Duff’s Looks To Future In Franchising

Buffalo News:

More than a decade ago, Rob Erlich stood in line outside Duff’s restaurant on Sheridan Drive, waiting for a steaming bowl of its acclaimed chicken wings. As a wholesaler who often trekked to Buffalo on business, he, like many other Canadians, always made time to stop at the historic Buffalo wing landmark.

Realizing the potential of a brand that had already crossed the border and penetrated the Toronto market, Erlich and his identical twin brother Hy asked for a piece of the action.

‘We said, ‘We’d really like to bring Duff’s to Toronto,’ ‘ Erlich said. ‘We knew there was a following from Toronto to Buffalo. We knew people would come.’ Erlich said.

Duff’s owners Jeff Feather and Ron Duff sold the Erlichs Duff’s Canadian rights in exchange for an undisclosed upfront fee and a percentage of sales revenue. The twins spent 6 months in Buffalo learning the restaurant trade and Duff’s trademark recipes.

When paperwork delayed the first Toronto restaurant’s opening for a week, customers lined up outside, anxiously questioning the holdup. Read more.