From Vancouver to St. John's BeaverTails targets expansion

It's a quintessential Canadian brand with that's not only right for the times we're in, but an iconic favourite with a proven track record-BeaverTails is in expansion mode, with a clear purpose and elevated store design that reflects true "Made in Canada" momentum.
First, a bit of Canadian history: In 1978, Pam and Grant Hooker served the first BeaverTails pastries at the Killaloe Fair, west of Ottawa. They soon opened permanent stores at the ByWard Market and along with Rideau Canal.

What began as a simple Canadian start-up evolved in 1987 when then-university student Pino Di Ioia took a summer job as manager of a BeaverTails location in Montreal. This was the first location outside of Ottawa and Quebec soon became a key market. In turn, the brand sold its first franchise in 1993, then expanded rapidly across the country throughout the 1990s.

In 2002, Di Ioia, his brother Anthony and wife, Tina Serraro, took over managing the business, moving the head office to Montreal. Then, in 2009, that executive management team became majority owners.

Since then, BeaverTails has grown in leaps and bounds. Today, there are close to 200 locations in Canada and the U.S., as Mexico, France, United Arab Emirates and Japan.

What makes it so popular? It's a unique concept with wide appeal. You're probably familiar with the delicious pastries (in the shape of a beaver's tail, of course), which come in 11 fun flavours that are made-to-order and served warm. In addition, BeaverTails serves other sweet Canadian favourites, including sharable Beaver Bites, ice cream and Beaver Minis, as well as Poutail, a classic poutine, and three types of BeaverDogs-the classic hot dog wrapped in the signature pasty, a Maple and BBQ bacon-wrapped version and a Gourmet BeaverDog for discerning tastes. In addition, BeaverTails serves an array of hot and cold beverages.

The company is a great Canadian success story and now the tale continues, as the leadership team maps out plans to open several new locations.

Think Retail is delighted to share that BeaverTails is targeting the following markets from coast to coast: Vancouver's Granville Island and Water Street in St. John's, as well as several Toronto neighbourhoods-downtown, Distillery District, Queen's Quay, and Yonge & Dundas Streets. They will also consider other high traffic tourist and pedestrian locations in major centres.

BeaverTails offers several flexible formats and a fresh welcoming store design: Ideal spaces are 300 to 1,000 sq. ft. (ventilation required).

With an average 14 annual openings for the last six years, this team knows what they're doing and how to set up for success in a new market. Growth continued, even during the pandemic (it's grab-and-go format was ideal for that period).

In 2017, BeaverTails was named of Canada's 150 most iconic brands. Today, as BeaverTails prepares to surpass 200 locations, we are thrilled to be part of the journey as this important Canadian brand continues to thrive. For more information about BeaverTails and its expansion, please contact the Think Retail team.