The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) has announced that the Traditional (those with brick-and-mortar locations) and Non-Traditional (those that are mobile or home-based) Grand Prize winners of the 2025 CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising, are McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada and EverLine Coatings and Services respectively.
The Grand Prize award was granted to two winners to reflect the range of franchise opportunities on the market and presented at the Awards Gala Dinner during the 2025 CFA National Convention at Sheraton Fallsview, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
As Sherry McNeil, CFA President and Chief Executive Officer, put it: “Franchising in Canada encompasses a broad range of industries, from quick service restaurant franchises like McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada to home-based service franchises like EverLine Coatings and Services.
She added: “The dedication of franchisees across diverse industries powers the nation forward. To reflect this diversity and to ensure participating franchise systems are being rated against their peers, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising program includes seven categories and two Grand Prizes.”
Considered the pinnacle of franchise achievement in Canada, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising are given annually to franchise systems that have demonstrated superior franchise relations, leadership, training, and communications.
“Regardless of the size or concept, a strong relationship between the franchisor and its franchisees is fundamental to a franchise system’s success. We congratulate McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada and EverLine Coatings and Servicesfor their outstanding achievements,” McNeil further noted.
The CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising program received major participation from CFA member franchise brands this year. Sponsored by the CFA and administered by the Portage Group, a third-party research firm, the winning franchise systems were determined based on the results of a survey completed by participating brands’ franchisees about their experiences and levels of satisfaction with the system.
Entries were separated into Traditional Franchises and Non-Traditional Franchises. Within these categories, entrants were then grouped based on their number of franchisees. These categories reflect the diversity of franchising and the spectrum of franchise opportunities available in today’s market.
The CFA also presented the Franchisee of the Year Award,recognizing top-performing franchisees for their unique accomplishments and excellence in business performance, community service, and brand involvement. COBS Bread’s Sarah Lisk received the Gold in the Traditional category and Hickory Dickory Decks’ Greg O’Brien was the Gold winner in the Non-Traditional category.
“The Franchisee of the Year Award” credits a franchisee for their outstanding performance and contribution in helping the Canadian franchising community become Stronger Together,” says Sherry McNeil. “We congratulate Sarah Lisk and Greg O’Brien for receiving this prestigious honour.”
Separated into Traditional and Non-Traditional Franchises, winners for the Franchisee of the Year Award were determined by the CFA’s Awards Committee based on the strength of the participating entrants’ award submissions.
HERE ARE THE 2025 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS
Non-Traditional Franchise
| 6-15 Franchisees | 16-29 Franchisees | 30+ Franchisees |
| GOLD – Wise Cracks SILVER – Lice Squad.com BRONZE – Stagecoach Theatre Arts (Canada) Limited | GOLD – EverLine Coatings & Services Ltd. SILVER – CertaPro Painters BRONZE – Heart To Home Meals | GOLD – Paul Davis Restoration SILVER – PropertyGuys.com BRONZE – Right at Home Inc. |
Traditional Franchise
| 6-15 Franchisees | 16-29 Franchisees |
| GOLD – Inspiration Learning Center SILVER – Au Pain Doré BRONZE – Pacini Canada Inc. | GOLD – Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge SILVER – MaxWell Realty Inc. BRONZE – Willowbrae Childcare Academy |
| 30-99 Franchisees | 100+ Franchisees |
| GOLD – Crock A Doodle SILVER – FASTSIGNS International Inc. BRONZE – Oxford Learning Centres Inc. | GOLD – McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada SILVER – Pizza Nova Ltd. BRONZE – A&W Food Services of Canada |
Grand Prize Winners
Non-Traditional: EverLine Coatings & Services Ltd.
Traditional: McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada
For a comprehensive list of the various winners, by category, go to:
https://cfa.ca/blog/2024-awards-of-excellence-2/
