I Heart Mac & Cheese, a fast-growing, award-winning fast-casual concept that specializes in Mac & Cheese bowls and sandwiches, announced the signing of an agreement for its first international location in Richmond Hills, Ontario, Canada. The fast-casual concept has signed a new franchise agreement that will be owned and operated by a franchisee, Hirad Sorkhab.

Sorkhab is excited to be able to bring an I Heart Mac & Cheese into Canada. “We’re pleased and honored to be the first franchisees to bring this new and tasty concept north of the border!,” says Sorkhab,” Canadians love mac and cheese just like they love their poutine. It’s comfort food for many up here being that it’s so cold most of the year and with many ways to dress it up it’s a no-brainer!”

Led by CEO Steve Giordanella, the brand launched its first location in 2016 and is currently headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. “We’re thrilled that I Heart Mac & Cheese has reached this tremendous step of signing an agreement for our first international location. This milestone reinforces the fact of how quickly we are growing. We began franchising in 2019 in South Florida and now we are going international. This is monumental for us”, says Giordanella, “Ontario’s diverse and outstanding culinary scene is the perfect backdrop for our restaurant. We are delighted to bring our award-winning Mac & Cheese to guests in Canada.”

I Heart Mac & Cheese, the fast-casual concept specializing in customizable made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches, has set enormous goals for 2022 as the franchise finished 2021 with tremendous growth performance. The restaurant concept signed 47 franchise agreements in 2021 and many more are set to open in 2022. I Heart Mac & Cheese has also signed agreements for new locations in over twenty new states, marking the franchise’s first locations in those states. The benchmark deals will bring I Heart Mac & Cheese locations into Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The fast-growing brand wants to keep the drive going by targeting new markets nationwide.