Tariff war tests Canadian companies with U.S. names

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There are many local companies in Canada’s tariff war with the United States, hoping customers remember that their names are more than just theirs.

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Despite nodding to the United States, Boston pizza, New York fries, Montana, California sandwiches and the great American backlash are all Canadians and have been working to make sure the public doesn’t forget.

“We don’t lie, we have to do a little spin,” said Alyssa Berenstein, senior marketing director for Vaughan at New York Fries, Ontario.

“We have to give some answers to consumers who may or may not understand the fact that we are wholeheartedly Canadian brands owned by Canadian companies.”

This work is underway in Canada’s numerous Canadian companies with our name, and they find that the tariff war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump is giving consumers an understanding of the ownership and legacy of the brand.

Although they insist that their nickname doesn’t need to be changed as they are able to remove any confusion and don’t see sales downturns, they are happy to be able to share any opportunity where loyalty lies.

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In two Toronto locations that regressed in the great America of America, patriotism was in the form of advertising that indicated that the business was Canadian.

“What I thought of is… a red ribbon is everywhere in the United States, but I don’t think there will be too many landlords,” said owner Nazir Lalani.

His massage parlor business started with a franchise for US companies about 25 years ago, but had no relationship with the chief franchisee for about 20 years. The franchisor has folded it, but Lalani has not changed the name because he wants to hang on the brand awareness he has built under the name.

He recently repositioned the company’s website “Backrub” but insisted it was a brand “experiment” that had nothing to do with Trump or customer chaos that would not expand into stores even if the United States has become impossible.

“I don’t want to…this guy is a yo-yo,” Lalani mentioned Trump. “The whole thing could go away in a month.”

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Lalani estimates that he will stick to the big Backrub name of brick-and-mortar stores, and he will save thousands of people. A new, permanent store signage will cost him $10,000, while the conversion will require new contract and marketing materials.

The customer doesn’t seem to be bothered by the name. In fact, sales have risen since the Canadian sign has risen, Lalani said.

Boston Pizza also took no hit with its American name.

“It’s not a big problem for us’

“Most Canadians know we are Canadians, so that’s not a big problem for us, and we haven’t seen the negative impact on the business yet,” said James Kawalecki, vice president of marketing at Boston Pizza.

“But we absolutely feel (because) that isn’t always the case.”

The pizza chain was founded in 1964 in Edmonton by Greek sailor Gus Agioritis, who wanted to visit Boston but opened a restaurant with the city’s name.

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The history of the chain has become increasingly famous in recent years due to the emergence of the Dragon Nest by RCMP officer Jim Treliving. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officials opened his first Boston pizza franchise in 1968 and mapped the company’s modern success.

Kawalecki also attributes the recent “This hour has 22 minutes” sketch about how to buy Canadians and support transfers from local businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic to eliminate any misnames about the brand’s origins.

Share the company’s story is always important, but it has become even more important today as shoppers seek to support Canadian relations between domestic brands and U.S. companies for sale, said Jo-Ann McArthur, president of nourishing food marketing at Toronto Advertising.

“We all think that consumers have the same knowledge as us, but that’s not the case,” she said.

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“There is also a lot of confusion right now. Consumers really don’t trust the entire wash of Canadian products and the entire maple washing made in Canada.”

She said the best strategy for Canadian companies with American names in Canada is smart marketing

This is the Montana barbecue bar, which opened in Oakville, Ontario in 1995, said Mark Sozanski, chief operating officer.

The company posted on social media that the company consists of locally owned and operated locations supervised by Recipe Unlimited, a restaurant group based in Vaughan, Ontario.

New York Fries became Canadian after an Ontario entrepreneur transplanted the concept of a chip shop from New York City’s South Street Seaport in the 1980s, and he was also under the banner of unlimited recipes and relied on new marketing to show its historical clarity.

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So far, it has not considered changing the name.

“I don’t think we’re going to turn things around yet, but I think something strange happened,” Berenstein said.

California Sandwiches is almost the same, a series of fast-service restaurants that have sold Italian Panini to Torontos since 1967.

“It can’t just change our name”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been there. We can’t just change our name,” said President Mary Bernodo.

“But I will tell you that we’ve had a conversation. If things are really bad, then we’re going to do whatever is best for our country.”

The family business founded by Bernoldo’s parents has revolved around many names. It started with Mum Christina, once known as La Rinacente, but after customers started making fun of the family, its members became California sandwiches after returning from a tanned vacation.

Of the 16 restaurants throughout the company, Benodo has heard of only one customer who suggested that it is time for California Sandwiches to change its name again.

“My client is very verbal,” Benodo said. “Trust me. If they are not happy with this situation, they will let you know.”

So far, what they said was small enough to give her confidence to forge the California sandwich, but that wasn’t the same.

“We’re open to everything,” she said. “If we had to (change our name) stand behind our country and have the same name over the years, it’s on the table.”

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