(Trevor Haspeck, owner of The Smokin’ Wolf at 1610 Stittsville Main, welcomes everyone with a smile and offers his great smoked specialities.)
Trevor Haspeck had been a Stittsville resident for seven years in his late teens, moved to Barrhaven (where he met his wife Malay), but wanted the small town vibe again, so they and their four children moved back to Stittsville in November, 2020.
Trevor has always wanted to have his own business in food services where he could meet and serve his customers personally. He worked in the food industry over several years, including working with Scratch Kitchen that operated right out of the kitchen that is now his business kitchen and he also worked at D’Arcy McGees Pub.
Trevor was now opening his own smokehouse eatery during one of the most turbulent times in recent history – the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trevor also operated a commercial cleaning business, but when COVID arrived, he says sadly, “I had to layoff workers and do most of the cleaning myself.” It was a tough time, but Trevor has that industrious passion to strive and his upbeat personality helped to carry him on with his idea to open an eatery that was different.
Trevor told us, “if you can start a business in a financial winter, you can make it anywhere!” And his philosophy has proven to be true. From the feedback he has received and the local posts on Facebook, his opening and food have been a raving success.
What did it take to start-up? It helped that he knew his good friend Jeff Robinson (owner of Crave Tacos), so he entered into discussions about opening in Jeff’s ‘house’. All in all, after everything was approved, it took about two months to open. With a plan in place that took three weeks – permits, designing logos (which Trevor did personally) and Malay, his wife, busily working their cricket machine to get the logos on t-shirts and hats, their adhesive signage, Stittsville Glass & Signs creating their roadside sign, food order contracts confirmed and placed – The Smokin’ Wolf – Smokehouse Paninis, Soups & Salads was ready for opening day in April 2021.
We asked Trevor if there was any historical significance to the name – The Smokin’ Wolf? Well it goes back to his childhood. “I actually had thought of so many different names that either already existed or were too close to other similar names. My nickname since I was a kid has been Wolf. And one day my friend suggested that the entire place should be an extension of me, who I am, stand for, etc. And that I should really create a brand about what I really care about. So I decided to call it ‘The Smokin’ Wolf’.”
Trevor has been smokin’ food for 15 years for family and friends. He has catered weddings for his friends so they could get a taste of his fabulous recipes for rubs of which he has two – one for chicken and another for pork – and his marinades. His marinades for his pork belly are homemade, as are his mayos. His soups are gluten free and his Coconut-Butter Squash soup is vegan (and it is delish!). And he has Pop Shoppe drinks available to enjoy with your meal.
Trevor wants the community to know that, “everything I prepare is made from scratch in my kitchen from my own recipes, from the smoky rubs to the marinades, even the salad dressings, with the exception of the paninis that are supplied by Bagel, Bagel, and all of the meat is from Ottawa Valley Meats.” “I want to stay local as much as is possible, but I can guarantee that everything is Canadian!” emphasized Trevor.
Here at Stittsville Central, we can’t say enough about Trevor’s fabulous and tasty food and his hard work, that go hand-in-hand with his good-natured demeanour. The Smokin’ Wolf is a wonderful addition to the community!
