MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Three years ago, Mucho Burrito began honing its plan to provide consumers with an unmatched Mexican flavour experience. Today, the Ontario-based franchise is continuing its conquest of the virtually untapped Canadian market and bringing its fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food to Calgary.

Later this month, the area’s newest restaurants in Quarry Park (March 20) and Shawnessy (March 27) will be giving away free 10” or 12” burritos from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. In addition, the first 25 customers at the Quarry Park location will receive free burritos every week for an entire year. The first 15 guests at the Shawnessy location will also receive free burritos every week for a year.

Encouraging the important role of philanthropy and its impact on the community, Mucho Burrito will be asking customers to donate $2.00 to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

“Customers want a different twist or flavour component… people are open to trying things from other parts of the world and Mexican food has always been under-represented in Canada,” said Alex Rechichi, Co-Founder and President of Mucho Burrito, noting that Mexican cuisine comprises just one percent of the foodservice industry in Canada. “We look forward to bringing our upscale offering to local consumers and further positioning ourselves as the premier in the Mexican category.”

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Customers can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.

“The menu is concise and straightforward, yet introduces customers to new gourmet Mexican flavours they may not have had before,” Rechichi added. “The ‘no rules’ menu also allows customers to come in and push the boundaries each time.”

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 25 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting the local marketplace as part of a national growth plan calling for more than 200 locations in the next five years.

With four locations currently open and operating throughout Calgary and the surrounding area, the company plans for a total of 15 local restaurants in the next couple of years.

To augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $250,000-$370,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates 40 to 50 customers.

For franchise inquiries please contact Steve Travers at (403) 640-0975 or stevet@extremebrandz.com.

About Mucho Burrito
Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 25 restaurants throughout Canada. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

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MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Continuing to “spice up” the fast-casual food segment with its unmatched Mexican flavour experience, Mucho Burrito announces the opening of its newest restaurant in Quarry Park in Calgary, Alberta. Located at 163 Quarry Park Boulevard SE, the new restaurant is the fourth of 15 slated to open in the area in next couple years.
 
On March 20, 2010, guests of the new restaurant will receive a free 10” or 12” burrito from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Mucho Burrito will also continue the tradition of giving away free burritos for a year to the first 25 customers. 

Encouraging the important role of philanthropy and its impact on the community, Mucho Burrito will be asking customers to donate $2.00 to the Children’s Wish Foundation. 

“We’re incredibly excited about expanding the Mucho Burrito brand in the Calgary marketplace and continuing to feed the local appetite with our fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food,” said Alex Rechichi, Co-Founder and President of Mucho Burrito. “We’re equally thrilled about doing our part in providing much needed funds to help grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.”

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Customers can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.   

The Quarry Park restaurant is owned and operated by restaurant veteran Daljit Sandhar, who previously spent 22 years as a partner and multi-unit owner of Pizza 73. Today, nearly three years after selling his interest in Pizza 73, Sandhar is branching out into fresh and healthy, having opened both a Mucho Burrito and Extreme Pita in Quarry Park in the past several months. He hopes to open additional locations in the coming years.

“The menu is concise and straightforward, yet introduces customers to new gourmet Mexican flavours they may not have had before,” said Sandhar. “The ‘no rules’ menu also allows customers to come in and push the boundaries each time.”

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 25 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting the local marketplace as part of a national growth plan calling for more than 200 locations in the next five years.

To augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $250,000-$370,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates 40 to 50 customers.

For franchise inquiries please contact Sean Black at (888) 729-7482, ext. 14 or seanb@extremebrandz.com.

About Mucho Burrito
Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 25 restaurants throughout Canada. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

# # #

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Continuing to “spice up” the fast-casual food segment with its unmatched Mexican flavour experience, Mucho Burrito announces the opening of its newest restaurant in Aurora. Located at 650 Wellington Street East, the new restaurant is the first of four slated to open in the area in 2010.

On February 27, 2010, guests of the new restaurant will receive a free 10” or 12” burrito from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Mucho Burrito will also continue the tradition of giving away free burritos for a year to the first 25 customers. 

Encouraging the important role of philanthropy and its impact on the community, Mucho Burrito will be asking customers to donate $2.00 to the Children’s Wish Foundation. 

