Vegan fast food chain started in London will soon have 19 restaurants

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A London-based vegan fast food restaurant is growing its national chain, as it has also begun selling prepared food into grocery stores across Ontario.

Published May 05, 2024 • Last updated 3 days ago • 2 minute read

James McInnes, co-founder and chief executive of Odd Burger, displays some of the company's vegan food offerings at its production facility on Consortium Court in London on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
James McInnes, co-founder and chief executive of Odd Burger, displays some of the company’s vegan food offerings at its production facility on Consortium Court in London on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

A London-based vegan fast food restaurant is growing its national chain and has started to sell prepared food into grocery stores across Ontario.

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Odd Burger, with two London locations among 13 across Canada, is adding six new stores this summer in Toronto and western Canada. The company also recently began selling vegan food items in more than 40 stores across Ontario, co-founder and chief executive James McInnes said.

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“People are looking for cost-effective, healthy food and this is where Odd Burger shines,” he said.

“With inflation, people are drawn to affordable options, but also want to feel like they are eating more sustainably. That is where we fit in.”

The chain plans on adding eateries in Victoria on May 18, Edmonton on May 11 and Ottawa on June 1. Odd Burger plans to add a store in Vancouver and two more in the Toronto area in June and July.

“I am passionate about this. I feel it is super important,” said McInnes of offering reasonably priced vegan fast food options.

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The aggressive growth strategy is born from solid sales growth, he said. Last year, total sales were about $3.3 million, an increase from $2.8 million in 2022.

Odd Burger has not forecast 2024 sales but the new restaurant openings should boost sales.

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  1. Odd Burger co-founders and husband and wife James and Vasiliki McInnes are opening a food manufacturing plant in London to serve a national chain of vegan fast food restaurants. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

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  2. Vasiliki and James McInnes, left, co-founders of London-based Odd Burger, Matthew Davison, dean of science at Western University, Colin Porter, director of hospitality services at Western, and Odd Burger director of operations Katie McInnes cut the ribbon on the Odd Burger location that opened at the university on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Jack Moulton/The London Free Press)

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“We are confident there will be growth. The more locations we have, the more revenue we will generate,” McInnes said.

Part of its success is based on Odd Burger making its own food from a production space on Consortium Court in London. The company had planned to build a 464-square-meter (5,000-square-foot) plant on Innovation Drive but scrapped those plans when interest rates spiked, McInnes said.

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“We manufacture here to help keep costs down and drive more profit to the company. We are not giving money to third party food manufacturers,” he said.

“We are vertically integrated and that is more efficient.”

As for its retail store initiative, Odd Burger is selling prepared foods, including breakfast sausage and burgers, in stores across the province such as Sobeys and Quarter Master Natural Foods in London.

“It expands our reach and brand,” McInnes said. “This is another way to reach consumers. We saw an opportunity to get our products in new places.

“It goes back to our mission of making vegan food accessible.”

Odd Burger opened in London under its original name, Globally Local, in 2016.

The company opened a restaurant in Toronto in 2019 and another in Windsor in 2020 before pursuing aggressive growth and expansion. It rebranded in 2021 as Odd Burger, the same year it went public, selling shares on the TSX.

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