A new restaurant called Gilford Local Eatery has only been open for a few weeks, but it's already making a name for itself among locals and tourists.
Husband and wife Anthony and Sadie Rossano recently opened their restaurant just a few weeks ago on Shore Acres Drive, near Kon Tiki Marina in Innisfil.
The couple lives just down the road from their eatery and had their first child, Rooney, just five weeks ago.
The couple decided to open the business after moving to the area and noticing there weren't many restaurants nearby.
"There are no amenities. There's nowhere to go to breakfast or anything without going to the next town over," said Sadie.
Anthony originally wanted to open a wine bar, but decided to go the restaurant route once the pandemic hit. The Rossanos wanted to open one of the trending 'shipping container' pop-up style restaurants, but decided against it after a small, vacant building became available at Kon Tiki Marina.
"When I was a kid, it was a snack shack," Sadie recalls of the old building.
The couple renovated the building in the winter and spring, repainted the outside, placed picnic tables all around the front and back, and installed a new sign on the front.
The restaurant is open Thursdays to Sundays and offers a variety of pub-style foods and drinks. They also offer a breakfast menu on weekends.
They try their best to source from local suppliers. Their goal is to make as many connections with local growers to source even more of their ingredients from.
"We are slowly trying to find suppliers, like local farmers," said Anthony.
Their craft beers also come from area breweries like Flying Monkeys in Barrie.
It is Anthony who does all of the cooking of the food, while Sadie handles the orders and cash register. Anthony's parents are also helping the couple run the restaurant as they get themselves established.
They have been so busy that they recently hired two local staff members.
"It's been steady," Sadie said about the customer flow.
The eatery has been busy the past few weekends, serving not only locals but tourists who use the only public boat launch in Innisfil.
"It's nice after COVID to see the community back together doing things," said Anthony.
To limit contact due to COVID, the eatery has one order window, one pick-up window, and multiple benches for customers to sit down and enjoy their meals from recyclable take-out containers.
Eventually, the couple would like to transform the back of their restaurant into a mini-market, selling locally grown products, such as honey, maple syrup and candles.
Sadie is an Innisfil native who grew up on her family's farm in Gilford, while Anthony is from Barrie. The couple first met while studying at university in Ottawa.
As if running a new restaurant business and handling a newborn baby wasn't challenging enough, the couple's pet dog Hugo was struck by a car just two days after they brought Rooney home from the hospital.
"That was a nightmare experience," said Sadie.
Thankfully Hugo is alive, but he suffered serious injuries that have required extra care and treatment for the next little while.
"He's on the mend," said Sadie.
Gilford Local Eatery is having its official grand opening tonhis Saturday, July 10, at 2 p.m., with a visit from the mayor and a ribbon-cutting ceremony and musical entertainment. They will also be unveiling their new wine menu, featuring four VQA options.
To learn more about the eatery, visit their website here or follow them on Instagram @gilfordlocaleatery.
