Hoagie Boyz, Handsome Daughter match ‘felt right’

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This article was published 20/12/2024 (261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of Winnipeg’s growing activities: slamming hoagies to the dome.

That’s how Hoagie Boyz describes customers chowing down on its sandwiches. It recently opened a second location, the latest milestone for the expanding business.

“We were operating in here and we didn’t have a menu written out — just kind of winging it,” said co-owner Nyk Bielak, as he sat inside the Handsome Daughter, a bar and music venue at 61 Sherbrook St. “It’s a bit like flying the airplane as you’re building it.”

Hoagie Boyz menus now decorate the bar top; sandwiches are made in the back.

It’s been three months since opening in the venue, but the eatery’s transition period is ongoing. Passersby see nothing but the Handsome Daughter’s sign and a curious “coming soon …” note pasted over a former restaurant’s logo.

Word’s starting to spread — a chicken finger sub called the Gambler is popular — but it’s a slow start, Bielak said. He’s hoping once signage arrives, Hoagie Boyz will be booming.

The two-year-old company regularly sells out at its South Osborne hub. It can only squeeze so many bread loaves in the 700-square-foot shop daily, Bielak noted.

He wasn’t looking for a second location. “We didn’t want (Hoagie Boyz) to lose its magic on South Osborne,” said Bielak, 35.

And anyways, the team has other ventures. They ran a comfort food ghost kitchen called Kosmo’s Space Cowboy Food Cantina before Hoagie Boyz. Since opening the sub shop in 2022, they’ve been tapped to make food for the Beer Can and Next Door (formerly One Sixteen, a restaurant in West Broadway) under the Kosmo’s umbrella.

“I kind of had to sell you on it,” said Jessee Kowalski, eyeing Bielak.

“(We’re) just trying to fill as many voids in this neighbourhood as possible.”–Jessee Kowalski

Kowalski is part of the Handsome Daughter’s new ownership team. He’s also the site’s general manager and has been a staff member, on and off, for the past decade.

Bielak was a familiar face. A regular, some might say.

Kowalski was scouting a restaurant for the venue. He and a handful of partners are in the midst of revitalizing the West Broadway haunt. Would Hoagie Boyz care to join?

“It felt right,” Bielak said. “The two brands between Handsome Daughter and Hoagie Boyz, I think, mesh well together.”

Bielak has also joined the venue’s ownership team. The group took over operations in September; paperwork is set to be finalized in January.

“(We’re) just trying to fill as many voids in this neighbourhood as possible,” Kowalski, 32, said.

It means hosting events nightly. A monthly slam poetry group is one of the biggest draws; the 150-person venue nearly hits capacity when the poets arrive, Kowalski noted. Trivia, comedy and karaoke are regular offerings.

Customers who come for a hoagie sometimes stay for the night’s activity, Bielak added.

A new stage, lights and paint job are among the latest upgrades. Updated sound equipment is a current project. Bielak aims to change the cash bar to a space for debit and credit cards.

“I’m very excited to see what the future holds for this place,” he said.

He’s happy Hoagie Boyz is on Sherbrook Street, Bielak added, saying there’s “other really great spots around here.”

Helen Staines, owner of nearby Decadence Chocolates, also used the term “great” when considering Hoagie Boyz’s arrival. Eric Napier Strong, executive director of the West Broadway Business Improvement Zone, called it “awesome.”

Both noted there aren’t many independent sandwich shops around.

“Having Hoagie Boyz there, it’s a really nice addition to the neighbourhood,” Napier Strong said.

It’s another branch of the Handsome Daughter’s increased activity in the community, he continued. Events, partnerships with other local businesses and charitable drives have become more common under the new ownership’s guidance.

Hoagie Boyz and its parent company, Kosmo’s, started as a team of four in 2022. During peak season — in the summer, when the Beer Can is open at the Granite Curling Club — the crew hovers around 20 staff.

Opening in the Handsome Daughter is a full circle moment for Hoagie Boyz co-owner Stefan Lytwyn, who cooked at a former restaurant in the Daughter when he was starting his career, Bielak said.

The South Osborne and West Broadway locations contain different menus.

“We promised our accountants that we wouldn’t open up any more businesses for a little while,” Bielak said with a laugh.

But he’s brimming with ideas — and Bielak’s not ruling out new ventures. Some plans are marked for the Handsome Daughter, he hinted.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com