Updates: What happened next in food

Looking back on 2025 in Edmonton's food and beverage scene, we saw a decision by the owner of the Italian Centre Shop to double down on her neighbourhood, the consolidation of a beloved bakery on 124 Street, and the expansion of a homegrown coffee chain. Here's what happened next and what to expect on some of the other food stories Taproot brought you:

As butter chicken odyssey nears goal, Singh is giving back to the community (Aug. 19, 2025)

The original story: Ramneek Singh told Taproot that his Butter Chicken Odyssey, a quest to review 50 butter chicken dishes, raised his profile enough to host events and raise $7,950 for Chutney, one of the 25 businesses ravaged by arson at Millwoods Plaza 34 in April. Singh also appeared on a PBS show called Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, which dedicated an episode to Alberta.

Then what? Singh's odyssey is now complete. He told CTV Edmonton that Zaika, where he eventually co-created a special bone-in, triple-spiced version of the dish, was one of the highlights. Singh was also invited to talk to Grade 7 students at Highlands School about creative writing. Plus, he's held some sold-out dining events called the Butter Chicken Bash.

What's next? Singh's next quest is Mill Woods Dreamer, a series "using restaurant reviews to honour every neighbourhood in Mill Woods." He started in late December with a review of The Punjab Parantha Hut. Singh also intends to host more events in 2026, which he will announce on Facebook and Instagram.

Happy Beer Street brewers propose car-free street for patios and pedestrians (June 6, 2025)

The original story: Bent Stick Brewing, Shiddy's Distilling and Rumpus Room, and the yet-to-open Yeasty Boys Brewing were working with the City of Edmonton to establish an entertainment district on their part of Happy Beer Street, in the area of 99 Street and 78 Avenue. The city has entertainment districts on a stretch of Rice Howard Way and on a portion of 104 Street, allowing for the street to be closed to vehicle traffic and permitting patrons to consume food and alcohol outside. Bent Stick Brewing co-owner Cole Boyd told Taproot the proposed district on the south side would encourage collaboration among the avenue's breweries. "We can maybe put some light music on the patio, we can do markets, we can really make it a hub for entertainment and use our beers to sort of facilitate that," Boyd said.

Then what? The breweries on 78 Avenue tried out "extended patios" throughout the year, with events such as the Shiddy's Birthday Block Party in June. The city conducted a survey to gauge support for the proposed district, and the majority of respondents were positive, driven by the belief that the entertainment district would inject energy into the neighbourhood and boost local businesses. The 11% who opposed the proposed district raised concerns about potential noise and public disturbance, social issues related to alcohol consumption, and the potential loss of parking.

What's next? Edmonton city council's executive committee is scheduled to review the proposed bylaw that would establish the entertainment district at a meeting on Feb. 11. Meanwhile, Sea Change Brewing, the parent company of Shiddy's, is working on a location in Calgary and plans to open another Flat Boy Burgers inside its Beaumont location. Sea Change also collaborated with Edmonton-born actor Steven Ogg for a short film called Home Strange Home.

Fruit rescue crew seeks funds to teach rather than harvest (March 20, 2025)

The original story: The Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton team switched its focus from harvesting fruit that would otherwise go to waste to educating people on how to grow, care for, harvest, and preserve fruit. The change arose after a partnership with the Leftovers Foundation, a social enterprise that specializes in rescuing food from going to waste and circulating it to people in need.

Then what? The fruit rescue crew has raised $1,450 in a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of the transition. Organizer Rob Cooper told Taproot that the non-profit held five workshops in 2025, covering topics such as tree-planting, apple maggot management, fermentation, canning, and jam-making. The organization received fruit donations, too, salvaging 7,000 pounds of apples from residential trees, as well as some cherries and plums. The fruit was used at three inaugural Apple Cider Celebration events, in partnership with Sakaw Gardens, Millhurst Community League, Riverdale Community League, and Avonmore Community League. Participants generated 1,050 litres of cider.

