Sell-out collabs are the driving force behind this sandwich spot in Toronto

There’s a steak sandwich spot in Toronto where collaboration isn’t just something that happens once in a while as a special bonus: it’s the backbone of the business.

It makes sense that Bear Steak Sandwiches has made collabs and pop-ups part of their DNA, as it’s actually how they got their start just under five years ago in a backyard. They started selling out every weekend, and in November 2023 they moved into a physical location just a block west from the original backyard.

“Collaborations are what allow us to showcase the strength and ingenuity of Toronto’s culinary scene, and create engaging activations for the city to enjoy. We keep our menu lean to prioritize quality, but collabs provide an excellent opportunity to work with the talent in Toronto and make delicious new items each month,” Bear Steak owner Aki Erenberg tells YourCityWithIN.com.

“Our first collab occurred in the backyard with Dan Seidman, where we made sous vide chuck sliders with chimichurri. In honour of that, our first collab in the brick-and-mortar location was also with Dan Seidman, celebrating the taste and texture of a thick medium rare patty, to contrast a city full of smash patties, by creating our ‘Cheesebearger.’ Safe to say it was a success, and opened our eyes to the potential that collabs bring to our brand.”

Bear Steak’s main offering is a luxurious sandwich with giant slabs of flank steak dripping with chimichurri on a Portuguese roll, but they’ve applied their signature style to many special collaborative menu items available at their Little Italy shop and sometimes at other businesses too, for a limited time.

They’ve collaborated with Rennaisance Pizza on a steak pizza with confit garlic, caramelized onion and horseradish aioli, and with Favorites Thai BBQ on a sandwich influence by Thai laap beef salad. By now, they’ve taken their collab skills to the big leagues, and have actually worked on launching way more than food items, even starting up a zine.

“Working with large brands like Peace Collective, Farm Boy, Grolsch, and others, we welcome the challenge of identifying elements of our brand partners to create items that feels genuine for both customer demographics,” says Aki Erenberg.

“Whether that be through the flavours, the promotional rollout – we’ve hosted ugly sweater parties, art galleries, sidewalk barbecues, etc. – or the social media content, we love focusing our efforts on generating experiences that invite more people into our growing Bear community.”

No matter how big the ideas Bear Steak comes up with are, their best collabs are still all about local, small businesses and creators.

“The best performing ones have always been with members of our community. The BJC with Patrick Tomasso, Toronto’s ‘Favorite’ sandwich with Favorites Thai BBQ, and the brisket on a biscuit with Golden Horseshoe BBQ, opening their restaurant this summer, were some of our most popular,” says Erenberg.

“While it’s difficult to pick a favourite child, we were floored by the demand for those sandwiches. With that said, all of our collabs are our best foot forward and we’re grateful for all of our past partners for working with us!”

New collab items typically come out of Bear Steak every month, so you just have to stay tuned to their social media for updates. Aside from that, they’re also working on store renovations that are nearing completion, and Erenberg teases that something is coming this summer that’s “possibly our biggest move yet.”