FranchiseCanada September | October 2017 51BIG HITTERS
AllStar Wings & Ribs
It all started back in 2003, when Tom Anastopoulos
was serving his family ribs. Lamenting the fact that
there weren’t many restaurants focused on serving
wings, dinner table talk turned to the idea of combin-
ing both wings and ribs for an amazing taste experi-
ence. This, in turn, gave birth to the successful AllStar
Wings & Ribs franchise.
Nadeen Borg, Marketing Manager for the AllStar
Group of Companies, explains, “It started out as a loca-
tion back in 2003 in Markham, Ontario, with approxi-
mately 16 tables. People would wait two to three hours
for a table.” From there it expanded to Richmond Hill,
then Vaughan, and the rest is history.
Borg says what distinguishes the restaurant – aside
from its selection of 200+ different types of wings and
assorted other delicious dishes – is that “we’re a family-
friendly sports-themed restaurant, where people can
enjoy and feel comfortable cheering on their favourite
sports team under the flags of the world. Families can feel
comfortable bringing their kids here at any point during
the day. Our food is made fresh to order, prepared in-
house with signature flavours and homemade recipes.”
The biggest benefit for franchisees, says Borg, is that
they have the potential to make a good return on their
investment, while servicing an uplifting atmosphere. As
well, “It’s a very fun, fast-paced environment; definitely
different every day.”
Franchisees should have a business background, and
a background in the restaurant industry is also an asset.
“You have to understand the back end as much as the
front end of the business. You have to be a very hands-on
manager, be a leader. You have to be organized and offer
a good level of customer service. We look for a positive
attitude,” says Borg. “Understanding the back end of the
business is just as important as managing the front line,
a support function we take pride in teaching our franchi-
sees to do effectively and efficiently.”
Franchisees receive an eight-week training course,
along with ongoing operational and marketing support.
The company, which started franchising in 2008, now
has eight locations, and is focusing its efforts on expand-
ing in the Greater Toronto area.ALLSTAR WINGS & RIBS STATS
Franchise units in Canada: 8
Corporate units in Canada: 2
Franchise fee: $45K
Investment required: $700K-$1.6M
Start-up capital required: $350K-$800K
Tr aining: 2-8 months at HO + 2 weeks pre-opening on site + 2
weeks to 6 months post opening on-site
Available territories: All of Canada
In business since: 2003
Franchising since: 2006
CFA member since: 2014