As Ikram Khan prepared to open a new Mary Brown’s restaurant in Newmarket with his two brothers this morning, he said the company’s quality is important.
Khan owns three franchises, including one in East Gwillimbury. He said the fast-food chicken franchise is operated by a team of “good human beings” who are easy to work with.
As the Canadian-owned restaurant chain opened its 200th outlet at 675 Stonehaven Ave., Khan said he wants to be sure to provide good food to residents.
“The most important thing is everyone is working hard, and by the end of the day, they need something to be on the table: food,” he said. “We are glad that we are providing that.”
Mary Brown’s team came out in force, with more than 40 attending the Nov. 2 grand opening, including head office executives, suppliers and store employees. The company celebrated the Newmarket site as its 200th store, which has come at a time of rapid expansion. It opened 20 stores across the country in 2020 and expects to open 30 in total this year.
“We’re pretty excited. Chicken has become a comfort food, I think, for a lot of people,” regional training director Jeff Battler said, adding the company benefited some from indoor dining closures during the pandemic. “We were the next best thing. I think people value that we do (almost) everything from scratch."
Khan said he is close to his brothers, Haseeb and Noor, co-owners of the restaurant with him.
“We live together. We do everything together,” he said. “We always want to do it with the family.”
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, who was on hand to cut the ribbon, said it was great to have the franchise back in town. The former Mary Brown's store in Newmarket at Davis Drive and Leslie Street closed several years ago.
“It’s exciting to see new jobs added to our community,” Taylor said, adding the restaurant will benefit from a nearby future residential development on Stonehaven Avenue. “Your investment supports other local businesses, and everyone thrives together.”
Battler said Newmarket was a location that had demand. He said head office supported it, with several representatives living in the area.
“We used to have one in Aurora. We’ve been hearing a lot of feedback that we’ve been missing this area,” Battler said.
With a background in engineering and business management, Khan said he chose to get into franchise restaurants for relative ease, with a streamlined operating procedure.
“It’s a growing company with good people,” Khan said. “I’m lucky to have a part in this.”
