What is a lokma?
That's the question that hundreds of locals were asking last weekend, as hundreds of people lined up to see what was going on at north Oakville's newest dessert cafe.
And they had a good reason for waiting — the shop, Lokma Dessert, held its grand opening last Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, with nearly everything on the menu set at the one-day price of just $2.00.
"This is a great dessert spot for Oakville," owner of Lokma Dessert Oakville, Mohamed Kala, said. "I don't think we've seen any dessert like this in the area."
Originally based out of Quebec, the sweet treats chain specializes in Lokma (like its name suggests), a Turkish dessert that's essentially made of sweet fried dough that's typically soaked in sugar syrup, honey and cinnamon.
Lokma specializes in adding their own twists to the traditional dessert by adding different toppings, like Nutella, white chocolate and strawberry syrup.
The owners describe lokma as "Crispy and golden on the outside, and tender and soft on the inside," and that the combinations for toppings are nearly endless.
During the grand opening Lokma Dessert Oakville, the first location in the Halton Region, had a mix of sweet and savoury goodies, all set at $2.00.
Besides the lokma boxes, the store was also selling mini doughnuts in various flavours, as well as O'Kogos, corn dogs that are usually made with sausage that's skewered, coated in cornmeal and deep fried. All O'Kogos are Halal and have vegetarian options available too.
Customers at Lokma could also enjoy live DJ music, use a photo booth and enter a raffle, where they could win a Playstation 5 console.
According to the owners, the idea behind Lokma began after a trip to Turkey where the now-chain founders discovered the traditional Turkish pastries. From the first bite, they "fell head over heels in love."
Already having extensive training in restoration, the founders set out to recreate this authentic dessert by "adding their own personal touch and are now proud to share it with customers."
Lokma is a growing new chain in Ontario, with the first set of locations originally in the greater Montreal and Ottawa areas. This is the second GTA location, after one opened in Scarborough earlier this year.
Since the grand opening, the sohop is now open for regular business - though the $2 lokma promotion has now ended.
Lokma Oakville is located at 261 Oak Walk Drive in Oakville, and is open every day until 1 a.m., with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays where the shop is open until 2 a.m.
Tyler Collins contributed additional reporting to this story.