The founders of DL Chicken, together with urban streetwear entrepreneur and art collector Zach Wilcox, are taking the traditional convenience store to the next level with the opening of The Drive Canteen next week. Located at 1111 Commercial Drive, snack lovers can satisfy the munchies with locally made sweet and savoury treats, tricked out hot dogs, loaded nachos, and housemade beverages.
Shoppers can also revel in its custom sneaker collection, curated streetwear, and curated urban art hub, which is coming soon after launch.
“The Drive Canteen is for everyone who has ever had cravings for some good, old-school snacks and drinks,” explains Doug Stephen, co-founder of DL Chicken, Downlow Burgers, and The Drive Canteen. “Instead of just the usual mass market brands you may find at traditional convenience stores, we’ve tapped a few of our good friends to help us stock the shelves with locally-made treats, in addition to some nostalgic favourites.”
Current exclusive items include:
- Four “classic” chocolate bars by Beta5, featuring Crispy (dark chocolate, crispy wafer), Creamy (dark chocolate, caramel), Chewy (dark chocolate, peanuts, milk chocolate nougat, caramel), and Smooth (dark chocolate, peanut butter);
- Scarlito’s Way cookie flavours, such as dark chocolate George and miso-flavour Mary;
- Stuffed cookies by Chaotic Good;
- Jamaican patties by Elbo Patties;
- Dumplings by Dicky’s Dump;
- Pizza pockets made from scratch;
- DL Chicken spicy dill pickles;
- Spiced corn nuts;
- housemade granola bars.
A special The Drive Canteen hot bar section will feature a variety of made-to-order spiced nachos and steamy hot dogs of all kinds, from regional classicals, such as Chicago-style and choux-choux (Quebec steamie); Japanese-inspired with wasabi mayo, bulldog tonkatsu sauce, and crispy shallots; and an Italian variation with pepperoni jam, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.
The cool zone features milkshakes to start, with more to come by next spring. People can also quench their thirst with a variety of small-batch adult-style non-alcoholic beverages.
On the retail side, Stephen and Lindsey Mann have partnered with business partner Wilcox to curate a forthcoming urban art hub focused on highlighting talented local artists. There will also be a sneaker section named HySoles by Josh Jose, complete with sneaker cleaning services and bespoke sneaker customization.
“Doug and Lindsey are huge community supporters, and I couldn’t think of any pair better to partner with,” adds Wilcox, founder of Future Grownup and Puffy Shirt Screenprinting. “The Drive Canteen is going to be a great addition to The Drive. I look forward to curating a selection of urban collectables and art for people to add to their personal collections.”
Soon, the team will turn The Drive Canteen’s sub-zero level into an exclusive, accessible arts and events space, complete with a separate entrance in the back of the building. It aims to focus on non-traditional art forms, local talent, and pop-ups.
To stay up-to-date, please visit The Drive Canteen’s Instagram account at @drivecanteen
1 Comment
Looks so fun! Another convenience store that brings local goodies together is Rise Up Marketplace! Just opened Thursday