We were lucky to catch up with Robert Myers recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Little Foot Foods was conceptualized after Rachael completed her Masters program at the University of Windsor. She already had a teaching degree but realized she didn’t want to spend her life in an office or classroom. She loves working with her hands and has a passion for cooking. When discussing what she wanted pursue now that she had completed her post secondary education, Rachael put out he idea of cooking for a living. I, a business graduate from the University of Windsor, began thinking of ways to help make her dream a reality. A couple different ideas were thrown around, but when she said her family had a delicious Pierogi recipe, I was all ears! She had learned to make traditional Polish Pierogi as a child from her Babcha. I was very interested in trying these and she went out, got ingredients and made some the next day. I was blown away at how they were nothing like the supermarket freezer Pierogi I ate growing up and we decided to make more to do some testing on unsuspecting friends and family members.

The Pierogi were a hit! Everyone loved them! Rachael’s family said they tasted just like Babcha’s and began not only to order some for themselves but to give away to our friends as well. Things began to snowball and orders were coming in each week from people who heard about these authentic Polish Pierogi so close to home. Soon, Little Foot Foods was born and began expanding our product line, doing weekly deliveries and selling at local Farmers Markets. The Pierogi sold well because not only are they packed with real ingredients and wrapped with thin dough, but they came boiled already. This meant busy people could throw them directly into a frying pan and in 8 minutes their dinner would be ready! This worked out really well for busy families with little time to meal prep as a way to round out their meals each week.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

As Little Foot grew, so did our understanding of their product and the needs of their customers. We started out with 2 types of Pierogi and, to date, have created over 100 different flavours with around 30 available for purchase at any given time. Classic Cheddar has always been a best seller, as well as Bacon, Cheddar & Onion where traditional Pierogi toppings are cooked and put inside of the filling. Once their basic ratios were figured out we began experimenting with flavours such as Spinach, Feta & Ricotta, Balsamic Mushroom & Onion, Chorizo Cheddar and Sauerkraut w/ Potato. Luckily, many local producers were up for working with us which made great opportunities for sourcing locally and synergizing with other small businesses in the area. We believe good food sells itself and that there’s no need to cut corners or compromise on ingredients. One example is LFF sources their sausage from a Windsor native, and award winning sausage maker, Rob Bornais, of Robbie’s Gourmet Sausage Co. The Chorizo Sausage produced by Bornais, used in the Chorizo Cheddar and Breakfast Burrito Pierogi, has won Best Sausage in Canada in the Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition. Another example would be making custom Pierogi for the Twisted Apron, Walkerville Eatery, The Cheese Bar, and Armando’s Pizza (Amherstburg) who all stand behind the quality of our work. We have made custom Pierogi for private events and even offer catering services such as our highly popular Pierogi Bar for weddings. Little Foot Foods has taken home numerous awards over the years including Millennial Manager of the Year from Biz X (a local business publication) and Best Fusion Restaurant of the Year from Community Votes. Little Foot Foods continues to strive to provide delicious dinner solutions year after year and are approaching a decade in business this September.

Cabbage Rolls are another staple on the LFF menu even thought we did not start making them until our Pierogi sales were in full swing. Customers assumed LFF made Cabbage Rolls since they go hand in hand with traditional Polish food, however, they were wrong. After many demands, and several months of testing, Rachael and Rob found a Cabbage Roll recipe they really enjoyed and, luckily, many others do as well. Cabbage Rolls have become one of their most popular items next to the traditional Pierogi flavours. Stuffed Peppers, Mac n Cheese, Cheddar N’ Chive Biscuits, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Soups/Chili have been added to the menu over the years giving us the ability to provide many dinner options all from one ‘little’ shop.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One huge curveball for everyone was when Covid hit in early 2020. With so much uncertainty surrounding this new virus, we took the big step of closing our doors to protect our family, friends, employees and customers while more information was coming forward. After 3 weeks of being shut down we began to realize this wasn’t something that was simply going to go away. We knew they needed to open back up in a way that made sense. At this point, we decided to revert to doing business the way we did years before in our first commercial kitchen. We offered free delivery on a weekly basis, curbside pick up and ensured all of our retailers were being stocked up regularly to help customers minimize their stops on their route. Making our products easily accessible was always an important part of our business plan and it paid its dividends while the pandemic was in full swing. Instead of trying to run the business they had gotten use to, Rachael and I accepted things were different and pivoted accordingly. Little Foot was able to expand our retail presence and experience some growth while many other businesses were struggling to make ends meet. When lockdown restrictions were lifted, We continued to offer delivery and curbside pick up even though our doors were eventually open to the public as well. Making sure customers’ needs are paid attention to is key to success in any business, ours is no exception.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

The quality of Little Foot products truly proceeds them. One of our favourite sales experiences came from a phone call from a Store Manager in London Ontario. A very satisfied customer moved from Windsor to London, On and got a job in the grocery department at Sobeys. This customer was telling their Store Manager about the delicious Pieorgi they had from LFF down in Windsor. The manager was intrigued. Together, they went online, checked our website, and decided this was a product that should be on their shelves. After the first delivery, and sticking around for a product sampling, the Store Manager beamed about the Pierogi on a conference call leading to 3 other Sobey’s locations wanting to stock our product. This really nailed down their belief in good food selling itself and has lead to a successful relationship with the chain.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.littlefootfoods.ca
• Instagram: @littlefootfoods
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlefootfoods
• Linkedin: none
• Twitter: @littlefootfoods
• Youtube: none

Image Credits
Robert Myers