humble beginnings
Coven is your community staple for all things local and vegan. We’re always talking about our commitment to quality and compassion - now we want to share the unique journey we’ve been on for the last ten years, and how it got us to where we are today!
Eons ago, before we started slinging the best vegan baked treats and deli eats around, Coven was but a humble vegan hotdog cart by a different name - Rescue Dogs. It was a lot of good, hard work for the teeny tiny team of two, and the community kept Vic and KW busy. Demand was loud and people were hungry; at a point, they were struggling to keep up!
So they shifted gears, found an unassuming commercial kitchen in Hamilton, and expanded. The menu significantly changed and expanded, the still-very-small team grew a little, the offerings in-store became more varied. Our little shop on Barton street became a place for the community to gather and enjoy a selection of freshly baked treats or goods from other local small businesses. And while the delicious vegan dogs were gone but not forgotten, we’ve evolved to offer so many even more mind-blowingly incredible things!
Fast-forward a bit to 2021, and we again found ourselves endlessly grateful for the fact that we couldn't keep up with the demand from y'all! So we moved to a bigger shop with a slightly less unassuming kitchen, we seriously grew our staff, and we got to work making Coven a place that could serve the community better than before.
We’ve done so many cool things in our beloved little shop. We launched our deli sandwich line on house-made challah buns, we created a bakery and espresso menu that is something you truly have to see to believe, we brought in even more hard-to-find products that are (mostly) from small, local businesses - and it remains an honour to be able to continue with those offerings and practices to this day <3
Because of the big love and support we were feeling from the community, a few years later we decided to open a second location in Kitchener. It was a privilege to grow our little coven again and welcome in a small staff of incredibly knowledgeable and kind people who run the show at Coven Kitchener.
And now, here we are, 10 years later! In 2025, we welcomed new owners Lindsey and Tolga Hocanin to the helm. Everything that Coven stands for, these two embody, and all of Coven is gleefully excited about whatever the future holds for us. We have some big plans on the horizon that we know you’ll be stoked about, so sit tight - and until then, we’ll be here every day with your cinnamon bun, breakfast sandwich, and latte waiting, so come say hi! The future is looking brighter and brighter, and we’re glad you’re here to see it with us.
