Nestled in the midst of some of the most popular nightclubs on Toronto’s Church Street, Soy Boys has become a haven for vegans looking for a bite after a night out. Founded by restaurateur Aleks Ross, the fast food joint opened just over 18 months ago and has become immensely popular within the community. Ross explained that he founded the business after noticing something missing from the city’s late night scene.
“I wanted to create a restaurant that I felt was needed. I’d be going home Friday [or] Saturday night after a pint or two and pretty much the only option for vegans was A&W. I figured we needed another late-night spot,” Ross said. “That’s how we ended up where we are.”
Priding itself on being the only all-vegan restaurant in The Village, Soy Boys has a simple menu that covers just the basics: burgers, fries, and ice cream. But their vegan treats have become a favourite for many in The Village. The founder explained why he chose to narrow down the menu to something more simple.
“Originally I had a big menu when I was in the planning stages but after watching a movie called The Founder about the history of McDonald’s, I was inspired by the simplicity of their menu and cut it back down to the basics,” Ross explained.
“I didn’t have any restaurant experience prior to opening, so simplicity was a necessity at first. But it also allows us to maintain high quality and speed while effectively eliminating any food waste,” he continued, adding that his favourite beer, Steamwhistle’s slogan, “Do one thing really, really well,” was also an inspiration.
“My lack of experience in this case ended up leading to our biggest driver of success.”
BUILDING (AND GROWING!) SOY BOYS
Ross explained that while building his team, it was important for him to hire staff with a similar drive and ethics to him.
“Very few of our kitchen staff have restaurant experience, we pretty much hire for customer service abilities. It’s more about that, because we do have such a simple menu. So, finding the right staff, treating them well, paying them well. That’s a big part of it.”
He also shared his favourite part of owning his business: the people he gets to meet every day. Soy Boys is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. The restaurant caters to everyone from the late night crowd, to those picking up an early lunch. As a result, Ross says he has the pleasure of meeting people from all walks of life.
“It’s a very different crowd. So, you get to meet a lot of fun people. It is a little hectic some nights, especially the Friday [and] Saturdays, but it’s always a lot of fun.”
Ross also shared that owning a business has allowed him to broaden his social circles, meeting people he otherwise would not have the opportunity to connect with.
“After university the opportunities for social interactions seem to go down quite a bit. Like every year it just seems like you’re hanging out with friends less and less,” he shared.
“Now, I’m making new friends again, so I guess that aspect is really rewarding. Just meeting people.”
Another one of the Soy Boys owner’s favourite things? Serving veggie burgers to unsuspecting customers who otherwise would never try a soy burger.
“The best thing is when people come in, they don’t realize it’s a veggie hamburger and then they find out after finding out that it’s good. Because a lot of people have reservations when they hear the word vegan.”
Despite having an all-vegan menu, Ross shared that they have avoided using the word vegan in the branding and menus.
“We don’t even use that word anywhere in the restaurant. We only use ‘plant-based’ because it doesn’t seem to bug people as much. The word vegan seems to get a lot of people going and I’m not sure why.
Ross shared that he’s currently looking to expand, but is running into an issue: location.
“We’ve been hunting for a second location for a really long time. The biggest issue right now is the leasing market wasn’t as good as it was when I started,” Ross said, adding that he secured his first location during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the market was easier to navigate.
NAMING SOY BOYS
The name Soy Boys has become synonymous with delicious vegetarian food for those living, working, and playing in the Church and Wellesley community. But where did the popular name originate?
“Oh, my buds used to call me a ‘soy boy’ back in high school and [the name] just kind of rolled off the tongue,” Ross said.
“Soy boy is a term for like an effeminate man, and it’s kind of a mean term for it. But I thought, why not just own it?” he shared, adding that the name has become so popular that he’s made merch with the Soy Boys branding.
In addition to the double entendre in the name, the restaurant also features a popular slogan, illuminated in neon outside of the restaurant, “Beats the meat.”
“I was with a friend, brainstorming slogans and she kind of threw that out as an idea. We kind of joked about it. Then after thinking about it, we realized it was pretty killer, especially with the location, like being right in The Village,” he laughed.
“It’s a very open and fun community so it fits right there, and it’s a little tongue-in-cheek joke, because we don’t have any meat.”
In recognition of Small Business Month, Now Toronto will be publishing stories throughout October to highlight small business owners across the GTA.
