In the Fall, Hero Certified Burgers will open its first location in the United States. The 1200 square foot unit will open in the Elmwood Village in the central part of Buffalo, New York. A street front location at 976-978 Elmwood Ave., the restaurant will include seating for about 24 along with a patio area. Hero Certified Burgers is a quick service franchise concept that features gourmet hamburgers made with 100 percent Heritage Angus Beef produced by a small group of ranchers in Western Canada. The chain expects to expand its representation in the Buffalo area and Vice President Real Estate, Development Fernando Bernardo adds that the company continues to have discussions for other territories in the United States though nothing is finalized at this time. Presently the ten year old Toronto-based chain operates 56 restaurants in the greater Toronto area and five more are scheduled to open before the end of 2014. Bernardo notes that while there are no plans to expand to other provinces, the chain is planning growth beyond the greater Toronto boundary. In most cases, the restaurants will operate in high traffic and highly visible freestanding or end cap units and usually in a 1400 square foot range. Patios are welcomed. The company will always consider unique situations and sites. Bernardo is handling the chain’s real estate requirements and Jocelyn Attwood at the head office is handling the franchising.
CATEGORY: Quick Service
Chain Name: Hero Certified Burgers
Company Name:
Street Address: 78 Signet Dr., Suite 201, Toronto, Ontario M9L 1T2
Tel: 416/740-2304 Fax: 416/740-5398
Email: info@heroburgers.com Website: www.heroburgers.com
Menu Specialty: Burgers made with 100 % seasoned heritage Angus beef raised without hormones or antibiotics, gluten-free, Halal certified, sandwiches & sided.
Introduced: John Lettieri opened the first Hero Certified Burgers in Hazelton Lanes in Toronto in 2004.
No. of Locations: Over 55 units in the greater Toronto area, five more under development. First unit in NY state opens in Buffalo later in 2014.
Areas of Operation: Greater Toronto, Ontario area & Buffalo, New York area
Types of Location: Freestanding, Plaza end caps, Street locations, Unique sites.
BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv): Franchise
Size Req’d: 1400 sq.ft.
Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc): Visibility, high traffic, patios welcomed
Contact Name: John Lettieri – President, Founder
Fernando Bernardo – Vice President, Real Estate, Development (fernando@heroburger.com)
Jocelyn Attwood – Vice President, Franchise Development (jattwood@heroburgers.com)
REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES:
FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:
PARENT COMPANY: Hero Certified Burgers, Toronto, Ontario
Related Chains: Lettieri Espresso Bar
Last Report:Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #118 Last Update:
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