We sat down with the owner and operator of VIRNEEL Food Service Ltd, Neel Lakhani, to talk about his passion for building brands and communities. Lakhani also discusses the motivation behind his entrepreneurial journey, his drive to seek new challenges, and building solid partnerships, as well as surrounding himself with positive people while continually seeking new business opportunities.
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In 2017, Neel Lakhani landed in Regina not knowing what the future would hold for him. He had no idea that in a few short years, he would be at the forefront of a growing food-service empire stretching across the country. His family’s move from overseas was one of adaptation, education, and pure ambition. “I was in grade seven when we came,” Lakhani recalls. “When we first landed in Regina, I started working with my uncle, giving him a hand with his stores. He had eight Subway franchises at the time and had been in Canada for fifteen years. He knew what he was doing. I kind of got the hang of it from there.”
A fire was lit inside Lakhani due to the early exposure to the restaurant world, showing him firsthand how to juggle inventory, manage staff, and the importance of great customer service and surrounding yourself with great people. Lakhani was busy learning lessons in business and leadership while most teenagers were occupied with video games, sports, and life’s simplicities.
The most defining leap and biggest gamble came in 2020, when the Lakhani family saw an opportunity in a world-changing pandemic that closed countless restaurants across Canada. While most were scrambling for ways to save their businesses, the Lakhani family was looking for opportunities and finding ways to open new restaurants.
“We bought the stores mid-COVID,” Lakhani explains. “At that time, restaurants were closed. It was a big gamble, but we knew what we were walking into. My dad needed support as English is his second language, and he wasn’t getting much help. I was only fifteen or sixteen, but I said, ‘I’ll jump in and help with lawyers, interviews, training, and that’s how it all started.” All while Lakhani was doing studies on the side.
“When I did my first employee interview, I was still a teenager,” he recalls. “The brand trusted someone so young, which I really appreciated. I had my dad by my side, but it was still a huge opportunity. I’ll always be grateful for that trust.”
Their first acquisitions were two Pita Pit locations – one in Truro and another in New Glasgow in the province of Nova Scotia. The move east was partly strategic and partly lifestyle-driven. “The East Coast was where my friends were buying businesses. It was a good opportunity for us,” he says. “Plus, going from minus 45 degrees in Saskatchewan to plus 20 in Nova Scotia, that was a bonus.” The Lakhani family signed the deal in June of 2020, moved to the East Coast in October of 2020, and opened the restaurant in December of 2020.
The growth from those first two Pita Pit stores through the pandemic had taken Lakhani by surprise. By June of 2022, Lakhani and his partners had acquired a Pizza Delight franchise, which is an iconic Maritime brand. By December of 2023, they added two more Pita Pit locations in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Then, in March of 2024, came another new addition – Booster Juice, to their already long list of successful restaurants.
The choices of the chosen franchises were intentional. “I had experience with Subway, but the royalty fees in American franchises are higher. Canadian brands are growing quickly and still expanding. There’s a lot more room for growth. For example, in one town, you might see two or three Subways competing, but only one Pita Pit. That gives you more market to cover, and more credibility.” Many Canadians agree to support local more than ever, and giving the communities more Canadian choices to choose from will help aid in both Canada’s economy and the success of Virneel Foods. By doing this, it will give successful food service businesses such as Virneel Food Service the opportunity to bring more options to small communities, which in turn will also create more job opportunities for these smaller communities.
The decision to diversify across three different Canadian-born brands, Booster Juice (founded in Alberta), Pita Pit (Ontario), and Pizza Delight (Maritimes), has given Virneel Food Service a uniquely national footprint. “I like to go with what I believe in,” Lakhani says. “If the food is great, if I enjoy it, then I feel confident offering it to others.” With so many options out there to choose from, it’s truly refreshing to see Virneel Food Service stick to Canadian-based brands and restaurants.
Success doesn’t come without obstacles. Inflation, supply chain disruptions, and staffing shortages have tested the resilience of businesses. “Inflation is the big one right now,” Lakhani admits, as well as the added costs of the tariffs. “In 2020, a case of chicken was $80, and now it’s $131. That’s almost double. But we can’t double our prices. That’s been the biggest challenge.”
Then there’s staffing, which is a problem faced by most restaurants across Canada. “The biggest challenge is finding the right people and making them part of the team,” he says. “Recently, what has been happening is people have been coming in, they will work for a month or two, technically the training period, once that’s over, they’ll move on to other opportunities. That’s tough. But recently we’ve been pretty stable, and our teams are doing great.”
“When you buy a franchise, you’re buying a full-time job,” Lakhani says bluntly. “It doesn’t matter if you’re away on vacation; you need to be available 24/7. If there’s a problem, it’s yours. Managers can handle a lot, but if something goes beyond their control, it comes to you. You need to be ready.” This was the case recently when one of his businesses, the Pizza Delight in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, fell victim to arson and had to temporarily close its doors because of an investigation and now for extensive remediation and renovations to the property. Lakhani is hopeful that his team will be serving the people of Pictou County again soon.
For now, the focus is on stability, growth, and building strong teams. The group employs 40 to 60 people across Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; a responsibility Lakhani doesn’t take lightly. “It’s a lot of people to support,” he acknowledges. “But it’s worth it.”
Despite the ups and downs, Lakhani insists that one consistent standard across all locations is exceptional customer service. “We have great teams,” he emphasizes. “I’m not the only one running the show. People like Joanne and Pranav are the backbone of the business. They make sure the guest experience is our top priority and our main goal.”
The relationships that are created in smaller communities are much greater and more meaningful than those created in larger cities. “In St. John’s, we have great relationships with Newfoundland Power, the hospitals, and so many organizations. We love to connect with people. It’s easier in smaller communities than in bigger cities.”
Connection and service both extend beyond business. Sponsorships of festivals, sporting events, and community involvement are a core part of Lakhani’s approach. “We care about the community. They support us, so we want to support them,” he says. “We can’t do every event, but we try to do as much as we can. It’s about giving back.”
After arriving to Canada at a young age, Lakhani set his future standards high and continues to strive for greatness. His success isn’t just that of his own but of a true family dynamic, from watching his uncle’s work ethic to his father believing in him and giving him opportunities at such a young age. What started as a teenager helping his non-English speaking father navigate contracts has turned into a successful multi-province business group with a growing portfolio.
At only 21, Lakhani already speaks with the professionalism, knowledge, and integrity of a seasoned entrepreneur of twice his age. His valuable advice is not to be ignored by anyone of any age or level of experience.
From long drives (his favorite way to unwind), to late nights handling business calls, to sponsoring community festivals, Neel Lakhani embodies the grit and optimism of Canada’s next generation of entrepreneurs. “I enjoy being busy,” he says simply. “We’re keeping busy and enjoying the summer.”
So, what’s next? Lakhani hints at new projects in St. John’s, Newfoundland, including expansion into another Canadian dining brand. “We don’t want to give the name away just yet,” he says, smiling. “But we’re working on it. Same with Booster Juice, we want to grow in that brand as well, as it’s easy to operate because you don’t need too many people on hand.”
From building brands to building communities, this is one young entrepreneur to look out for, and we will continue to follow Lakhani and cheer on his success.
by Krista Legge-Wakeley