What Copper Branch does

Copper Branch is a 100% plant-based restaurant brand founded in 2014 in Montreal by Onofrio Infantino (a former Subway franchisee with 17 stores) and currently operating 50+ franchised locations across Canada, the United States, France, and the Netherlands. The company serves health-conscious consumers, dedicated vegans and vegetarians, flexitarians, and customers with food sensitivities, with a menu spanning power bowls, salads, burgers, sandwiches, all-day breakfast, smoothies, desserts, and organic fairtrade coffee and tea. All menu items are 100% plant-based with gluten-free options, and the operating model avoids grilling and frying, which the company cites as enabling a 2-3 week franchisee training cycle.

The business operates a franchise-led go-to-market with franchisees investing CAD $400,000-$550,000 per unit, supported by a TD Bank partnership that finances up to 80% of openings. Copper Branch monetizes through five revenue streams: direct restaurant sales (dine-in, takeout, delivery), one-time franchise fees, corporate and event catering across multiple Canadian provinces and the US, retail frozen meals at Safeway/Sobeys/IGA, and the My Copper Branch Rewards loyalty program (20 points per CAD $1; 1,000 points = CAD $1 off). The digital stack comprises Ueat for online ordering, Deliverect for third-party delivery aggregation (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Skip the Dishes), Paytronix/Datacandy/Spoonity/GiveX for loyalty, and MailChimp for email marketing. The brand was acquired by Foodtastic Inc. in May 2021, a Canadian restaurant conglomerate with 25+ brands, which committed to opening 40 new locations over 36 months; Trish Paterson (former tech executive and franchisee-turned-CEO since 2016) leads the brand alongside founder Onofrio Infantino's son Andrew Infantino as Marketing Director.

Name

Copper Branch

Legal name

Foodtastic Inc.

Website

https://eatcopperbranch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Copper Branch is a 100% plant-based restaurant brand operating 50+ franchised locations across Canada, the US, France, and the Netherlands. Founded in 2014 in Montreal and acquired by Foodtastic Inc. in 2021, it serves vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and consumers with food sensitivities seeking plant-based fast-casual dining.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Fast-Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based & Vegan Fast Casual (THAFABAK)

Keywords

• Plant-based restaurant chain
• Vegan fast-casual dining
• Plant-based catering service
• Frozen vegan meals
• Vegan restaurant franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from direct customer purchases at restaurant locations including dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders
2. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise investment ranging from $400,000 to $550,000 per location, with TD Bank financing up to 80% of opening costs
3. Catering Services: Corporate events, birthdays, and special occasions catering services available in Montreal, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Vancouver, Halifax, and the United States
4. Retail Products: Frozen meal products sold through grocery retailers including Safeway, Sobeys, and IGA
5. Loyalty Program: My Copper Branch Rewards program where customers earn 20 points per dollar spent and redeem 1000 points for $1 off next purchase

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Copper Branch operates a 100% plant-based fast-casual restaurant chain featuring power bowls, salads, burgers, sandwiches, breakfast items, smoothies, desserts, and organic fairtrade coffee and tea. Complementing dine-in service, the brand sells chef-inspired frozen meals through grocery retail, offers vegan catering, runs the My Copper Branch Rewards loyalty program, and provides gift cards, with a primarily franchise-based expansion model.

Product overview

Copper Branch is a 100% plant-based vegan restaurant chain offering a unified platform of dining, retail, and digital services. The core restaurant product features a diverse menu including power bowls, power salads, burgers, sandwiches, chili, soups, fresh sides, all-day breakfast, power smoothies, desserts, and organic beverages. This is complemented by an online ordering system (Ueat-integrated), the My Copper Branch Rewards loyalty program, vegan catering services, organic fairtrade coffee and tea with charitable donations, gift cards, and a line of frozen retail meals (General Tao Bowl, Mediterraneo Bowl, Korean Bibimbap, Pad Thai) distributed through major grocery retailers. The brand positions itself as a change-maker focused on inclusivity, community involvement, and environmental responsibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copper Branch Restaurant Dining 100% plant-based fast-casual restaurant offering for dine-in and takeout, featuring power bowls, salads, burgers, sandwiches, chili, soups, fresh sides, all-day breakfast, power smoothies, desserts, organic coffees, teas, and beverages. Available at company-owned and franchised locations across Canada, US, France, and Netherlands.
• Copper Branch Online Ordering Proprietary online ordering service powered by Ueat, enabling customers to place pickup and delivery orders through the Copper Branch website and mobile app for iOS and Android, complementing in-restaurant dining.
• Vegan Catering Service 100% plant-based catering offering sandwich and wrap platters, desserts, and natural beverages with gluten-free options, aimed at vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets. Service is available in Montreal, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Vancouver, Halifax, and the United States for corporate and special-occasion events.
• My Copper Branch Rewards Points-based customer loyalty program where members earn 20 points per dollar spent, receive 1000 bonus points upon registration, and redeem 1000 points for $1 off a future purchase. Available through physical cards, e-cards, and mobile app.
• Frozen Retail Meals Chef-inspired frozen plant-based meals sold through grocery retailers including Safeway, Sobeys, and IGA. Product line includes Bol General Tao, Bol Énergisant Méditerranéo, Bol Coréen Bibimbap, and Pad Thai, extending the brand's restaurant menu to at-home consumers.
• Copper Branch Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase, enabling customers to give Copper Branch meals as gifts. Powered through the GiveX platform and accessible via the Copper Branch website.

