Restaurants that are distinctly Canadian
By: Vincent Tran
Published on: February 16th, 2024
There are many restaurants all across Canada. According to a statistic from IBISWorld, there are over 79,000 full-service restaurants across Canada. These restaurants come in all shapes and sizes; some are big, well-known global franchises and others are run by families and friends.
This article will take a look at some of the bigger restaurant franchises that find their roots in Canada.
When thinking of Canadian foods and restaurant chains, there are a few that stick out and will likely come to mind. So here are some restaurants that are distinctly Canadian and engrained in Canadian culture.
These are restaurants that you will likely see all around your city, so make sure to stop by from time to time and get a taste of what makes these Canadian restaurants so special.
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is quite possibly the most well-known and popular Canadian restaurant chain. Tim Hortons is deeply rooted in Canadian culture and most Canadians have eaten there at least once.
Tim Hortons offers food for almost every occasion during the day. They offer everything from coffee and doughnuts, to wraps and sandwiches. They even have a large menu of drinks and refreshments, including their popular Iced Capp, an iced cappuccino drink that is great to quench your thirst on a hot summer day.
Since its founding in 1964, Tim Hortons has been serving Canadians all across the country and has now expanded to over 5,000 locations in 15 other countries around the world, with over 4,000 locations in Canada.
Wherever you go in cities all across Canada, you are likely to come across a Tim Hortons restaurant. As Tim Hortons has grown over the years, it has become a true staple of Canada and Canadian culture and it doesn’t get any more Canadian than going to Tim Hortons and indulging in their wide-ranging menu.
New York Fries
Contrary to its name, New York Fries was actually founded in Brantford, Ontario in 1984 by Jay and Hal Gould and has grown to be one of the leading Canadian fast food franchises.
New York Fries is known for its wide array of fry options, as well as their poutine and loaded fries. If you’re ever craving fries or want anything fry related, New York Fries should be one of your go-to locations.
They offer many different combinations of fries and poutine, such as butter chicken poutine and veggie fries, and they also offer hot dogs and other dips and sauces to go along with everything.
New York Fries currently has over 110 locations across Canada as well as establishments internationally in countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
Harvey’s
First opening in 1959, Harvey’s has gone on to become one of Canada’s top fast food restaurants with 291 locations serving Canadians in every province, except for British Columbia.
Harvey’s offers a large fast food menu including the usual burgers, fries, drinks, and sauces. They also offer many other items such as onion rings, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and cinnamon doughnuts.
Harvey’s is a restaurant that still offers the same items that made them popular in the first place, but they have also expanded to incorporate many other fast-food items. They still produce the hamburgers that they have been famous for since the beginning, but also offer chicken burgers, shakes and slushies, and even poutine, a true Canadian meal.
In an industry that is mainly dominated by American restaurants and franchises, Harvey’s represents Canada well through their 64 years in operation. When thinking of Canadian fast food, Harvey’s certainly comes to mind and stands out as one of the most popular Canadian founded restaurants.
Booster Juice
In the food industry, sometimes it is difficult to stand out from your competition and come up with original ideas, but Booster Juice has been able to do so by offering very unique drinks to Canadians.
The first Booster Juice location opened in Sherwood Park, Alberta in November 1999 by founder Dale Wishewan. Since then, Booster Juice has been in operation for 24 years and expanded to 400 locations all across Canada and in other nations around the world.
Booster Juice offers a large variety of juices and smoothies to customers. Most options are combinations or mixtures of a variety of different ingredients and fruits, such as Mangosicle, a smoothie that includes mango, pineapple, and vanilla frozen yoghurt.
If you’re ever in the mood for something different to drink or if you’re thirsty from walking or working for a long time, then you should visit the nearest Booster Juice to you and try something that you might not have had before.
Smoke’s Poutinerie
One of Canada’s most well-known dishes is poutine – a mixture of fries, cheese curds, and gravy – and Smoke’s Poutinerie has been providing Canadians their servings of poutine since 2008.
Founded by Ryan Smolkin, Smoke’s Poutinerie has grown to become one of the most popular and revered locations for Canadians to get poutine.
Smoke’s Poutinerie offers traditional poutine, fries, cheese curds, and gravy, but they’ve also added their own twist on poutine and created many different combinations. Their menu offers traditional, chicken, pork, beef, and veggie options with many different variations under each category.
The creativity and original spin on a traditional Canadian dish is what makes Smoke’s Poutinerie so special. So, if you ever wanted to try one of the dishes that is considered truly Canadian, then pay a visit to Smoke’s Poutinerie and find out what makes poutine so loved by Canadians all over.