Rudy, a burger joint from Toronto that started in 2016, has been growing its footprint in Southwestern Ontario this year. They’ve opened a restaurant at London’s White Oaks Mall and will be launching another one in St. Thomas on Sept. 11 at 985 Talbot St. Luke Mc Cann, the owner of the expanding chain, chatted with LFP’s Ryan Goodison about their journey so far.
Q: For those who might not know you, what is Rudy and how did it start?
A: A friend of mine and I kicked things off over 10 years ago in Little Italy on College Street in Toronto with a really straightforward concept. We were both fans of burgers while growing up and traveled quite a bit trying to figure out our direction. The idea was all about simple griddle burgers. I remember my mom cooking them up in the frying pan when I was younger, so we wanted to keep the menu straightforward. It’s a scratch kitchen; everything is made fresh here.
Q: Where does the name come from?
A: The name Rudy comes from when my late business partner and I were kids. You know how sometimes you go to parties and someone acts a little over-the-top or obnoxious? We would quietly say that person’s being a “rudy,” meaning rude. It was just an inside joke between us back then.
Q: Now you’re heading into St. Thomas; why did you choose this location?
A: We checked it out and spoke with many local businesses, all of which seemed to be thriving, plus it’s an area that’s growing fast in the province. We found an incredible spot on Talbot with great visibility-it’s standalone-and it reminded us of our place on Queensway in Toronto. When you find such a special location like that, it’s tough to pass up.
A Rude Dude burger, skinny fries and a pop were photographed at Rudy in White Oaks Mall in London on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Geoff Robins/The
Q: You recently opened up in London back in January; why did you pick this city?
A: London is quite large for being outside of Toronto; as you head that way, you can see it’s expanding quickly. With colleges and universities nearby plus a big population, it just felt right for us to be there. I also have friends living down there who kept asking me when we’d open something there-it had been on our radar for quite some time.
Q: What made White Oaks Mall the ideal spot for your new location?
A: We really liked that area since it’s right off the highway, plus I believe they’re doing some construction work on both the mall and surrounding roads right now as well. Once everything wraps up, we think it’ll be booming! There’s also Ronaldo’s soccer Footlab and an Ikea coming into that mall too-seemed like perfect timing for us.
Q: With St. Thomas being your 19th location across Ontario, what’s behind your success so far?
A: Our focus has always been on keeping the menu simple-good food done well-and that’s exactly what we aim for here. We’re not as quick as Mc Donald’s but we believe it’s worth the wait for quality food. Plus attracting great people to work with us has been key-when you’ve got awesome staff, amazing things can happen.
Q: Are there plans for more expansions into Southwestern Ontario?
A: This is as far southwest as we currently have planned but we’d love to eventually make our way toward Windsor or maybe Sarnia down the line.
Q: If you could suggest one item from your menu, what would it be?
A: My favorite is definitely the double cheeseburger called the Rude Dude! I usually pair it with our thin fries cooked in beef tallow-that’s something we do differently than most places though it’s becoming popular again!
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