By Katie Belflower
Making a name for yourself means offering your customers something that is unique to your restaurant. In the most recent edition of Concepts to Watch, RestoBiz and Technomic focus on three unique restaurant concepts that stand out in the Canadian foodservice industry.
This month, Craft Beer Market, Waves Coffee House, and Press’d Sandwich Shop are in the Concepts to Watch spotlight.
Craft Beer Market
Image source: Craft Beer Market InstagramFacebook: 11,000 likes | Instagram: 10,551 followers | Twitter: 16,458 followers
Locations: 8 (Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario)
Concept characteristics:
- Casual-dining restaurant specializing in fresh, local foods and craft beer
- Each location offers more than 100 beers on tap
- Most restaurants are located in historic buildings or city districts
- Committed to community involvement through donations and volunteer hours
Menu snapshot:
- Menu designates items that are local, ocean-friendly or plant-forward
- Participates in Mealshare donation project, where for each menu item purchased, one meal is also provided to at-risk youth in the community
- Unique shareables include Nashville Hot Cauliflower and Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps
- Features a seasonal community brew from a local brewery to raise money for charity
- Extensive list of beers, including wheat ales, cream ales, IPAs, stouts, and sours
Waves Coffee House
Image source: Waves Coffee House Instagram
Facebook: 4,700 likes | Instagram: 9,952 followers | Twitter: 1,792 followers
Locations: 27 (Alberta and British Columbia)
Concept characteristics:
- Quick-service coffee café specializing in locally sourced coffee and fresh pastries and sandwiches
- Committed to sustainable farming practices
- Some locations feature meeting rooms for customers to work or host gatherings
- Offers catering services
- Franchising opportunities available
Menu snapshot:
- 100% specialty-grade beans purchased directly from small-lot farmers
- Specialty coffee options include Belgian Mocha, Maple Macchiato, and Waves Au Lait
- Serves up iced and blended coffee drinks such as frappés and shaken espresso
- Bakery items are made fresh with an emphasis on natural ingredients, with baked goods including muffins, cookies, danishes, and cakes
- Lunch wrap options include the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap, Chicken Caesar Wrap, and Mediterranean Vegan Wrap
Press’d Sandwich Shop
Image Source: Press’d Sandwich Shop Instagram Facebook: 5,743 likes | Instagram: 5,173 followers | Twitter: 1,450 followers
Locations: 16 (Alberta and Saskatchewan)
Concept characteristics:
- A health-focused quick-service sandwich chain with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch baked breads
- Community-minded, offering specialty sandwiches with proceeds helping charities
- Franchise opportunities are available
- Offers a loyalty program for repeat customers
Menu snapshot:
- All bread is baked from scratch daily in white, whole wheat and rye varieties
- The brand’s signature sandwiches include The Cubano and Green Goddess
- Offers a selection of plant-based sandwiches, with vegan sandwiches served on vegan multigrain bread
- Entrée salad options include the Pompeye with spinach, goat cheese and pomegranate vinaigrette, as well as the Southwest Crunch and Hail Caesar
- Smoothies are made with frozen yogurt and come in flavours like Lean Green and Strawberry Sunrise
Concept Watch is based on restaurant and menu concepts and trends noted by Technomic Inc.
Katie Belflower is Associate Editor for Technomic, a Chicago-based
foodservice research and consulting firm. Technomic provides clients with the
facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business
strategies, decisions and results. The company’s services include publications
and digital products as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry, including menu trends.
