Mary Brown's leans into its Canadian roots in U.S. tariff fight
Mary Brown’s is expanding globally, opening new locations in Pakistan and India
A Canadian fast food restaurant known for its fried chicken is planning to lean into its maple leaf roots as part of its strategy to navigate the uncertainties posed by U.S. tariffs.
Mary Brown's, which is part of MBI Brands, got its start in Newfoundland and Labrador and now has hundreds of locations across Canada and is expanding globally.
MBI Brands vice-president of international development Dylan Powell says the company is prepared for the U.S. trade war.
"You better believe we're all hands on deck to try to assess what the implications are from our supply chain," Powell told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show on Thursday.
Mary Brown's core ingredients — oil, potatoes, flour and chicken — are bought in Canada.
"We buy Canadian and we're a Canadian-owned company," said Powell.
Newfoundland entrepreneur Greg Roberts owns the company.
Monitoring the situation
Powell says Trump's tariffs will have an impact on business, but like most other Canadian companies and industries, he isn't sure of the extent just yet.
"We're not being passive. We're very much being proactive in figuring out where the pain points will be and what the alternatives are," he said.
However, he's also optimistic about the situation.
"I can say that globally, it's not a bad time to be a Canadian brand compared to some of the alternatives. Because I think there is still a lot of affinity for Canada and some understanding of the situation that we're in," he said.
Mary Brown's has also seen an increase in sales due to the recent push to support local, Powell said, and the company is looking for ways to signal it is a Canadian brand beyond the maple leaf in its logo.
"People don't necessarily jump to the idea that we are a 56-year-old Canadian brand born on the east coast and Newfoundland," he said. "So really, getting that message out. It's the right time."
Big Mary abroad
But the tariff troubles come as the company is in the midst of its international expansion plan.
Powell says the race is on because they're opening locations in both Pakistan and India in April.
"We're just finalizing the grand opening dates based on some of the construction and whatnot," he said.
Mary Brown's opened in the U.K. and Mexico last year. That expansion was years in the making that had been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, Powell says 2024 was a "breakout year" for the company.
"All of the core products are definitely going to be there. Where there are variances, it tends to be in the desserts and the sides and whatnot," he said.
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With files from The St. John’s Morning Show