A scaled-down spud shack in a west end parking lot is making quite the stir among the area's poutine-loving community.
Emilio Shamana set out to open his own restaurant, but considering the cost and for simplicity’s sake he is starting with a chip truck parked in a lot in the city’s west end.
It’s called The Potato Shack and it has just three items on the menu; fries, poutine and pop. The food trailer is parked at 300 Willow Rd., just east of the Willow/Silvercreek intersection and is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.
Emilio uses hand-cut Yukon gold potatoes, Knorr beef gravy, vegetarian gravy for those who request it, kosher salt and cheese curds from Little Brown Cow in Brantford.
It was cheaper for Emilio to open up a small trailer with a limited menu because if he expanded to add burgers he would need a griddle, more space, bigger exhaust and fire suppression systems. The simpler the menu is the more attention he could pay to having it be high quality, he said.
He drives in from Toronto with his sister, Sabrina, who is helping as he starts his business.
At first Sabrina had control of what music was played on the drive and her preference is EDM music. Emilio grew tired of it and decided podcasts about the military were what he wanted to hear. It got him in a regimented mindset which he said helps when it comes to his business.
“Well my brother (had) come up with all these different ideas throughout the year so when he finally settled on The Potato Shack I thought it was a really good idea,” said Sabrina. “It was simple, easier, he could start small and work his way big.”
She had prior experience working at a poutine shop she was studying at Wilfrid Laurier University so she was happy to help her brother at The Potato Shack.
Their dad is from Iraq and has lived in places like Italy and Sweden before moving to Canada in the late 80s. He ran a restaurant in North York called The Chicken Place, which Emilio grew up in. When Emilio was old enough he became a delivery driver for the restaurant. The restaurant sold in 2018 and Emilio’s dad retired.
“My dad, he only bought that restaurant because he was an immigrant. Worked for himself and provided living for his family. He hates the restaurant business,” said Emilio. Growing up in a family business there is stress involved, he said.
During the pandemic Emilio was a delivery driver for UberEats for about six months. Then a friend of his bought a restaurant in Chatham-Kent that Emilio managed and lived above for 18 months. He said he would work 90 hours a week, nearly everyday opening the restaurant and closing it in the evening.
He went back home and did a couple other restaurant jobs in various roles. In the end he worked as a dishwasher as a way to save money and not stress too much. He was saving to open his own restaurant but with the money he had a food trailer was more feasible.
He looked for a place in Toronto that would allow him to park The Potato Shack but he didn’t have any luck. Emilio’s friend he’s had since he was nine-years-old suggested he park it at the parking lot he has next to the business property he owns in Guelph.
Emilio was hesitant at first because he didn’t think the building had much parking but his friend said there were about 30 spots in and around the back of the building. When The Potato Shack opened on Sept. 4, he had everything ready but told Sabrina he was too scared to open. But she told him he just had to open.
No matter how much he prepared, how much he knew about the restaurant industry, how much money he spent on this he said nothing prepared him for actually doing it and opening up his own business. He’s heard people in the military say “you can never prepare too much for going to combat” and this resonated with him at that moment.
“I know my dad didn't want it to happen,” said Emilio. His dad told him he wouldn’t have much of a life since he would be working so much which was fine with Emilio, he was used to it.
He said the first two weeks were slow and doubts started to creep in, but as the weeks went on it started to pick up.
The Potato Shack is closed on Sunday, but even though he goes to church he does spend time working because there is so much to do.
He is going to keep the menu as simple as possible but is considering adding a feature poutine every month. He is also adding a menu item that isn’t fries but didn’t want to spoil the surprise. The item needs a special piece of equipment and he hopes to unveil the food item by the end of the year.
Sabrina hopes Emilio can expand The Potato Shack in Guelph and elsewhere.
