SMOKE'S POUTINERIE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS DOWNTOWN

'POTATOES FOR THE PEOPLE' CAMPAIGN HAS DONATED 13,500 POUNDS OF POTATOES TO COMMUNITY CARE

For some, Smoke's Poutinerie is the gravy on top of a great time in downtown St. Catharines.

Cheryl Howlett and her husband Bill opened the shop at 11 Summer St. 10 years ago.

When the franchisee opened, Howlett was pregnant with twin girls. Having just moved to St. Catharines, she and her husband were looking for something new.

In the first year being open, the restaurant decided to donate potatoes to Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold for Christmas, in a campaign called "Potatoes for the

People."

Over the years, they've donated 13,500 pounds of potatoes, and the campaign was picked up by Smoke's nationally.

But their community involvement doesn't stop at

Community Care.

Smoke's has also run campaigns benefitting the Niagara Children's Centre, where one of Howlett's daughters attended.

She said they're planning for further campaigns with the Niagara Children's Centre, and helping long-term-care homes such as Linhaven, where Bill works.

"We do try and keep up

with what's going on around us," she said. "Sometimes it's hard; like an entrepreneur, you get tunnel vision, and you can't see outside of your block."

Even though the poutinerie is a popular downtown spot, Howlett said it wasn't immune to the struggles of the pandemic and increasing food prices.

But they found a way to survive, she said.

As part of the 10-year celebration, the St. Catharines shop gave away nearly 800 poutines during an event downtown last summer.

Since Smoke's opened, Howlett said downtown has changed a lot.

"It's a lot more welcoming," she said. "It's a lot more enjoyable. People want to be here more, which is really nice."