Willowbrae aims to be McDonald’s of daycare

COLLEEN COSGROVE, Business Reporter
The [Nova Scotia] Chronicle Herald

Just as a big Big Mac in Alberta tastes the same as one purchased in Nova Scotia, W… Childcare Academy intends to offer parents coast-to-coast consistent and reliable service.

Halifax entrepreneur W C launched the flagship …. in Dartmouth in 2011; a year later, the daycare is doubling in size, three more are on tap to open in metro Halifax and 15 other locations are in the works across Canada and the United States.

“Our goal in the next 10 years is to open 100 locations,”… “We know we have a better brand and we’ve built a good investment model, so everyone wins. During our research three years ago, I didn’t see any one brand that could be the McDonald’s of the child-care industry, so we thought this was a great opportunity. That’s our role; that’s who we’ll be.”…

The … business model taps entrepreneur investors to finance the daycare, hire a facility director and an on-staff chef. Even the facility’s accounting and bookkeeping needs are outsourced….

“This is all so the director is truly focused on education and on the children and not be worrying themselves with meal plans and books,” ….