When it comes to talking long-term success, Ryan Smolkin, Smoke’s Poutinerie founder and owner, is not shy about his goals: “Global domination, maybe even galactic domination!” he says, half joking.

Smolkin can be forgiven for having out-of-this-world ambition — his 31-unit operation has doubled in size every year since it first opened, to much fanfare and never-ending line-ups, in 2008.

Browns Socialhouse, the franchise seemingly sweeping Western Canada, has grown from a slow and steadily expanding operation to a sales powerhouse, bringing in $29.5 million last year and earning the title of operator with the greatest year-over-year percentage increase on F&H’s 2012 Top 100 report.

The race to claim the title as the top-performing foodservice segment in Canada isn’t even close, with word that quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) brought in $21.6 billion in 2011, accounting for 34.6 per cent of the country’s foodservice market. Further, the top six QSR chains in Canada performed well in 2011, posting year-over-year sales increases. The segment is clearly doing well, and operators are starting to understand that an ongoing commitment to menu diversification, consumer responsiveness and staying on top of trends is necessary to ensure continued success.

It was another year steeped in success at Starbucks Canada, a prominent top-10 player on F&H’s 2012 Top 100 report. Infused by percolating progress on a number of different levels, the perennial coffee-brewing favourite grew again last year, expanding its store base of 1,130 Canadian outlets by more than 50 and posting sales of $1.2 billion, moving them onto F&H’s Top 10 Report for the first time.