Harvey's
Encyclopedia
Harvey's is a fast food restaurant
chain that operates in Canada
, with locations concentrated in southern Ontario
, southern Quebec
, as well as the Maritimes
, Manitoba
, British Columbia
, and Alberta
. It serves hamburger
s, hot dogs, french fries
, onion rings
, and other traditional fast food fare. The chain is owned by Cara Operations
. Harvey's is the second-largest Canadian-established restaurant chain behind Tim Hortons
, and is the fourth-largest burger chain in Canada.
Harvey's is known for its grill
ed from frozen burgers, allowing customers the choice of 11 different toppings, including lettuce
, pickles
, tomato
es, onions, hot peppers, and a wide selection of condiments ranging from ketchup
, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise
to Frank's Red Hot
sauce. Unique here is that cooked burgers are placed in view of the customer, behind a glass counter, while an employee garnishes the burger as per the customer's choice before wrapping it in paper and serving it to them. In this sense, Harvey's is closer to the model used by submarine sandwich
chains like Subway
, as opposed to other burger chains which use a set list of toppings for each burger, omitting toppings only at the customer's specific request.
Harvey's offers hot dog
s, veggie burger
s, and grilled chicken burgers, which can be topped as desired by the customer, as well as chicken strips and garden and chicken salads. Also, Harvey's is one of the few fast food chain restaurants to offer poutine
on its menu nationally.
One of Harvey's more popular promotional menu items was Frings, a specially designed french fry box that's half-full of french fries
and half-full of onion rings
. On July 28, 2008, Frings returned to the menu, and stayed there for good.
In August and September 2006, menu selections were cut significantly, resulting in the withdrawal of such items as Angus
burger and other specialty burgers, a short-lived line of deli sandwiches, milkshakes, Caesar salad
, and the chain's "value" burgers.
Over time, Harvey's has changed its burger lineup citing changing customer interests and a focus towards women and children. These decisions have resulted in the discontinuation of their flagship burgers which included: the very popular Superburger ( lb, 1989–1996) and the more lamented and arguably less successful Ultra burger (4 oz "steak like" burger 1996–2001). The lack of success of the Ultra burger was a disappointment for Harvey's considering its reported $1 million development cost and very competitive promotional price of $1.88 and regular selling price of $2.59.
The hamburger menu at the time included six basic varieties: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, and double-patty versions of each. In March 2007, the popular Angus burger was brought back, while an improved milkshake recipe was rolled out beginning in late April. Basic grilled chicken and veggie burgers also remain. In all cases, the choice of toppings is unchanged; with the addition of Frank's Red Hot sauce as of June 2008, replacing Spicy Buffalo Sauce.
In 2010, they introduced the new premium burger which comes on a warm bistro bun, replacing the Angus burger.
At a small number of locations, breakfast is also served, only for the traditional morning period. The breakfast menu includes real fried egg
s with bacon
/sausage
and toast
, and other familiar fast-food breakfast items. Harvey's is unusual in offering fried eggs with yolks, as other chains, like McDonald's
, only offer poached egg
s (in sandwiches) or scrambled eggs, eliminating the ability for the customer to puncture the egg yolk for dunking.
Some Harvey's locations are located adjacent to fellow Cara chain Swiss Chalet
, or serve selected Swiss Chalet products, although the number of locations in the latter category is now small. In the early 1990s, Harvey's also featured items from Church's Chicken
, an American chain, on its menu at selected locations, although that co-venture has since been disbanded. There are also a few Home Depot Harvey's stores that are co-located with the affiliated Second Cup
coffee chain.
A long-time purveyor of Coca-Cola
products, as are most hamburger chains in Canada, Harvey's switched to Pepsi
products in summer 2005. In early spring 2006, Harvey's eliminated Diet 7 Up
and Mountain Dew
products from some of its locations as part of its simplified menu.
and Manitoba
are inside Home Depot stores or local airport
s, specifically those in Vancouver
and Winnipeg.
There is one location in Saskatchewan
, in Saskatoon
at the University of Saskatchewan
in Place Riel. The chain's previous locations in Saskatchewan, all in Home Depots, closed in 2006. Before the opening of the Home Depot locations, Harvey's was operated as a free-standing restaurant in Saskatoon and Regina
before closing in 1990. Harvey's also currently lacks a presence in Newfoundland and Labrador
, where the only two locations closed no later than late 1990s. One location was free-standing at 985 Topsail Road, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland (now home to Vogue Optical), which closed in the late 80s – early 90s, and a Harvey's/Swiss Chalet in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Both restaurant locations (including Swiss Chalet) have now closed. Harvey's closed several Montreal
-area locations throughout the 2000s, including two Dollard-des-Ormeaux locations in 2007 and a newly-renovated one in 2008 (however, it moved to Montreal's nearby Pierrefonds-Roxboro
borough, respectively. Most Harvey's locations in Montreal (particularly standalone locations) remain open. Three Harvey's locations in Halifax, Nova Scotia
have closed between 2004 and 2008.
