Odd Burger announces plans for London plant
Fresh off announcing plans to build 40 outlets across Ontario in the next eight years, vegan fast food chain Odd Burger has bought a parcel of land in London where it intends to build a food-manufacturing facility.
The company announced the purchase on July 6. It intends to use the 5.5-acre parcel of land on Innovation Drive to build a 50,000-square foot plant. The site also allows the company to expand its operations to as much as 150,000 square feet of space, should needs arise.
The new facility, when completed, is expected to be operated by Odd Burger's food technology and manufacturing subsidiary, Preposterous Foods Inc., and is anticipated to produce the company's line of plant-based proteins and dairy-free sauces.
The increased capacity will allow Preposterous Foods to support hundreds of Odd Burger franchised restaurant locations across North America, as well as supply select products to external food service customers. With the new expansion, Preposterous Foods also plans to launch a retail product line, which will be targeted for sale in grocery stores and direct-to-consumer sales channels.
Odd Burger worked closely with the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) to secure the Land Purchase Agreement from the City of London and will continue this partnership throughout the construction process as well as into the operational phase of the facility.
"We are thrilled to commence this next chapter of growth for our company and we believe that London is the best place in the world to execute our vision for a more sustainable future," said James McInnes, Co-Founder and CEO of Odd Burger. "We will be creating one of Canada's most advanced plant-based food manufacturing facilities and we believe that through this investment we will be able to make a tremendous change in the industry by creating more affordable, healthy and sustainable food."
Preposterous Foods has engaged food and beverage manufacturing consultants Mallot Creek Group Inc. to help with plant design and equipment specifications, as well as process engineering.
Once the design phase is complete, Preposterous Foods will submit permits to the City of London and begin the construction process. The facility should take between one to two years to build once permits are approved and is expected to create around 100 jobs once fully operational.
"This investment is just the latest in a long list of recent examples demonstrating why London's economy continues to be among the best in all of Canada," said acting mayor Josh Morgan. "As a Council, and with strong support from LEDC, we have worked exceptionally hard to ensure businesses and industries choose London when it comes time to launch or expand their operations."
Odd Burger is in full expansion mode. In March, the company announced plans to build 36 new locations in Alberta and British Columbia over the next seven years. In June, it announced plans to develop a further 40 new locations in Ontario over the next eight years.
The company now has 92 locations operational or under development in Canada, making it one of the fastest growing vegan restaurant chains in the country. It is also seeking similar development agreements in the United States.