Learn more about early franchisee Rob Trainor’s excitement for the breakfast franchise brand and how management supports his growing business
Rob Trainor was one of Ben & Florentine’s first franchisees, and his positive experiences during those early days as the breakfast franchise brand grew to become one of Canada’s largest breakfast franchises led him to open a second location. Along the way, from opening the franchise’s 9th location to its 42nd, the top-level support and availability he’s received from Ben & Florentine™ leadership has never faltered.
“My experience has been very positive from the beginning,” he says. “I was one of the first franchisees in the system. In the beginning, I was trying to learn this business, and we were growing as a brand and the level that they went to help me was quite something. I run my business in a family-oriented manner, and I feel that they do the same. If you call them they answer. They are there to help you because it takes a team to make the brand so strong.”
In addition to the robust support from the corporate team, growing from one to two restaurants has also been a smooth transition from a structure and staffing standpoint.
“The first store was able to run to the point where they didn’t need me there physically,” Trainor says. “I took a couple of waitresses and one of the cooks to the second location when I opened. The management side of having two stores relatively close to one another has also made it easier to find staff.”
One of the perks of becoming a Ben & Florentine franchisee is having access to the support teams of franchise giants Kahala Brands™ and MTY Group™. A franchise company of this size — the two jointly own 70 brands and more than 5,500 franchised locations in nearly 30 countries — means that Ben & Florentine owners are automatically plugged into experienced teams to help them master every aspect of operations.
Ben & Florentine is one of the largest breakfast franchise brands in Canada, where we have grown to more than 55 locations. Since our founding in 2008, our commitment to serving unique, playful and high-end breakfast foods at affordable prices has won us thousands of devoted customers, and our business model has provided entrepreneurs with the ability to realize their dreams of owning a breakfast restaurant. Now, as Ben & Florentine enters the United States for the first time — we are poised to revolutionize how Americans enjoy breakfast as we rapidly expand across the country.
Trainor sees tremendous opportunity as the brand sets its sights on U.S. expansion. In fact, one of his best friends growing up is interested in bringing the brand to California. “There’s definitely nothing like Ben & Florentine in the United States. It’s very unique and it’s a great standard,” he says. “My two stores really have surpassed my expectations by a longshot.”
High-quality service and food define Ben & Florentine experience
From the minute you step inside a Ben & Florentine restaurant you can see and feel the difference, Trainor says. “The comfort level of being inside the restaurant is one of a kind… it’s clean, it’s nice, it’s very comfortable.” And the extensive menu, which is updated every six months, keeps customers lining up day after day.
“It’s a full menu every day and it’s quite varied. We serve brunch every day and our early bird special until 8:30 a.m., so that’s a lot to offer Monday through Friday. The full menu is always available and we have people come in at 6:30 in the morning and have a full eggs benedict with avocado and guacamole on multigrain toast with salmon and poached eggs on top. It’s quite the varied menu, and it’s available from the minute you walk in until the minute the restaurant closes.”
Trainor has also seen consistent traffic between his two locations, one in Candiac and one in La Prairie, even though they are less than 10 minutes apart. “There is always a line up on the weekends and both the stores are 124 seats. Starting at eight in the morning, they are pretty much full and stay that way until 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon,” he says.
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