Harvey's

Last updated
Harvey's
Type Subsidiary
Industry Restaurants
FoundedApril 1, 1959;64 years ago (1959-04-01)
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
FoundersGeorge B. Sukornyk &
Rick Mauran
Headquarters
Vaughan, Ontario
,
Canada
Number of locations
290 [1]
Products Fast food (including hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, poutines)
Number of employees
6,000
Parent Recipe Unlimited
(1979–present)
Website harveys.ca

Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province except British Columbia. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. The chain is owned by Recipe Unlimited (previously known as Cara Operations). [2]

Contents

Opened in 1959, the company is one of Canada's longest-standing Canadian owned and operated restaurants. [3] It is known for its grilled burgers and for providing customers with a choice of various toppings. [4] [5]

History

Harvey's Foods co-founders, George B. Sukornyk (pictured left) and Rick Mauran (right) at the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, in 1962 Harvey's co-founders at the Pyramids.jpg
Harvey's Foods co-founders, George B. Sukornyk (pictured left) and Rick Mauran (right) at the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, in 1962

1959 and 1960s: inception and growth

Harvey's in Richmond Hill HarveysRichmondHill.jpg
Harvey's in Richmond Hill

Harvey's was co-founded by George B. Sukornyk and Rick Mauran in early 1959 as equal shareholders. Mauran originally thought to call the chain Humphrey's, [6] riffing off of the down-home friendliness connoted by the Henry's Hamburgers chain that was already successful in the United States at the time (today, only one Henry's restaurant survives). [7] As he was preparing to open the first restaurant in the summer of 1959, he saw an item in the now defunct Toronto Telegram indicating that the John Harvey Motors car dealership in the city was closing, and the sign — which simply designated it Harvey's — was available. Mauran obtained the sign and posted it outside his flagship store. [7] [6]

Harvey's logo from 1959 until 1999 Harvey's logo.png
Harvey's logo from 1959 until 1999

The first Harvey's location was opened on April 1, 1959, at the southeast corner of Yonge Street and Observatory Lane in Richmond Hill, Ontario, on a 10-acre (40,000 m2) parcel of land purchased from the owner of a bankrupt Dairy Queen. The location was initially expected to be seasonal, based on the precedent of the local Dairy Queen location, but it was successful enough to remain open year-round. [8] The first franchised location was on the company owned property on Avenue Road. Subsequently, the land was purchased for additional locations to be developed and franchised in Etobicoke, Hamilton and Scarborough.

In 1959, Harvey's introduced three original concepts in the drive-in take-out business. The first concept was for a customer to order, purchase and obtain a receipt, which was placed on the topping counter. The cash was immediately placed in the cash register, thereby controlling and monitoring cash, and keeping theft to a minimum. The second concept was to have the customer move along the counter, following his/her receipt, and then, at his/her request, have an employee customize his/her hamburger with a variety of toppings. The third concept — developed for its full-line Swiss Chalet restaurants in Montreal — was to purchase potatoes from Prince Edward Island, have the franchisee wash and cut the fresh potatoes into oversized chips with skin on, and then deep-fry and serve the chips on-site. This approach was a distinction between thin pre-frozen and pre-cut French Fries of unknown origin that were being sold at the time. Ten years later, under different management, the number of toppings was substantially increased, and pre-frozen and pre-cut string French Fries were introduced, replacing the freshly cut PEI potato. [9]

1970s: Foodcorp and Cara acquisition

Harvey's Food Limited merged with Industrial Growth Limited in the early 1970s to form Foodcorp, led by president Bernie Syron. The company grew to operate 80 restaurants, and was acquired by Cara Operations in 1979, which has since rebranded as Recipe Unlimited.

2010–present: Great Canadian and Health Check

After going through four different flagship burgers in twenty years, Harvey's introduced the Great Canadian as its flagship burger in 2010. It was discontinued in 2013 and replaced by the Angus burger, which has served as the chain's flagship burger since then.

In February 2012 the first Harvey's location was demolished to make way for condominiums. [6] In the summer of 2012, Harvey's added Dole Strawberry Kiwi as a fountain juice. Later in November 2012, Harvey's introduced a Health Check approved section for its menu. This includes the veggie burger, the grilled chicken sandwich, the Lil' Original and the grilled chicken salad. Only approved toppings, condiments and dressings may be used on the sandwiches for them to meet the Health Check requirements. The Lil' Original has a price of $1.99, comparable to those found on competitors' value-priced burgers.

Products

A Harvey's employee garnishing a single burger Employee at a Harvey's restaurant franchise garnishing a hamburger.jpg
A Harvey's employee garnishing a single burger

Operations

Harvey's claims that, in 1998, they were the first to introduce "Custom Combos", allowing customers to modify their combo with different items from those usually included. At a select number of locations, breakfast is served along with "Frings" ("Fridelles" in French), which are half french fries and half onion rings.

