval near Montreal in 2016, growing to 14 locations across Canada.
The two newest locations are set to open in February and will be located at 9100 Jane St (at Rutherford Rd) in Vaughan and at Billy Bishop airport in Toronto, bringing the total count to 16.
Pür & Simple offers authentic all-day breakfast classics packed with fresh ingredients and a wide variety of breakfast and brunch items that offer a fresh take on the most important meal of the day. The restaurant also offers a kids menu. Open seven days a week from 7 am to 3 pm.
The restaurants’ footprint ranges from 2800 to 4000 square feet and includes a dining room that seats between 90 to 125 guests. Most of the restaurants are situated in high-traffic sectors.
The expansion will continue under the direction of Paracom Realty — there is an immediate need for locations in the GTA according to the brokerage. End caps are preferred along with patios where possible in densely populated high-volume locations with strong exposure in dominant street front, retail or power centres. Todd Feinstein with Paracom Realty Corporation (Ontario) handles the site selection in Ontario and Sean Sarrami, the Chief Development Officer of parent company, Eat It Brands, is handling all the development & real estate of new Franchise Partners. Sean notes that the chains growth plans are currently focused on the Ontario market.
To learn more contact Todd Feinstein at todd@paracom.ca.
2Lee Valley Tools Appoints Jason Tasse as President
Ottawa-based retailer Lee Valley Tools has appointed long-term leader Jason Tasse to the position of President. He will also maintain his previous title of Chief Operating Officer. He has been with the company for 25 years.
“Jason has the complete confidence of the Lee Family and he plays an integral part of the management team on both an operational and strategic level. This appointment renews and strengthens our management structure, and will enable us to drive the business forward,” shared Robin Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Lee Valley.
Mr. Lee also confirmed he will continue as Chairman of the Lee Valley Group of Companies, and President and CEO of Veritas Tools, working closely with Tasse on both operating companies.
Tasse has achieved impressive accomplishments during his career with Lee Valley, leading key systems implementations, long term strategic planning, digital transformation, leading the site selection and design of their 150,000-square-foot distribution centre, leadership succession management and brand marketing direction, most recently shown in Lee Valley’s “Let’s Do Something” campaign.
“Successful retail is rooted in two core business foundations, soul, and mechanics. The soul is the intangible things like brand identity, practiced values, and culture. The mechanics are the nuts and bolts along with the tangible processes, buildings, equipment, and of course, products,” declared Tasse. “From day one, the focus of Lee Valley is steadfast on getting the soul right. We work each day to improve the mechanics, but never at the expense of the soul. That’s why we’ve been fortunate to connect emotionally with our customers.”
3Lowe’s Canada Launches Major Spring Hiring Campaign
Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement retailers operating or servicing some 470 corporate and affiliated stores, is launching an extensive spring hiring campaign this week in preparation for the home improvement industry’s busiest season. Ultimately, the company hopes to fill over 7,000 full-time and part-time positions throughout its network of Lowe’s, RONA, and Reno-Depot corporate stores across the country.
Positions available range from Receiving Clerk and Sales Associate roles, to Sales Specialist, Administrative Support, and Merchandising roles.
To achieve its hiring goal, Lowe’s Canada will hold a series of national and regional hiring events over the next two months. National events will take place exclusively online, while regional events will offer candidates a hybrid formula that allows them to complete their first interview online or in person, based on their preference.
The first national event will take place virtually on February 3rd and 4th. Those interested in a position in a Lowe’s, RONA, or Reno-Depot corporate store can now visit https://lowescanadahiring.ca/ to book a time slot for a live video interview during a hiring event, or submit their application today by opting for a pre-recorded video interview.
To learn more visit lowescanada.ca/careers.
4New Zealand’s Whittaker’s Chocolate Launching Canadian Ecommerce Site
New Zealand-based chocolate retailer Whittaker’s is launching a Canadian website as part of an expansion for the brand. The site will take Canadian consumers on a journey that explores Whittaker’s signature bean to bar chocolate-making process, as well as the brand’s rich history dating back to 1896.
Whittaker’s first began distributing a limited number of its products at select Canadian retailers in 2015 and has since expanded that distribution throughout the country. To service its new bespoke Canadian website, Whittaker’s sends monthly containers of freshly-made product to Canada in anticipation of incoming orders. They are shipped from New Zealand to Vancouver and then distributed directly to retail customers across the country.
It could signal an interesting trend where international brands enter Canada without opening physical stores — a situation that could eat market share of homegrown retailers at a very challenging time. Given the ease of entering a market through an online portal, brands such as Whittaker’s could continue to grow by securing dedicated warehouse space to continue ecommerce fulfillment.
Whittaker’s is a family-owned company founded more than 120 years ago, producing high quality chocolate products. The brand also does its best to support its communities and suppliers, diligently developing sustainable packaging, and seeking ingredients that are ethically and fairly produced. London Drugs stores and other selected specialty retailers also carry the brand in Canada wholesale.
Competition is about to get fiercer in the retail chocolate market with Whittaker’s Canadian expansion, at a time when retailers such as Godiva Chocolates shut all North American storefronts.
5District Ventures Accelerator and Kitchen Announces Formation of New Board in Support of Canadian Entrepreneurs
District Ventures has announced the formation of a new board in support of Canadian entrepreneurs. Tasked with guiding the District Ventures Accelerator and District Ventures Kitchen programming through the next phase of development, the new board members bring unique industry experience, and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship to the organization.
The newly-formed board will oversee programming for District Ventures Accelerator, a five-month, intensive mentorship and learning experience designed to support entrepreneurs with business advice and growth strategy, and District Ventures Kitchen, a shared-use, 20,000-square-foot facility of food safe production, complete with manufacturing equipment including commercial bakery production spaces, hot and cold fill lines, and a full suite of packaging equipment.
“Over the past five years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of Canadian entrepreneurs through District Ventures – with many celebrated successes along the way,” said Arlene Dickinson, CEO, District Ventures. “We couldn’t be more pleased to announce the new board, as we remain committed to providing Canadian entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to grow their business.”
The newly appointed board members include:
Arlene Dickinson — CEO, District Ventures
Mary Berg — Best-selling Cookbook Author, Host of Mary’s Kitchen Crush and Season 3 Winner of CTV’s MasterChef Canada
Craig Hanna — Founder and Managing Director of Clearview Advisory
6Canada Plastics Pact Launches to Tackle Plastic Pollution with Innovative Solutions
The Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) has launched and it is determined to fundamentally change the way Canadians use and reuse plastic. The Pact brings together key players to collectively work towards ambitious 2025 goals that they could never achieve on their own.
More than 40 Partners have joined the Canada Plastics Pact, representing diverse parts of the plastics value chain, from leading brands to waste management companies, government institutions, and NGOs. Because plastic packaging accounts for 47% of all plastic waste, it is the immediate focus of the CPP’s collective efforts.
An ambitious pre-competitive, multi-stakeholder platform, the CPP will enable companies across the Canadian plastics value chain to collaborate and innovate. It will build on significant work that has already been underway to reduce plastics waste, and will grow over time. Together, Partners will rethink the way they design, use, and reuse plastics, thereby charting a path toward a circular economy for plastic by 2025.
The CPP is working towards four clear, actionable targets by 2025:
• Define a list of plastic packaging that is to be designated as problematic or unnecessary and take measures to eliminate them
• Support efforts towards 100% of plastic packaging being designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable
• Undertake ambitious actions to ensure that at least 50% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted
• Ensure an average of at least 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging (by weight)
To be fully transparent and ensure measurable action, a CPP progress report will be made publicly available each year.
