Toronto's hidden gem
A culinary must-visit on TripAdvisor, number two on blogTO’s list of best shawarma in the city, a falafel bowl celebrated by the foodies at Toronto Life, the Flaming Stove, an unassuming take-out counter tucked at the back of a Hasty Market at Yonge and Davisville, is the ultimate convenience foodservice success story.
Since store owner Azmi Farah (brother of Hasty Market founder, Joe Farah) partnered with chef Costa Warwar (his brother-in-law) to introduce takeout food 14 years ago, their store has become a destination for affordable, high-quality Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Known for its signature chicken shawarma and falafels wrapped in made-in-house saj bread, Flaming Stove built its reputation by adapting and evolving its menu, which now includes an array of fresh salads, pastries, samosas and beautifully presented better-for-you grab-and-go prepared food options that put the humble roller dog to shame.
Competing with food
It all started with Farah looking for a way to differentiate. Up until 2012, half of the store was a laundromat, and they operated a traditional convenience store in the other half.
“We had a competitor that moved in behind us. So, we thought, why not? We’ll expand as well,” recalls Farah of the decision to build a kitchen and get into foodservice to compete and grow.
For Warwar it was the opportunity for a fresh start. After working on the retail side of the family business, he was looking for a creative outlet and decided to go back to school to train as a chef.
The Flaming Stove wasn’t an immediate hit, however. In fact, it floundered and went through several iterations.
“We knew we wanted something different, but it took a long time to figure out,” Farah recalls. “We kept changing the menu, then tweaking it until we got to the final menu that we have right now, with the bread—that was one of the most important parts.”
Warwar calls it “a journey of trials and errors,” explaining that they tried various formats and foods.
At one point they experimented by offering different types of cuisine on different days, but soon found that when they did shawarma and falafel wrapped in their now-famous saj bread, they began generating lineups; from there, the vision took shape.
“In the beginning, it was more for grab and go, and just for the lunch crowd because we had a lot of offices next to us,” Warwar recalls. “But we kept an eye on what the customers were buying. And as we developed the understanding of what they were looking for, which is more healthier choices, things that are more on-the-go, we started going back to our roots with Mediterranean Middle Eastern food.”
Soon, the foodservice offering completely changed the business, driving unprecedented foot traffic and sales. It started with a handful of positive reviews from food bloggers and grew from there.
“Everybody was talking about how you come in and it’s like a discovery, you’re discovering something amazing hiding in the back of a convenience store,” says Farah, adding that with word of mouth propelled by social media, followed by a few profiles in mainstream media, they became a viral sensation. “It was a dream, and the food sold itself, we didn’t have to advertise or do any marketing.”
It’s not unusual to see 15, 20, even 30 people lined up at the food counter at lunch time. During a recent visit, CSNC observed a group of men, friends, jostling each other and rubbing their hands in gleeful anticipation, as they watched their shawarmas being assembled.
“This place is a hidden gem–I have been coming here for 10 years. In my opinion it’s the best shawarma in the city,” one customer told CSNC. Another explained that even after moving out of the neighbourhood, he still makes the trip back every few weeks to visit his favourite lunch destination.
Serving a diverse community
After 14 years, as the city and neighbourhood evolve, with new condos springing up and a more diverse demographic moving in, people continue to discover this hidden gem tucked away at the back of a convenience store.
Farah works hard to ensure the store evolves, too, meeting the changing needs and tastes of its community.
“We try to be unique in several areas,” he says. “We started adding different ethnic foods that are now becoming mainstream, like Korean noodles and kimchi, and expanded that. We started getting into European chocolates and cookies that are well known by Europeans, but not as mainstream here. And, we have a section for our Yugoslavian community. As well we added some Southeast Asian snacks that sell really well…. People tell me, hey, try this, and we do. And the best thing about owning your own place is you don’t need a head office approval. I can approve it on the spot and get it the next day for delivery.”
His is a unique ownership model within the Hasty Market group; while Farah benefits from some of the retail chain’s resources, this is an independent operation. Farah didn’t set out to get into the convenience business. But, after he graduated university in the 1980s to a lukewarm job market, joining the family business in Hamilton, Ont, and working with his brother, who he calls his best friend, was a natural segue.
Farah eventually migrated to Toronto and opened the Davisville store, where he’s found listening to customers’ feedback and being willing to experiment, then adapt accordingly, is a recipe for success.
Warwar observes that they are meeting the needs of a new era of customers, who want healthy meal options. “We are busy people. I love cooking, but I don’t have time to cook at home all the time. I think that people recognize that what we do here we do from scratch, and it works for their budget and for their health sensibility.”
Welcoming beverage alcohol
Now, with the advent of beverage alcohol in Ontario, it’s time for the business to adapt again. This time it involves a store makeover designed to accommodate lineups at the food counter and encourage visitors to pick a cold beer, RTD cocktail, cider or bottle of wine to enjoy with their take-out meal.
During a recent visit, Farah gave CSNC a tour and spoke about the vision for the 5,000-sq.-ft. space.
“We’ve been operating like this for several years and I think a store should be renovated within 10 years,” he explains. “A facelift is good and because this industry is changing quite a bit, we need to keep up—improve the service, improve automation, the equipment. It’s because of the neighborhood, too—it’s a nice area and we wanted to reflect that here.”
Up front, near the window to catch the eyes of passersby, is the store’s new beverage alcohol section, which is cleverly cordoned off with glass walls and a door so that staff in the 24/7 store can efficiently cut off sales at 11 p.m., as stipulated by the province.
“We wanted to build a nice area where people come in and browse so we did the glass enclosure, which is easy to lock, but at the same time, it still looks good and people are drawn to it,” says Farah. “[Beverage alcohol] is an extremely important addition to our business and I hope, later on, we can allow people to sit outside and enjoy a drink with their food.”
He’s referring to a simple outdoor seating area where tables fill up, especially during the busy lunch hour, with people enjoying their takeout shawarma and falafel sandwiches. Foot traffic surges again between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., with customers stopping by for essentials or to pick up dinner on their way home from work.
The beverage alcohol business is booming. The store has a well-curated selection that’s a hit with customers, new and old. They were well stocked going into the Thanksgiving weekend and sold more than expected. Farah says they are learning as they go and now have a system in place for ordering to ensure that the shelves are ready for weekend surges.
Investing for growth
The renovation also includes a new storage room (necessary for the beverage alcohol category), fresh fixtures and shelving for groceries; as well as an enclosed oven area for baking Warwar’s famous saj flatbread, which has become so popular they’re now selling it as a product until itself, the perfect pairing with his in-house hummus. [Go online via the QR code for a video of Warwar making saj bread.]
The partners are big believers in investing in the business and changing things up (Farah estimates they buy new foodservice equipment every three or four years, shopping around for the best prices).
Although the operation has a stellar foodservice manager and several dedicated staff, Farah and Warwar are very hands-on: To watch the duo in action, constantly straightening products on the shelves or advising employees about food presentation, is to witness pride and passion in action.
You can find Farah on-site six days a week, working on the business with incremental improvements designed to keep those who live in the neighbourhood, as well as nearby office workers, coming back for more: “It’s about innovation, plus we have a great community and that does the advertising for us.”
While this is very much a community convenience store, where people can pop in for staples, a treat and a bite to eat, it’s also a destination for foodies, who travel from far and wide to “discover” this hidden gem in the heart of Canada’s largest city.