The Gravy Train aims to be Toronto’s first “gourmet dippery”

Is gravy the next ramen? Probably not, but if the whole “dipping” restaurant concept takes off, we’ll have The Gravy Train to thank for it. Cashing in on Inspired by Rob Ford’s election rhetoric, co-founders James Applegath and Craig Brissenden are planning to launch a casual restaurant specializing in dips, sauces, spreads and, of course, gravy (including vegetarian, beer and even chocolate varieties). The two are hoping to raise $20,000 through Indiegogo—an increasingly popular move for Toronto restaurants—and offering perks like “a high-five from one of our dip engineers” for $5 or a 10-person private meal for $1,000. “Toronto’s known as a really diverse city as far as restaurants go,” says Applegath in the pair’s pitch video, “but there’s nothing that’s dip based.” Fair point.

Of course, any dip-based restaurant will need a lineup of “dippables,” which in The Gravy Train’s case will include fries, wings and jalapeño poppers. And while “healthy” and “gravy” are rarely uttered in the same breath without the word “not,” Applegath and Brissenden are keen to give it a shot: they’ve (loosely) committed to using organic produce and “healthier oils,” and will be baking their wings instead of frying them. Gravy fans may want to keep their excitement in check, however. The restaurant doesn’t even have a location yet (although they’re running a poll on their website), and so far, they’ve only managed to raise $465. [Indiegogo]