Quantifiable outcome

• No grilling or frying required - training takes only 2-3 weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Ocean CleanupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2019Copper Branch donated a percentage of sales from its plant-based Crab Cake Burger to The Ocean Cleanup organization, supporting their mission to clean up ocean garbage patches including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
• Canadian Cancer SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sponsor of Relay For Life event. Copper Branch promotes plant-based diet as cancer prevention and supports cancer research initiatives.
• Lymphoma CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sponsor supporting lymphoma research and awareness. Partnership aligns with Copper Branch's mission of promoting plant-based nutrition for health.
• United World SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA portion of Organic & Fairtrade Coffee & Tea sales is donated to United World Schools, supporting free education for children in remote and marginalized communities worldwide.
• Vegan Women SummitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Plant Powered Glow Up Contest to award a food service contract to women-led or founded plant-based businesses. Winner receives menu placement in Copper Branch locations across Canada and US.
• Mena MassoudcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternationally acclaimed actor (Aladdin) and host of 'Evolving Vegan' named as first-ever brand ambassador in October 2024. Will curate seasonal menus and participate in meet-and-greet events at select locations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Loving Hut: International vegan fast-food chain with locations across multiple continents, including North America and Europe. Comparable to Copper Branch as a multi-country vegan restaurant brand with similar franchise-style growth ambitions.
• Native Foods Cafe: All-vegan fast-casual chain with locations across the US offering burgers, bowls, and sandwiches. Comparable to Copper Branch in being a fully plant-based restaurant brand targeting health-conscious diners.
• Freshii: Canadian fast-casual chain offering salads, bowls, wraps, and smoothies with strong plant-based menu options. Competes with Copper Branch in the Canadian fast-casual market with overlapping health-conscious consumer targeting.
• by CHLOE: Plant-based fast-casual concept offering salads, burgers, bowls, and pastas. Direct competitor in the 100% plant-based fast-casual category with comparable menu breadth and target demographic of flexitarian/vegan consumers.
• Neat Burger: Plant-based burger-focused fast-casual concept backed by Lewis Hamilton. Operates similar menu architecture to Copper Branch's plant-based burger line and competes for the same flexitarian/vegan demographic across international markets.
• Chopped Leaf: Canadian fast-casual chain offering salads, wraps, bowls, and warm dishes with plant-based options. Direct competitor in the Canadian market with overlapping menu and target demographic to Copper Branch.
• Veggie Grill: 100% plant-based American fast-casual restaurant chain serving burgers, bowls, and sandwiches. Closest direct competitor to Copper Branch in North America, both targeting health-conscious and vegan consumers with similar menu architecture.

Broad incumbents

• A&W Canada: Major Canadian QSR chain with the Beyond Meat plant-based burger offering. While omnivore, A&W captures flexitarian occasions in Canada and represents a broader incumbent threat to dedicated plant-based chains like Copper Branch.
• Sweetgreen: Large publicly-traded US fast-casual salad/bowl chain with extensive plant-based menu. While not strictly 100% plant-based, Sweetgreen competes for the same health-conscious, plant-forward diner with similar bowl-driven menu architecture and superior brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Mr. Nice Guy Asian Vegan Cafe: Independent 100% plant-based restaurant concept in multiple cities offering Asian-inspired vegan menu. Comparable as an emerging plant-based restaurant player with a different cuisine specialization than Copper Branch.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CopperBranch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/copper-branch
• Instagraminstagram.com/copperbranch
• Facebookfacebook.com/copperbranch
• TikToktiktok.com/@copperbranch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copper Branch