How a breakfast franchise rose to become one of the largest brands in Canada with enormous growth potential in the United States
Canada always has viewed breakfast as the most important meal of the day. When Ben & Florentine breakfast franchise opened our first location in Montreal in 2008, the competition was already enormous. Breakfast concepts that serve family-style meals were everywhere — and still, Ben & Florentine became a runaway hit. Why? The food was an experience that Canadians couldn’t get anywhere else. While other restaurants were serving the traditional plates of bacon and eggs, Ben & Florentine was busy elevating breakfast to high art.
The appeal of the restaurant propelled the organic growth that quickly followed. The restaurant is designed to feel like home and appeal to modern sensibilities at the same time. The staff is trained to welcome customers warmly, as they would a family member, and while the menu already has encouraged thousands of customers to become regulars, it is refreshed every six months — giving customers something new to get excited about.
“We’re the innovator of the breakfast market, and that has contributed enormously to our success,” says Michel Lamontagne, Brand President of Ben & Florentine. “While we serve some traditional breakfast items, we’re very playful with our menu and our products. We’re constantly searching for new trends, and our customers come to us because they’re looking for a new experience that they can’t get anywhere else.”
Ben & Florentine becomes one of the largest breakfast franchise systems in Canada
Since opening our first location more than 10 years ago, Ben & Florentine has grown across Canada. Our promise to continually innovate our menu has created a wildly enthusiastic customer base with thousands of brand champions in Canada. Where else can you get a fast and fresh blueberry smoothie, Montreal-style Crepes with apple and cheddar, or a Maple Syrup Skillet, which features eggs, bacon, roasted red peppers, onions and mozzarella, smothered in Hollandaise sauce and maple syrup?
While these high-end artisanal dishes are enormously popular, the prices are competitive with other breakfast restaurants. This has established Ben & Florentine as the place to go for exceptional food. Our food has become so popular on social media that once Ben & Florentine updated the menu to a magazine style, our customers were overjoyed to have their Instagram photos of their food featured in our menu.
As our brand grew in popularity and locations, Ben & Florentine perfected the business model, simplified operations and enhanced training to make owning and operating a restaurant more accessible to entrepreneurs who share our passion for an exceptional breakfast experience.
“We’re a very special brand in Canada,” says Peter Tsafoulias, Director of Canadian Franchise Development with Ben & Florentine. “We’ve implemented a unique menu and an original feel. You walk into a restaurant and you feel energized — it’s a unique experience.”
Ben & Florentine launches franchise operations in the US
The continued growth of Ben & Florentine made our brand an easy choice for the MTY Group™ and Kahala Brands™ to bring to the United States.
They couldn’t have picked a better time. The adventure and sense of play that Ben & Florentine brings to the breakfast segment more than matches the ever-expanding, more adventurous palate of American diners. By offering an all-day brunch-style menu with delicious options for every dietary preference, from vegan to gluten-free, and a menu that is constantly evolving, Ben & Florentine is poised to become the brightest star in the fast-growing breakfast segment.
“Our franchisees really have the ability to become a meaningful part of their communities,” says Jay Goldstein, VP of Franchise Development with Ben & Florentine. “It not only gives them the opportunity to build a meaningful, lasting relationship with their customers, they can also be proud of the quality of food they are serving. The sense of community and friendship is really felt at Ben & Florentine, and we’re actively seeking entrepreneurs who share our passion to grow the Ben & Florentine breakfast franchise family in the United States.”
READY TO BRING THE BEN & FLORENTINE BREAKFAST FRANCHISE TO YOUR COMMUNITY?
Once you submit your information, you will receive an email with a link to the free Ben & Florentine Franchise Report, which will give you detailed information about our brand, as well as the requirements to franchise with us.
