The Jerk Store has a new address.
No, that's not a Seinfeld joke.
Kalkin Brosseau's brand of hand-crafted artisan jerky will have a brick-and-mortar home when he opens up a new kitchen and storefront at 97-2710 Barnet Highway in Coquitlam next month.
The Port Moody resident was previously making his product at a commissary in Port Coquitlam and selling it at farmers markets, craft breweries and a few specialty grocery stores.
"A part of why I wanted a space is so I could open a store in the front," he said. "I will sell the fresh-made jerky there and I'll have sauces and marinades."
With volume more than tripling in the last year — he now makes between 30 and 40 kilograms of finished product each week — Brosseau said he needed his own location.
He has even brought on a part-time employee to help him churn out his brand of dried, salty beef and tofu, with flavours like Tropic Thunder and Sweet Heat. Brosseau's personal favourite is Chipotle Cowboy, which he said uses a coffee-based dry rub, not the usual wet marinades.
"It has a different flavour," he said.
But there's more to running a jerky business than just creating interesting products and flavours, as Brosseau has found out over the last few months.
Getting the necessary permits and licensing was difficult given that Brosseau's store and kitchen setup is unique and does not fit the city's current zoning bylaws.
Instead, he had to get a temporary use permit, which is good for three years, and has received assurances from the city's planning department that they will take another look at their regulations to allow businesses like his to operate in the municipality.
"Initially, they denied my permit," Brosseau said. "I appealed and this is the solution we came up with."
Several councillors sympathized with Brosseau when the temporary use permit was approved earlier this month, stating they hoped the process could be improved.
"I just think to do a TUP is just unfortunate for the financing ability of businesses and viability of businesses," said Coun. Bonita Zarrillo.
Jim McIntyre, the city's general manager of planning and development, said issuing the temporary use permit was an interim solution as staff look at ways of altering the zoning regulations to allow for food processing businesses with retail spaces like the Jerk Store.
Since he received his temporary use permit approval, Brosseau said he has moved production to the new location and expects his store to be open at the end of January. In the meantime, information about his products can be found at jerkstore.ca.
@gmckennaTC
