Boardwalk

What Boardwalk does

Boardwalk (legally BW Restaurants Inc.) operates a Canadian fast-casual franchise restaurant chain founded in 1981 by Dave and Fran DiFerdinando and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The system serves made-to-order premium Canadian beef burgers, the signature Boardwalk Famous Fries (prepared to the same recipe since 1981), creamy milkshakes made with premium Canadian dairy, alongside chicken and veggie burgers, poutine, loaded fries, and sides. The menu carries full Halal certification across all locations, which the company uses as a customer-facing differentiator. As of the most recent inputs, 27+ franchise-operated locations are open across five Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), with 10+ additional units in development and new markets including Vancouver, Oakville, Winnipeg, and Markham explicitly announced.

The business is entirely franchise-based and founder/family-controlled with no disclosed institutional or external equity investment. Revenue to the parent BW Restaurants Inc. is generated through a $30,000 one-time franchise fee per 10-year term, an ongoing 6% royalty on franchisee gross sales, and a 3% advertising fee; franchise all-in economics for a new operator run C$400K-C$500K, with Canadian bank financing pre-arranged against home or business equity. The brand supports franchisees through top-tier supplier/distributor relationships, an award-winning marketing agency partner, an email loyalty program (Boardwalk Burger Club), and a tiered catering-bundle offering serving 10-25 person events. Distribution is exclusively through own/franchise physical locations (dine-in, takeout, and delivery via third-party aggregators at most locations); no e-commerce, branded app, or owned delivery platform is disclosed.

Operationally the company maintains a beach/boardwalk nostalgic brand identity ("Serving Sunshine since 1981"), a product portfolio extended in 2024 with the O-Ring Burger and Golden Taters and a sub-C$5.99 value tier ("Boardwalk Select"). Customer acquisition is driven by social media (Facebook, Instagram), the loyalty email program, catering marketing, and franchise-development pipelines targeting business-minded individuals with a C$500K net-worth and C$150K liquid-capital threshold. There is no evidence of proprietary technology beyond culinary IP (secret sauce, special fry recipe) and no API, SDK, or AI/ML capability is disclosed.

Name

Boardwalk

Legal name

BW Restaurants Inc.

Website

https://boardwalkburgers.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Boardwalk Burgers (BW Restaurants Inc.) is a Canadian fast-casual franchise restaurant chain founded in 1981, serving made-to-order premium burgers, signature fries, and milkshakes across 27+ locations in five provinces, with active franchise expansion coast-to-coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fee of $30,000 for a 10-year term. Initial investment ranges from $400,000 - $500,000 depending on location size, including all fees, buildout, setup, initial training and operating capital.
2. Royalty Fees: On-going Royalty fees are 6% paid monthly, based on gross sales from franchise locations.
3. Advertising Fees: 3% Advertising fee paid monthly, based on gross sales from franchise locations.
4. Direct Restaurant Sales: Revenue from individual franchise locations selling made-to-order burgers, Boardwalk Fries, milkshakes, and other menu items to consumers. These locations operate as fast-casual dining establishments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boardwalk (BW Restaurants Inc.) operates a Canadian fast-casual restaurant chain under the brands Boardwalk Burgers and Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes. The company sells made-to-order premium beef burgers, signature Boardwalk Famous Fries, chicken and veggie burgers, loaded fries, creamy milkshakes, and poutine through 27+ franchise-owned dine-in and takeout locations across Canada. The company also sells franchise rights to entrepreneurs and collects ongoing royalties and advertising fees from franchisees.

