West-enders are about to get a new purveyor of locally-sourced deli meat, produce and grab-and-go grub. Chris Schroer and Steve Ireson, along with another business partner, have just signed a lease at 1484 Dundas West and hope to open The Hogtown Cure as a deli and café by mid-November.
“This is going to be your standard deli-café,” Schroer says, “but we’re sourcing directly from farmers and using a lot of Canadian products.”
Schroer has been involved in the food industry for years, having spent time working at Jamie Kennedy’s now-shuttered Provenance Regional Cuisine (Schroer cites the celebrity chef as a mentor). Meanwhile Ireson has a lengthy resume in nightclub management.
The Hogtown Cure is currently in talks with suppliers such as Monforte, ChocoSol and 100km Foods. The idea is to match the locavore ethos of Provenance, but with a more accessible food selection and less of an emphasis on French cuisine (which means more bacon and less terrine). If all goes according to plan, the deli will offer sandwiches, veggies, prepared foods and more. It will also make its own sausages and smoke and cure its own meat.
Schroer and Ireson aim to have their venue open early for coffee and pastries, and stay open until the evening (8 p.m. or so) to cater to the after-work crowd.
