LIVE, LOVE, EAT COPPER BRANCH
For Those Who Think Green
Published on September 10 2024 | Press, News
Being veggie-forward has allowed these foodservice brands to welcome a new audience while appealing to the tastebuds of their customer base
By Daniel McIntosh
While vegetarianism has long been a standard around the world, in North America it’s recently gone from a niche diet to an increasingly attractive approach to personal and planetary health. In 2022, the portion of vegetarians in Canada had grown to 7.6 per cent, which is a staggering 2.89 million people. And the benefits of this lifestyle are as abundant as the types of foods available to those who follow it: research has found that vegetarian diets are associated with increased environmental stability, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a lower risk of heart disease and some cancers.
But though the number of Canadians who eat exclusively plant-based is growing, many people are embracing part-time attitudes toward vegetarianism. A 2023 survey by Innova revealed that 15 per cent of consumers in the U.S. and Canada were flexitarian, meaning semi-vegetarian or meat-reducing. This allows them to have the best of both foodie worlds, leveraging the health benefits of vegetarianism while still allowing the occasional meat-based meal.
Even more to the point, diners are looking for authenticity, rather than plant-based dupes of their meat-heavy favourites. For flexitarian eaters, franchises that provide unique meatless meals, alongside options suitable for all demographics, are where they want to spend their hard-earned cash.
From light but satisfying wraps and bean burgers to fragrant chaat dishes and hearty soups, these vegetarian-friendly systems are ready to help franchisees serve forward-thinking diners for generations to come.
Copper Branch
After 30 years as a high-powered executive in the tech industry, Trish Paterson was worn down. Years of client meetings, business travel, and vending machine dinners left her burnt out. For her, retirement meant enjoying family life and getting back to health and wellness.
On a chance encounter during a franchise tradeshow in 2016, she and her husband, Sean, were drawn toward a Copper Branch booth, overwhelmed by the repetitious pizza and burger offerings that dotted the show floor.
“It was such a unique and different concept that it really intrigued me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” says Paterson.
Although she was interested, her husband wasn’t sure how a 100-per-cent plant-based restaurant would play out, especially in their small town of Brooklin, Ontario, just north of Whitby. Still, they took an invite from Copper Branch’s founder, Rio Infantino, to see the company’s flagship location in Montreal.
“So I did, I went out and I saw it, and I just thought, this is something I really think our community needs,” says Paterson.
At the time, Paterson was not a strictly plant-based eater, but the franchise’s menu of bowls and salads fuelled by international flavours spoke to the environmentalist in her. Now, as the CEO of the company, she’s driving that change on a national scale.
“What we really focus on is great food and great ingredients, but we pay particular attention to unique ways of serving,” says Paterson. “We pay very close attention to dietary restrictions and allergens.”
Paterson says she sees an influx of people with rare allergies as well as parents of kids with allergies in Copper Branch, so all associates are taught to speak about allergens and the dietary restrictions of the different dishes. Incoming franchisees should be prepared to undergo the same education.
Paterson notes that Copper Branch “generally attracts people that may or may not have ever thought about entrepreneurship before. They’re more interested in diving into the brand and what its purpose stands for.”
“It’s really important for us that they understand how niche the brand is; it’s not a typical quick service restaurant brand,” she says, noting that owners need to have more than just a passion for healthy food. “Many of the franchisees that come to us do have an interest in plant-based, they do have an interest in health and wellness.”
But it takes more than an interest in nourishment to create a healthy franchise.
“Are you truly an entrepreneur? And do you understand the work that goes behind running your own business?” she asks.
Franchisees with the right small business experience and the desire to be owner-operators complete a discovery day in an existing Copper Branch location. After making their final decision (Paterson says people with HR and accounting backgrounds often do well), a training team works with the franchisee on-site for two weeks. The brand’s online training platform houses additional modules and a database of all the recipes on the menu.
As for advice for incoming franchisees, Paterson says speaking with other franchisees and understanding the support head office provides is key.
“Sometimes people think they want to own their own business because they want to get out of the rat race of corporate life, and they feel that they want to be their own boss,” says Paterson. “I’ve heard it all, and they underestimate the amount of work that goes [into] that, and the administration that you have to do, and the accountability that you have.” Ultimately, making sure you’re in it for the right reasons is essential.