As of December 2019, Harvey's employed more than 7,000 employees and operated 274 restaurant locations across Canada. [10]

Flagship burger

Harvey's has changed flagship burgers several times before introducing the current Angus in 2014:

Harvey's introduced their Angus burger series as a competitive measure to McDonald's, which first introduced its own Angus burgers in Canada in 2008. Harvey's presently uses all-Canadian beef. [15]

E. coli outbreak

In October 2008, over 200 people were infected with the O157:H7 strain of E. coli due to contaminated onions at the North Bay, Ontario, location. [16] There was a class action lawsuit against Harvey's; the end result was a cheque for $1,000 to $7,250 per victim. [17]

Harvey's vs. Hardee's

There is no affiliation between Harvey's and the American hamburger chain Hardee's. The latter's parent company CKE Restaurants has been prevented from opening stores in Canada under the Hardee's name due to a trademark dispute. CKE has instead launched the Carl's Jr. brand in Canada. [18]

Loyalty program

Harvey's began a partnership with Scene in February 2015.[ citation needed ]

They are also a CAA Partner

Advertising

Harvey's advertising takes the form of promotional coupons, social media presence on Facebook and television commercials.

Free Burger Week

A Harvey's double burger plus fries Harveysburger3.jpg
A Harvey's double burger plus fries

On the last Sunday of May each year in 2007, 2008 and 2009, Harvey's held a Free Original Hamburger Day at all locations across Ontario and Quebec. The purpose of this event was to "celebrate Canada's best tasting burger" and to attract new customers who might not otherwise go into Harvey's. [19] These events were loss leader sales where Harvey's hoped to sell side items and create customer loyalty. The event was extended across Canada in 2008, and later in 2009 to coincide with the chain's 50th anniversary. All these events were limited to one free burger per person. From 2010 onward, the event was changed to a "Free Burger Week" in June of every year, but now works as a "buy one, get one free" instead of a completely free burger. However, there is no longer a limit of one per person, and any burger (including chicken and veggie) can be obtained with the new deal.

Slogans

YearEnglishFrench
1970s"Harvey's makes a hamburger a beautiful thing."—
1980s—"Harvey's fait de bien bonnes choses, oui de bien bonnes choses." ("Harvey's doing really good things, yes, really good things.")
1980s–present"Harvey's makes your hamburger a beautiful thing."—
Early 1990s"Harvey's: beautiful choice."—
1990s—"Tu connais mes goûts, Harvey's." ("You know my tastes, Harvey's.")
1992–1993"We make you spoiled with charbroiled."—
1994–1995"When you want what you want, you want Harvey's."—
1999–2000"Just the way you like it."—
2000–2003"Real. Big. Taste.""Du goût. Du vrai." ("Taste. The real thing.")
2003–2006"Long live the grill.""Vive le grill." ("Long live the grill.")
2003–2006"Noooo problem."—
2003–2006"Meat. Fire. Good."—
2006–present"It's a beautiful thing." [20] —
2006–2010—"T'as du goût." ("You have taste.")
2010–present—"À chacun son burger." ("To each his burger.")

Retail presence

Harvey's combined with a Swiss Chalet RoyalBankPlazaHarveys.jpg
Harvey's combined with a Swiss Chalet

In the early 1990s, some Harvey's locations featured items from the American chain Church's Chicken. After Cara acquired Harvey's, the Church's partnership was ceased and replaced with Swiss Chalet. In some cases, locations are adjacent to or co-located with Swiss Chalet locations. [5] There are also a few Home Depot Harvey's stores that are co-located with Second Cup, a coffee chain that used to be owned by Cara.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Food consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis; condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing; and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast-food restaurant</span> Type of restaurant

A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack in the Box</span> American fast-food restaurant chain

Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1951, by Robert O. Peterson in San Diego, California, where it is headquartered. The chain has over 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coast of the United States. Restaurants are also found in large urban areas outside the West Coast, as well as two in Guam. The company also formerly operated the Qdoba Mexican Grill chain until Apollo Global Management bought the chain in December 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardee's</span> American-based fast-food restaurant chain

Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960 in North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Chalet</span> Canadian casual dining restaurant chain

Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. Swiss Chalet has locations in most Canadian provinces, but about 80% are in Ontario and there are currently none in Quebec. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Recipe Unlimited, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and Harvey's franchises share many locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recipe Unlimited</span> Restaurant chain operator in Canada

Recipe Unlimited Corporation is a Canadian company that operates several restaurant chains such as Swiss Chalet, Harvey's and The Keg, and food distribution for large operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krystal (restaurant)</span> Fast food burger chain in the Southeastern US

Krystal is an American regional fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia, with restaurants in the Southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. It is known for its small, square hamburgers, called sliders in places other than the Southeast, with steamed-in onions. Krystal moved its headquarters from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it had been based since 1932, to the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody in early 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St-Hubert</span> Canadian restaurant chain

