Canada-based multiple restaurant concept franchisor Foodtastic has purchased Big Rig Restaurants and Brewery in Ottawa for an undisclosed amount.
Established in 2012, Big Rig Restaurants offers a range of beer and food choices.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The brewery was built in 2014 to expand the distribution of its beer to retail outlets. The beer is currently available in 1,000 locations from St Johns Newfoundland to London Ontario.
Foodtastic CEO Peter Mammas said: “Big Rig is a treasured local brand and we are excited to welcome Big Rig into the Foodtastic family. We look forward to preserving Big Rig’s strong brand, while growing the restaurant system across the region.
“We are already looking at locations in Toronto. This acquisition of a homegrown Ontario business is consistent with our strategy of acquiring quality brands with growth potential that complement our existing brand portfolio.
“We believe the Big Rig acquisition will leverage our marketing, purchasing and operational systems to better serve our Big Rig customers and welcome many new ones.”
Big Rig’s brew master Lon Ladell will remain with the company. He will increase his equity stake in the brewery as part of the transaction.
Ladell said: “Foodtastic is an amazing company and I’m thrilled to continue being a part of Big Rig brewery’s exciting future! With the financial support from Foodtastic we can now expand our operations throughout Canada.”
Foodtastic operates Au Coq, La Belle et La Boeuf, Monza, Carlos & Pepe’s, Souvlaki Bar, Nickels, and Bacaro. The company’s portfolio features 55 restaurants.
In November last year, the Canadian restaurant franchisor completed the acquisition of full service Italian cuisine concept Enoteca Monza Pizzeria.
