The Thai Express Story

From a humble 5 stores, we became a major Canadian brand in just 12 years. Now, we’re going to do it again in America

Since joining MTY Group in 2004, the Thai Express restaurant franchise has become one of the most recognized names in Canadian franchising. The popularity of the Thai Express brand lies in the way MTY Group revolutionized the product when it purchased the company. In one bustling downtown Montreal shopping district, there are no less than five locations within just a couple minutes’ walk.

“Once we opened a couple in the top malls across Canada, people took a liking to it quickly,” Dennis Ng, Vice President of Thai Express, says. Customers recognized the changes in the restaurant’s aesthetic and more importantly, they took note of the improved product. “The design is nice and the details are great, but if the food is great they’re going to come back.”

A brand that honors its roots while innovating into the future

The design of each Thai Express restaurant franchise location is a labor of devotion to Thai culture and Asian history. Though each location is unique, with individualized elements to fit the style of the restaurant and the aesthetic of the community in which it’s situated, our restaurants are instantly recognizable as authentic, inviting, and uniquely Thai Express. This brand identity is the result of two guiding principles: be unique and be faithful to Thailand’s roots.

“We didn’t want to do a typical Asian theme where you see bamboos and chopsticks,” says Loune Tonvang, director of design and development for Thai Express Canada. “We really wanted to build an identity that shows what Thai is all about.”

Applying time-tested principles of Feng Shui, where traditional elements and aesthetics are aligned according to ancient practices, the design team creates a Thai Express layout and design that is at once unique to the location it occupies and true to our brand’s iconic identity.

A new era begins

Hip, fresh designs combine with high-quality marketing to build a QSR restaurant experience customers don’t find in other Asian restaurant concepts. Built on our company’s four principles, and in no small part thanks to the devotion of an eager and loyal clientele, we grew to more than 285 stores in Canada in a little more than a decade. Now, as Thai Express is poised to take on the U.S., momentum here is already building.

Backed by two of the biggest names in international franchising — Kahala Brands and MTY Group, Thai Express is coming to America. Now is a great time to join what will soon be one of the most popular destinations in Asian QSR franchising.

Bring a Thai Express restaurant franchise to your community today

Thai Express is a low-cost investment opportunity with high potential for growth as we expand across the United States. Startup costs range from $454,050 – $876,700, depending on the model you choose. Since 2004, we’ve grown in the Canadian market with a business model built for entrepreneurs who are passionate about bringing an authentic and affordable Thai food experience to their communities. The franchise fee for your first Thai Express franchise is $30,000, and the franchise fee for multiple units can be discounted if certain conditions and criteria are met.