Smoke’s Poutinerie says 'thank you' by giving out free food
Finding a way to say thank you with lots of gravy and high stacks of Canadian cheese curds, Smoke’s Poutinerie in Sudbury offered free poutine on Wednesday.
It's all part of a cross-Canada tour that saw the Smoke’s Poutinerie Gravy Train roll up to the downtown location.
“We’re taking the product to the people,” said founder and chief entertainment officer Ryan Smolkin.
“To say thank you for all the support. It’s been some tough times, so why not say thank you and give poutines out to the masses?”
Starting at 11 a.m., the Smoke’s team was handing out free dishes, games and swag as part of the tour.
“Everybody’s been through some tough times and why not say thanks, right?" said Smolkin.
"Why not put it out there? A lot of closures of different industries, a lot of closures of different restaurants, and we’re still here, we’re still thriving.”
Planning to hit 38 cities in 36 days, he said 15,000 poutine orders have been given away since the tour started. Locally, more than 300 were given out in a matter of hours.
“Just how many fans came … it’s crazy. We weren’t expecting that much support,” said Sudbury franchise owner Gibs Bastien, who has owned the Elm Street location for almost six years.
“We have over about 30 poutines. You could build your own. We have some weird, wacky, wild combinations."
Bastien said it felt good to give back to a community that has continued to support him over the years.
“I’ve tried to be involved since Day 1," he said.
"We have the potatoes for the people. Every time around Christmas at the end of the year, (we give) a couple hundred pounds of potatoes to the food bank and it’s just nice to be able to actually give the poutine to the people.”
Although popular on a regular day, the promise of free poutine in Sudbury was so enticing that the event actually had to wrap up two hours early due to high demand.
Those involved said it was a telltale sign that Sudburians love their french fries.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.