Discover how Pür & Simple’s daring food items revolutionized breakfast culture
Canadian breakfast specialist Pür & Simple is renowned for its passion in creating unique dishes and experiences that bring communities together. Ritou Maloni, Co-Founder, President, and COO, sheds light on the aspects that have consumers raving about Pür & Simple.
“Currently present in seven different provinces across Canada, we are a breakfast, brunch and lunch chain with a store count of over 50 locations. We offer an elevated breakfast experience centered around the essence of hospitality and bringing life to the breakfast scene. Traditionally, breakfast was always known as a ‘greasy spoon’, featuring items like eggs and bacon in a diner style atmosphere. We decided to reinvent breakfast and make it more appealing by creating a beautiful décor, building stores that are inviting for our guests, and fostering a great place to work for our team members. This is combined with a wide variety of breakfast classics and some fun new items, such as a panko-battered French toast. In other words, we aim to enhance the guest experience not only through elegant décor and ambiance, but also by offering exquisite flavor profiles made with quality ingredients. 
“The final touch is the hospitality component that many places lack when it comes to breakfast, usually opting for a quick in-and-out visit. However, at Pür & Simple, we prioritize providing the ideal dining experience. With a full liquor license, we can craft mimosas, bellinis, caesars, and other cocktails that will guarantee a good time. As the mocktail industry has grown, we also make some excellent mocktails in addition to orange juice that we freshly press every day. Moreover, we have an exceptional coffee program, thanks to our partnership with Nespresso, which enables us to serve delicious coffee efficiently without the need for a dedicated barista,” she begins.
Data-driven decision making
While Pür & Simple’s wide array of menu items truly sets it apart from competitors in the breakfast industry, according to Ritou, its drinks side is an important USP. “We are not just about the food; we also boast a really strong beverage program with specialty coffees, iced lattes, and limited time offers like our current pumpkin pie latte. By incorporating these extra components, we have elevated our experience to give that special happy feeling of having a refined breakfast with a nice cup of coffee in a welcoming environment. Therefore, I believe the beverage component is significant.
“Another key aspect of our menu items is that we strive to use quality ingredients and create healthy recipes as part of our menu mix. Additionally, we cater to specific diets, offering vegan options in our restaurants as well as gluten-friendly alternatives, such as all our crepe batter being gluten-free, for example. This makes our unique breakfast experience equally exciting for people who do not want gluten in their diets,” she explains.
Ritou goes on to share more insights into Pür & Simple’s approach to product development. “Chef Derek Lawrence, our Director of Culinary, is truly exceptional and brings a wealth of experience in developing new menu items. My business partner Derek Massad and I also bring extensive expertise to the table. Indeed, Derek established a breakfast chain in Quebec in around 2009 and expanded it to over 45 locations before it was sold. I worked alongside him on that venture as well as Pür & Simple, so we have been involved in the breakfast industry for a long time. We understand what resonates with customers, their preferences, flavor profiles, and what categories will sell whether it is eggs benedict, French toast, or pancakes.
“At our core, we are a data-driven organization reporting all metrics, conducting executive meetings based on sales performance, swiftly removing underperforming items from the menu, and strategizing on new creations. Our decisions are not only informed by our experience, but also by drawing insights from attending numerous shows, exploring diverse markets and countries, and staying ahead of food trends. We engage in all sorts of activities to ensure we remain on top of evolving flavor profiles and are not afraid to step out of our comfort zone, experiment, and introduce new items. For instance, we have put kimchi on the menu because it is trending and healthy. It might not be the top seller and some guests may be unfamiliar with ingredients like gochujang, but by offering it, we remain innovative in our way of thinking and attract a new demographic of guests open to trying fresh breakfast items,” she highlights.
Thoroughly enjoyed across several provinces in Canada, Pür & Simple’s breakfast menu is set to reach the US soon with the company opening a new location in San Antonio, Texas. “Still in the permitting and construction phases, our San Antonio restaurant is set to open in Q1 of 2025, making it our first location in the US. It is in a promising market that we are very excited to enter. While we cannot entirely predict how well it is going to perform, we are confident in our breakfast expertise, given that Montreal, Quebec is the mecca of breakfast with restaurants on every corner. When we expanded beyond Quebec, where our head office still is, we realized that there was a huge demand for breakfast across Canada. Thus, we anticipate even greater potential in the US and plan to scale accordingly once we gauge our first store’s reception. Naturally, we have done significant market research beforehand and are consequently going to adapt our menu to suit the different trends and flavor preferences of San Antonio. Despite these adjustments, our visual identity will remain the same, staying true to the Pür & Simple brand we have built our success on in Canada. As the US does not boast as rich a breakfast culture as Quebec, I believe we can leverage our breakfast expertise to provide Americans with excellent food options,” Ritou expands.
Collaborative culture
In closing our conversation, Ritou shares her experience as a woman in a significant role within the food industry. “I never felt that I was any different from anyone else, as I am surrounded by people who value me as a person and my contribution, regardless of my gender. Ultimately, I have confidence in myself and my abilities, knowing that my creations result from the hard work and energy I put into them, without allowing myself to be hindered by thoughts about the scarcity of women in my industry. In fact, we provide a lot of opportunities for women in this field, with 90 percent of all our store staff being women. Specifically, in the breakfast segment, more women work as servers, while men servers are typically more common during later hours of the day. I believe that in the breakfast realm, we truly appreciate and support women, and many of them find comfort in serving breakfast in an almost maternal way.
“A crucial lesson I have learned is how to maintain a balance between pursuing a fulfilling family life and working hard. The core of this balance lies in cultivating a strong team, which we have done, and because of this collective effort, I do not perceive my gender as a defining factor. Instead, I believe it is about finding the right person who can inspire and encapsulate the essence of our business, passing that ethos on to others within the team, and ultimately to our guests. Essentially, the culture we aim to create is driven by energy and dedication rather than gender distinctions,” she ends.
Through a commitment to elevated breakfast experiences and unparalleled hospitality, Pür & Simple is poised for success in the US market.