NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF ORILLIA
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The City of Orillia Economic Development Office is excited to welcome Mary Brown’s, Orillia’s newest restaurant, to the city following successful business attraction efforts earlier this year.
Mary Brown’s first corporately-owned Orillia location opened today at 324 Memorial Ave. – the property presented to Mary Brown’s by the City of Orillia Economic Development Office at the Toronto Franchise Expo in February 2019.
“Our time at franchise shows have proven very successful,” said Laura Thompson, Manager of Real Estate and Commercial Development. “Orillia continues to be one of the busiest booths at the Toronto Franchise Show, and in addition to sparking interest for new investments like Mary Brown’s, the show has resulted in a number of investment tours of the city, and a total of approximately 160 investment leads in 2019 alone.”
A Retail Mix Study undertaken by the City in 2016 identified a need to attract more restaurants in order to serve Orillia’s growing population. The City’s Economic Development Office identified the Toronto Franchise Expo and the Canadian Franchise Expo as opportunities to target investors interested in both franchises, but also independent food and restaurant investments.
“Franchising trade shows provide a great opportunity to make connections with growth-minded businesses like Mary Brown’s,” says Hadi Chahin, President and COO of Mary Brown’s.
“We’re confident that Orillia is a great choice for a Mary Brown’s location," said Chahin. "It’s a popular tourist town as well as a year-round home to a growing population. We’ve had lots of requests from Mary Brown’s fans asking us to open a store in Orillia – we’re really excited to be here.”
In addition to promoting opportunities for new restaurants and specialty food, the city uses trade shows to advise attendees about investment opportunities in the downtown core, promote the Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Plan (DTCIP) Grant Program and advertise the Business Transition Matching Program offered through the Orillia Area CDC.
Due to the success of this show, the city is planning on attending the Canadian Franchise Show in the fall of 2020.
The current Mary Brown’s location is corporately owned. Those interested in franchise opportunities are encouraged to contact [email protected].
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