“We’re incredibly excited about expanding the Mucho Burrito brand to Aurora and continuing our conquest of the virtually untapped Canadian market,” said Alex Rechichi, Co-Founder and CEO of Mucho Burrito. “We look forward to building upon our initial success and feeding the local appetite with our fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food.”

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 25 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting the local marketplace as part of a national growth plan calling for more than 200 locations in the next five years.

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Guests can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.   

To further augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $370,000-$400,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates seating for 40 to 60 customers.

For franchise inquiries, please contact Sean Black at (888) 729-7482 or seanb@extremebrandz.com.
 
About Mucho Burrito
Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 25 restaurants throughout Canada. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

# # #

Mucho Burrito Opens Third PATH Location in Last Seven Months;
Offers Fresh Perspective on Mexican Dining

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Continuing to “spice up” Toronto’s PATH with its unmatched Mexican flavour experience, Mucho Burrito announces the opening of its newest restaurant at the Bay Adelaide Centre. The new restaurant is the third to open in the PATH in the last seven months.

Mucho Burrito will be hosting a grand opening event on March 2, 2010 from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM, during which time customers can purchase any 10” or 12” burrito for $4.00, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Wish Foundation. In addition, customers will have the opportunity to enter into a random drawing to win free burritos for an entire year.

“When we set out to grow the Mucho Burrito brand throughout Toronto, we knew that the PATH would serve as a barometer for our success,” said Alex Rechichi, Co-Founder and President of Mucho Burrito. “We’re excited to continue our expansion with the opening of our third restaurant in the PATH and look forward to feeding the local appetite with our fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food.”

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Customers can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.   

“The menu is concise and straightforward, yet introduces customers to new gourmet Mexican flavours they may not have had before,” said Mehdi Saidi-Yousefi, owner of the new restaurant. “The ‘no rules’ menu also allows customers to come in and push the boundaries each time.”

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 25 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting the local marketplace as part of a national growth plan calling for more than 200 locations in the next five years.

To augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $250,000-$370,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates 40 to 50 customers.

For franchise inquiries please contact Sean Black at (888) 729-7482, ext. 14 or seanb@extremebrandz.com.

About Mucho Burrito
Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 25 restaurants throughout Canada. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

# # #

275 Shawville Blvd. SE, Unit 7
T2Y 3H9
Tel: 403-452-9962
Fax: 403-452-9963

Please contact Sean Black for more information at (905) 820-7887.

Helps Glenrose Foundation With Free Burritos on December 10^th

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Continuing to “spice up” the fast-casual food segment with its unmatched Mexican flavour experience, Mucho Burrito announces the opening of its newest restaurant in Edmonton. Located at Christy’s Corner at 13653 St. Albert Trail, the new restaurant is the third of 20 slated to open in the area in the next five years.

On December 10, guests of the new restaurant will receive a free 10” or 12” burrito from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM.  Mucho Burrito will also continue the tradition of giving away Free Burritos for a Year to the first 25 customers. 

Encouraging the important role of philanthropy and its impact on the community, Mucho Burrito will be asking customers to donate $2.00 to the Glenrose Foundation, which promotes rehabilitation and provides financial support for the improvement of patient care at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

 “We’re incredibly excited about expanding the Mucho Burrito brand to Edmonton and continuing to feed the local appetite with our fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food,” said Steve Travers, area developer for Mucho Burrito in Alberta. “We’re equally thrilled about doing our part in enhancing patient care at the largest freestanding rehabilitation hospital in North America.”

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 22 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting Edmonton as part of a national growth plan calling for more than 200 locations in the next five years. Company plans call for 20 restaurants throughout the Edmonton marketplace and more than 50 across Alberta.

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Customers can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.    

To further augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $370,000-$400,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates seating for 40 to 60 customers.

For franchise inquiries please contact Steve Travers at (403) 640-0975 or stevet@extremebrandz.com.

About Mucho Burrito

Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 22 restaurants throughout Canada. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

About Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation

The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation promotes rehabilitation and provides financial support for the improvement of patient care, education, research, and technology development at Capital Health’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. To date, the Foundation has raised over $10 million to enable facility renovations, conduct research, purchase new equipment and enhance rehabilitation programs.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Continuing to “spice up” the fast-casual food segment with its unmatched Mexican flavour experience, Mucho Burrito announces the opening of its newest restaurant at First Canadian Place in Toronto’s PATH. The contemporary and casual restaurant opens on the heels of the company’s first location in the PATH, at Brookfield Place, which opened in September 2009.

