A London-born vegan fast food chain is staying in touch with its roots as it looks to expand.
Odd Burger, formerly Globally Local, announced on Wednesday it will be building a 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility in London.
While the chain has restaurants in Windsor, Waterloo, Hamilton, Whitby and Toronto, London is the city that started it all. It is where the company first launched as a vegan meal kit provider, then a vegan food truck, before opening its first vegan fast food restaurant in 2017.
The new manufacturing facility will be located on a 5.5-acre parcel of land on Innovation Drive. Odd Burger purchased the property from the City of London and the sale was given final approval by city politicians earlier this week. Operated by Odd Burger’s food technology and manufacturing subsidiary, Preposterous Foods Inc., the new plant will have the capacity to produce plant-based proteins and dairy-free sauces for hundreds of Odd Burger restaurants across the country. Plans are also in the works to launch a new retail product line for sale in grocery stores and direct-to-consumer channels.
"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.”
Once permits are approved, it will take up to two years to build the new facility. Between 50 to 100 employees will be needed to staff the plant when it is fully operational.
“Odd Burger is an innovative addition to our thriving proteins cluster in London,” said Kapil Lakhotia, President and CEO of the London Economic Development Corporation. “Our industrial lands, infrastructure, talent and supply chains continue to put London on the radar for sustainable food production and plant-based proteins development.”
The announcement of the plant comes four months after Odd Burger signed an agreement to bring 36 additional locations to Alberta and British Columbia over the next 7 years. Plans are also in the works to open 40 other vegan-fast food spots in Ontario by 2030 and expand into the United States.