Product overview

Boardwalk Burgers (Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes) is a fast-casual restaurant chain operating 27+ locations across Canada since 1981. The company's product portfolio centers on its signature Boardwalk Famous Fries and made-to-order premium beef burgers, complemented by chicken burgers, veggie burgers, loaded fries, creamy milkshakes, and poutine. The menu is organized into core product lines (Premium Beef Burgers, Chicken Burgers, Veggie Burgers) supplemented by the limited-time Boardwalk Select value menu and Daily Features rotating specials. The company also offers catering bundles for events and the Boardwalk Burger Club loyalty program. New product innovations include the O-Ring Burger and Golden Taters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Beef Burgers Made-to-order burgers using fresh, never frozen premium Canadian beef, available in multiple varieties including Boardwalk Classic Burger, BBQ Cheddar Bacon, Mushroom Swiss, Chipotle, and Cheeseburger. Designed for dine-in and takeout customers at Boardwalk's Canadian restaurant locations.
• Chicken Burgers Chicken burger options including Crispy Chicken Burger, Grilled Chicken Burger, and Spicy Chicken Burger with jalapenos and sriracha aioli. Available at Boardwalk restaurant locations for dine-in and takeout.
• Veggie Burgers Plant-based burger featuring an organic veggie patty served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mayo. Offered for vegetarian and flexitarian customers at Boardwalk locations.
• Boardwalk Famous Fries The signature product since 1981 - lightly salted, made-to-order fries prepared using a proprietary special recipe. Available in regular, medium, and large sizes at all Boardwalk locations.
• Loaded Fries Premium fries topped with a variety of options including Beef Bacon with Cheddar Ranch, Jalapeno Cheddar, Chilli Cheese, and Chipotle Bacon. Customers can substitute with sweet potato fries or onion rings.
• Milkshakes Creamy milkshakes made with premium Canadian dairy, available in 16oz size with Vanilla, Strawberry, Banana, and Cookies & Cream flavors.
• Poutine Classic Canadian poutine made with fries, gravy, and cheese curds.
• Boardwalk Select Limited-time value menu offering fan favorites priced under $5.99, including Lil Stack, Lil Cheese Stack, Select Tenders, Select Grilled Cheese, and Select 5oz Fry. Targets value-conscious consumers.
• Catering Bundles Catering packages designed for events serving 10-25 people, offering Crispy Chicken Burgers, Grilled Chicken Burgers, Boardwalk Chicken Burgers, Cheeseburger Bundles, and combo add-ons. Available for order by calling individual franchise locations with 24-48 hours advance notice; pickup and delivery available at most locations.
• Boardwalk Burger Club Loyalty program offering complimentary digital coupons, birthday rewards, early access to new dishes, exclusive offers, and new location deal notifications via email.
• O-Ring Burger New 2024 product launch - a burger featuring an O-ring shaped onion ring as a signature topping. Available at Boardwalk restaurant locations across Canada.
• Golden Taters New 2024 side product - crispy tater tots available in Bacon Cheddar variety or as a substitute for the signature Boardwalk Fries at any Boardwalk location.
• Boardwalk Franchise Opportunity Franchise ownership opportunity with a $30,000 one-time franchise fee for a 10-year term, ongoing 6% royalty fees and 3% advertising fees paid monthly on gross sales. Total initial investment ranges from $400,000 to $500,000 including buildout, setup, training, and operating capital. Candidates must have minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid capital of $150,000. Includes banking program partnerships to assist with financing, site selection, training, and ongoing marketing support.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of Canada's fastest growing, highest profit, low-cost fast-casual brands
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Top-tier Producers, Suppliers and DistributorscoreTechnology or IntegrationBoardwalk partners with top-tier producers, suppliers and distributors to maintain consistent quality across all franchise locations. This ensures all locations maintain the same standards for ingredients and food preparation.
• Award-winning Marketing Agency PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoardwalk works with award-winning marketing agency partners to provide cutting edge digital components for customer incentive programs, innovation in social media optimization, print media support, and other marketing channel assistance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvey's: Harvey's is a long-established Canadian burger chain (founded 1959) operating ~250 locations. Competes directly with Boardwalk in the casual-burger segment across similar Canadian provinces, with comparable price architecture.
• The Works: Canadian craft-burger chain with locations primarily in Ontario. Competes with Boardwalk on the gourmet-burger, made-to-order positioning in a similar price band and customer demographic.
• A&W Canada: A&W is Canada's second-largest burger QSR chain with ~1,000 locations nationwide and a comparable fast-casual positioning. Directly competes with Boardwalk on burgers, fries, and family dining occasions across the same Canadian geographies.
• Triple O's: Western Canadian burger chain operating under the White Spot Hospitality umbrella with strong BC and Alberta presence. Directly competes with Boardwalk in the same geographies on premium burgers and casual dining occasions.
• Five Guys: Five Guys is a U.S.-origin fast-casual burger chain with a growing Canadian footprint. Shares Boardwalk's 'made-to-order premium burgers' positioning, higher price point, and made-to-order fries, making it a direct specialty-burger competitor.
• The Burger's Priest: Toronto-based 'better burger' specialist with ~15 locations. Operates in the same premium-crafted-burger niche as Boardwalk, targeting urban consumers seeking non-mass-market alternatives, often in overlapping Ontario markets.

Broad incumbents

• Wendy's Canada: Global burger chain with a meaningful Canadian footprint. Competes with Boardwalk on mid-price burgers and fries, with a broader digital and delivery infrastructure.
• McDonald's Canada: Canada's largest QSR chain with ~1,500 locations and dominant digital/delivery infrastructure. Competes for the same burger occasions at a lower price point with substantially greater scale and marketing budget.
• Burger King: Multinational QSR chain with significant Canadian presence. Competes with Boardwalk on the value and mid-tier burger occasion, with a larger marketing budget and broader delivery/loyalty infrastructure.

Regional players

• White Spot: Iconic BC-based casual dining chain with full-service and quick-service formats. Overlaps with Boardwalk on the burger/ casual dining occasion in Western Canada, though with a broader menu and full-service positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/boardwalkcanada
• Instagraminstagram.com/boardwalkburgers
• Xx.com/boardwalkcanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boardwalkcanada

Compliance1 record

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 Boardwalk