Enjoy the sweet life with these café franchises and their unique offerings
By Georgie Binks
The concept of a “sweet treat” is one many are familiar with—a fun beverage, baked good, or snack can be an act of celebration or a much-needed pick-me-up throughout the day. The locations selling these treats can also function as a hangout spot, providing customers with an opportunity to soak up the good things in life.
Two franchises extending these opportunities are Good Earth Coffeehouse and Kekuli Cafe, each one offering their own indulgent menu items and a possible new career path through franchising.
Good Earth Coffeehouse
The president and COO of Good Earth Coffeehouse, Gerry Docherty, describes the franchise as a “coffeehouse with good food … We are a community-minded coffeehouse brand focussed on delivering great, ethically sourced coffee and delicious, wholesome food products prepared on-site. Good Earth’s unique combination of ethical coffees and fresh food while maintaining high standards of environmental stewardship and a community focus make our brand stand out among other coffee brands.”
Good Earth Coffeehouse was founded by Nan Eskenazi and herpartner Michael Going in 1991 in Calgary, Alberta. Docherty says they began with a desire to serve exceptional coffee and wholesome food in an authentic coffeehouse environment. The company started franchising in 2006.
Docherty says, “The benefits of franchising with this particular brand are leveraging the knowledge and systems of a brand with 35 years of experience, being part of the Good Earth family and a community-based culture, significant growth opportunities, and prominent brand differentiation through a combination of quality products, excellent service, sustainability focus, and community-mindedness.”
The brand searches for coffee farms practicing sustainability and social responsibility. It also looks for Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, and Organic certifications when purchasing beans.
Docherty says, “The challenges our industry faces are navigating the current external economic landscape. Rising ingredient costs and general supply chain challenges have been our focus. Working closely with our franchise partners has been key to the success of the Good Earth brand.”
As far as trends in the industry go, he says there’s recently been a significant demand for cold coffee beverages as well as unique food flavours. “The Good Earth brand ensures our product development is at the forefront of consumer trends with our planned food development and seasonal beverage innovation.”
Right now, Docherty says the brand is very excited about the success of their seasonal beverages. “Our winter offerings [include] a Salted Sweet Cream Americano, Coconut Oat Matcha, and the Dark Chocolate Cherry Mocha.”
Some yummy food items are their Chocolate Zucchini Loaf, Honey Lemon Squish, and Strawberry Coconut Scones
As for the future, Docherty says, “The Good Earth brand is well poised for future success. We will continue to grow our base of coffeehouses nationally to become the community coffeehouse, whether that is in a suburb neighbourhood, a downtown office tower, a health facility, or institutions such as hospitals and universities.”
Docherty says the franchise is very focused on growing and fostering its franchisees. “We take a partnership approach to the relationship with our franchise partners. It starts with our five-week training program which teaches our franchise partners everything they need to know to comfortably operate their franchise. Constant communication via our intranet, regular meetings with field managers, our online training platform, and quarterly town halls ensure all franchise partners are well informed and supported.”
For potential franchisees, there’s one thing that is vital. Docherty explains, “While our successful franchise partners have diverse backgrounds, the single most important trait for success is people who are involved in their community. While previous community background is not critical, a desire to become an integral part of their community as the local coffeehouse is important.”
Today Good Earth Coffeehouse has 55 locations with an eye to expanding by eight to 10 new coffee houses a year. Two more opened in Toronto, Ontario in December and January. There are also nine locations at Indigo/Chapters stores with a 10th one opening shortly.
Current areas with franchise opportunities are the Greater Toronto Area, southwestern Ontario, the lower mainland of British Columbia, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Kekuli Café
You have to love Kekuli Café’s slogan—“Don’t Panic, We Have Bannock.” It’s more than a catchy phrase; it’s an invitation to discover one of Canada’s most iconic Indigenous comfort foods. Bannock is a traditional Indigenous bread—light, golden, and slightly crisp—sharing the same universal joy found in other cultures’ fried or baked breads, like doughnuts, flatbreads, or beignets, yet entirely unique in flavour and texture.
At Kekuli Café, their Bannock is elevated into a signature experience: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and baked or fried to golden perfection.
As an Indigenous‑owned café franchise, Kekuli Café blends modern café culture with authentic Indigenous flavours and stories. Co‑founder Sharon Bond explains, “Our concept brings together tradition and innovation. Bannock is at the heart of what we do, and we serve it in a welcoming, safe space that celebrates community and culture.”
Born in the heart of the Okanagan, this Indigenous café franchise was founded by Bond and her husband Darren Hogg. Bond is a Nlaka’pamux member from Nooaitch First Nation, outside Merritt, British Columbia, and Hogg is from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Bond says, “Our promise is that every guest experience[s] Indigenous hospitality, traditional foods, and a sense of belonging they won’t find anywhere else. Our staff are hired on their character and attitude, so much so, that we hire and train young people to become leaders in this business as well.”
Kekuli Café was founded in 2005 in Westbank, British Columbia on the traditional and unceded territory of the Okanagan/Syilx Peoples. Bond says, “We began as a small Indigenous woman-owned café and now have grown into a recognized brand representing Indigenous entrepreneurship, culture, and culinary excellence across British Columbia.”
Benefits of the franchise are that it’s an authentic and culturally rooted concept with strong community appeal, proven systems and training, and strong brand recognition as one of Canada’s long-standing and leading Indigenous café concepts with unique menu offerings standing out in a crowded QSR market.
The franchise offers ongoing mentorship and support, especially for new entrepreneurs and a values-driven business model that prioritizes community, culture, and customer experience.
Bond says the franchise has faced numerous challenges over the years, but they’ve learned to be adaptable, flexible, and make changes where and when they’re needed. “With rising food and labour costs and competition from large corporation café chains, navigating supply chain fluctuations, we have fought for the almighty dollar and retain and recruit amazing people to join our family. We support franchisees through these challenges with strong operational systems, training, and ongoing guidance.”
Bond says, “People want comfort foods with a modern twist, and at Kekuli Café we do that, so people understand the food they are eating and the stories that go along with it. Customers are looking for community-focused spaces rather than generic cafés. There is a rising popularity of fusion flavours and unique menu ideas. We keep on these trends by offering Bannock-based meals [and] local and indigenous flavours, with the feel of a home away from [home] environment.”
Kekuli Café has comprehensive onboarding and hands-on training. Bond says, “We have detailed operations and manuals/systems in place. We pride ourselves on ongoing mentorship, marketing, branding, and community support. Franchisees are never alone—they’re part of the family.”
She explains, “A successful Kekuli Café franchisee is passionate about food, culture, and community, dedicated to delivering exceptional customer experiences, and [will] be open and willing to follow our proven systems while bringing their own heart and leadership to the brand.”
Franchisees should be hands on and comfortable managing staff and daily operations. Experience in hospitality isn’t required; rather, says Bond, “Heart, work ethic, and alignment with the franchise’s values is what matters most.”
She says the best way to find out if a Kekuli Café is right for you is to visit a Kekuli Café and experience the brand firsthand. “Understand that franchising is a partnership. Success comes from collaboration. Be prepared to work hard, especially in the early stages. The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
