FranchiseCanada September | October 2017 53Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill
Shoeless Joe’s Founder Fred Lopreiato remembers the
day back in the 1990s when the Blue Jays were in the
playoffs, and the crowd at Shoeless Joe’s was hopping.
Along the way, Lopreiato encountered many obstacles
and experienced many memorable moments, but “back
then, failure wasn’t an option.”
Lopreiato purchased his first location in 1985, what
he calls a greasy spoon restaurant that served pizza
and hamburgers. When he learned the restaurant was
named after baseball legend “Shoeless Joe” Jackson,
he purchased 30 small TVs and one giant screen, and
turned the restaurant into a sports bar. “Instantly, I had
lineups at the door every time the Toronto Blue Jays or
the Toronto Maple Leafs played.”
Lopreiato started franchising in the 1990s, and says
the benefits of running a Shoeless Joe’s franchise are the
great menu and great social atmosphere that it provides.
“If you’re a people person, this is the ultimate place for
you. We also pride ourselves on providing our partners
with all the tools they need to be successful.”
Right now, Shoeless Joe’s has 39 locations, most of
which are in Ontario, with one in Saskatchewan and
one in Edmonton, Alberta. The company has set its
sights on expansion, looking to add more locations in
Western Canada.
The biggest challenge in operating the franchise is
staffing, says Lopreiato. “You need people who like to
work and know how to deal with guests.”
Training involves nine to sixteen weeks of pre-open-
ing training, followed by four weeks of store set-up train-
ing, and then four weeks of post-opening support.
The best franchisees are those with a great atti-
tude, says Lopreiato, and don’t need to have too much
experience. “You need to be a dynamic individual.
You need to work the dining room, and be social. The
system works if you follow it. You need to be on the
premises to make sure you understand your guests
and deliver to their expectations.”SHOELESS JOE’S SPORTS GRILL STATS
Franchise units in Canada: 39
Franchise fee: $45K
Investment required: $1.3M-$1.7M
Start-up capital required: $450K +
Tr aining: 9-16 weeks
Available territories: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NT, NS, ON, PE, QC,
SK, YT
In business since: 1985
Franchising since: 1997
CFA member since: 1999BIG HITTERS