Calgary-based Good Earth Cafes Ltd. plans to expand its presence across Canada by acquiring former Starbucks locations left vacant after recent closures by the international coffee chain.
The company says the move presents an opportunity to bring its community-oriented coffeehouses to more neighbourhoods that may be left without a local café option.
“While some brands are shrinking and others are consolidating, we are stepping up to serve communities,” said Michael Going, founder and CEO of Good Earth Cafes Ltd. “We believe the human interaction that takes place in our coffeehouses is valuable – as valuable as the ethically sourced coffee and fresh food we serve.”
To support the expansion, Good Earth has enlisted Doug Basarovich of Greenwood Realty, Stan Boniferro and Michael Kehoe of Fairfield Commercial Real Estate, and Warren Smagaren of Warren E Smagaren Consulting. The team will work with landlords and developers to identify suitable sites for conversion to Good Earth Coffeehouses.
The company said it will focus on potential locations in Toronto, southwestern Ontario, the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and Halifax. These sites, according to Good Earth, will create new growth opportunities for the company and its franchise partners.
“This unique opportunity in a competitive landscape offers excellent partnership possibilities for investors looking for multi-unit franchises and for single-unit owner operators alike,” said Gerry Docherty, president and COO of Good Earth Cafes Ltd.
Good Earth Coffeehouse emphasizes ethically sourced coffee, fresh food, and an inviting café environment. The company states it is committed to fostering community interaction and environmental responsibility, and aims to attract customers, landlords and franchisees who share those values.
Good Earth was founded in 1991 and currently operates more than 50 locations nationwide.
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I’m sorry but that is the worst name for a cafe. Wait, not quite as bad as the defunct Good Good.
It’s really unfortunate that none of these English named establishments ever open in Quebec, I imagine due to the French language issues? It’s really too bad for Quebec, we’re loosing out on so many great establishments ….the Quebec bureaucrats really have to reconsider and loosen the language issues.
I can’t speak for Good Earth, but definitely this is an issue. I’ve spoken to various retailers not in the province that have said they would not consider opening in Quebec, at least for the time being, given crackdowns by language police fuelled by complaints from the public.
This isn’t the first time they’ve tapped into this kind of opportunity. If memory serves, they did something similar during the first wave of Starbucks’ Canadian closures — including the Yonge & Wellesley location in Toronto.