Country Style
![]() Country Style logo used since 2015 | |
Country Style | |
Company type | Wholly owned subsidiary |
Industry | Coffee shop |
Genre | Fast casual restaurant |
Founded | 1963 Toronto,Ontario |
Founders | Tony Wood Christine Wood |
Headquarters | Richmond Hill, Ontario |
Number of locations | 420 (December 31, 2021)[1] |
Areas served | |
Products | Breakfastfoods includingCoffee.doughnuts,sandwichesandsweets |
Parent | MTY Food Group (2001–present) |
Website | www |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/CountryStyleRichmondHill.jpg/220px-CountryStyleRichmondHill.jpg)
Country Style Food Services, Inc.,formerlyCountry Style Donuts,is a fast/casual chain of coffee shops operating primarily in theCanadianprovince ofOntario(where it ranks second among coffee chains),[1]which serves oatmeal, soup, sandwiches, salads, and coffee. The chain is based inRichmond Hill, Ontario.
Organization
[edit]In January 2006, there were 120 "traditional" locations inOntario.There are over 420 "non-traditional" locations embedded in other stores such asgas stations,convenience stores, arenas andmovie theatres.Over 70% of customer purchases in 2001 were coffee. In total, Country Style has over 1000 locations in Ontario,Western Canada,Nova Scotia,Prince Edward IslandandNew Brunswickunder the Country Style/Bistro name.
History
[edit]Country Style has been in business since 1963 when it opened its first location inToronto.Country Style experienced a lot of growth early on, opening 100 stores in the first 15–20 years of existence. It had 50 outlets in 1974 when it was the leading coffee and donut establishment in Canada aboveTim Hortons(which passed it two years later). It began to expand intoWestern Canadain the 1970s (includingVancouverandCalgary) and the East in the early 1980s. Poor results caused the franchise to withdraw from these regions: locations inAlbertawere the only ones to survive into the 1990s, while in the East, it was ones in Nova Scotia and PEI.[2]
By 2001, Country Style had been forced to close a quarter of its stores due to decreasing market share in an increasingly competitive Canadian market. Since then, it has opened many new stores and now ranks third behind Tim Hortons and McDonald's in the Canadian coffee market. On November 1, 2011, its parent company,MTY Food Group,bought Mr. Sub for $23 million merging it with Country style to become Country Style Food Services Holdings Inc.
In the mid-1990s the Country Style logo was changed to use a font similar toPalatinoinstead of its former handwriting font.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Country_Style_Milton.jpg/250px-Country_Style_Milton.jpg)
In 2006, Country Style changed its image to a more upscale style: "Country Style Bistro Deli". The new image includes a new logo, a new website, and an enhanced brandeddelimenu that will be phased into all stores. The logo still uses the Palatino style font and will also be phased into all stores. New stores will feature more modern design features, somewhat similar toStarbucks,and provides wide range of wraps, smoothies, breakfast, salads and sweets. In 2009, the brand rights to Country Style, used at 900 locations, were purchased by MTY Food Group of Montreal for $14.6 million in cash and debt.[3]
In 2017, the stores in thePhilippinefranchise were rebranded to "New Bistro Deli".
Charity work
[edit]In April 2003, Country Style partnered with theMake a Wish Foundationas its corporate charity of choice. Since then, Country Style and its franchisees have raised in excess of a quarter of a million dollars for the foundation.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^abFood court king buys Country Style
- ^Penfold, Steven (2008).The Donut: A Canadian History.University of Toronto Press. p.134.RetrievedAugust 1,2019.
country style donuts +president.
- ^"Montreal's MTY buys Country Style doughnut chain".TheFinancial Post.Postmedia.April 13, 2009.RetrievedAugust 1,2019.