10 huge restaurant chains you didn’t know started in the Toronto area, Canada Reviews

Toronto has long been fertile ground for restaurant entrepreneurs, producing chains that began as single neighbourhood shops and grew into recognizable brands far beyond the 416. A recent Instagram post by Toronto Business Forensics analyst Alex Kouba highlighting major franchises with Toronto roots got us thinking — so we took a closer look, fact-checked the list and rounded up 10 brands that can credibly claim GTA origins.

10. Rosie’s Burgers

Rosie’s is one of the newer names (and smallest chains) on this list, but it has strong GTA roots! The burger joint was founded in 2020 by brothers Daniel and Dustin Gelman, with early growth ties to Port Credit, Mississauga. As of March 2026, the opening of its Montreal shop marked Rosie’s 13th location in Canada. Brand revenue isn’t disclosed, but Toronto Business Forensics expert Alex Kouba estimates Rosie’s revenue at about $20 million annually (based on an estimated 10 locations).

9. Pizzaiolo

The Petrella family’s pizza story stretches back to the 1940s in a little town in central Italy, where Nonno Giuseppe and Nonna Ida opened their very first pizzeria, but the Pizzaiolo brand itself was launched by their son Luigi Petrella in Toronto in November 2000! The company has since grown to 40+ locations in the GTA and projects growth to 80 locations in 2026. The annual revenue numbers are a bit harder to pin down, but according to Kouba’s Insta post, the chain generates more than $19 million per year (based on an estimated 77 locations).

8. Hero Certified Burgers

This popular burger spot opened its first restaurant at Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville in 2003, with a citywide party celebrating the debut of the Signature Burger! There are now about 60 Hero locations across Canada, including virtual kitchens. The company doesn’t publicly report current annual revenue, but Kouba estimates Hero at roughly $70 million a year, while RocketReach places it at about $131 million.

7. St. Louis Bar & Grill

St. Louis Bar and Grill first opened its doors in Toronto in 1992 and has been 100% Canadian-owned and operated ever since, selling over 2 million pounds of wings annually! Its parent company, Aegis Brands, said the chain generated $133 million in system sales in 2025, with 81 franchised locations.

6. Pizza Nova

Pizza Nova’s story started in Scarborough in 1963, when the Primucci family opened the original restaurant. More than six decades later, the company has over 150 locations, making it one of the GTA’s best homegrown pizza chains! We don’t have publicly disclosed up-to-date annual revenue numbers, but Foodservice and Hospitality reported that Pizza Nova recorded $139 million in sales in 2017, with 140 locations at the time, while Kouba estimates that number is now closer to $170 million.

5. Second Cup

Second Cup’s roots trace back to 1975, starting from a single store on King Street in downtown Toronto! In June 2025, the brand opened its 179th location in Canada, giving it one of the bigger store counts on this list. Current annual revenue figures aren’t publicly available, but the company reported about $27 million in total revenue for 2019.

4. Osmow’s

Osmow’s is a GTA success story! The popular shawarma spot began in 2001, in Streetsville, Mississauga, where founder Sam Osmow reworked a small sub shop into the first Osmow’s. The company now has over 230 locations, with Foodservice and Hospitality reporting that the chain generated more than $140 million in annual sales in 2023, while Kouba estimates that number could now be closer to $230 million.

3. Freshii

Freshii was born in Toronto in 2005, and while the brand has changed ownership since then, it remains one of the city’s best-known fast-casual exports. This popular ‘healthy-meets-delicious’ chain now has more than 300 locations worldwide. Before its sale to Foodtastic, Freshii reported $149.8 million in total system sales for 2021. Kouba estimates that number could now be as high as $280 million per year (based on 343 locations).

2. barBURRITO

barBURRITO opened its first restaurant in downtown Toronto in 2005 and has grown into one of the country’s most popular homegrown burrito joints. There are now more than 375 locations nationwide! The chain was forecast to generate more than $180 million in system sales for the fiscal year ending April 2024.

1.Pizza Pizza

Canada’s most popular pizza spot was founded in Toronto in 1967! Pizza Pizza launched at the corner of Wellesley and Parliament and has since grown into a pizza empire. In 2024, its royalty pool included 672 Pizza Pizza restaurants and 102 ‘Pizza 73’ restaurants, for 774 locations combined, with total system sales of $620.6 million!