Maritimes to see first Fat Bastard Burrito franchise by 2023
In a call with Huddle, Mary Brown’s President Hadi Chahin confirmed plans to open the first Fat Bastard Burrito Company restaurant in Atlantic Canada by 2023.
Newfoundland-based Mary Brown’s bought Fat Bastard Burrito in June in an acquisition that has created one of the largest privately-held fast food restaurant companies in Canada.
Chahin said the average cost to open a Fat Bastard Burrito, including construction and franchising fee, is just short of $400,000.
He said Mary Brown’s alread has a strong presence in Atlantic Canada that will make it easier to roll out Fast Bastard Burrito locations but said there are no plans to open them in the same dining spaces.
“We want to keep the two separate, but they are complementary to each other. They are both premium brands,” he added, noting that Fat Bastard Burrito is more popular among a younger demographic.
Chahin said bringing the burrito chain to Atlantic Canada and the Maritimes will help Mary Brown’s diversify what it offers in communities – especially ones where the chicken chain doesn’t have any more room to grow.
“We have areas in Newfoundland that are saturated and we can’t open any more Mary Browns’ restaurants – but we can bring another brand to those communities,” said Chahin.
“We needed something that allowed us to grow as a company and allow franchisees and team members to grow with us.”
Chahin expressed an interest in not only bringing the burrito chain to larger centers but also smaller communities. He noted Mary Brown’s already has a strong presence in towns and smaller cities, including a location the chain recently opened in Oromocto.
Mary Brown’s is seeking franchisees for its proprietary restaurants in an aggressive Maritime province expansion.
It plans to open as many as 25 restaurants in 10-15 communities in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
“We find we’re able to support smaller communities a little more than cities and we absolutely look for smaller communities to build our base,” Chahin said.
Chahin told Huddle that where the chain does open a Fat Bastard Burrito, it could bring from 12-15 jobs to the community.
Mary Brown’s, founded in St. John’s in 1969, has more than 215 locations across Canada and plans to open 30 more by the end of 2022.
Fast Bastard Burrito Company was founded in Toronto in 2021, with 75 restaurants across Ontario.
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