Canadian Franchise Association Announces Winners of the 2018 Awards of Excellence in Franchising

Symposium Cafe and Little Kickers Take Home Top Honours at the CFA Awards Gala

TORONTO, April 25, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is pleased to announce that the Traditional and Non-Traditional Grand Prize winners of the 2018 CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising are Symposium Cafe and Little Kickers, respectively. The CFA awards two separate Grand Prizes in its annual awards program to reflect the range of franchise opportunities in the market.

"Franchising in Canada is very diverse, ranging from home-based children's sports franchises like Little Kickers to full-service restaurants like Symposium Cafe," says Lorraine McLachlan, the CFA's President and CEO. "To reflect this diversity, and to ensure that participating franchise systems are being rated against their peers, our awards program includes seven categories and two Grand Prizes."

Considered the pinnacle of franchise achievement in Canada, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising are given annually to franchise systems that have demonstrated the strongest, most mutually rewarding relationships with their franchisees. The Grand Prizes were presented during a gala awards presentation dinner at the 27th annual CFA National Convention in Ottawa, Ontario.  

"The CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising truly set a benchmark for franchises throughout Canada and we are honoured to present the awards to this year's winners," McLachlan continues. "No matter what size a franchise system is, or what format it takes, a solid relationship between franchisor and franchisee is vital to the system's success. Symposium Cafe's and Little Kickers' strong results demonstrate they offer outstanding support to their franchisees."

Open exclusively to CFA-member franchise systems who have been franchising for three years or more, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising recognize excellence in franchise operations. Winning systems must demonstrate a dedication to superior franchisee relations, leadership, business planning, marketing, training and support, ongoing operations and communications.

This year, more than 70 CFA-member franchise systems participated in the competition, setting a new record. The winning franchise systems were decided based on the results of a survey completed by participating franchisors and their franchisees about their experiences and levels of satisfaction with the system. The CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising is sponsored by the CFA and administered by the Portage Group, a third-party research firm.

Entries were separated into Traditional Franchises (those with brick and mortar locations) and Non-Traditional Franchises (those that are mobile or home based). Within these categories, entrants were grouped based on number of franchisees.

These categories reflect the wide range of franchise opportunities in today's marketplace and create a more even playing field for the ranking of each entry.

The 2018 CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising winners are:

2018 CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising Grand Prize

Traditional Franchises: Symposium Cafe         Non-Traditional Franchises: Little Kickers

Traditional Franchises (i.e. bricks and mortar locations)
6-15 Franchisees
Gold: Lice Squad.com
Silver: Inspiration Learning Center
Bronze: THE TEN SPOT Beauty Bar

16-29 Franchisees
Gold: Symposium Cafe
Silver: Scholars Education Centre
Bronze: White Spot Restaurants

30-99 Franchisees
Gold: Triple O's
Silver: UCMAS Mental Math Schools
Bronze (Tie): Speedpro Signs and Wendy's Restaurants of Canada Inc.

100+ Franchisees
Gold: Pizza Nova
Silver: A&W Food Services of Canada
Bronze: Boston Pizza International Inc.

Non-Traditional Franchises (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.)
6-15 Franchisees
Gold: Wise Cracks
Silver: Par-T-Perfect Party Planners
Bronze: Heart to Home Meals

16-29 Franchisees
Gold: Little Kickers
Silver: Restoration 1
Bronze: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

30+ Franchisees
Gold: Paul Davis Restoration Inc.
Silver: Alair Homes
Bronze: Home Instead Senior Care

For more information about the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising, visit www.awardsprogram.ca.

About the Canadian Franchise Association
The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) helps everyday Canadians realize the dream of building their own business through the power of franchising. CFA advocates on issues that impact this dream on behalf of more than 700 corporate members and over 40,000 franchisees from many of Canada's best-known and emerging franchise brands. Beyond its role as the voice of the franchise industry, CFA strengthens and develops franchising by delivering best-practice education and creating rewarding connections between Canadians and the opportunities in franchising. Canadian franchises contribute over $96 billion per year to the Canadian economy and create jobs for more than 1.8 million Canadians. Learn more at www.cfa.ca or www.FranchiseCanada.online.

SOURCE Canadian Franchise Association

For media accreditation, more information, and/or to arrange an interview with Lorraine McLachlan, CFA President & CEO, or any of the award winners, please contact: Lisa Raffaele, PUNCH Canada, E-mail: [email protected], Tel: [phone]

Related Links

www.cfa.ca