Meet We Burger: Bringing High Gastronomy to Burgers
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It takes a lot for a taste to stand out in a city with such a strong culinary scene as Toronto, but We Burger has found the recipe for doing so: authenticity. By blending the Brazilian and Canadian cultures, the food group redefined the gourmet experience in the town. Their burgers bring uniqueness to the table through the perfect fusion of blended patties, carefully selected cheese, and a bold array of toppings. It’s genuine flavor at its finest.
Led by the couple Renato Lapagesse and Tatiana Porpino, We Burger serves its customers through pick-up and delivery orders every Thursday and pop-up events at major gatherings. This July, the restaurant is gathering up to participate in BrazilFest for the second year in a row.
“It is important to always be in evidence in all communities — and BrazilFest has a very large representativeness for Brazilians. I consider the festival the biggest Brazilian event in Canada,” says Renato. “I invested by bringing We Burger to BrazilFest last year and I understand that the brand gained great visibility. This is why we are coming back”.
We Burger’s menu features 13 unique sandwiches, each crafted with a 200g patty base. The top sellers will be highlighted at the festival, but selecting your favorite may be quite a challenge because each burger has its own remarkable flavor. Trust us — we’ve attempted to stick to just one and failed miserably.
The We Montreal stands out for its combination of crispy deep-fried camembert and mouth-watering pepper jelly. The We Calgary is a must-try: the mixture of rib patty, smoked provolone, and chimichurri is mind-blowing. The We Parksville, with creamy truffle dijonnaise, authentic Gruyère cheese, and prosciutto, is unique. Even the basics work — The We Burger, which includes cheese, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and homemade caramelized onions, pleases all palates.
As with every innovative menu, its options are refined constantly. “Our brand aims to bring high gastronomy into the burger. That’s why, if you compare our burgers to others in the market, you’ll see that nobody does burgers like us”, points Renato. The care is not only about the recipe — it covers the whole identity of the sandwiches. “The names are not randomly chosen. There’s a relationship between the ingredients and the cities represented by the burgers. For example, the We SaltSpring comes with black olive pesto. Salt Spring is a city where, thanks to the climatic conditions, it’s possible to cultivate an olive tree year-round,” explains.
In a route of growth, We Burger is about to celebrate its 1st anniversary. But, officially, the story of the brand began in 2021 when Renato launched it, inspired by the enthusiastic response of friends who tasted his burgers during a barbecue. To run the business, he took advantage of 12 years of experience owning bars and restaurants in Brazil and counted on the support of Tatiana, who runs the “We Dessert” and introduced to the menu presented to the public on pop-ups irresistible sweet treats for those with a penchant for desserts.
On the horizon, there are big plans.”We sold, between July and December of last year, solely through pop-ups, 2,300 burgers. Not even in my best projections did I expect that. My idea for this year is to double the number, reaching 5,000. In the future, we also plan to open a physical store,” Renato reveals.
So, stay tuned, because the best is yet to come from We Burger.