A Gatineau firm whose software helps some of Canada’s best-known chains track their stores’ performance is now part of a U.S. franchise management giant.
Virginia-based FranConnect announced this week it has acquired LavaBlast Software, which makes a subscription-based platform used by franchisors to maintain consistent standards across their operations. Financial terms of the deal, which closed Jan. 14, were not made public.
Launched 14 years ago by a pair of University of Ottawa software engineering grads, LavaBlast – which did business under the name FranchiseBlast – has more than 100 customers. They include Recipe Unlimited Corp., the company behind Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s and other Canadian restaurant brands, as well as Cinnabon parent company Focus Brands, BeaverTails and Smoke’s Poutinerie.