Mucho Burrito will be hosting a grand opening event on November 18, 2009 to promote the new location. From 7:30 AM until 9:30 AM, customers will receive free breakfast burritos, and from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM, customers will receive free burritos.

“We’re incredibly excited adding an additional Mucho Burrito location to the PATH and continuing our conquest of the virtually untapped Canadian market,” said Alex Rechichi, Co-Founder and President of Mucho Burrito. “Our first location has gotten off to a tremendous start and we look forward to building upon our initial success and feeding the local appetite with our fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food.”

The new restaurant is owned and operated by Gaurang Bhatt and Jay Pathak, who also opened the Brookfield Place back in September. These two restaurants are the only downtown Toronto Mucho Burritos at this time. The company plans to open a third location in the PATH, this time in Bay Adelaide Centre, in the next few months.

Described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality,” Mucho Burrito provides customers with an unmatched flavour experience by offering fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting. Featuring a “no rules” menu enhanced by the scent of spices and seasonings, roasted vegetables and charbroiled and braised meats, each meal is made to order in front of customers with authentic recipes and fresh ingredients made daily. Customers can choose from a variety of menu selections including hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as nacho plates, salads and a selection of custom “Johnny Mucho” sauces.

To further augment the company’s growth strategy, Mucho Burrito is seeking franchise owners with a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming brand within the food franchise business. Prospective franchise owners should have a keen desire to work with people and an understanding of customer service. With a franchise fee of $20,000, the initial investment to own and operate a Mucho Burrito restaurant is typically $250,000-$370,000 for a standard 1,500-1,800 square-foot location that accommodates 40 to 50 customers.

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 20 restaurants throughout Canada and is targeting Toronto as part of a national growth plan calling for 40 locations by the end of 2010 and more than 200 in the next five years.

For franchise inquiries please contact Sean Black at (888) 729-7482, ext. 14 or seanb@extremebrandz.com.

About Mucho Burrito
Mucho Burrito opened its doors June 13, 2006 in Mississauga, Ontario. At the time, Founders Mark and Alex Rechichi and Sean Black, created a name and logo that reflected the signature menu items-large gourmet burritos, best described as “Mucho food with Mucho quality.” Their mission from the inception – to provide customers with an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes. Today, Mucho Burrito has grown to 20 restaurants throughout Canada and plans for 40 locations by the end of 2010 and more than 200 in the next five years. For more information, visit www.muchoburrito.com.

For Immediate Release

Extreme Brandz is pleased to announce the appointment of John Delutis as Brand Vice President for Mucho Burrito. In this newly created position Mr. Delutis will be responsible for the Mucho Burrito brand and all of its day to day operations across North America. Mr. Delutis will report directly to Alex Rechichi, President and CEO of Extreme Brandz and will be a member of the Extreme Brandz Executive Committee.

Mr. Delutis brings a wealth of QSR experience and an impressive track record of success working with strong, successful brands such as Tim Hortons and Second Cup. Mr. Delutis was most recently The Vice President of Operations with The Second Cup Coffee Co having functional responsibilities for Field Operations, Learning and Development, Operations Development, Corporate Café Operations, Customer Satisfaction and Coffee Quality and Procurement. Mr. Delutis was a member of The Second Cup Executive Management Team and was actively involved in Franchising, Real Estate and Marketing.

Mucho Burrito is a Fresh Mexican Grill concept owned by Extreme Brandz. Mucho Burrito delivers an unmatched Mexican flavor experience by offering the freshest and best quality burritos ever tasted, made right in front of your eyes.

Extreme Brandz is a privately owned and operated Canadian franchise company specializing in delivering quick, fresh and healthy food offerings through their Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Purblendz brands. Extreme Brandz currently operates more than 265 locations in Canada and the United States. Extreme Brandz is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

2187 Dunwin Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5L 1X2
1-888-729-7482
www.extremebrandz.com
www.extremepita.com
www.muchoburrito.com

For Immediate Release

Re: Appointment of Mark Cunningham – Executive Vice President, International Operations and Business Development.

Extreme Brandz is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Cunningham as Executive Vice President, International Operations and Business Development. In this newly created position. Mr. Cunningham will oversee all facets of international development and expansion of all Extreme Brandz concepts and will assume responsibility for the day to day operations reporting directly to Alex Rechichi President and CEO of Extreme Brandz.

