Posted on: 23/02/2010 

Calgary is home to a number of strong franchised operations, but few have grown so fast and with so much success as Original Joe's over the past recent years.

The group was launched by Scott and Todd Shipley in 1997 with its first location in Marda Loop, soon to be followed by restaurants along Kensington Road and on 4th Street S.W.

In 2000, Derek Doke joined them as a new partner. Doke was brought up in Saskatoon where he began his food and hospitality career with Fuddruckers and Ruckers Amusements before making the move to Calgary.

He founded Franworks Franchise Corp. and, as well as his Original Joe's relationship, he was also a partner in Opa Souvlaki, a quick-serve Greek food concept that he helped build up to 50 locations.

In 2007, he was bought out of that partnership and through Franworks bought out his partners in Original Joe's. At that time, it had grown to nine stores with $15 million in sales. Today it has 33 locations in Western Canada and has reached annual sales of $50 million.

Fifty per cent of Original Joe's is corporately owned and the remainder are run by franchisees. They are chosen as much for their attitude as their desire to be successful business operators.

Doke says the operations are not complicated; average size offers around 100 seats plus a 50-seat patio, providing a good return of revenue per square foot.

All new owners and kitchen managers take four weeks of training before opening at the corporate training centre in the Original Joe's in Northland Plaza.

The concept is casual dining with a nice balance of pub and restaurant. Doke calls it an unchained chain with unscripted service and fresh, prepared-on-site food. A pride is the number of craft brews on tap -- Northland has 16, including its Blonde, Honey and Red that are specialty brews by Big Rock.

Wine is increasingly popular and Doke says he will be offering a reserve list within a couple of months.

Last year, a Community Give Back Program was launched by Franworks in which 50 cents on each serving of a specific label per month was giving to charity. Local food banks were chosen as the recipients, but now each location is encouraged to choose its own community project to support.

The president of Franworks, Doke employs 25 people in his Calgary head office. Original Joe's is the main focus but it also owns Radio Park, a 6,000-square-foot live music venue on Macleod Trail, and Land & Sea -- a gift store for the career woman -- in TD Square.

He has also launched a construction division with five project managers who supervise the build-out of Original Joe's. But retail and hospitality specialists have now branched out to serve as construction managers for other companies that do not have in-house departments.

The brand has achieved remarkable success under Doke's direction and he says he plans to open another 10 locations throughout the west this year. The next grand opening will be Airdrie in a location just north of downtown -- scheduled to open its doors in July.

Another first for Calgary is playing host March 16 to 17 to the Internet Marketing Conference, being held at the Carriage House Inn on Macleod Trail South. Previous locations have included Montreal, Stockholm, Barcelona and San Francisco.

I'm always pleased when people comment on my current columns, but I was flattered to hear from Allan Mogridge, who wanted to discuss a column written in March 1999, when I mentioned the renovations of the Alberta Wheat Pool building across from Bow Valley Square on 2nd Street S.W.

I had said I was concerned about the fate of the large cork mural in the foyer, carved by artist Bob Oldrich in 1959 showing a large sun, mountains and prairie wheat.

Mogridge, who was a partner of Clayton, Bond & Mogridge Architects, Calgary's first interior design firm, had re-read my column recently, done some digging and told me he'd located the mural in the City Art Collection. After removing the adhesive backing and reframing by conservationists, it will be hung in the City Hall complex.