Montreal Hotdogs trucks into town previewing new restaurant concept as vendor at K-Days

Of the 104 food vendors at K-Days, one is more than just a food truck — it’s a training ground.

Three new Montreal Hotdogs restaurants are opening in Alberta in the coming months and the new owners are learning the business by feeding the exhibition’s hungry crowds.

“All the training is being done here,” said Paul Richards, director of operations. “We’ve got our three franchisees, working, training at the same time.”

Richards said the company currently runs 19 independent locations in Quebec, but the forthcoming locations in downtown Edmonton, Beaumont and Cochrane will be the first to carry the Montreal Hotdogs brand. At the core is an authentic Montreal-style menu featuring poutines, smoked meat, genuine maple products and the infamous Montreal “steamie” hotdog.

Richards said that while products are sourced locally, genuine cheese curds and maple syrup are brought in from the East. The restaurants are being designed to evoke nostalgia with a retro blackand-white logo and an esthetic inspired by the Original Six NHL hockey teams.

The Montreal Hotdogs truck offers a preview of the menu with 40 items ranging from hotdogs and deep-fried cheese curds, to maple iced coffee and salads.

Richards said that the three biggest sellers have been the classics — hotdogs, poutine and smokedmeat sandwiches.

He said Friday set a new record. “We sold over 400 smoked meat poutines.”

Richards said it takes a lot of work to feed the crowds.

“We’ve got 12 guys working double-time prepping and everything to (make) that food,” he said.

One of the workers, Sunny Xin, is opening the franchise in Cochrane. He said working at the truck is a high-pressure environment that’s taught him a lot about feeding a crowd.

“Without speed,” he said, “you cannot serve that many customers in a short period of time.”

Abhijeet Chougule’s downtown Edmonton franchise — located on 104 Avenue near Rogers Place — is set to open next month.

He’s a trained chef who was drawn to the food and the authentic concept, although he’s yet to visit the city that bears its name.

“Not yet, but soon.”