chimney stax

Toronto food truck to hit the big time after Dragon's Den

Matt Lindzon and Zach Fiskel are ready to take their chimney cakes (kürtőskalács) off the street and inside to kiosks around the city. After successfully running their Chimney Stax Baking Co. food truck and appearing at events like the CNE and the Toronto Christmas Market, they're now set on bringing freshly baked rotisserie bread to the masses.

To get the ball rolling, they tried their luck on CBC's hit series Dragon's Den. For Lindzon, appearing on Dragon's Den is a dream come true. He's seen every single episode of the 11 season show, so being a part of it seems almost surreal.

"As an entrepreneur it's been my dream to have a business that I could take to the show and successfully pitch in front of the Dragons," he says.

After presenting the Dragons with their delicious chimney cakes they get three offers before securing a deal with Dragon Joe Mimran - he gives them $125,000 for 25 per cent of the business as well as an equal seat at the table until he gets his investment back.

Lindzon and Fiskel are now working with Mimran to open their first kiosk inside the newly renovated Yonge Eglinton Centre. They plan to open on December 2, just in time for the holiday shopping season, and will serve sweet and savoury chimneys as well as chimney sandwiches.

In fact, Lindzon first discovered chimneys at a Christmas market in Austria. He was on a businesses trip for another venture and after seeing the chimneys spinning as they baked, he texted Fiskel, "We're doing this." And the two MBA grads will return to their roots at the Toronto Christmas Market starting this weekend.

But it's the kiosks that'll be their focus next. Lindzon notes that the food truck was a way for them to prove their concept. "We never imagined spending the rest of our life in a truck," he says. "I always imagined the business as the next Auntie Anne's Pretzels," he later continues.

Of course, Chimney Stax has some competition in the city. Eva's Original Chimneys and its doughnut cones will also be getting a bricks-and-mortar location. But Lindzon knows it keeps his business moving forward. "They kind of keep us on our toes," he says. "And push us to be better and make sure we're delivering the best product we can at all times."


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