Mr. Cunningham is a seasoned QSR professional and brings a wealth of international and domestic experience with him. Mr. Cunningham has over 25 years of experience in the QSR industry and has worked for strong, successful brands such as McDonalds and Second Cup. In his most recent role as Vice President, International Operations and Business Development with The Second Cup Coffee Co Inc, Mr. Cunningham led the organizations international development opening their first café in Dubai United Arab Emirates in 2003 and growing the international business to 11 countries today.

Extreme Brandz is a privately owned and operated Canadian franchise company specializing in delivering quick, fresh and healthy food offerings through their Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Pureblendz brands. Extreme Brandz currently operates more than 265 locations in Canada and the United States.

“International markets offer attractive demographics for Extreme Brandz, with young, affluent, increasingly well educated and aspirational consumers looking for new products and experiences,” said Cunningham.

Mr. Cunningham also cited the fact that “Extreme Brandz is a well established, successful franchisor in North America and is poised for aggressive growth in many International markets. With outstanding existing brand awareness in North America, the company’s objective to set a new bar in quick, fresh and healthy dining, and maintain an “ahead of the curve” philosophy towards reshaping the landscape of the QSR marketplace is a winning ingredient for International development”

“We are pleased to welcome Mark Cunningham to the Extreme Brandz family. His passion for the business and his international experience will fit in nicely with the company’s aggressive growth plans. Mark’s appointment as Executive Vice President International Operations and Business Development is at the forefront of a number of new additions being added to the Extreme Brandz team, all in an effort to achieve the goal of 500 units in operation over the next few years. ” Said Rechichi.

Extreme Brandz is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

2187 Dunwin Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5L 1X2
1-888-729-7482
www.extremebrandz.com
www.extremepita.com
www.muchoburrito.com

A restaurant chain is planning an ambitious expansion into the Calgary and provincial markets as growth in the quick service industry increases during the economic slowdown.

Mucho Burrito, which opens its second location in Calgary on Thursday, plans to have 20 restaurants up and running in the city and surrounding region in the next five years, said Steve Travers, president for Western Canada at Extreme Brandz and the area developer for the Mucho Burrito brand in Alberta.

Travers said the company is also expecting to have 50 locations in Alberta during that same time period.

“We feel that Mexican is being somewhat under-represented in the (quick service restaurant) portion of business,” he said.

“Some people might categorize us as recession-proof. To a certain degree, I guess we are. In recessionary times, people tend to eat at restaurants that don’t have that$20 to $25 price tag. So there’s more people coming into our segment of the market than is actually leaving because they can afford to eat that.”

The company’s second location opens Thursday at 4307 130th Ave. S. E. at the South Trail Crossing power centre. Its first store opened in December in the Beacon Hill centre in northwest Calgary. Two other locations are under construction and will open within the next 30 days in Shawnessy and Quarry Park.

Travers said the typical size of the restaurant is 1,800 to 2,500 square feet. The brand is described as “fast casual” with a dining-in area.

According to research by the NPD group on the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association website, between May 2008 and May 2009, sales in the quick service restaurant sector increased by five per cent while the total market was up by four per cent. Also, the casual segment of the market was up by six per cent.

The quick service segment makes up 60 per cent of the overall market, while the casual sector makes up 14 per cent.

The association is forecasting total food service sales in Canada to decline by 1.2 per cent this year to almost $59 billion. The “limited-service” restaurant sector is forecast to be flat at just over $19.6 billion.

Since launching the brand in June 2006, Mucho Burrito has opened 16 restaurants across Canada and is targeting Alberta as part of a national growth plan of more than 200 locations in the next five years.

“We’re very, very bullish on the Alberta market, certainly the Calgary market,” said Alex Rechichi, one of the founders of the Mississauga-Ont.-based company. “It’s been a successful market for us in the past. We’ve done business in Calgary with some of our other brands for quite a while. And we’ve always pulled above average sales numbers from the entire market, certainly out of Calgary, as well. Alberta and Calgary will continue to be part of our core of our overall development strategy.”

The company has had success during good economic times and during tough economic times, he said.

People who have received severance packages often seek their own business opportunities, he said. Also, Rechichi said the tougher economic times open the real estate market with more opportunities to find space and to negotiate deals with landlords. But he also said finding financing can be a problem for some candidates.

mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com