Cora Breakfast & Lunch runs a daytime-only service window — most locations open early and close by mid-afternoon, with no dinner or evening liquor service to complicate a licence question. That shorter operating day shapes the labour-cost picture a buyer should model, while the fruit-forward menu means the prep line and produce-handling practices carry more weight in a health-unit review than they would at a typical lunch counter.
Cora Breakfast & Lunch resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, conditioned on franchisor consent and a walkthrough of the kitchen and fruit-prep equipment.
1–2 weeks†The franchisor reviews the proposed buyer and the deal terms, and may exercise a right of first refusal before the sale can proceed.
several weeks, typically†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's called a private deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The restaurant's lease needs landlord consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner or a designated manager typically completes Cora's kitchen and food-safety training before or shortly after taking over.
1–3 weeks†Funds and keys change hands, kitchen and prep equipment condition is confirmed, and perishable fruit and food inventory is counted at cost.
1 day, once conditions are met†Official corafranchise.com actively recruits franchise partners; described by Franchise Ontario as Canada's pioneer in full-service breakfast dining, operating locations coast to coast
Expanded into Ontario via the Cora Franchise Group starting in 2000, opening its first Ontario restaurant in Nepean
This is the first real decision in a Cora Breakfast & Lunch resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's griddles, fruit-prep stations, and kitchen equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — every location it holds, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific unit changing hands. | Required for the change of control itself. |
| Operating hours & labour model | A daytime-only service window shapes staffing needs and labour cost — worth modelling against actual shift schedules rather than assuming a standard restaurant's hours. | The same operating model applies across whichever locations the company holds. |
| The lease | Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own approval. | Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
The unit's griddles, fruit-prep stations, and kitchen equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — every location it holds, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Required for the specific unit changing hands.
Required for the change of control itself.
A daytime-only service window shapes staffing needs and labour cost — worth modelling against actual shift schedules rather than assuming a standard restaurant's hours.
The same operating model applies across whichever locations the company holds.
Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own approval.
Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Cora restaurant changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with a straightforward lease and daytime-only operating model.
Start my file →A multi-unit operator adding a location to an existing portfolio, or a resale where the franchisor's right of first refusal needs to be worked through before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Typically, yes — with no dinner or evening service, staffing is concentrated into a shorter window, and there's no evening liquor licence or bar staff to factor in. We build that operating model into how we review the numbers behind an offer.
Fresh-fruit prep and garnish-station handling tend to draw closer attention than at a typical lunch counter, since so much of the menu depends on produce prepared fresh throughout service rather than cooked to temperature.
It generally means a more established, well-tested franchise system and a longer history of resale transfers for the franchisor to draw on, which can make its consent and disclosure practices more predictable than with a newer brand.
Possibly. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching a buyer to a seller can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement even where the deal is framed as a private resale.
Often, yes. Acquiring an operating company that holds more than one location is more commonly handled as a share purchase, so each location's franchise agreement and lease stay intact through the same transaction.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Cora Breakfast & Lunch or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Cora Breakfast & Lunch resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.