Torino Group

What Torino Group does

Grillades Torino, operating under the corporate umbrella Torino Group, is a Quebec-based Mediterranean-inspired grilled food restaurant franchise chain founded in 1997 under the name 'Poulet Torino' by Charbel Assaad and rebranded and converted to a franchise model in 2021 under current owner Khalil Mekari. The company operates 27+ locations across Quebec, spanning Quebec City, Montreal, Laval, Brossard, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Chicoutimi, and other population centers, and serves individual consumers seeking quick, customizable, flame-grilled Mediterranean meals (plates, bowls, pitas, poutines, burgers) with a build-your-own format (base, protein, signature sauce).

The core product technology centers on flame-grilling performed in front of customers, a proprietary signature garlic sauce (Sauce à l'ail), secret spice marinade blends, and a centralized kitchen/recipe laboratory established in 2011 to standardize recipes and quality across the franchise network. Distribution is omnichannel: 27+ physical dine-in/takeout locations, a direct online ordering system (order.online), and third-party delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats. Marketing is conducted through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn), local store marketing, and national campaigns tied to franchise support.

The business model is franchise-led: revenue is generated through two streams — direct restaurant food and beverage sales across franchise locations (transaction-based) and franchise royalties and fees (initial franchise fees plus ongoing royalties). The franchise program is marketed as a turnkey offering that includes market study, training, and ongoing operational support. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or external capital. The corporate entity is small (approximately 22 employees), reflecting that the heavy operational footprint resides with franchisees rather than the franchisor.

Name

Torino Group

Legal name

Grillades Torino

Website

https://grilladestorino.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grillades Torino (Torino Group) is a Quebec-based, franchise-led Mediterranean grilled food restaurant chain with 27+ locations serving individual consumers seeking quick, customizable flame-grilled plates, bowls, pitas, and poutines across Quebec.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Mediterranean Grilled Food Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Mediterranean grilled food
• Restaurant franchise
• Quick-service dining
• Grilled protein plates
• Mediterranean cuisine chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec City

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales: Direct revenue from the sale of grilled food items (plates, bowls, poutines, pitas, burgers, sides, sauces) across 27+ franchise locations. Revenue is generated through dine-in, takeout, pickup, and delivery orders at individual restaurant locations.
2. Franchise Royalties and Fees: Revenue from franchise operations including initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchisees. The company operates as a franchiseur, recruiting franchise partners to open new locations under the Grillades Torino brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Torino Group (operating as Grillades Torino) is a Quebec-based Mediterranean grilled-food restaurant franchise chain with 27+ locations across Quebec, Canada. The company sells customizable flame-grilled meals built from a choice of base (rice, fries, garlic potatoes, salads), protein (chicken, beef, merguez, shrimp, crispy chicken), and signature sauce (including its iconic garlic sauce). The business also licenses its proven restaurant concept to franchisees across Quebec and is preparing for further expansion.

Product overview

Grillades Torino is a Mediterranean-inspired grilled food restaurant chain operating a franchise model with over 27 locations across Quebec. The core offering is customizable grilled protein dishes organized into five main product lines: Assiettes (plated meals with proteins and sides), Bols (build-your-own bowls), Poutines (Canadian-style with house-made fries and cheese curds), Pitas/Baguettes (sandwiches), and Burgers. Each meal can be customized with choice of base (rice, fries, salads), protein (chicken, beef, merguez, shrimp, crispy chicken), and signature sauces including the house garlic sauce. The company also offers franchise opportunities and employment across its restaurant locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assiettes (Plates) Grilled protein plates served with three customizable side options, offered to dine-in, takeout, and delivery customers. Varieties include Chicken, Chicken & Beef, 3-Meat Grill, Chicken Merguez, Beef, Merguez, Shrimp, and the signature Grand Torino XXL plate featuring four signature meats.
• Bols (Bowls) Build-your-own bowl meals featuring a base, protein, and sauce, available with Merguez, Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, and Crispy Chicken proteins, targeted at consumers seeking a customizable, balanced meal.
• Poutines Canadian-style poutine dishes including the signature Torino Poutine with garlic potatoes, Poutine Poulet with grilled chicken, and Regular Poutine with fries and cheese curds, served across Quebec locations.
• Pitas and Baguettes Mediterranean-style pita sandwiches and baguettes including Chicken Pita, Beef Pita, Merguez Baguette Sandwich, and the Poutine Pita with fries and cheese curds wrapped in warm bread.
• Burgers Flame-grilled burgers including Beef Burger, Chicken Burger, and Crispy Chicken Burger, prepared to order with fresh ingredients.
• Grillades Torino Franchise Program Turnkey franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs to open and operate a Grillades Torino restaurant, including market study, training, operational support, and access to a proven business model with 27+ existing locations across Quebec and active recruitment for further expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27+ restaurant locations across Quebec
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St-Hubert: Iconic Quebec rotisserie chicken QSR chain with broad dine-in, takeout, and delivery operations. Comparable as a Quebec-anchored grilled-protein QSR competing for the same local occasions and consumer segments as Grillades Torino.
• Osmow's Shawarma: Canadian Mediterranean grilled-protein QSR franchise specializing in shawarma, grilled chicken, and customizable bowls/plates. Most directly comparable to Grillades Torino on cuisine category, build-your-own customization, and Canadian franchise-led growth model.
• La Belle Province: Quebec-based fast-food chain specializing in poutine, burgers, and grilled chicken with a strong regional footprint. Comparable on Quebec QSR positioning, grilled-chicken menu focus, and local dine-in/takeout operating model.
• Mucho Burrito: Canadian customizable Mexican QSR franchise offering build-your-own burritos, bowls, and tacos. Comparable on the customizable fast-casual format, franchise-led Canadian expansion, and grill-to-order positioning that mirrors Grillades Torino's customer experience.
• Cultures: Canadian fresh-food QSR focused on customizable salads, bowls, and grilled proteins. Closely comparable on the health-forward Mediterranean-adjacent menu, customization model, and Canadian franchise expansion strategy.

Emerging players

• Teriyaki Experience: Canadian customizable Asian-grill QSR franchise with build-your-own bowl format. Comparable on the customizable grilled-protein QSR concept and franchise-led Canadian growth, though positioned in Asian rather than Mediterranean cuisine.

Broad incumbents

• Pizza Pizza: Large Canadian QSR pizza franchise with broad dine-in, delivery, and digital ordering infrastructure. Comparable as a Canadian franchise-led QSR with multi-channel ordering (own platform plus aggregators) competing for the same household meal occasions.
• A&W Canada: Major Canadian QSR burger chain emphasizing fresh, higher-quality ingredients and a 'better beef' positioning. Comparable as a broad Canadian QSR incumbent competing for the same grilled-protein and casual-dining occasions in Quebec.
• Subway: Global customizable sandwich QSR franchise with significant Canadian footprint. Comparable on the customizable meal format and franchise-led multi-channel ordering infrastructure, though positioned in sandwiches rather than grilled proteins.
• Burger King: Global QSR incumbent with substantial Quebec and Canadian presence. Comparable as a broad griddle/grill-based QSR competitor capturing the same quick-service dining occasions as Grillades Torino, though operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grilladestoino4663
• Facebookfacebook.com/gtorino
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grillades-torino
• Instagraminstagram.com/torinoqc
• TikToktiktok.com/@torinoqc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Torino Group