What happens when you mix Korean and Parisian cuisine inside of a trendy cafe and restaurant? You get Gateau Ghost.
In celebration of Small Business Month, Now Toronto hit the streets to talk to owners about their establishments and how it impacts their communities.
Co-founded by Jayden Park and Randall Papineau, Gateau Ghost is located in the heart of Toronto’s Little Italy. The business has been serving up delicious beverages and food items, quickly becoming one of the most talked about small businesses in Toronto’s food scene.
@nowtoronto What happens when you mix Korean and Parisian cuisine inside of a trendy cafe and restaurant? You get Gateau Ghost! In celebration of Small Business Month, Now Toronto hit the streets to talk to owners about their establishments and how it impacts their communities. #SmallBuisnessMonth #GateauGhost ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
Park tells Now Toronto that the cafe started out as an online business where he sold French pastries known as madeleines to customers and other local businesses, which helped him find the concept for a permanent storefront.
“That was going well,” he said. “As a Korean person, that combination of using my Korean background and also all of the skills I learned [while] working in French restaurants and Italian restaurants, that’s how I started Gateau Ghost.”
Not only does the restaurant offer plenty of options, but guests can also expect to be met with different menus depending on the occasion and time of day, whether they’re looking for a go-to cafe to do work, or a brunch and dinner spot for a hangout or cute date, Gateau Ghost has become known for its flexible dining experience.
But most of all, it’s the innovative dishes and culinary craft that’s left everyone buzzing.
“The signature treats are madeleines, it’s a core item of Gateau Ghost…. We make all of our pastries in house and I think that’s all special,” Park said.
And while the madeleines have become a fan favorite, he says the cafe menu overall gets a lot of attention too, specifically matcha drinks such as their matcha strawberry lattes and frozen matchas.
He says the brunch menu is where you can find a lot of Korean-inspired dishes like cereal shrimp toast.
“When I mix Korean influence in the background with something they’re very familiar with, that became one of our signature dishes… it’s quite a different twist,” he said.
Aside from their delicious menu, Park’s been able to grow Gateau Ghost through the business’s online presence with Instagram reels and TikTok’s, often adding a comedic spin.
“I try to put myself into the audience’s perspective, do I really want to spend time watching an advertisement? I don’t, I really just want to watch silly quick videos. So, that was my approach,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to just make something quick, silly, funny, to slide into their social media.”
Park says he still tries to find a balance between making comedic content while showcasing the products, which has resulted in a loyal following both on and offline.
“This place is like a trendy vibey place, we were really trying to make it Instagrammable, so they’ve been loving the space and the product,” he said. “Which has been making me and my team proud.”
Although the cafe has made a name for itself in the city and grown to new heights, Park says there are a lot of new treats and experiences guests can expect in the near future.
“We are still working on opening another location for Gateau Ghost,” he said.
He says he hopes the new location can be in a different neighbourhood to serve guests who may find it a bit difficult getting to Little Italy, and says they are slowly working on other projects as well, projects that have been made possible with the community’s support.
“I can physically see all of this support, every day, every weekend, I am very thankful we are all very thankful,” he said. “Our goal is to fulfill their expectations…Hope to see you guys soon.”
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