This past autumn, I attended a pop-up chef event for an established business in Fort Waye.
A pop-up is an event that can take place on a specific date and time, with limited engagement, generally within a pre-established location, so it is not a whole new restaurant that requires a board of health approvals or liquor licenses. In the case of the "Cereal Killer Brunch" with Shop Two-Sixty and Volchy, which I most recently attended at the end of October, this location was 2 Tom's Brewery on Well's Street. This event was unique because it allowed the display and practice of a local foodie legend. Someone who you've most likely seen working at many of the upscale locations in downtown Fort Wayne, @volch_de_la_curves, on Instagram, who not only attended the IPFW hospitality program but is also a well-traveled and respected local chef with local foodies.
This pop-up was used to launch the 2 Tom's newly brewed line of beers and sours, "Cereal Killer." The brunch took place on Halloween weekend, and the whole theme came together perfectly with the menu created in conjunction with Volchy and Shop-Two Sixty's owner, Rio.
The idea of a pop-up is to follow a theme, typically concentrating on the quality and showcasing the offerings of a particular concept or chef.
Most commonly, to open a restaurant, you need to either have a large chunk of cash or investors like banks or third parties (like your daddy); several, and I mean several of our most talented chefs, bartenders, and creatives do not have that type of money on hand. So, this means working for other establishments, scrimping, saving, and hoping to one day have enough saved to pursue a dream. Even after all this working and saving, 1 in 3 restaurants fail during the first year, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Hosting a pop-up can be considered fundraising, evidence of success, and a test of ideas. What will banks ask for when a business owner asks for a loan? Data that proves this business is and will continue to be successful.
In the local Fort Wayne foodie scene, we have seen pop-up shops, food tents (like those used at the YLNI Farmer's market), and food trucks. Most would consider the pop-up or food truck a pipeline to a restaurant for those who are motivated in such a way. Others may want to stay with the mobility involved with a food truck or the flexibility of the pop-up.
The pop-ups I have attended in Fort Wayne, like 'Rune' by Sean Gordon-Richardson, focus on menus using local, in-season ingredients. Meats, fruits, and vegetables from small and nearby farms ensure the food's quality, supporting the local economy and reducing the carbon footprint of the business and the patrons being served because the food travels a shorter distance (no use of cross-country shipping or jet fuel by plane). It is, overall, morally superior, and I am here for it.
In the case of the Cereal Killer brunch, local sourcing was at the forefront. Small plates like "Eggs in Purgatory," an egg in mole sauce, pepitas, and fresh baguette, were perfectly balanced with local ingredients and flavor, each paired with a beverage by 2 Toms. When I arrived, not only 15 minutes after the event began, the line was already stretching to
the entrance, and nearly all seats were filled in the brewery. They sold out only 3 hours into the brunch service, originally set to go until 5pm. Chef Volchy (who doesn't like being called chef) offered closing thoughts that sum up what Shop 260 accomplishes: "Invite others to share your culinary experience and passions. Community over competition."
By ALL accounts, this is an elaborate, evil scheme where Chef Rio built an entirely authentic brand, providing high-quality products, buidling the community into the plan. I consider Chef Rio a friend at this point, someone who I've seen for a few years at the YLNI market, always with a huge smile, happy to be working alongside employees who share the same love for what they do, as he does.
Chef Rio is a mastermind, but not the evil kind- the amount of success in what he has accomplished since 2020, perfecting the bagels that Shop 260 is known for, expanding his vision to include two restaurant kitchens and one commercial kitchen, with two concepts- all focused on high-quality bread, local ingredients and now expanding to Pizza. Although pizza was his first major gig, he traveled the country for a few years, training more than 10 different chef teams on how to make a good pizza. Local executives in any field could learn a thing or two (or twenty) from how Rio Wunderlin functions in business and as a leader. Chef Rio's next location is a concept he has built in conjunction with partner, Dan Desjardins, "Dom's Pie Shop." Dom's is set to open on December 13th at 4pm, located at 1833 N. Wells St, named after Dan's son, the grand opening takes place on his son, Dom's birthday. This location is the kitchen of Draft Taproom, who is hyperfocsed on supporting local food, drink and art.
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