Municipal officials say news of Starbucks and Popeye’s opening up in Chatham’s north end is a great indicator for the local economy.
Acting Director of Economic Development, Stuart McFadden says companies are always looking for new markets to sell their brand.
“Popeye’s is a new brand to this area. It’s been in the States [for a while], and I believe they’re part of the same company who owns Tim Horton’s and Burger King”, says McFadden. “It makes sense that they would want to increase their brand in the area where they already have other stores.”
McFadden says other companies have expressed interest in setting up shop in north Chatham.
“We’ve had inquiries with regard to where available space might be. They’re looking for traffic counts and where the best location to do business would be. We’ve had a number of companies reach out and inquire about [Chatham] and we’ve been giving them that information when it’s requested”, McFadden explains.
McFadden says it’s encouraging when companies show they have faith in the local market and bring some additional variety to the sector.