WRIGLEYVILLE — While gravy-smothered cheese curds and fries failed to charm Wrigleyville a couple years ago, another Canadian chain is setting its sights on the popular nightlife strip.
Smoke's Poutinerie is hoping to get a franchisee to open its first Illinois location in the next year, said Mark Cunningham, chief development officer. A specific storefront has not been selected yet because the franchisee will drive that final decision, Cunningham said.
While poutine can be found at a smattering of restaurants in Chicago, the city's only poutinerie fell flat in 2014. But Cunningham said Smoke's will find success with its unique concept and could open least 10 locations around Chicago in the next five years.
Ryan Smolkin opened his first poutinerie in Quebec in 2008 and expanded rapidly, with more than 100 locations in Canada and five in the United States.
Close to Wrigley Field and one of Chicago's top entertainment districts, Wrigleyville was earmarked early on an ideal location, Cunningham said.
"Most of our development strategy centers around late-night entertainment, clubs and bars," he said. "We're opening up in college and university neighborhoods that have that late-night demographic looking for something different to eat."
Cunningham said he knows the competition in Wrigleyville is fierce; along with chains like Toppers Pizza and Al's Beef, late-night joints like Wrigleyville Dogs and Azteca Grill are beloved for satisfying many a drunken craving.
"In most of the markets we're looking at, the competitive landscape is very saturated," he said. "But being a little different is key to our success."
Smoke's Poutinerie offers 27 poutines, heaping dishes loaded with pulled pork, pierogies, bacon, peppers, chili, prime beef and Philly cheesesteak. Vegetarian options come covered in peas, guacamole and mushrooms.
In 2014, Big Cheese Poutinerie broke ground as the first exclusively poutine-focused restaurant in the United States. Canadians have been fans of the comforting dish of French fries, cheese curds and gravy since it was invented in Quebec in the 1950s.
Big Cheese Poutinerie opened at 3401 N. Clark St. with great fanfare in February 2014, but closed before the year was out. Its storefront has remained vacant since.
Currently around Chicago, the closest thing to a poutinerie is Q-Tine in Logan Square, which opened just as Big Cheese closed. Combining barbecue and poutine, the restaurant features barbecue platters and sandwiches and 12 varieties of loaded fries.
Other beloved eateries have offered up their versions of poutine, crafting mash-ups that incorporate Mexican, Korean and Irish cuisines.
RELATED: Poutine Fest Celebrates Canada's 'Late-Night Drunk Food'
Since 2013, the Poutine Fest in West Loop has highlighted Chicago's best in loaded fries. Q-Tine took the people's choice award this year, while the duck heart and gruyere poutine from Mindy's Hot Chocolate won the top prize.
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