Toronto-based ‘Eva’s Original Chimneys’ Arrives in Halifax For The Summer

HALIFAX— A new-to-Halifax dessert truck is having its grand opening this weekend. Eva’s Original Chimneys is a Toronto-based business that is making its way into the Atlantic provinces, after just opening its St. John’s, Newfoundland location last year.

Jacob Squires, the operations and marketing manager for Eva’s Original Chimneys, said the first night of operating the Halifax location was July 15. That same night, the business’ new Nova Scotia TikTok account posted a video introducing the city to their business of chimney cakes and ice cream filled chimney cones. The short video now has close to 190,000 views.

“It’s been a great response so far and we’re hoping to keep the momentum going,” said Squires.

This video led to staff showing up to work on Saturday with a line already forming. For the whole weekend, Squires said he could not see the end of the line during his shifts.

Over the last week, the truck, located at 1600 Grafton St, between Rogers Square and Pizza Corner, had its soft opening. Their Eva’s Original Chimney location is set up in a stationary food truck and will be in the same location on Grafton Street until the end of the summer, operating seven days a week.

“We’re very, very [appreciative] of everybody here for coming out and waiting in the lines,” he said.

Squires said he’s seeing a lot of Haligonians wanting to share information about the new-to-Halifax business, including some local influencers.

All chimney cones and cakes are made fresh in the truck to order.

As for the process of making the cones and cakes, Squires said the Halifax truck can fit six to seven staff members at once. So a few staff will be rolling the dough onto the spindles, which need to rise for five to 10 minutes.

The dough is then baked on their propane stoves for four to five minutes and then seasoned with cinnamon sugar, Oreo, graham wafer, or starting this weekend, coconut, when still hot.

The cones and cakes then have to cool down before adding the ice cream.

The chimney dough is vegan and the truck will also offer vegan, oat-based ice cream. The location is also cashless.

Eva’s Original Chimneys’ is the second chimney cake vendor in the city now. Roll on Two Chimney Cakes was the first chimney cake food truck to come to Halifax.

History of Eva’s Original Chimneys

Karla Courtney, Eva’s Original Chimneys head of marketing and co-owner, said chimney cakes are a traditional Eastern European “bread-like-pastry” that originated in Transylvania, Romania.

“They are called chimney cakes because of the shape, but also when you have them hot, they steam,” said Courtney.

The business started when the two founders, Justin and Kristin Butler, were in Budapest visiting Justin’s family. The two tried chimney cakes and after that, changed their European travel plans to go to Slovenia to learn how to make chimney cakes.

This led to their first truck opening in Toronto in 2015.

The name Eva comes from Justin’s grandmother, who influenced the idea of the business and helped create the dough that sells today.

“The name was only just The Original Chimneys and I knew Justin’s grandma and I said, ‘well, if your grandma helped you, why don’t you call it Eva’s?’” said Courtney.

The business sells chimney cakes and chimney cones, and Eva’s Original Chimneys was the first spot in Canada to serve it in a cone-style, said Courtney. She said someone was already doing the chimney cones in Czech Republic but the business brought it to Canada.

Instead of shaping the dough as a cylinder for the chimney cake, they shape it into a cone and fill it with ice cream.

There are now three storefront locations in Toronto, a truck in Halifax, and a truck in St. John’s.

Squires is based in St. John’s and started working for that franchise owner for a separate business last year before the opening of the Newfoundland truck. Squires ended up working on the truck and on the back end of things for the franchise.

Since he is experienced with the operations of Eva’s Original Chimneys, he is indefinitely in Halifax helping with the opening of the new location.

Squires said he is excited to be working at a new location with new staff.

Jessica Saulnier is an intern with Huddle in Fredericton. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].