Two partners with ZZA Hospitality Group, an Edmonton-based organization that owns a variety of Boston Pizza locations in the Edmonton region and a Crumbl in St. Albert, have been nominated for an entrepreneur of the year award.
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year program "celebrates entrepreneurs whose unbounded ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world," Jenna Ng Liet Hing, a spokesperson for EY said in an email.
"An independent panel of judges assesses nominees based on impact, purpose, entrepreneurial spirit, and growth," she said.
Megan Moore and Dan Arndt are the Prairies finalists, competing with other entrepreneurs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. From here, a panel of judges will choose an overall winner for the Prairies region, which will be announced in October.
The overall Prairies winner competes at the national level in November to be Canada's EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025. The winner of that will compete in Monaco for World Entrepreneur of the Year.
ZZA Hospitality Group was founded in 2012. Arndt is the president franchisee with ZZA Group, and Moore is the vice-president of operations franchisee, saying she worked in just about every position in Boston Pizza, starting in Edmonton. Being recognized is an honour for them.
"It's really exciting," Arndt said. "We do a lot of work. We've been building our business for a long time."
For Moore, the nomination is an even greater surprise, as she wasn't entirely sure ZZA Group's business model was eligible to be recognized for the award.
"It's been an honour to be recognized because we do feel we are serial entrepreneurs that have a passion for hospitality and will continue to build out our portfolio as the years go on," Moore said. "What sets us apart as ZZA Hospitality is that we've really built a brand that runs and operates franchise brands. I think that's what puts us apart. If we owned five McDonald's locations, we may or may not have been eligible or recognized for this program."
Moore was nominated by Patricia Nicol, St. Albert's director of economic development. Nicole said she has known Moore for around four years, and when EY reached out to her and asked if any businesses she'd like to nominate, Moore and ZZA Hospitality Group immediately stood out.
"Primarily because of her business acumen, how much of a go-getter she is," Nicol said. "They (ZZA Group) have made a great impact, not just in St. Albert with Crumbl, but in the region they own multiple Boston Pizzas. She's just kind of always embedded into the community."
While they have seen success, it hasn't been without hardship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they only owned Boston Pizza franchises. Arndt said that they had to layoff nearly 500 staff members as a result.
"That was the worst time ever, frankly," Arndt said. "For dine-in food service, we were affected sort of worse than anybody. And we were operating in three different provinces dealing with almost changing daily regulations for how we dealt with our staff and the protocols."
Their experience through those years helped them realize they needed to expand their portfolio. Now, they own a Crumbl location in St. Albert, as well as one in Airdrie. They'll soon will be adding a Popeyes in Yorkton, Sask., and are looking for further opportunities to grow.
"We have good systems and really good people," Arndt said. "Good things are happening."
