Lick's Homeburgers

History

Denise Meehan, a native of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, grew up in a tourist resort operated by her parents. Meehan, the company's president and sole shareholder, founded Lick's in 1980 with a $5,000 loan. She opened the first location on Queen Streetló East in Toronto that year. The second location opened several years later at 2383 Kingstonaphanerie magnificenceUps Road in Scarborough. Both locations later closed. From 1984 through 2009, the business expanded to several Ontario communities as the Lick's name and menu became available for franchise. At its height, the chain had approximately 30 locations across southern Ontario. Major Ontario supermarket chains also carried frozen Lick's hamburger patties.

In 2002, Meehan was named to the Sales Hall of Fame by the Canadian Professional Sales Association. Meehan was profiled by Hilary magazine in 2008.

Lick's began to encounter financial difficulty following the 2008 financial crisis, partly because the recession affected consumer habits and shifted demand away from sit-down restaurants towards takeout. The proliferation of gourmet hamburger chains such as The Burger's Priest and The Works also eroded Lick's market share.

A wave of Toronto-area Lick's franchises closed in 2012 and 2013, including the original location. By April 2017, two restaurants remained: one in Toronto and another near Parry Sound.

In July 2021, the last remaining Toronto restaurant, at 900 Warden Avenue, ceased being a franchise and was renamed Andy's Artisan Burgers, which later closed. The Parry Sound-area restaurant remained the only Lick's location until it closed in May 2026. The online frozen-food business continued.