Promoted Story: Growing Strong

by admin  November 1, 20210633

At Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes, franchisees and customers alike keep coming back for more

By Joelle Kidd

Maryland-based entrepreneurs Dave and Fran DiFerdinando had fond memories of summertime trips to the state’s famous Ocean City Boardwalk. Against the backdrop of the sea-salt air, hot sand, and glistening ocean, visitors to the boardwalk could never resist a packet of lightly salted, warm-from-the-fryer French fries. Inspired by these childhood memories, the brothers opened a restaurant in 1981 to serve boardwalk fries to guests everywhere—today, Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes has more than 750 locations internationally.

In Canada, another pair of entrepreneurs are bringing those same delicious fries—along with fresh (never frozen) burgers, creamy shakes, and more—to eager diners. Sajid Khan and Boris Javorski are the passionate owners behind the brand in Canada and abroad, and their sights are set on expansion.

Khan joined Boardwalk in 2012, and then helped bring the brand to Canada in 2014 as a master franchisor for Alberta, with the first location in Calgary. Since then, the brand has grown to 11 locations in Alberta, and has begun branching out into Ontario and B.C. It’s also expanded internationally, with locations in Pakistan and Qatar, and plans to open in Ghana. The goal in Canada is to open 200 locations nationally within the next 10 years.

Javorski, who joined Boardwalk in 2019, says they’re on a good path to get there. “We both believe in the growth… I think we can do wonders in this country.”

 Premium value

The two owners’ backgrounds complement each other well. Khan has more than 20 years’ franchising experience, including with another quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand, and Javorski has a background in hospitality, with a decade of experience working with hotels. They both say they were drawn to Boardwalk by the quality of the product and the system’s competitive pricing.

“The restaurants are beautiful looking, the product is great—everything is fresh, never frozen,” says Khan. “[Boardwalk sells] a premium product at a non-premium price. People love the product and the environment.”

Javorski agrees. “It’s a beautiful concept… If you look at North America, it’s a beef and potatoes country, so burgers and fries—it’s a product that goes!”

Those famous fries are also available with a variety of toppings or as a poutine. The menu includes burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, salads, and six flavours of milkshakes. Locations are designed to evoke the brand’s beachy history while still being contemporary and stylish. The design is modern, bright, and inviting.

The price is right not just for customers but for franchisees looking to buy into the system as well. “Entry level is very reasonable,” says Khan, noting that fees for building a new restaurant with Boardwalk’s competitors run from around $800,000 to $1 million. For Boardwalk, it’s less than $500,000 for a restaurant of around 1,500 square feet.

“We don’t believe in kickbacks, you know?” he says with a laugh. “We pass all the savings on to our franchisees.”

Khan says they’re building a great team across the country. Because franchisees are “the face of the brand,” they’re careful about who they bring on board. Khan says they look for franchisees with some amount of business background or restaurant experience. “These kinds of concepts need hands-on operation,” he adds, “so we’re looking for people who are committed full time.”

Javorski adds, “We help our franchisees from day one—from signing the franchise agreement, all the way to operating. We help with the build out of the store, the design, outsourcing, financing—all these things.”

Boardwalk offers three weeks of initial training to new franchisees, as well as ongoing support. “We provide really good training to our franchisees, and, unlike other brands, we don’t leave them alone. Once they open, we stick around with them. Somebody’s there until they’re fully ready to operate by themselves,” says Javorski. Since not everyone learns at the same pace, sometimes this means a week, or sometimes it means three.

Along with this extensive training, franchisees with Boardwalk also benefit from real estate and construction support, financing programs through major lenders, top tier suppliers and distributors, a customized point of sale (POS) system, and partnerships with award-winning marketing agencies.

“All of our franchisees are essentially our partners,” Javorski says. “You work with these people on a daily basis.” Javorski and Khan are both committed to helping franchisees find success. As Khan puts it: “We want to produce more entrepreneurs!”

They seem to be succeeding in this respect—many passionate Boardwalk franchisees now own more than one location. Franchisees in Alberta and Ontario are currently looking for second and third franchises, and even recommending the system to their friends and family members. “Our franchisees [appreciate] the help and support, that’s why they stick with us … We make sure we support our franchisees one on one. We’re always available. Whenever they need something, we’re there for them,” says Javorski.

A resilient system

Though much of Boardwalk’s growth has happened during the pandemic, the franchise has been able to adapt and cater its offerings to the current moment.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges, particularly in the area of real estate, the owners say, but while other brands downsized, Boardwalk kept all locations except for a few that were relocated. The brand focused on take out, delivery, and drive-thru ordering and is expanding its online offerings.

“We’re redoing our website now to be able to have online ordering and app ordering,” says Javorski, noting that Boardwalk plans to launch its own app soon. They’re also working on ways for customers to order through social media channels.

Along with these innovations, plans for the future include continuing to improve franchise support and sourcing. “Our goal is not just to grow the brand, it’s to improve the brand as well,” says Javorski.

The future looks bright for Boardwalk. “I think both Sajid and I have been very fortunate to be in this country. We’re both immigrants, and we’ve done really well for ourselves. Thanks to this country, we are where we are—both of us are very hard workers and risk takers,” says Javorski. “This is just the beginning, I believe. The sky’s the limit.”

Visit boardwalkburgers.ca/franchising for more information.

 HERE IS THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE:  https://www.facebook.com/boardwalkfries/

 https://cfa.ca/franchisecanada/advertorial-growing-strong/

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries is pleased to announce the newest location in British Columbia.

The Mt. Lehman location opened on November 26th at 5-30770 Fraser Highway, Abbotsford, BC.

Boardwalk welcomes this new store to its Canadian development.

Each year the Alexandria Award Program chooses only the best local businesses. We are pleased to announce that Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries at the Festival at Manchester Lakes has been selected as the Winner for the 2022 Best of Alexandria Awards in the category of Hamburger Restaurant

https://alexandria.awards-us-business.com/PressReleaseub.aspx?cc=DMN2-YBTS-MHHH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries Receives 2022 Best of Alexandria Award

Alexandria Award Program Honors the Achievement

ALEXANDRIA September 1, 2022 -- Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries has been selected for the 2022 Best of Alexandria Award in the Hamburger Restaurant category by the Alexandria Award Program.

Each year, the Alexandria Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Alexandria area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Alexandria Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Alexandria Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Alexandria Award Program

The Alexandria Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Alexandria area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Alexandria Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Alexandria Award Program

CONTACT:
Alexandria Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@awards-us-business.com
URL: http://www.awards-us-business.com

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Hello Franchise Partners,

 
Please join me in welcoming our newest team member: Andrew Kemp! Andrew is joining Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes Canada as Director of Operations.
 
Andrew comes to Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes Canada with more than 30+ years of experience in the QSR and franchising industry working for brands such as Subway and MTY holding various leadership positions including being a franchisee himself. 

Andrew comes to us most recently from MTY where he worked as a Business Development Consultant in Ontario and the Maritimes regions for the Thai Express Brand. Andrew also directed all food safety and customer practices for the entire brand. 

When Andrew is not working, he is in the gym training for his next bodybuilding competition. 

Congratulations to Andrew in his new position.