An American restaurant chain targeting health-conscious consumers will be opening three locations in Toronto in the coming months with plans to expand into other urban Canadian centres over the next several years.

Koo Koo Roo California Kitchen is a southern California-inspired restaurant concept that features low-fat, skinless, flame-broiled, chicken as its signature dish.

In addition to chicken and turkey entrees, the restaurant serves a variety of fresh salads, pastas and side dishes like roast potatoes and steamed vegetables. The food is prepared in front of the customer in a brightly lit, casual, family-dining environment.

The restaurant also features a coffee bar that serves breakfast items and pastries to the morning and midafternoon crowd.

Craig Findlay, president and ceo of Koo Koo Roo Canada, says while his restaurants will be selling chicken, he does not consider Swiss Chalet and Rotisseries St.-Hubert, two family-oriented restaurants with chicken and french fries as a main component of their menus, to be Koo Koo Roo’s principal competition.

Instead, he says, the company will be targeting consumers who want healthy, lower-fat alternatives.

The Canadian restaurants will not be an exact copy of their u.s. counterparts, however. Company research has shown there are some subtle differences between what Canadians and Americans want in a restaurant. As a result, the new Toronto locations will be licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.

‘We will be serving a limited variety of beer and wine,’ says Bruce Peer, a partner at Koo Koo Roo Canada. ‘We’re also planning to make some other adjustments as more research results become available.’

In promoting the new establishment, Koo Koo Roo Canada will focus on a site-specific awareness campaign that includes newspaper ads, transit shelter posters and direct mail to area homes and businesses.

The creative was developed by Impact, the promotional arm of fcb in Toronto.

Playful transit and newspaper ads feature a cartoon illustration of a winking chicken. The text reads, ‘Everything about this restaurant is fresh – but our staff behave themselves.’

A direct mail piece will also promote Koo Koo Roo’s take out and delivery service as well as its company catering division.

In the u.s., take out and delivery account for about 50% of the company’s business, says Peer, adding he expects that figure to be a little higher in Canada.

While the company has not formally announced where it plans to open additional restaurants, Findlay says Vancouver is a likely spot since it is a city known to attract outdoorsy, health-conscious types.

‘We didn’t launch there first because Toronto has a large population,’ he says. ‘But we certainly have plans for that region in the future.’

Koo Koo Roo California Kitchen in Canada is a joint venture between Koo Koo Roo Canada and Los Angeles-based Koo Koo Roo Inc.

The Canadian partners own 60% of the Canadian business with 40% owned by Koo Koo Roo Inc.