MTY Food Group Inc. reported its first-quarter profit rose compared with a year ago as its revenue also climbed higher.

The restaurant franchisor and operator says it earned $16.6 million or 68 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Feb. 28, up from $13.4 million or 54 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue totalled $140.5 million for the quarter, up from $119 million.

MTY is the company behind more than 80 restaurant brands, including food court staples like Thai Express and Tiki-Ming.

MTY CEO Eric Lefebvre says 75 new locations opened across MTY's network in the first quarter, making it the best first quarter in the company's history in terms of restaurant openings.

At the end of the quarter, MTY had 6,704 locations in operation, of which 89 were corporate and 6,615 were franchised.