Guelph grads add a little schnitz to the local foodie scene
Downtown Guelph is known for having a vibrant and concentrated bar scene, but when it comes to getting some late night grub, one might be hard pressed to find something other than poutine to satisfy those alcohol-induced cravings. At least that is what an entrepreneurial group of students discovered during their undergrad at the U of G. Mirelle Shimonov, a marketing major, along with her brother Lirom, and friend Corey Paris—both hospitality students—found a hole that needed to be filled within the local food scene. In January 2015, the trio proceeded to open their very own fast-but-satisfying-food establishment, Who Gives A Schnitz.
Schnitzel, a traditional Austrian dish, is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of late night cuisine. However, the unexpected presence of a hearty sandwich with all the fixings has become part of its appeal to customers. Although all three owners grew up eating schnitzel, Mirelle Shimonov, handler of the marketing and social media side of the business, explained that “it’s not every day that you see a schnitzel house.” According to Shimonov, choosing such a specific dish to serve to a wide range of customers might have been a bit of a risk, but a risk that would prove to be welcome among the community.
The team knew that hitting the late night market would not be enough to sustain the business. “We wanted to be versatile,” said Shimonov. “We wanted to hit the brunch crowd, the lunch crowd, the dinner crowd, and the late night crowd.”
Since its opening one year ago, Who Gives A Schnitz has offered customers a wide selection of schnitzel specialties to get you through the day, as well as vegetarian, gluten-free, and family-friendly options. They have also expanded to offer pick-up, delivery, and catering services for events.
In maintaining a locally driven business model, Who Gives A Schnitz has fit right into the homegrown foodie culture in Guelph. “Everything from our vegetables, to our meat, to a lot of our marketing material, is actually locally sourced,” said Shimanov, noting the importance of small businesses helping each other grow within the community.
Driven by a passion for good food and good people, Team Schnitz has placed a strong emphasis on community involvement, both in person and online. The business is highly active on social media, aiming to attract and engage customers in a fun and interactive way. “We [also] love getting involved in local fundraisers [and] events,” said Shimonov, who has helped to arrange sponsorship for events such as the KidsAbility Superhero Run and Fuck Cancer Guelph. The business has also worked in partnership with the University of Guelph’s marketing program. Returning to their roots as U of G alumni, the team presented students with real problems that the business faced.
“It was really a chance for the students to think outside the box […] and they really helped us come up with a strategy that we can then take and put into place in the foreseeable future,” said Shimonov.
By giving students a chance to work first-hand with the business and ask questions, Team Schnitz hopes to inspire and motivate young entrepreneurs to take risks and chase their passions. Not long ago, Shimonov was in the same position as many students today, not knowing what was coming next: “We were unsure about what we were going to do, we were unsure of how we were going to do it, but what we said to ourselves was, ‘we’ve got to take the chance, because if not now, then when?’” In taking that chance, the trio has created a unique, modern business that has seen tremendous growth over the last year and has quickly found its place within the local food scene.