Alan ‘Bo’ Borenstein5 Best Franchises in Vancouver
So you’re planning to get a franchise, eh? First of all, congratulations on taking this exciting step towards entrepreneurship! We’re all rooting for you here and can’t wait to see your business thrive.
But hold up; while this is exciting and all, we want to make sure you choose a franchise that’s actually profitable. Herewith are our top picks for the best franchises in Vancouver.
Vancouver’s Best Franchises
Before jumping into purchasing a franchise, it’s important to research and understand the franchise model. This includes examining the franchisor’s reputation, the quality of the products or services, and the financial obligations involved.
To give you an idea of how we chose the best franchises in Vancouver, here are the criteria we used to assess them:
1. Pizza Pizza
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Brand Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality of Products or Services | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Franchise Inclusions | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Pricing | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Franchise Fee | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Financing Options | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Support and training | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Responsiveness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Way back in ’67, in the heart of Toronto, Pizza Pizza made its grand entrance with that super iconic number XXX-1111. And let us tell you, they were light-years ahead of the competition with their single-number ordering system.
Today, they’ve got a whopping 730 spots scattered across the country, and they even managed to sprinkle eight of ’em right in Vancouver. So, what are you gonna need to start a Pizza Pizza franchise?
Initially, you’d need $30,000 for the franchise fee, which we thought was reasonable as they’ve established themselves as a profitable business.
We liked that franchising with them means you get full support from their team in all aspects, including marketing, operations, accounting, training, and franchise development.
In our opinion, this is particularly helpful for first-time franchisees who may not have prior experience running a business. Additionally, Pizza Pizza will also help you find the best location for your store, so that’s a plus.
We’re just a bit iffy that they don’t have in-house financing options, but hey, they’ll manage your marketing through promotional and advertising programmes, so there’s still a lot of support in that area.
Overall, we think Pizza Pizza seems to have a comprehensive support system in place for franchisees, making it one of the best franchises in Vancouver.
Pros
- Over 50 years in business
- Full support from their franchise support team
- Assists in store location
Cons
- No in-house financing options
2. Coffee Bike Vancouver
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Brand Reputation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Quality of Products or Services | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Franchise Inclusions | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Pricing | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Franchise Fee | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Financing Options | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Support and training | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Responsiveness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Coffee Bike Canada is an environmentally friendly mobile coffee shop, which we liked as it allows more flexibility in location so you can roam around the city and serve coffee to different areas.
That’s what we liked best about this franchise is that if your first location doesn’t work out, you can easily just move to another and continue serving coffee in a new area.
From what we’ve seen, you get tons of franchise inclusions, including a fully-equipped mobile coffee shop with a plumbing system, water storage, refrigeration system, and a commercial grade espresso machine.
We also liked that it has an electric engine that can run around 10 to 20 kilometers on one charge, so you won’t have to tire yourself pedaling all day.
We also thought it was impressive that they have a mobile app that connects all Coffee Bikes in Canada, so you can easily track and communicate with other franchise owners.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the average return on investment here is between 6 and 12 months, which, if you ask us, is quite impressive.
All in all, we believe Coffee Bike Canada is one of the best franchises in Vancouver for those looking to start a business in the food and beverage industry.
Pros
- Flexible business location
- Has a franchise owners app
- 6 to 12 months return on investment range
Cons
- Relatively short training support
3. Aisle 24
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Brand Reputation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Quality of Products or Services | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Franchise Inclusions | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Pricing | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Franchise Fee | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Financing Options | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Support and training | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Responsiveness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
If you’re on the hunt for something different in the grocery world, Aisle 24 is a great franchise opportunity. They’ve been in business since 2015, and what makes them unique is their self-serving concept.
Think of it like this: a 24-hour cashierless grocery store that fits right into all sorts of spaces like apartments, townhouse complexes, campus residences, and shared living communities.
What we liked best about them is that you won’t have to pay for labor, and the business can pretty much run itself with minimal staffing.
Additionally, their kiosks have a cloud-based account management and backend that makes scanning and paying simple for customers. But here’s the catch – no cash payments are allowed.
While that may be a bit inconvenient, we think it’s acceptable given that cashless transactions are becoming increasingly common in today’s digital age.
Franchising with Aisle 24 also includes support from their category team to help you provide the best product mix for your customers, which we absolutely love.
It’s also very reassuring that shoppers can only gain entry to your Aisle 24 store using their mobile app, as your franchise includes security technology including video surveillance systems and system analytics.
On a whole, franchising with Aisle 24 is definitely worth considering if you’re looking to start a business without spending too much on labor.
Pros
- 24-hour cashierless grocery store
- Can be placed in small residential buildings
- Utilizes modern technology
Cons
- Relatively high investment range
4. Global Pet Foods
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Brand Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality of Products or Services | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Franchise Inclusions | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Pricing | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Franchise Fee | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Financing Options | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Support and training | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Responsiveness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Founded in 1976, Global Pet Foods has provided food, supplements, and toys for a wide variety of pets, including cats, dogs, birds, fish, and many other small animals.
First and foremost, it was really fascinating to us that they carry a wide range of local pet products as they have access to over 100,000 sellers.
We believe that this allows them to offer a diverse selection of high-quality products that cater to the unique needs of each community.
Franchising with Global Pet Foods includes extensive onboarding training, marketing, and ongoing support to ensure the success of each franchisee.
While their fees are a bit on the pricey side, we believe this is reasonable given that they’re already an established brand and have a proven track record of success in the pet industry.
In fact, Global Pet Foods has received numerous accolades throughout the years, such as the Canadian Franchisees’ Choice 2020, the World Branding Awards 2021, and many more.
One more thing that got us pumped is that they’ve got your back when it comes to financing. They’ve built some solid connections with major merchant banks in Canada, so they can help you get the funds you need.
Ultimately, we think Global Pet Foods is a solid choice if you’re looking to invest in a franchise within the pet industry.
Pros
- Extensive onboarding training
- Offer financing assistance
- Received numerous accolades
Cons
- Required to pay 2.5% of sales to the national advertising fund
5. Eggsmart
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Brand Reputation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Quality of Products or Services | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Franchise Inclusions | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Pricing | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Franchise Fee | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Financing Options | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Support and training | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Responsiveness | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Eggsmart is a casual breakfast joint with over 45 locations in Canada. We were very impressed by the fact that they’re transitioning to requiring their suppliers to meet certain sustainability standards.
It’s also worth highlighting that Eggsmart is committing to sourcing and serving 100% cage-free eggs in all of its restaurants by 2025, which is quite a progressive and commendable move if you ask us.
Oh, and here’s the cherry on top: when you go the franchising route with Eggsmart, they’ll help you out from start to finish. Starting with site selection and lease negotiations, as they have an in-house team of real estate agents.
Eggsmart will also conduct a 3-week training program, including food preparation, operating policies, equipment maintenance, selling and merchandising, management, and financial control.
We also liked that they’ve got your grand opening covered too, with marketing support and promotional materials to help generate buzz and attract customers.
We’re just a bit bummed that you’d need to pay a 5% royalty fee on all sales per week. You’ll also need to pay a 3% advertising fee for marketing materials like flyers, marketing materials, and whatnot.
But, hey, if you ask us, we still think Eggsmart is one of the best franchises in Vancouver, as they offer comprehensive support and resources for franchisees.
Pros
- Committed to sustainability standards
- Franchise support from start to finish
Cons
- Royalty Fee of 5% of all sales per week
