Smitty’s Canada has been a household name in Canadian dining since 1960. What began as Smitty’s Pancake House, a modest concept built on hearty breakfasts and approachable comfort food, has grown into one of the country’s largest family restaurant chains. Today, Smitty’s operates coast to coast, maintaining its position as a familiar gathering place for generations of Canadians who want quality meals at an accessible price point.
From Pancake House to National Brand
Reflecting on the company’s beginnings, Jason Kaytor, President of Smitty’s Canada, points to the clarity of the original vision. “Smitty’s Canada started in 1960 as Smitty’s Pancake House and was predominantly a breakfast brand with a lunch and small dinner offering. It was built on providing outstanding value to our guests while giving them a family friendly place to dine for generations. I think Smitty’s always had its sights set on being the dominant family dining brand in Canada with locations in almost every province even up until today.”
The strategy worked. Over 65 years, the brand expanded through franchising, embedding itself in small towns, suburban centres, and urban communities alike.
Milestones Along the Way
Smitty’s history is marked by achievements that speak to both resilience and relevance. “There have been many over the 65 years, from our first franchise location to many multi unit owner/operator Franchise Partners across Canada,” Kaytor says. “Celebrating 65 years in 2025 has got to be the biggest milestone making us one of Canada’s longest running family chains in Canada and still going strong.”
Few restaurant concepts maintain such longevity. The ability to evolve while retaining customer loyalty has been central to Smitty’s staying power.
Adapting to Shifts in the Industry
Change in consumer habits, technology, and foodservice delivery has shaped the brand over decades. The global pandemic in particular accelerated the need for transformation. Kaytor explains, “The global pandemic in 2020 forced everyone in the small business and especially the Restaurant industry to change and change rapidly. At Smitty’s we took this opportunity to update some of our technology with an online training portal, cloud based POS and embraced a full loyalty program to name a few. Additionally, we started to focus on all three-day parts and invest in both our offering and our food quality to truly be best in class for family dining, at the same time we embraced 3rd party delivery platforms.”
For a chain that began as a breakfast house, the emphasis on strengthening lunch and dinner menus represents a deliberate pivot toward capturing broader dining occasions.
Building Consistency Across Canada
Running restaurants from coast to coast brings challenges, particularly in maintaining consistency while addressing diverse regional tastes. Kaytor attributes success in this area to the commitment of franchise partners. “We work directly with franchise owner representatives from every geographic market we do business in across Canada. These franchise owners also perform our market testing for new food and beverage offerings and provide guidance from their markets on consumer feedback, trends and local events. Without this team of dedicated owners it would be extremely difficult to be competitive in so many diverse communities across Canada.”
This collaborative model allows the brand to adapt to local conditions while ensuring core menu and service standards remain intact.
The Role of Equicapita
In 2017, private equity firm Equicapita acquired Smitty’s Canada, providing new resources and a platform for strategic expansion. Kaytor notes the impact of this partnership: “I think Smitty’s Canada was always focused on smart growth when and where it made sense but with the strength of Equicapita behind us we have gained access to some new resources within our markets to help communicate our message and nurture new franchisees from the discovery phase to opening a location and many years of prosperous franchise ownership.”
Access to capital and expertise has helped the brand refresh its systems and support infrastructure, giving franchisees more tools to succeed.
A Story of Community and Opportunity
Among the many openings in recent years, the West Kelowna location illustrates the human side of franchising. The restaurant is owned by Kateryna and Artem, a Ukrainian refugee couple who came to Canada with limited experience but a strong work ethic. “The story of these franchisees and this location starts even a few years ago when Kateryna and Artem came to Canada and one of our local franchisees hired them to be the team of managers for the location he was purchasing in Airdrie Alberta,” Kaytor recounts. “They had limited experience but had an outstanding work ethic, side by side with our training team and thanks to the hard work they put in it was a success story from the beginning. I think it’s a testament to the strength of the franchise model and hands on support we offer, if you are willing to work hard and pay attention to the training, success is inevitable.”
The journey was not without obstacles. “I would say the biggest challenge was the delay in getting occupancy due to water supply issues in West Kelowna,” Kaytor says. “Our team alongside the franchise owners explored all options including the possibility of installing a temporary water system to be trucked in daily in order to capture at least some of the summer months for business. I would say that ongoing communication between our team, the landlord and the Westbank First Nations was paramount in achieving our ultimate goal which was an occupancy and business permit.”
Expansion Horizons
Smitty’s continues to see opportunities for growth, both in Canada and abroad. “We continue to grow in all markets across Canada with some heavy focus in the Ontario market and currently exploring US expansion,” says Kaytor. The chain’s ability to balance innovation with heritage is a key part of its strategy.
“Again, I would give credit to our outstanding partners both franchise owners but also vendor partners. With the ongoing feedback we get from our test market locations, the development and operations team we have at the office and the strong vendor partnerships we have we are constantly being shown opportunities and products that help us innovate while we stick to our roots of Canadian Heritage, generational guest experiences and new opportunities to be today’s choice for families, special events, sporting events, date night and anything else Canadians are looking for from their local Smitty’s.”
The Central Role of Franchisees
Franchise owners have been the backbone of Smitty’s success since its earliest days. Their entrepreneurial energy has kept the brand relevant and responsive. “I would say, the entrepreneurial spirit of our franchisees over the past 65 years is probably the single biggest contributor to the success of the Smitty’s brand for so long,” Kaytor reflects. “Working with our test store group we continue to strengthen our relationship and improve our offering together, while relying on long standing vendor relationships and establishing new ones to continue to drive food and beverage innovation as well as explore new technologies that help our teams deliver on memorable experiences every day.”
Looking Ahead
As Smitty’s celebrates its 65th anniversary, the company is reflecting on its place in Canadian dining culture. For Kaytor, the brand’s legacy lies in the memories created around its tables. “Looking back on the past 65 years, speaking with franchise owners and long standing guests that span 2 and 3 generations, the thing that sticks out the most is the memories of meals shared at a Smitty’s whether its Tuesday night, your birthday, Mother’s or Father’s day, whatever the occasion I hope that for many more generations we continue to be part of the fabric of the communities we serve.”
From pancakes in 1960 to a broad menu serving families today, Smitty’s has enriched Canadian dining for generations. Its combination of tradition, adaptability, and strong franchise partnerships positions it well for continued growth as it enters its next chapter.
To Find a Smitty’s near you, please visit www.smittys.ca
