It's not every day a restaurant offers both milkshakes and Asian fusion cuisine, but a new franchise with both in the south end of Guelph is attracting customers in and out of town.
Mitin Kapadia is the co-franchise owner of Holy Shakes and Kathi Roll Eatery in Guelph, both located at 105 Clair Rd. E. After opening a Holy Shakes location in Waterloo, Kapadia and his franchise partner brought the business to the south end of Guelph. The business held a soft launch on July 21.
"We chose this brand because of the quality," Kapadia said about the business. "Our quality is awesome."
Holy Shakes offers more than 100 flavours of gourmet milkshakes, along with ice cream, waffles and desserts. Kapadia notes they sell classic milkshakes, seasonal milkshakes and something called ‘Freakshakes’ which is milkshakes with a slice of cheesecake, waffles or cupcake placed on top. He said the Freakshakes have been popular for their visual appeal for photos.
“People love it, they see the food and they come,” said Kapadia, noting people from Cambridge and Hamilton have come to try a milkshake. “Last Friday, Saturday (of the long weekend), oh my God we were so busy.”
While these thick milkshakes are made with milk and ice cream, Holy Shakes has gluten-free, low sugar and low carb options and dairy-free alternatives available. To see a full menu, click on this link.
Since milkshakes are made to order, all Holy Shakes franchises follow standard recipes for making them. Kapadia explains following the proportions for these recipes does take time and customers may need to wait for their order. However, he said many customers don't mind the wait.
"We try to make it quick, we try to satisfy the customer," said Kapadia. "It takes time, but 99 per cent of customers understand."
Milkshakes and desserts are served in glass bottles and jars. When customers are finished with their food, they can choose to either recycle the bottle through the store's recycling program, or keep the bottle to bring for their next order to get a discount.
On the savoury side, residents can grab Asian fusion cuisine from Kathi Roll Eatery, which has options for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
“Nowadays, people want something different, something else,” said Kapadia, noting Kathi Roll Eatery recently launched an ‘epic vegetarian menu’ containing items like Veggie Egg burger, or Chow Mein Burger, on a veggie patty. He adds the chicken and waffles have also been popular on the menu.
Holy Shakes and Kathi Roll Eatery was started in Toronto by franchise brand owners, Sumit Kohli and Neero Lingan.
Kohli said Kathi Roll Eatery began 10 years ago in Dundas Square with food trucks, while Holy Shakes began three years ago. Today, both businesses are in 14 locations and plan to expand to 25 locations by next year.
"We are so pleased to be in Guelph, it's such a tight-knit community," said Kohli. "We create desserts and sweets to bring people together, to bring happiness."
Holy Shakes and Kathi Roll Eatery are open everyday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Holy Shakes is also on Facebook and Instagram.