and Observatory Lane in Richmond Hill, Ontario
, on a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel of land purchased from the owner of a bankrupt Dairy Queen
. The first franchised location was on company owned property on Avenue Road. Subsequently, land was purchased on The Queensway West, Toronto, Barton Street in Hamilton and Eglinton Ave East in Toronto, just before Warden, where locations were developed and then franchised. The 238 Bloor Street
West location, opposite Varsity Arena, was opened as a company owned and operated location, and was eventually sold by Cara in early 2006 to One Bedford, a condo project. Beginning in 1963, Harvey's purchased approximately 39 parcels of land in Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo & Winnipeg with the exception of one leased property. Sukornyk insisted, where possible, that all property be company owned in order to provide equity & stability to the company's balance sheet.
In 1959, Sukornyk initially chose the name Humphrey's instead of Harvey's. In the process of ordering the first vertical sign from E.L. Rudy, however, he discovered that the cost was too much, and so decided to shorten the name. He chose the name Harvey's, after Doug Harvey, the Montreal Canadiens
' defenceman. He thought that when locations were eventually opened and franchised in Quebec, the name would be well accepted.
When the Eglinton Avenue East location commenced construction, rather than order a sign from E.L. Rudy, Sukornyk learned that Harvey's (Motors) on Danforth & Woodbine was in bankruptcy, and negotiated the purchase, removal and reconstruction of the Harvey's neon sign
at the Eglinton East location.
In 1959, Harvey's introduced three interesting and original concepts in the drive-in
take-out
business. The first concept was for a customer to order, purchase and obtain a receipt, which was placed on the topping counter. The cash was immediately placed in the cash register, thereby controlling and monitoring cash, and keeping theft to a minimum. The second concept was to have the customer move along the counter, following his receipt, and then, at his request, have an employee "customize" his hamburger with a variety of toppings. The third concept, initially developed for its full-line Swiss Chalet restaurants in Montreal, was to purchase potatoes from Prince Edward Island, have the franchisee wash, then cut the fresh potatoes into oversized chips, with skin on, that were then deep-fried and served. This approach was a distinction from thin pre-frozen French Fries of unknown origin that were being sold at the time. Ten years later, under different management, the number of toppings was substantially increased and pre-frozen string French Fries were introduced, replacing the freshly cut PEI potato.
On the last Sunday of May each year (since 2007), Harvey's held a Free Original Hamburger Day at all locations across Ontario and Quebec. The purpose of this event is to "celebrate Canada's best tasting burger" and to bring in new customers who might not otherwise go into Harvey's. The event was extended across Canada in 2009 to celebrate the chain's 50th anniversary. This event was discontinued in 2010, and replaced with a "Free Burger Week in Canada" campaign where during the week of June 14–20, 2010, you could purchase one burger and receive one for free.
hamburger chain Hardee's
. The latter's parent company CKE Restaurants
has in fact been prevented from opening stores in Canada under the Hardee's name due to a trademark dispute. CKE is instead attempting to launch the Carl's Jr.
brand in Canada.
Fast food restaurant
A fast food restaurant, also known as a Quick Service Restaurant or QSR within the industry itself, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service...
chain that operates in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with locations concentrated in southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, southern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, as well as the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. It serves hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, hot dogs, french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, onion rings
Onion rings
Onion rings are a form of fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or breading and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste...
, and other traditional fast food fare. The chain is owned by Cara Operations
Cara Operations
Cara Operations Limited is a Canadian company that provides catering services to airlines and operates several restaurant chains including: Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Milestones and Montana's. Its headquarters are in Vaughan, Ontario. It was previously headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario...
. Harvey's is the second-largest Canadian-established restaurant chain behind Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
, and is the fourth-largest burger chain in Canada.
Products
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
ed from frozen burgers, allowing customers the choice of 11 different toppings, including lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, pickles
Pickled cucumber
A pickled cucumber is a cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solution and left to ferment for a period of time, by either immersing the cucumbers in an acidic solution or through souring by lacto-fermentation.-Gherkin:A gherkin is not only...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, onions, hot peppers, and a wide selection of condiments ranging from ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
to Frank's Red Hot
Frank's Red Hot
Frank's RedHot is a hot sauce made from a variety of cayenne peppers, produced by Reckitt Benckiser.-History:Frank's RedHot's recipe dates to 1896 to the Frank Tea and Spice Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Owner Jacob Frank would in 1918 contract for the Estilette Pepper Farm in Louisiana where Adam...
sauce. Unique here is that cooked burgers are placed in view of the customer, behind a glass counter, while an employee garnishes the burger as per the customer's choice before wrapping it in paper and serving it to them. In this sense, Harvey's is closer to the model used by submarine sandwich
Submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub among other names, is a sandwich that consists of a long roll of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise either into two pieces or opened in a "V" on one side, and filled with various varieties of meat, cheese, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. The...
chains like Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, as opposed to other burger chains which use a set list of toppings for each burger, omitting toppings only at the customer's specific request.
