Key Takeaways
- • Honestly Good Chicken Fingers has partnered with Serruya Private Equity to accelerate expansion across North America, Asia, and the Middle East, marking a significant growth inflection for the Canadian fast-casual brand.
- • The brand currently operates four restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area with three additional Ontario locations targeted for early 2027, establishing a footprint of seven locations by year-end.
- • Serruya Private Equity, a family-owned investment firm based in Markham, Ontario, will leverage its brand-building experience to scale Honestly Good's freshly prepared chicken finger concept to international markets.
- • Naomi Kempkes was appointed President in July 2026, transitioning from Co-Founder and Vice President of Operations to lead the expansion strategy as the company enters a new growth phase.
- • The partnership underscores investor confidence in the fast-casual chicken concept, which has demonstrated strong product-market fit and operational consistency in Ontario before pursuing geographic diversification.
Summary
Honestly Good Chicken Fingers has announced a joint venture with Serruya Private Equity to fund and accelerate its expansion beyond Canada into the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. The partnership represents a strategic inflection point for the Canadian-born fast-casual restaurant brand, which has built a differentiated concept centered on freshly prepared chicken finger products.
Stephen Czetyrbok, Co-Founder and CEO, characterized the partnership as "a major milestone" and emphasized the deliberate nature of the decision. According to Czetyrbok, Serruya's operational expertise in brand scaling and market entry made it the appropriate capital partner for Honestly Good's next phase of growth. Aaron Serruya, Managing Director of Serruya Private Equity, highlighted the brand's existing strengths: "a strong concept with a great product, a clear identity and significant room to grow," signaling confidence in the replicability of the Ontario model across new geographies.
The brand's current operational footprint includes four restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area, with plans to open three additional locations in Ontario by early 2027. This near-term expansion will establish a seven-location base from which to pursue broader geographic diversification. The timing aligns with leadership changes announced in July 2026, when Naomi Kempkes was promoted to President from her prior role as Co-Founder and Vice President of Operations. Kempkes' background in operations, systems development, and brand foundation-building positions her to oversee the scaling infrastructure required for multi-market expansion.
Serruya Private Equity, a family-owned investment firm headquartered in Markham, Ontario, brings franchise development and brand-building experience that the company believes will facilitate the introduction of Honestly Good's concept to new markets across Canada, the United States, and international regions. The partnership structure and financial terms of the joint venture were not disclosed.
Stephen Czetyrbok, Co-Founder and CEO, characterized the partnership as "a major milestone" and emphasized the deliberate nature of the decision. According to Czetyrbok, Serruya's operational expertise in brand scaling and market entry made it the appropriate capital partner for Honestly Good's next phase of growth. Aaron Serruya, Managing Director of Serruya Private Equity, highlighted the brand's existing strengths: "a strong concept with a great product, a clear identity and significant room to grow," signaling confidence in the replicability of the Ontario model across new geographies.
The brand's current operational footprint includes four restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area, with plans to open three additional locations in Ontario by early 2027. This near-term expansion will establish a seven-location base from which to pursue broader geographic diversification. The timing aligns with leadership changes announced in July 2026, when Naomi Kempkes was promoted to President from her prior role as Co-Founder and Vice President of Operations. Kempkes' background in operations, systems development, and brand foundation-building positions her to oversee the scaling infrastructure required for multi-market expansion.
Serruya Private Equity, a family-owned investment firm headquartered in Markham, Ontario, brings franchise development and brand-building experience that the company believes will facilitate the introduction of Honestly Good's concept to new markets across Canada, the United States, and international regions. The partnership structure and financial terms of the joint venture were not disclosed.
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