Redberry’s Canadian Expansion Shows the Work Behind Its Store Target

Redberry Restaurants spent about 15 months examining Jersey Mike’s before committing to Canadian expansion, CEO Ken Otto told The Canadian Press. That review began toward the end of 2022.

In Daniel Johnson’s April 5 reporting, Otto described revisiting demographic fit, access and visibility when a restaurant underperforms, then applying those lessons to future sites.

Johnson also interviewed Preet Pandher, who began washing dishes at an Edmonton A&W in 2016 while studying. By the April report, he led Elmwood Capital Ltd., with nine A&W restaurants and six more on the way.

His mother was a part-owner. His family’s earlier ventures included dry cleaners, liquor stores and gas stations, which he said had been harder to expand.

Pandher connected site selection to the hours when customers would be nearby. Residential and suburban locations could draw dinner and late-night demand while residents were away at lunchtime. Business districts could favor breakfast and lunch instead.

Those accounts describe two practical parts of expansion: choosing a brand and assessing each location’s customer base. Redberry’s dated announcements show how it staffed the Canadian business after its review.

The agreement included company stores and other franchisees#

The January 17, 2024 announcement named Redberry as Jersey Mike’s Area Director in Canada. Its development agreement called for 300 locations by 2034, combining Redberry-owned restaurants with stores developed by franchisees it would support.

Redberry already operated more than 180 restaurants under Burger King and Taco Bell at the time. Jersey Mike’s added another brand to that operating base, with plans extending across Canadian provinces.

The agreement also identified two existing Jersey Mike’s restaurants, in Kitchener and London, Ontario, for acquisition and remodeling. Redberry planned new Ontario construction alongside those takeovers.

Recruiting covered the stores and the development pipeline#

On April 11, 2024, Redberry announced its expansion team. Paul Pascal became director of operations, responsible for operating standards and sales, financial and operational targets. His previous work included Bridgehead Coffee, Second Cup and East Side Mario’s.

Stephen Scarrow joined as senior marketing manager after 20 years in restaurant and advertising work. His remit covered national, regional and local marketing for both corporate and franchised restaurants.

Darryl McMaster became district manager for the acquired Kitchener and London stores. Training Manager Kim Birns brought 25 years of hospitality experience. Real Estate Manager Jack Belardi had previously evaluated markets and target areas for Starbucks.

Construction Project Manager Johan Malmqvist had more than 17 years of construction experience with PCL Construction and Chandos Construction. Redberry also named three restaurant general managers: Jay Haynes, Dian Carlos and Dona Raji.

The April roster combined outside recruitment with specific assignments in the existing stores. It paired store supervision and training with the real estate and construction work needed to add locations.

The first openings followed in 2024#

Jersey Mike’s December 19, 2024 update confirmed that Redberry owned the two original Canadian restaurants and had remodeled them. It had also opened three new Ontario locations: Markham in August, North York in October and Brantford in December.

The January plan had included five new Ontario stores during 2024. By December 19, Jersey Mike’s had documented three. That update preceded year-end and did not provide a final annual opening total; the 300-store target extended to 2034.