While strEATS burst onto the scene in Calgary, Canada, in 2017, it wasn’t the team’s first rodeo. They had already solidified their claim to fame with Joey’s Seafood Restaurants, a staple in Canada since 1985, celebrated for fish and chips and a secret-family-recipe golden batter that Joe (Joey) Klassen developed himself. By Lizzy Yeserski
While strEATS burst onto the scene in Calgary, Canada, in 2017, it wasn’t the team’s first rodeo. They had already solidified their claim to fame with Joey’s Seafood Restaurants, a staple in Canada since 1985, celebrated for fish and chips and a secret-family-recipe golden batter that Joe (Joey) Klassen developed himself.
But now, with strEATS, they’re dominating the fast-casual market with cutting-edge food trends and a globally inspired menu that features a mouthwatering array of tacos, burritos, and poutines (otherwise lovingly known as street food and the inspiration behind the strEATS moniker).
It’s what Colin Klassen, strEATS’ head chef and menu mastermind, calls “instagrammable quick- service food,” and its popularity is spreading like wildfire. The brand has already rolled out restaurants in four Canadian provinces, adding a dozen locations in 2021.
And the recipe for success? “We just want to keep it simple and delicious and approachable,” said Klassen. “We try to produce what we can to make it local and homemade; there’s love put into that stuff.”
Love might be the secret ingredient, but “simple” and “approachable” allow franchisees to successfully and effortlessly re-create Klassen’s masterpieces. “I just want to make it easy on the partners and the cooks to execute these fancy trends without them having the know-how or the cooking abilities,” Klassen said.
But how does Klassen stay ahead of the food trends? “I eat out a lot,” he said. “Here in Calgary, the food scene is incredible. Our Alberta beef is the best in the world. We’ve got farmland, and everybody’s hyper-local now.” Klassen noted that the “hyper- local” scene is growing with the expansion of farmers markets and salt farms. StrEATS capitalizes on this by marketing to the younger demographic and people on the go.
“It was exciting to have an immediate impact on the menu,” Klassen said. “We’re putting these new items on. We’ve got a vegan thing, lemongrass chicken, that blew all other features out of the water and is now a permanent staple on the menu. We have a softshell crab sandwich on the menu, too, and it is absolutely destroying everything else.”
Klassen lovingly refers to his combinations and creations as “authentically inauthentic.”
Besides invigorating the menu with fresh and exciting comfort- food options, strEATS goes to great lengths to highlight the original neighborhood feel of each eatery. The eatery enlists local graffiti artists to tag up the locations and incorporate the area name into the restaurant’s title.
The brand serves local draft beer from the micro-breweries and mom-and-pop places they like to support. Additionally, each restaurant supports those experiencing food insecurity with their strEATS4streets Taco Foodraiser.
The solid operational foundation that strEATS provides leaves room for franchisees to stay up to date with food sensations inside a fun, modern atmosphere. And entrepreneurs can feel good about the company’s commitment to sustainability. Almost everything diners touch is recyclable, and their napkins, takeout containers, and cutlery are 100% compostable. Plus, the brand only uses seafood approved by the Ocean Sustainability Project. Indeed, strEATS’ commitment to their live-and-die-by values is what’s propelling the brand forward. Those values include remaining environmentally friendly, offering guests mind-blowing experiences, and giving back to the community.
joeysfranchisegroup.ca/ str-eats
Lizzy Yeserski