WeCook recently partnered with Montreal’s Schwartz’s Deli for a pop-up event in Toronto that showcased the meal-delivery service’s ties to local dining institutions and food lovers.

Last week,  the Avenue Diner previewed two LTO collaborative meals developed by WeCook’s executive chef Gabriel Drapeau featuring Schwartz’s smoked meat,

The event attracted 500 guests to sample the meals that will be available on WeCook on the week of Aug. 17.

“Montreal’s smoked meat is world-famous, and the chance to bring a slice of that tradition to Toronto, inside a retro diner for one day only, felt like a can’t-miss moment,” said Matthew Morein, WeCook’s director of brand and content.

According to Morein, the big-picture strategy behind teaming up with Schwartz’s Deli goes beyond generating hype.

“At its core, this collaboration is about bringing new and exciting flavours to our ready-to-eat customers, driving product differentiation and spotlighting iconic local food institutions that reflect the culinary excellence we champion at WeCook.”

Morein tells strategy that the collaborative tradition at WeCook also includes past partnerships with Montreal Greek cuisine staple Arahova Souvlaki, microbrewery Farnham Ale & Lager and century-old Brome Lake Ducks in the past.

The Schwartz launch is especially powerful in terms its cultural relevance, Morein says, and offers “amplified visibility for all partners involved while tapping into deep-rooted local pride.”

As for the Toronto pop-up, WeCook saw the activation as an opportunity to build awareness in a key market with custom signage and branded placemats, co-branded menus and exclusive merch.

According to Morein, experiential marketing plays a growing but intentional role in WeCook’s strategy with activations rolled out selectively to bring the brand to life in high-impact ways.

Past initiatives have included a private media dinner hosted by chef Drapeau and brand ambassador P.K. Subban and live samplings at the Bromont en Art visual-arts showcase in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

The creative or a 360 campaign to launch a power-bowl meal partnership with the ex-NHLer Subban earlier this year helped WeCook make “significant strides” in Ontario, Morein says, growing brand awareness in the province from 1% to 11%.

Messaging for the Toronto pop-up began with a post on social media to tease the Schwartz collaboration nine days before the event was announced.

WeCook’s PR agency of record Chimera Collective began media and influencer outreach in early July by inviting guests to a VIP preview service, which helped drive more than 1.2 million press impressions. Posts by influencer guests at the VIP preview drove even further awareness for the public portion of the event with more than 5.5 million social impressions.

WeCook also sent out geo-targeted emails and social posts to promote the event in the Toronto market.

According to Morein, WeCook is “actively continuing to develop partnerships and collaborative products like this, with another exciting launch coming in September and more in the pipeline for 2026.”

The initiative is designed to appeal to food lovers of all stripes, ranging from young Torontonians eager to try the latest in limited-edition launches, to longtime Schwartz’s patrons eager for a taste of nostalgia.

The Avenue Diner pop-up, Morein says, closely aligns with the tastes of WeCook’s customer base of busy professionals between the ages of 25 and 44.

“While WeCook does anticipate continued innovation and new challenger brands entering the Canadian meal-delivery space, we see this as a reflection of a dynamic and growing industry,” Morein says. “One key shift we’ve observed is the growing move away from traditional meal kits toward ready-to-eat solutions, driven by consumers seeking greater convenience without sacrificing quality. This trend has been reinforced by rising demand for our own ready-to-eat offerings, particularly our Family Portion meals, which have seen notable growth over the past 12 months.”

WeCook is one of the two main players in Canada’s ready-to-eat meal delivery space, alongside U.S.-founded Factor.

While Factor has a stronger foothold in Ontario, Morein says WeCook leads in its home province of Quebec, where brand awareness now exceeds 50%.