Restaurant Gary’s proves fast food can be local too

Restaurant Gary’s is a classic corner burger joint and hot dog stand, but with a gourmet twist flavoured by locally grown products.

A Howick staple for those with a hankering for a fast but delicious hamburger or poutine, the restaurant has also earned a reputation for its tantalizing specials from its pop-up counter at local events.

Owners Chris McKell-Craig and his partner, Jennifer, have always been very upfront about their preference for local products, especially in their specials. The changing economy has meant that they rely somewhat less on area producers for their everyday fare, but local products are still a key ingredient.

“We spend hours blanching potatoes just so we can have local red skin potatoes from down the road,” says McKell-Craig, while explaining that competition in the fast-food market means they need to find a balance between sourcing locally and maintaining their prices.

“We have taken some steps to reduce our costs,” he says, noting that they bought a meat grinder and potato peeler to do more in-house processing, and planted an extensive garden that they were able to harvest from over the summer. Recent specials have included a marinara sauce made from garden tomatoes, as well as a pulled-pork sandwich featuring homegrown cabbage. It amounts to more work, he acknowledges, but it allows them to stay competitive.

“We try our best,” he says, suggesting that while supporting local producers is important, it is not always a priority for customers. “I think a lot of people just think that fast foods don’t really have much to do with local,” he admits, “but there is a small amount that do care about where our stuff comes from.”