Cara Operations
Encyclopedia
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. The company moved to its new HQ in Nov 2008 in Vaughan, Ontario across from Vaughan Mill Shopping Mall.
In 2002, sales for the whole company were C$
1.9 billion. 88% of the business comes from the restaurant services with the remaining 12% deriving from airline catering.
The name Cara was derived from the first two letters of each of the words "Canada Railway"; it is also an Irish
word meaning "friend".
in Ontario
. It soon moved into the food business, catering to a boom in passenger rail traffic in Canada.
In the 1930s, Cara began offering catering services to the airlines. By 1951 it was serving about 1 500 meals a day.
In 1961 the company changed its name to Cara Operations Limited.
Cara was owned solely by the Phelan family from its inception in 1883 until it finally went public in 1968. At the time, its primary business was catering to the transportation sector (airline and rail meals), but it did operate a few 'no-name' restaurants and coffee shops in various office towers and airport terminals in Canada. Total sales of all the various operations was C$30 million in 1968.
In 1986 Cara provided services for Vancouver's Expo 86
.
In 1999, Cara purchased Kelseys inc. from owner Paul Jeffrey, acquiring Montanas, Kelseys and the Outback(Canada). The rights to Outback steakhouse were owned in Canada by Cara, but it was sold back to Outback in the USA because of high food costs.
On February 26, 2004, Cara went private.
In 2008, Cara was in the middle of a controversy when 3 employees were arrested at the Montreal-Trudeau airport in relation to a drug distribution network that used the planes for which Cara provided the catering.
Before Nov 08, 2010 Cara controlled 85% of the Canadian airline market, providing meals for more than 60 of the world's major airlines including KLM, American Airlines
, British Airways
and Air Canada
. Meals were prepared at Cara's nine flight kitchens located across Canada.
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
chains including: Harvey's, 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...
, Kelsey's, Milestones and Montana's. Its headquarters are in Vaughan
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It was previously headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. The company moved to its new HQ in Nov 2008 in Vaughan, Ontario across from Vaughan Mill Shopping Mall.
In 2002, sales for the whole company were C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
1.9 billion. 88% of the business comes from the restaurant services with the remaining 12% deriving from airline catering.
The name Cara was derived from the first two letters of each of the words "Canada Railway"; it is also an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
word meaning "friend".
History
In 1883, Canada Railway News Co. was founded. Cara began as a steamship company on the Niagara RiverNiagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It soon moved into the food business, catering to a boom in passenger rail traffic in Canada.
In the 1930s, Cara began offering catering services to the airlines. By 1951 it was serving about 1 500 meals a day.
In 1961 the company changed its name to Cara Operations Limited.
Cara was owned solely by the Phelan family from its inception in 1883 until it finally went public in 1968. At the time, its primary business was catering to the transportation sector (airline and rail meals), but it did operate a few 'no-name' restaurants and coffee shops in various office towers and airport terminals in Canada. Total sales of all the various operations was C$30 million in 1968.
In 1986 Cara provided services for Vancouver's Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
.
In 1999, Cara purchased Kelseys inc. from owner Paul Jeffrey, acquiring Montanas, Kelseys and the Outback(Canada). The rights to Outback steakhouse were owned in Canada by Cara, but it was sold back to Outback in the USA because of high food costs.
On February 26, 2004, Cara went private.
In 2008, Cara was in the middle of a controversy when 3 employees were arrested at the Montreal-Trudeau airport in relation to a drug distribution network that used the planes for which Cara provided the catering.
Catering Services
As of Nov. 8, 2010 Gate Gourmet (GateGroup) having met all customary closing conditions acquired substantially all of the business assets of Cara Airline Solutions, Canada’s premier airline catering and logistics provider, from Cara Operations Limited.Before Nov 08, 2010 Cara controlled 85% of the Canadian airline market, providing meals for more than 60 of the world's major airlines including KLM, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
and Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
. Meals were prepared at Cara's nine flight kitchens located across Canada.
- Summit Food Service Distributors Inc. now a division of Colabor LP, is Canada's largest Canadian-owned broadline distributor to the foodservice industry.
- Cara Airport Services Division
- Pearson International Airport (Toronto)
- Flight Kitchen Vancouver International AirportVancouver International AirportVancouver 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...
- 40% market share - Rocky Mountain Railtours (British Columbia/Alberta)
Restaurant Operations
- Cara Air Terminal Restaurant Division (Sold to Compass in 2007)
- Harvey'sHarvey'sHarvey'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 hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional fast food fare. The...
- Swiss ChaletSwiss ChaletSwiss 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...
- Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & GrillKelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & GrillKelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill is a Canadian bar and grill restaurant chain headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario owned by Cara Operations. Cara Operations also owns other restaurants including Swiss Chalet, Coza!, Milestones, Montana's and Harvey's...
- Milestones Restaurants
- Montana's CookhouseMontana's CookhouseMontana's Cookhouse is a Canadian restaurant chain headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario. It is a subsidiary of Cara Operations.-Operations:Montana's is known for their ribs, steaks, rotisserie chicken and other lodge fare. The restaurant aims to be a family/casual concept, rather than fine dining...
- Coza! Tuscan Grill