Smoke's Poutinerie founder, Ryan Smolkin (BBA '95), says branding key to world domination
 

 
Ryan Smolkin at Lazaridis Hall before his speech on Nov. 15, 2018.

Always have more air guitars than the competition. That’s the message from the founder and CEO of Smoke’s Poutinerie during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Fries, curds and gravy can be served by anyone — it’s branding and entertainment that feed the popularity of the poutine-only chain.

Ryan Smolkin (BBA ’95) delivered the speech, ‘Strategic brand building through entertainment’ to a standing room-only audience at Lazaridis Hall on Nov. 15, 2018. “If we had opened a restaurant thinking we were just going to sell poutine, we would’ve closed as fast as we opened,” the Laurier alumnus said.

Smolkin’s entertaining talk was the highlight of the Entrepreneur Speaker Series by the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation. He also shouted, played an air guitar and sang along to Poison’s Nothin’ But a Good Time. And yes, the crowd joined in. Then came the announcement. Smolkin is waving the Smoke’s Poutinerie franchise fee for a Laurier student or recent alumni — he’s calling it “free poutine for life.” Wannabe franchisees are invited to learn more about the company, its values, brand and culture before applying to be considered for Smoke's edu-tainment partnership.

Wearing a lumberjack hat, sunglasses and plaid shirt, Smolkin told the crowd he managed to open 150 locations by “living and breathing” the brand. He reminded them that in his case, CEO stands for Chief Entertainment Officer.

“I’m weird, wild and wacky,” he said. “You don’t have to be like me. The smile on your face can be your thing, but everyone has to be entertaining in their own way.”

If an employee wants to dance or shoot hoops at work with balled-up napkins, Smolkin encourages that, too. In fact, that was in the promotional video he showed to students.

After nine years and a modest U.S. expansion, Smoke’s Poutinerie is now on the verge of opening a franchise in Qatar. To Smolkin, that’s another step toward his goal of global domination.

“I’ve wanted to take over the world since I was a child,” Smolkin said. He had a lemonade stand for a while and then worked at his father’s menswear store in Smiths Falls near Ottawa. When it came time to go to university, Smolkin said the co-op program sold him on Laurier.

"At that point, all I had on my resume was, ‘global marketing officer for a large sales event,’” Smolkin said. “That’s what I called running my dad’s sidewalk sale. The co-op experience really padded my resume.”

He was accepted and soon started to capitalize on any opportunity for entrepreneurship. He sold squash rackets on campus that he brought from Florida. He didn’t just attend keg parties, he hosted them for a profit. Smolkin eventually saved enough money to buy a property near the Waterloo campus and used the rent money to buy more real estate. When it was time to sell, his properties were worth more than $4 million.

Smolkin then launched a brand and graphic design firm that landed clients like Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Nike and Molson. He sold that too, and spent two years “laying low” and devoting his time to twin sons born in 2008.

That’s when Smoke told him to act. Smoke is the ‘80s glasses-wearing character on the poutinerie’s logo. He's described as "living in a penthouse cabin made of Lego deep in the woods, far up north by the Québec border" and is part of the rich story supporting the Smoke’s Poutinerie brand.

Smolkin points to Smoke, the mysterious character on the poutinerie's logo.

“Smoke had been talking to me for years,” Smolkin said. “He told me, it’s time.”

The first location opened Nov. 20, 2008 on Adelaide Street in downtown Toronto.

“From there on it was hard work, common sense and surrounding yourself with the right people,” Smolkin said. “At the time, I didn’t know anything about the restaurant business.”

Opening day saw people lined up around the corner and he quickly ran out of bacon. In the morning, Smolkin went to a supermarket and “bought all the bacon.”

“People were looking at me walking down the aisle with a full shopping cart that had nothing but bacon in it.”

The poutinerie reopened at 5 p.m. only to run out of ingredients four hours later. That people were lining up outside his restaurant, given the many options in downtown Toronto, suggested he was doing something right. And it wasn’t just the poutine, because other restaurants sold it too. People liked his energy, his enthusiasm and the 1980s Canadiana décor.

When Smolkin started hiring staff, he looked for people who knew how to sell the brand, as opposed to experience working fryers.

“I can teach you how to run a kitchen, how to blanch fries and how to clean toilets,” he said. “I can’t teach you how to have drive, ambition and passion.”

Smolkin has all of that in spades, in addition to a strong work ethic. As the face of the franchise, he needs to be seen.

This summer, he worked a Smoke’s food truck hired to cater a wedding in Saskatoon. At the beginning of July, he worked 16 hours each day around Canada Day running a food truck on Parliament Hill. He even cleans toilets when needed.

Smolkin calls it getting in the trenches.

“How else can you understand your business inside and out? How else can you relate to your franchisees?”

If he didn’t know much about running a poutine restaurant when he started, Smolkin now has a wealth of knowledge. He’s applying it all toward global domination. It’s clear to anyone who meets him, it’s not fries, curds and gravy that will get him there, it’s ‘80s glam, hard work, and entertainment.