Harvey's offers hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s, veggie burger
Veggie burger
A veggie burger is a hamburger-style patty that does not contain meat. The patty of a veggie burger may be made, for example, from vegetables, textured vegetable protein , legumes, nuts, dairy products, mushrooms, wheat, or eggs....
s, and grilled chicken burgers, which can be topped as desired by the customer, as well as chicken strips and garden and chicken salads. Also, Harvey's is one of the few fast food chain restaurants to offer poutine
Poutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
on its menu nationally.
One of Harvey's more popular promotional menu items was Frings, a specially designed french fry box that's half-full of french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
and half-full of onion rings
Onion rings
Onion rings are a form of fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or breading and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste...
. On July 28, 2008, Frings returned to the menu, and stayed there for good.
In August and September 2006, menu selections were cut significantly, resulting in the withdrawal of such items as Angus
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
burger and other specialty burgers, a short-lived line of deli sandwiches, milkshakes, Caesar salad
Caesar salad
A Caesar salad is a salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. It may be prepared tableside.-History:...
, and the chain's "value" burgers.
Over time, Harvey's has changed its burger lineup citing changing customer interests and a focus towards women and children. These decisions have resulted in the discontinuation of their flagship burgers which included: the very popular Superburger ( lb, 1989–1996) and the more lamented and arguably less successful Ultra burger (4 oz "steak like" burger 1996–2001). The lack of success of the Ultra burger was a disappointment for Harvey's considering its reported $1 million development cost and very competitive promotional price of $1.88 and regular selling price of $2.59.
The hamburger menu at the time included six basic varieties: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, and double-patty versions of each. In March 2007, the popular Angus burger was brought back, while an improved milkshake recipe was rolled out beginning in late April. Basic grilled chicken and veggie burgers also remain. In all cases, the choice of toppings is unchanged; with the addition of Frank's Red Hot sauce as of June 2008, replacing Spicy Buffalo Sauce.
In 2010, they introduced the new premium burger which comes on a warm bistro bun, replacing the Angus burger.
At a small number of locations, breakfast is also served, only for the traditional morning period. The breakfast menu includes real fried egg
Fried egg
A fried egg is a food made from an egg fried whole with minimal accompaniment. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast in western countries, but may be eaten at other times of the day.-China:...
s with bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
/sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
and toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
, and other familiar fast-food breakfast items. Harvey's is unusual in offering fried eggs with yolks, as other chains, like McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, only offer poached egg
Poached egg
A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked by poaching, that is, in water.-Preparation:The egg is cracked into a bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of simmering water and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft...
s (in sandwiches) or scrambled eggs, eliminating the ability for the customer to puncture the egg yolk for dunking.
Some Harvey's locations are located adjacent to fellow Cara chain Swiss Chalet
Swiss Chalet
Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada and the United States. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Cara Operations, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and...
, or serve selected Swiss Chalet products, although the number of locations in the latter category is now small. In the early 1990s, Harvey's also featured items from Church's Chicken
Church's Chicken
Church's Chicken is a US-based chain of fast food restaurants specializing in fried chicken, also trading outside North America as Texas Chicken. The chain was founded as Church's Fried Chicken To Go by George W. Church, Sr., on April 17, 1952, in San Antonio, across the street from The Alamo...
, an American chain, on its menu at selected locations, although that co-venture has since been disbanded. There are also a few Home Depot Harvey's stores that are co-located with the affiliated Second Cup
Second Cup
Second Cup is Canada's largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer, operating more than 360 cafés across Canada. Its headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario. Founded in 1975 by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea, Culligan eventually purchased O'Dea's shares. After building it to a 150-store chain,...
coffee chain.
A long-time purveyor of Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
products, as are most hamburger chains in Canada, Harvey's switched to Pepsi
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
products in summer 2005. In early spring 2006, Harvey's eliminated Diet 7 Up
7 Up
7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra...
and Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
products from some of its locations as part of its simplified menu.
Organization
Harvey's has sales of $269 million, 286 restaurants, almost 7,000 employees, and 50 million guests annually. Many, but not all, Canadian Home Depot locations feature Harvey's restaurants. In fact, the chain's only locations in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
are inside Home Depot stores or local airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, specifically those in Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
and Winnipeg.
