The Depanneur was established in 2011 by Len Senater in an old convenience store on College Street, in Toronto’s Dufferin Grove neighbourhood. It was originally envisioned as a combination corner store, cafe, brunch spot and venue for pop-up food events. That proved too challenging, and within a year the retail store and cafe had to be wound down. (You can read all the gory details in the cookbook). Over the next few years, The Dep focussed on hosting a wide variety of pop-up food events like cooking classes, supper clubs, drop-in dinners, and talks, along with a weekend brunch residency. By 2015 we were hosting hundreds of unique culinary activities a year.
Early Days Gallery
In early 2016, things took an unexpected turn. Newly-arrived Syrian refugees found themselves stuck in hotels for weeks on end, with no access to kitchens to cook for themselves or their families. The Dep extended an invitation to use our kitchen and this small gesture of hospitality blossomed into the wildly successful Newcomer Kitchen pilot project. After 3 years at The Dep, it grew into its own non-profit social enterprise working with newcomer women to prepare and sell meals in a fun, social setting, while earning revenue through dignified, meaningful work.
Newcomer Kitchen Gallery
In 2020 The Depanneur, like many food venues faced the challenge of the COVID crisis. Unable to host in-person events for more than 2 years, The Dep pivoted to a contactless pick up model, and hosted a series of socially-distanced picnics as part of a 5-year collaboration with The Bentway. We also used this time to compile 100 recipes from 100 people who had cooked at The Depanneur over the previous decade; this would become the heart of The Depanneur Cookbook. Launched as a Kickstarter, it went on to become the most successful Canadian cookbook campaign ever. It was subsequently picked up by Simon & Schuster Canada, and has since been nominated for 2 Gourmand International "Best In The World" Cookbook Awards, and a Taste Canada Award. The Depanneur closed its iconic College St location at end of 2021, and Len took an extended sabbatical to rest, travel and finish the work on the cookbook.
Dep Cookbook Gallery
Alongside the publication of The Depanneur Cookbook in Spring 2024, The Depanneur began work on a new private dining room and culinary event space at the Centre for Social Innovation. Created in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology, the Depanneur has been reborn in the CCFE Solutions Salon on the top floor of CSI Spadina, overlooking downtown Toronto. The new Depanneur, with its custom-built kitchen and spacious dining area, cozy lounge and beautiful skyline view, is posed to become an even more exciting hub for Toronto’s fantastically diverse food scene.
New Dep @ CSI Gallery
Since reopening its doors in Fall 2024, The Dep has redoubled its commitment to fostering community and creating opportunity through food. In addition to raising thousands of dollars to support Torontonians facing food insecurity through our Pay It Forward program, we are also spearheading new initiatives like our monthly Indigenous Food Lab with Chef Taylor Parker to explore foods native to Ontario through a First Nations lens.
