Booming Chain Odd Burger Is Opening 40 Stores In a New State
It would be an understatement to say the United States is saturated with burger spots. Among the many restaurants continuing to ramp up their presence is the Canadian chain Odd Burger, which offers a variety of vegan burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more.
Last week, the chain announced plans to open 40 new restaurants in Florida as part of a deal with StarMatt, a Florida-based real estate and franchise development company. Odd Burger expects to open these locations over the next eight years.
The entrance into Florida marks Odd Burger's second U.S. agreement, with the chain signing a deal to open 20 Washington State locations in June 2023. As per the chain's initial announcement, these restaurants will open through 2031. Odd Burger currently has 16 restaurants in Canada, with its first U.S. location still pending.
The chain is expanding its U.S. presence through a territory development strategy. This consists of the company selling the franchise development rights of each state to representatives who understand the local market. These representatives help secure franchise partners, site selection, construction, and operational support.
Prashant Dalal and Vishal Valsadia currently lead StarMatt, with Dalal serving as Odd Burger's area representative for Ontario. There, he has almost doubled the chain's footprint over the past year. Valsadia is the president of real estate development company Matti Homes, which has built more than 1,000 homes across Ontario.
"We couldn't be more excited to start the process of expanding into the Florida market," James McInnes, CEO and co-founder of Odd Burger, said in a press release. "We are very fortunate to have such a strong partnership with StarMatt, and we are confident that they will be successful expanding into the Florida market."
Looking ahead, Odd Burger is opening four Ontario locations in the greater Toronto area this summer. The vegan chain is also adding a restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. This will bring Odd Burger's total restaurant count to 21. The company will share opening dates on its social media accounts once final inspections are completed.
Earlier this month, Odd Burger announced plans to open an Ottawa location on or around June 1. Founded as a grassroots vegan organization in 2014, Odd Burger opened its doors as Canada's first vegan fast-food restaurant in 2017, according to the chain's website.
Odd Burger isn't the only expanding burger chain to keep on your radar. Culver's is planning to open 51 new stores across the Midwest and South in 2024. Of those 51 restaurants, 13 will be located in Florida, while eight will be in Indiana.
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