Vegan quick-service restaurant chain Odd Burger is making major expansion moves on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.

In the U.S., Odd Burger has launched a 40-location Florida expansion program. London-based Odd Burger signed an eight-year franchising agreement with StarMatt Corporation, a Florida-based real estate and franchise development company. StarMatt is a joint-venture led by Prashant Dalal and Vishal Valsadia.

Dalal owns Odd Burger’s franchise-development rights for Ontario. He is credited with nearly doubling the chain’s restaurant count, including locations that are operational or under development, over the past year. Valsadia is the president of Matti Homes, a homebuilder and commercial property developer based in Concord, Ont.

The Florida deal gives Odd Burger 60 U.S. locations under franchise-development agreements. In June 2023, the company signed its first U.S. franchising rights deal. The eight-year agreement will enable B.C.-based franchisee 5th Group Holdings to open 20 locations in Washington state.

Odd Burger is expanding exclusively in the U.S. through a territory-development strategy whereby the company sells the franchise-development rights for each state to area representatives with local market knowledge. Area representatives secure franchise partners, assist with site selection and construction and provide ongoing operational support for franchisees.

The company is seeking territory developers in numerous other states, including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts and Nevada, along with the District of Columbia.

In Canada, Odd Burger recently opened its first Edmonton location. The company is also slated to open a Victoria, B.C., restaurant in June.

The Victoria outlet’s planned May 18 opening was postponed due to “unanticipated challenges integrating into the building’s fire alarm systems,” said Odd Burger in a news release. However, construction has been substantially completed.

This summer, Odd Burger will open four additional Ontario locations within the Greater Toronto Area and one more B.C. outlet in Vancouver, said the company.

The openings will give Odd Burger 21 operating locations in Canada.

Photo: Odd Burger