Little Wolf's monthly dinners in support of Edmonton's Food Bank are more than just a fundraiser — they're a way to engage the entire community.
"Hospitality means putting food on the table for everyone," said Little Wolf owner Shaun Hicks. "It means making sure there's a seat for everybody, and in this case, some of those seats are outside the restaurant."
Little Wolf hosts vegan, three-course dinners on the last Monday of each month, with all proceeds after operational costs going to the food bank. The events have raised between $20,000 and $25,000 since they began in July 2024. Diners each pay $55, plus a $5 reservation fee.
There's a bit more to it than your typical fundraiser, Hicks told Taproot, because it is a "complete community food chain" — a term he coined for dining that enriches community across four segments: grocers, diners, restaurant staff, and, of course, clients of the food bank.
"The first part of the community (food chain) is buying from community businesses," Hicks said.
Hicks buys from markets such as H&W Produce and the Italian Centre Shop rather than a multinational corporate supplier because it keeps his dollar local, and he often finds savings that maximize what he's able to donate to the food bank. In some instances, he's been able to make a meal worth $55 out of ingredients that cost as little as $15.
"We then use those things to host a dinner for people in the community that either have dietary restrictions or just want to have a night out that is restaurant-forward," Hicks said.
Every benefit dinner is vegan and largely gluten-free, and Hicks is willing to make substitutions for allergens, which is not as common in fine dining as in places with more of a hippie vibe, Hicks suggested.
"We chose vegan because it is the most inclusive food that you could serve anyone, unless you're emasculated by vegetables, which can still happen in Alberta," Hicks said with a laugh. "We treat it like you're here for a fancy dinner, rather than some vegetarian or vegan spots, where it can be more health-minded."
Shaun Hicks, seen here in August 2024, holds monthly fundraising dinners for Edmonton's Food Bank at Little Wolf, his restaurant at 8424 109 Street NW. (Supplied)
Hicks said he doesn't take a wage on food bank nights, and some of his staff volunteer their time (though there is no pressure for employees to work for free). Plus, most dinners feature a volunteer guest chef. Part of the fun for the guest chef and the rest of the kitchen staff is creating a menu that lasts for just one night, often planned just a few days before the dinner.
Diners do not know the menu in advance. Yet the events are often fully booked within a week of reservations opening, as was the case on April 27, when Winnie Chen from Fu's Repair Shop and Boa and Hare took over the kitchen. The bustling crowd is a "wild mix" of people, including industry folk who want to support the visiting chef and people with dietary restrictions who want a special night out.
"Some people who are halal and some other people who are vegan are like, 'I want to pay for the year in advance. Can you just give me a table?'" Hicks said.
There's room for about 40 diners per seating, with room for another 15 during patio season. Reservations open near the beginning of each month when Hicks is centred enough to manually confirm the onslaught of requests.
"I sometimes don't change our website until I'm emotionally prepared," he said with a laugh. "It's like a seventh day of work for me, so it's really exhausting."
Hicks powers through the exhaustion with his passion for hospitality. He was a key driver of Three Boars, the former occupant of the Little Wolf space. Today, he's also part of an advisory board for the culinary arts department at NAIT, and he's a part-owner of Okie Dokie Smokies, where he lends his experience to sausage-maker and pitmaster Jarrett Gauthier. He also makes space for developing chefs with pop-ups at Little Wolf.
"I really see a benefit in keeping new or younger people in the restaurant industry that have something to say and want to do something artistic," Hicks said. "I think it's an amazing privilege for me to be able to host them in our space … (People) want to eat at a place where someone loves what they're doing."
Plus, he said, the food bank dinners give him a different kind of satisfaction that helps keep him on the grind.
"I found that running this business, I was eternally tired. You can always put more hours into it, but there was something missing for me, success-wise," Hicks said. "The food bank really provided that (missing piece) for me. If restaurants are going to fail every day at a high rate, something that can't be taken away from me is the amount of money we've donated — it's already gone."
The next fundraising dinner is on May 25. Hicks announces when reservations are open on the Little Wolf Instagram.