Quebec-based franchise firm buys Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery

By Victoria Williston

Local craft brewery and restaurant Big Rig has been sold to restaurant franchise company Foodtastic.

The franchising firm supports multiple restaurant concepts in Quebec, including Au Coq, La Belle et La Boeuf, Monza, Carlos & Pepe's, Souvlaki Bar, Nickels, and Bacaro.

Their newest acquisition, Big Rig Brewery, was started in Ottawa in 2012 with former Senator Chris Phillips as the face of the company.

Big Rig currently has three locations in Ottawa, and the Quebec company said in a release that they will now expand into Toronto and other cities in the region.

“Big Rig is a treasured local brand and we are excited to welcome Big Rig into the Foodtastic family,” said Peter Mammas, Foodtastic president, and chief executive officer. “We look forward to preserving Big Rig's strong brand…This acquisition of a homegrown Ontario business is consistent with our strategy of acquiring quality brands with growth potential that complement our existing brand portfolio. We believe the Big Rig acquisition will leverage our marketing, purchasing, and operational systems to better serve our Big Rig customers and welcome many new ones.” 

Big Rig employes 160 people, who produce four million litres of beer annually. The brewery has received multiple awards, including two gold medals and one silver medal at the Canadian Brewer awards.

As part of the purchase, Foodtastic will keep Big Rig's award-winning brewmaster Lon Ladell.

“Foodtastic is an amazing company and I'm thrilled to continue being a part of Big Rig brewery's exciting future! With the financial support from Foodtastic we can now expand our operations throughout Canada,” said Ladell.

Foodtastic has more than 55 restaurants and $125 million in annualized sales.

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