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However Peter Mammas, president and chief executive of Foodtastic, said the acquisition of Big Rig is key to the company’s future as it’s a brand that is already recognized across Ontario thanks to Big Rig’s availability in LCBO stores across the province.

“That’s one of the reasons we did it,” Mammas said. “We want to open in other parts of Ontario. Big Rig already has such a strong brand.”

Mammas said the firm will be looking to open as many as 12 Big Rig franchises over the next 24 months. He said opening in Toronto is a priority for the company and he plans to use the Big Rig brand as an anchor to allow other Foodtastic brands, such as Au Coq or Souvlaki Bar, to open nearby.

He also said that the new Big Rig franchises will be different from the original Ottawa locations. The brewing for the new eateries all across Canada will be done in Kanata and overseen by Ladell. He also said that will mean that the company will likely need to expand its Kanata production facility to keep up with demand from franchisees in the near future. The company already employees 43 people in its brewery operations. Mammas said the firm has started looking at space near Big Rig’s production facility in Kanata on Schneider Road to accommodate further expansion as demand increases from new franchises.

Big Rig was founded in 2012 by Ladell; former Ottawa Senator’s defenceman Chris Phillips; Pierre Cleroux, a founding partner at Clocktower Brew Pub and previous owner of Foundation restaurant in the ByWard Market; plus Jimmy Zourntos and Angelis Koutsos. The chain’s first location was on Iris Street near Ikea.

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