Swiss Chalet/Swiss Chalet Plus Restaurants Franchise
Swiss Chalet is a Canadian restaurant franchise that serves rotisserie chicken, ribs, and other comfort foods in a casual, family-friend environment.
$350,000
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1954
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Frank Hennessey
About Swiss Chalet/Swiss Chalet Plus Restaurants
Swiss Chalet is a casual restaurant that focuses on comfort food, especially rotisserie chicken. Along with the signature chicken, the menu features slow-cooked ribs, sandwiches, salads, and Asian-inspired rice bowls. Customers can also enjoy rotisserie beef and homestyle dessert options.
Customers can eat in the restaurant or order food for pickup by placing a phone order or using the online option. Many restaurants are "combo" units that combine the Swiss Chalet menu with choices from other Recipe Unlimited brands. The most common pairing seems to be with Harvey's, a burger chain. This flexibility, along with the brand's focus on affordability, may help the restaurant to stay competitive through various economic situations.
Why Choose Swiss Chalet/Swiss Chalet Plus Restaurants?
Swiss Chalet could be a good choice for those entrepreneurs who want to own a restaurant in Canada and have access to a well-developed system managed by a longstanding name in the nation's food industry. Swiss Chalet has been around for over 50 years and likely has fairly high brand recognition throughout Canada.
With the option to open a "combo" unit that includes both the Swiss Chalet and Harvey's brands, franchisees may see success in the competitive restaurant industry. Additionally, this franchise could be a good choice for a candidate who currently owns an independent restaurant and wants to potentially increase sales through converting to a Swiss Chalet unit. Recipe Unlimited promises franchisees excellent support and beneficial connections in real estate, construction, purchasing, and marketing.
Starting Costs & Investment Requirements
$950,000 - $1,300,000
$1,000,000
$350,000
History
The first Swiss Chalet was opened in 1954, and it initially served only one entrée: rotisserie chicken. Over the years, the restaurant added other items to its menu that matched its theme of family-oriented comfort food. Until 1977, the Swiss Chalet brand was managed by Foodcorp Limited. Then it was purchased by CARA, which is now Recipe Unlimited. Today there are more than 220 Swiss Chalet locations throughout Canada.
The franchisor for Swiss Chalet is Recipe Unlimited Corporation, the oldest and largest restaurant company in Canada. Recipe Unlimited was formerly known as CARA, but the complete history goes back over a century. This organization began life in 1883 as the Canada Railway News Company. By 1930, the company was selling catered meals to airline passengers, and in 1941 it opened the first Tea Wing restaurant in the terminal of the Dorval Airport in Montreal. In 1961, it merged with a company called Aero Caterers Limited, an important name in the food-service and catering industry. The new company was dubbed "CARA," and it went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1968.
In 1977, CARA purchased the Swiss Chalet and Harvey's brands from Foodcorp Limited, and by 2002, it owned several other restaurant brands. In 2004, CARA changed its status back to a private company. In 2015, the company returned to the Toronto and Montreal Stock Exchanges. Over the next few years, CARA acquired several more restaurant brands, and in early 2018, it became Recipe Unlimited Corporation.
Ideal Candidate
Ideal candidates are those who wish to operate a restaurant in Canada, preferable in one of the primary locations Recipe Unlimited is currently prioritizing: Vancouver, Winnipeg, or Saskatoon. Additionally, entrepreneurs should be interested in either building a restaurant from the ground up or converting an independent restaurant into a Swiss Chalet or a "combo." Good candidates must meet strict financial requirements: at least $1,000,000 of net worth and $350,000 of cash assets for small restaurants (about 2,900 sq. ft.) and more for large units.
Restaurant and Food Franchises
Franchises up to $1,000,000
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