Rolling Out Authenticity: Crafting a Brand Story for Reggie's Rolls
Reggie’s Rolls is a Tamil family-owned caterer based in Toronto, specializing in deep-fried rolls inspired by Sri Lankan and Fusion cuisine. The brand’s mission is to introduce this classic Sri Lankan street food to Toronto and beyond. Currently, Reggie’s Rolls offers catering, event services, and wholesale options for both fresh and frozen rolls (ready-to-fry, bake, or air-fry).
The opportunity identified was to take a beloved Tamil food item and bring it to a mainstream audience while staying true to its cultural roots. The ultimate goal is to make Mutton Rolls a widely recognized and accessible food product in grocery stores, restaurants, and households worldwide.
Reggie’s Rolls differentiates itself through authenticity, quality, and innovation. The brand uses a homemade recipe passed down through generations, with a focus on traditional Jaffna spices. In addition to the classic Mutton Roll, they offer globally inspired flavours such as Butter Chicken, Butter Paneer, Cheeseburger, Jerk Chicken, Sri Lankan Soy Curry, and Sri Lankan Chicken Curry.
Brand Personality & Values:
Emotions Evoked: Comfort, indulgence, family, homemade warmth, authenticity.
Brand Voice: Fun, friendly, and fresh—like talking to a friend.
Core Values:
Quality: Finest ingredients, halal-certified.
Family & Tradition: Rooted in Amma’s homemade recipe.
Sustainability: Locally sourced ingredients.
Customer Experience: Memorable interactions both online and offline.
Target Market
Primary Audience: Greater Toronto Area residents.
Secondary Audience: Canada-wide consumers.
Demographics: Ages 16-50, working professionals, students, diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Interests: Cooking, social gatherings, trying new foods, outdoor activities, social media engagement.
Behavioural Insights: Seeking high-quality, convenient, and flavourful quick meals. Drawn to authenticity, branding, and personalized experiences.
Market Research
Reggie’s Rolls positioned itself distinctively against competitors:
Sri Lankan takeout restaurants: Focusing on multiple products, whereas Reggie’s Rolls specializes in rolls with various flavours and frozen options.
Sri Lankan frozen food manufacturer: Targeting primarily South Asians with their products; Reggie’s Rolls aims for a broader, multi-ethnic market.
Frozen alternatives: Perogies, Jamaican Patties, Empanadas, Samosas—similar in convenience but lacking the unique Sri Lankan flavours and fusion options while maintaining quality
Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Strategy
A multi-channel approach was implemented to build brand awareness, community engagement, and drive sales.
Primary Marketing Activities:
Social media marketing: Posting content 1-3x per week, engaging with the community.
Attending local events (farmers markets, trade shows) to increase visibility.
Secondary Marketing Activities:
Google, Facebook, and Instagram Ads ($250/month).
SEO optimization for increased online reach.
Collaborations with restaurants, businesses, and influencers.
Supporting Activities:
Email newsletters (Klaviyo): Exclusive deals, new flavours, event updates. Grew subscriber list to 400+ in the first year.
Loyalty programs: Physical and digital (Smile.io) rewarding for repeat customers.
Customer reviews and testimonials via Google and Yelp.
Visual Design & Content Creation
The brand’s visual identity was carefully crafted to stand out from the typical Tamil restaurant scene, embracing a vintage yet modern aesthetic. The logo, created in collaboration with Toronto Tamil creatives (Sujee Yoga & Sindu) featured a hand-illustrated mutton roll with retro typography, using colors inspired by Tamil spices (golden yellow, olive green, maroon, orange).
Content Strategy
Marketing Tone: Playful, cheeky, and engaging, incorporating Tamil cultural references (e.g., meme-style marketing).
Photography & Video Direction: Collaborated with Tamil photographers and videographers to ensure a balance of vintage, bold, and diverse imagery.
Content Types:
Recipe & Preparation Videos: Showcasing step-by-step frying, baking, or air-frying methods.
Behind-the-Scenes Footage: Clips of hand-rolling the product, spice blending, and packaging.
Customer Testimonials & Flavour Spotlights: Short interviews or Instagram stories highlighting favorite flavors.
Event Recaps & Vlogs: Featuring trade shows, pop-ups, and customer interactions.
Cultural References: Engaging visuals such as Tamil film-inspired edits, memes, and community stories.
E-Commerce Website Development
Built on Shopify, the website provided an intuitive shopping experience for frozen and fresh rolls. Features included:
Zone-based delivery and pickup scheduling.
Loyalty program integration.
Social media shop connectivity (Facebook & Instagram).
Featured on BlogTO
Because of the brand story built, Reggie’s Rolls gained significant brand awareness and media coverage through organic engagement.