Over the past handful of years, we’ve seen more and more American companies infiltrate the Canadian market. We’ve seen in it retail, and we’ve seen it with many fast-food and restaurant chains as well.
Notable eateries like The Cheesecake Factory, Cauldron Ice Cream, and Chin Chin have crossed the border. In the upcoming years, Toronto will also see a Nobu open their doors. But one of the most talked about openings has easily been fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A.
Chick-Fil-A recently announced the address of its first Toronto location.
Located at 1 Bloor St. East, Chick-fil-A joins McEwan Foods and Nordstrom Rack at the newly developed First Capital Realty-owned property.
Back in July 2018, the American restaurant chain announced that it has plans to open more than a dozen restaurants in Canada over the next five years. The Bloor and Yonge Chick-fil-A location will be the restaurant’s second location in Canada, with the first located at the Calgary International Airport.
In addition to the Yonge and Bloor location, according to Narcity, Chick-Fil-A has plans to open restaurants in North York, and all throughout the city and one Southwestern Ontario. No word yet on if the Southwestern Ontario location could be in Hamilton or the Niagara regions.
The restaurant chain is making it fairly easy for Canadians to get in on the franchise business, with the entry for ownership set at just $15,000. To put that into perspective, many other Canadian franchises request between $100,000 and $300,000 in order to become an operator.
However, Chick-fil-A’s Canadian expansion doesn’t come without its fair share of controversy.
Chick-fil-A made headlines back in 2012 when the company’s president Dan T. Cathy went public with his thoughts about same-sex marriage and support of “traditional” marriages. On top of its chicken sandwiches, the fast-food chain is also known for its conservative political views.
Considering the company’s past, the intersection at Bloor and Yonge is an interesting choice for the restaurant, as The Village — the hub for Canada’s largest LGBTQ+ community — is just a few blocks away.
When news originally broke of the chain’s entry into Canada, social media had mixed reactions. Some people praised Chick-fil-A’s food and service, while others felt quite differently, and even proclaimed an early boycott of the restaurant.
The opening date for Chick-fil-A’s first Toronto location is still under wraps.
Even though there’s no word yet on an opening date, according to Narcity, the company did say that this location will open within the year and when it does, it will employ 75 people.
Despite controversies, Chick-fil-A is thriving in the United States. It is currently on track to become the third most successful fast-food chain, surpassing Burger King, Subway, and Wendy’s.
Whether the restaurant will see the same success in Canada is a whole other story, and only time will tell if Canadians will be as accepting of the chain.
Featured image: Instagram/@chickfila7thandfig
Articles You May Be Interested In:
Jollibee Is Opening Its First Downtown Toronto Location
MINISO Is Opening A Massive New Location On Queen West
Chick-Fil-A Set to Open a Toronto and a Dozen Canadian Locations in 2019
A Massive Nordik Spa Is Opening Just Under An Hour Away From Toronto
UNIQLO Just Announced Two More Store Openings In The GTA