There is one location in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
in Place Riel. The chain's previous locations in Saskatchewan, all in Home Depots, closed in 2006. Before the opening of the Home Depot locations, Harvey's was operated as a free-standing restaurant in Saskatoon and Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
before closing in 1990. Harvey's also currently lacks a presence in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, where the only two locations closed no later than late 1990s. One location was free-standing at 985 Topsail Road, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland (now home to Vogue Optical), which closed in the late 80s – early 90s, and a Harvey's/Swiss Chalet in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Both restaurant locations (including Swiss Chalet) have now closed. Harvey's closed several Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
-area locations throughout the 2000s, including two Dollard-des-Ormeaux locations in 2007 and a newly-renovated one in 2008 (however, it moved to Montreal's nearby Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Pierrefonds-Roxboro is a borough of the city of Montreal. It is composed of the former municipalities of Pierrefonds and Roxboro, spanning the northern part of the West Island...
borough, respectively. Most Harvey's locations in Montreal (particularly standalone locations) remain open. Three Harvey's locations in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
have closed between 2004 and 2008.
History
Harvey's was co-founded by George B. Sukornyk and Rick Mauran in early 1959 as equal shareholders. The first Harvey's location was opened on April 1, 1959, at the southeast corner of Yonge StreetYonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
and Observatory Lane in Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
, on a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel of land purchased from the owner of a bankrupt Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...
. The first franchised location was on company owned property on Avenue Road. Subsequently, land was purchased on The Queensway West, Toronto, Barton Street in Hamilton and Eglinton Ave East in Toronto, just before Warden, where locations were developed and then franchised. The 238 Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
West location, opposite Varsity Arena, was opened as a company owned and operated location, and was eventually sold by Cara in early 2006 to One Bedford, a condo project. Beginning in 1963, Harvey's purchased approximately 39 parcels of land in Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo & Winnipeg with the exception of one leased property. Sukornyk insisted, where possible, that all property be company owned in order to provide equity & stability to the company's balance sheet.
In 1959, Sukornyk initially chose the name Humphrey's instead of Harvey's. In the process of ordering the first vertical sign from E.L. Rudy, however, he discovered that the cost was too much, and so decided to shorten the name. He chose the name Harvey's, after Doug Harvey, the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
' defenceman. He thought that when locations were eventually opened and franchised in Quebec, the name would be well accepted.
When the Eglinton Avenue East location commenced construction, rather than order a sign from E.L. Rudy, Sukornyk learned that Harvey's (Motors) on Danforth & Woodbine was in bankruptcy, and negotiated the purchase, removal and reconstruction of the Harvey's neon sign
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
at the Eglinton East location.
In 1959, Harvey's introduced three interesting and original concepts in the drive-in
Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...
take-out
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
business. The first concept was for a customer to order, purchase and obtain a receipt, which was placed on the topping counter. The cash was immediately placed in the cash register, thereby controlling and monitoring cash, and keeping theft to a minimum. The second concept was to have the customer move along the counter, following his receipt, and then, at his request, have an employee "customize" his hamburger with a variety of toppings. The third concept, initially developed for its full-line Swiss Chalet restaurants in Montreal, was to purchase potatoes from Prince Edward Island, have the franchisee wash, then cut the fresh potatoes into oversized chips, with skin on, that were then deep-fried and served. This approach was a distinction from thin pre-frozen French Fries of unknown origin that were being sold at the time. Ten years later, under different management, the number of toppings was substantially increased and pre-frozen string French Fries were introduced, replacing the freshly cut PEI potato.
Free Burger Day
Harvey's vs. Hardee's
There is no affiliation between Harvey's and the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hamburger chain Hardee's
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
. The latter's parent company CKE Restaurants
CKE Restaurants
CKE Restaurants, Inc. is the parent company of the Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito restaurant chains. Its headquarters are in Carpinteria, California. It was incorporated in 1964 by Carl's Jr. founder Carl Karcher as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.- History :In 2007, it sold...
has in fact been prevented from opening stores in Canada under the Hardee's name due to a trademark dispute. CKE is instead attempting to launch the Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Western and Southwestern United States. The first store has opened in Canada in Kelowna, BC. They are in the process of expanding to Mexico, Malaysia, Denmark, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Vietnam,...
brand in Canada.
Advertising slogans
English- 1970s: "Harvey's makes a hamburger a beautiful thing"
- 1980s: "Harvey's makes your hamburger a beautiful thing"
- early 1990s: "Harvey's: beautiful choice"
- 1992? to 1993 "We make you spoiled with charbroiled"
- 1994 to 1995 "When you want what you want, you want Harvey's"
- early 2000s: "Harvey's makes your hamburger a beautiful thing" and "Real, big, taste."
- 2003 to 2006: "Long live the grill", "Noooo problem" and "Meat. Fire. Good."
- 2006 to present: "Harvey's makes your hamburger a beautiful thing" (or simply "It's a beautiful thing") and "At Harvey's, there's a burger with your name on it."