Devereaux Gatin, Postal Pizzas & Café Del Rey, Saskatoon
By: Cassi Smith
“Food is such a great catalyst for conversation. We often find ourselves gathering over food and it allows us to fill our minds, fill our bodies and our spirits… It creates connection within community and breaks down barriers.”
A classically trained chef, Devereaux Gatin found inspiration for his first business in what most would consider an unlikely place. “We found a vehicle out at Candle Lake, literally pulled from the bush and left for dead.” It was a 1974 Dodge B300, traditionally used in the postal service from 1974 until the early 90s. “I contacted the number on the side of it and brought a new life to the vehicle.” Postal Pizzas, the name inspired by the truck’s first life, is now a local Saskatoon food truck, specializing in Neapolitan pizza, with a crust so good, even the kids eat it.
“I went to culinary school and had been a chef for ten years,” says Devereaux, “I had experience through different restaurants and working with organizations both corporate and private, I just felt that the true connection to food is through simplicity and crafting high-quality ingredients in a way that is consumable – and that doesn’t need to be in a restaurant in a typical brick and mortar fashion.” Following his trip to Southeast Asia, Devereaux was inspired to create something similar to what he had seen on his travels. “I travelled through many different areas where the primary food was street food. I saw the culture and connection that can be made through people enjoying food on the street. That was a big eye-opener for me. People would make one dish, one big pot of pho or stewed items, they’d serve it all day and when it ran out, they’d clean up, go home, and start all over again the next day. To me that was a cool approach to food and a way of specializing and being unique in what you offer.”
Devereaux’s inspired approach came to life in 2021 in the form of a mobile pizzeria, and after only two years in business, he has already gleaned major success. One of Postal Pizza’s recent highlights was catering a Stanley Cup party for NHL player, Chandler Stevenson. “After feeling like our idea maybe wasn’t going to pan out, we now have this milestone of being able to cook pizza for one of the most prestigious sporting awards celebrations. And a player who has won the Cup twice wanted us to be at his event and to share our food with his family and friends.”
Not one to rest easily, Devereaux says the time off between food truck seasons had his entrepreneurial spirit itching. “We all know how long our winters are here in Saskatchewan, and we found ourselves twiddling our thumbs a little bit. We saw an opportunity to take over a café in the city and reanimate it. We started renovations this past June and breathed new life into the space and really put our touch on it.” With the help of CCDF, Devereaux now owns and operates Café Del Rey which specializes in coffee, sandwiches, paninis, and desserts. “We had a good vision of what we wanted and what could support us running a business parallel to the food truck. Our goal is to have the food truck parked out front of the café and create our own little Italy here in Saskatoon.”
As a young, Métis entrepreneur, Devereaux says the hardest part to starting a business is just that: starting. “The biggest obstacle is starting and feeling like you have the ability to do it. But knowing I had a support network through CCDF was a good mental insurance policy for me. I knew there was someone rooting for me.” And CCDF’s support doesn’t end there. Rounding out its 25th year in business, CCDF is committed to helping Métis owned businesses every step of the way. “Between the online support with seminars and virtual skill-building workshops, it’s been great,” says Devereaux. “It’s great to see a continued support throughout the process of application and going through to get the reimbursement through the programs, it’s always been an enjoyable process. It helps to encourage creativity and encourage people to take risks. It’s a good source of information and good source of people in the organization to draw from.”
The networking aspect of CCDF wasn’t only beneficial to Devereaux’s business, but to his cultural identity as well. “When we look at our Indigenous identity, it’s sometimes hard to feel like you belong, it’s a journey that’s constantly evolving. But finding that connection of ancestry and to the community of Métis people, has been great. CCDF has helped me take those steps which sometimes can feel like a journey you’re doing on your own. It really speaks to the community nature and how CCDF approaches things. They find ways to showcase and be proud to be Métis as opposed to it just being a box you check on a form here and there. It allows you to feel proud of it.”
Looking forward, Devereaux says it’s the sense of community he feels in Saskatoon and within CCDF that keeps him going, “Saskatoon has really welcomed us,” says Devereaux. “We didn’t invent something new – pizza has been around forever. The cool thing is that everyone has a memory associated with pizza, and now we have the honour of our pizza being that core memory for people.”
With the support of good people around him, some help from CCDF, and a little vehicular inspiration, Devereaux has been able to bring his visions to life, something he doesn’t take lightly. And although Saskatoon’s restaurant industry can be intimidating, Devereaux says bringing people together through good food will always be his passion. “In my experience through travelling, there were times I’d be in smaller communities that don’t speak the same language I do, but when you sit down at a table and you’re looking for nourishment, most people will bring you a bowl of food. It’s like a common ground. I think food is such a beautiful way to connect. I’m very happy that my industry and my passion from a young age is food, it’s such a beautiful way to share with community.”