What's next? Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton plans to deploy community-led fruit-picking teams, including youth teams that will pick fruit for elderly and disabled neighbours, Cooper said. The rescue crew is targeting 25,000 pounds of rescued apples and more than 3,000 litres of cider produced at its next Apple Cider Celebrations. Meanwhile, the organization is holding a perogy-making workshop on Jan. 13 and a solar greenhouse workshop on Feb. 12, both at the Millhurst Community League building.

Why Dave's Hot Chicken chose downtown while other chains chose the 'burbs (March 15, 2025)

The original story: A Nashville-style chicken chain called Dave's Hot Chicken opened its first Edmonton location on March 21 at 10832 102 Avenue NW, near MacEwan University and NorQuest College. American chains often set up shop far from downtown when entering Edmonton, but Blair Bitove, whose Bite Brands holds the Dave's franchise rights in Canada, said the student population near the downtown outpost is ideal for the customer base of the chicken shack.

Then what? Oilers captain Connor McDavid stopped by Dave's during a preview event for the restaurant. Bite Brands later opened two Dave's locations in Calgary and a few more shops in Ontario and British Columbia.

What's next? Bite Brands is scouting additional Edmonton locations in 2026 and will introduce some new menu items, said Blanka Chojnowska, the company's brand content manager.

Intent Coffee team returns with Balay Coffee pop-up (Jan. 29, 2025)

The original story: The team behind Intent Coffee, which operated at Southgate Centre for 10 months before closing in 2021, returned with Balay Coffee, a pop-up café concept with plans to grow more sustainably. Co-owners Mavi Tolentino and Reika Herradura opened a pop-up in Delavoye Chocolate, operating on Mondays when Delavoye was closed.

Then what? Balay Coffee moved to Meuwly's for its next series of pop-ups in April 2025. Then in May, Meuwly's owner Peter Keith closed the company's retail storefront to focus on mentoring food entrepreneurs, including at The Hub on Whyte Avenue, where Balay Coffee and Beb's Bagels were the inaugural pop-ups in July. Balay Coffee has continued popping up at festivals around town, at events such as the Harvest Book Fair in September and the OddBird Art and Craft Fair in December.

What's next? The owners are taking a break for the month of January. Tolentino said on Instagram that the pop-up model allows the owners to take a break when needed, and they will use the time off to rest and get settled, with thoughts of launching an online micro-bakery. "This was never about making money in the first place," Tolentino said. "We are not here to glorify the hustle-and-grind culture … We're here to show that you can still build something that is beautiful with slowness and intentionality."

Connected Kitchen takes over old EPIC location with ambitions to support a tough industry (Oct. 31, 2024)

The original story: In the fall of 2024, Taproot reported that The Connected Kitchen Project was set to open at 10344 105 Street NW, the former home of EPIC Market, which moved to Station Park in Old Strathcona. The Connected Kitchen offered a mix of commercial kitchen space, counter service, takeaway foods, and a wide range of resources for food workers.

Then what? The Connected Kitchen Project did indeed set up downtown, but left the 105 Street space early in the summer of 2025 after founder Michelle Frechette realized she could not keep up with the lease. "I never wanted to open a restaurant," she told Taproot. The space is now home to The Virsa Mahal, a vegetarian Punjabi restaurant. In November, Frechette won a pitch competition held by the Recycling Council of Alberta, based on her ideas to support the circular food economy. In December, she got the keys for a commercial kitchen inside what will be a student housing development called The Hive by Elev at 9611 102 Avenue NW.

What's next? A refreshed version of The Connected Kitchen Project will operate at The Hive in early 2026, Frechette said, working alongside food security and circular economy ventures such as Alberta Food Security, the Leftovers Foundation, New Grocery Movement, and others. The Hive was originally expected to open in October 2024; it faced delays in early 2025 and has not yet opened, but is still inviting people to join its waitlist. Frechette also plans to launch a software platform to pair foodtrepreneurs with underused commercial kitchen spaces.

Curious about the sequel to other food stories Taproot has covered? Send us a note at hello@taprootedmonton.ca and we'll look into it.