St-Hubert BBQ Ltd is a chain of Canadian casual dining restaurants best known for its rotisserie chicken. St-Hubert is most popular in Quebec, and in other French-Canadian areas such as Eastern Ontario and New Brunswick. St-Hubert is the 16th largest restaurant chain operating in Canada. The chain enjoys the highest customer loyalty of any restaurant in Canada, aside from Tim Hortons, according to industry analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Fries</span> Canadian fast-food restaurant chain

New York Fries is a Canadian quick service restaurant that mainly serves french fries, hot dogs and poutine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack's</span> American fast-food restaurant chain

Jack's Family Restaurants, LP is an American fast food restaurant chain, headquartered and based in Birmingham, and is owned by AEA Investors. Restaurants feature sit-down dining, drive-thrus and takeout service. The menu features primarily burgers, fried chicken, breakfast and various other fast food items including french fries and soft drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W (Canada)</span> Canadian fast food restaurant chain

A&W is a fast-food restaurant chain in Canada, franchised by A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken sandwich</span> Type of sandwich

A chicken sandwich is a sandwich that typically consists of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, served between slices of bread, on a bun, or on a roll. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include the chicken burger, chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken salad sandwich.

As far back as the 1970s, international fast food restaurant chain Burger King has attempted to introduce a premium line of burgers. These sandwiches are part of a system which eventually became known as the barbell strategy; a plan designed to expand Burger King's menu with both more sophisticated, adult-oriented fare along with products that are more value-oriented. This program is intended to bring in a larger, more affluent adult audience who will be willing to spend more on the better quality products on one side while maintaining a lower cost value menu dedicated to a more cost-conscious audience on the other. The hope is that the customers would be drawn in initially for the lower prices of the value-menu and upgrade to the more expensive products, upping overall sales.

When the predecessor of international fast food restaurant chain Burger King (BK) first opened in 1953, its menu predominantly consisted of hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. After being acquired by its Miami, Florida franchisees and renamed in 1954, BK began expanding its menu by adding the Whopper sandwich in 1957, and has since added non-beef items such as chicken, fish, and vegetarian offerings, including salads and meatless sandwiches. Other additions include a breakfast menu and beverages such as Icees, juices, and bottled waters. As the company expanded both inside and outside the United States, it introduced localized versions of its products that conform to regional tastes and cultural or religious beliefs. To generate additional sales, BK occasionally introduces limited-time offers of special versions of its products, or brings out completely new products intended for either long- or short-term sales. Not all of these products and services have been successful; in 1992, Burger King introduced limited table service featuring special dinner platters, but this concept failed to generate interest and was discontinued.

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. McDonald's traces its origins to a 1940 restaurant in San Bernardino, California. After expanding within the United States, McDonald's became an international corporation in 1967, when it opened a location in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. By the end of the 1970s, McDonald's restaurants existed in five of the Earth's seven continents; an African location came in 1992 in Casablanca, Morocco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl's Jr.</span> Fast food restaurant chain

Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., with franchisees in North & South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa.

References

  1. ↑ "St-Hubert Group set to expand the Harvey's brand throughout Quebec". CNW . 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Harvey's, Swiss Chalet owner eyes IPO, sees major growth ahead". U.S. February 17, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Harvey's Makes a Free Burger". InsideHalton.com. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  4. ↑ Lorinc, J. (1995). Opportunity knocks: the truth about Canada's franchise industry. Prentice Hall. p. 119. ISBN   978-0-13-455693-2 . Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Giorno, Frank (2016-12-22). "2017 brings two favourites Harvey's and Swiss Chalet to Timmins' dining menu". TimminsToday.com. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  6. 1 2 3 Mirsky, Jesse (March 13, 2012). "Original Harvey's restaurant demolished to make way for condos". National Post. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Bateman, Chris (25 January 2015). "That time when Harvey's hamburgers came to Toronto". BlogTO. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Gallagher, Danny (27 July 2007). "Behind the Burgers, a Man of Mystery". National Post . Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  9. ↑ Filey, Mike (2003). Toronto Sketches 7: The Way We Were. Dundurn Press. pp. 53–54. ISBN   978-1-55002-448-7 . Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  10. ↑ "St-Hubert Group set to expand the Harvey's brand throughout Quebec". CNW . 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018.
  11. ↑ Pub Québec - Harvey's.
  12. ↑ Harvey's avec Bernard Fortin.
  13. ↑ "Hicks Weekly Dish: War of the classic burgers". Edmonton Sun. August 19, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  14. ↑ nurun.com. "Beefing it up | The London Free Press". Lfpress.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  15. ↑ "The beef question: Wall criticizes A&W for using non-Canadian producers". Global News. September 7, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  16. ↑ "E. coli outbreak in North Bay linked to Harvey's restaurant". CBC News. October 16, 2008.
  17. ↑ "2008 North Bay E. coli outbreak settlement approved by judge". CBC News. March 19, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Carl's Jr. set to launch in Ontario". Canadian Restaurant News. 6 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "Harvey's expanding".
  20. ↑ "2006 Slogan". Harvey's. Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.