Mary’s Country Kitchen will move to new home this spring

Mario and Chantal Lascelles are making their dream of expanding Mary's Country Kitchen and Fine Foods a reality.

Having outgrown their current location at 22 Main Street East, the Lascelles have purchased the vacant Victorian home located at 117 Main Street East and are planning to relocate the restaurant there in the near future.

"We haven't set a specific date or timeframe at this point," Chantal told The Review. "We want to take our time, do it right and make sure we're ready. So, we're just going to work at it and we'll open when we're ready."

She said the expansion "is a dream come true for us" and has been in the works since they purchased the restaurant from its previous owners three years ago.

"It's time to expand," she commented. "We only have 13 seatings right now and although it's very cozy and people like that, we have heard comments that it's a bit cramped in here. Not only that, but we really want to grow our business, too, so this is the next logical step."

Mario, an interior designer by trade, and Chantal, a fashion designer, were "in the right place at the right time" when they purchased Mary's. Although neither of them are chefs, Mario said owning a restaurant was something they had always wanted to do.

"We were commuting into Ottawa every day and it was time for a change," he said. "We're both in the arts and food/cooking is a form of art so it was a good fit for us. We really enjoy playing with food and getting creative with it."

The new location, Chantal said, will allow for a larger dining area, as well as larger space for creating the delicious foods customers have come to love.

"The increase in space will allow us to expand our fine foods line and also, expand the designer cake part of the business as well," she stated. "Right now, we have very limited space so we can't bring those parts of the business to their full potential. Now, we'll be able to do that."

She noted that many of the ingredients used to create their tasty meals and desserts come from local producers. Not only will the new location give them more space, she said, it will also allow them to move forward with their plan to ensure all of their ingredients come from within 100 miles of their location.

"We want to be able to supply ourselves within these boundaries," she remarked. "It is not done yet, but it is a constant goal for us. We want to work as locally as possible, and slowly, we are creating bonds with suppliers, farmers and producers to reach our objective. Again, this will be improved with the future expansion."

Mario said there is quite a bit of work to be done to the new location before Mary's can move in.

"We're working really hard right now, burning the candle at both ends," he said. "The new location isn't designed to be the type of restaurant we want it to be, so we have a lot of work ahead of us. But we're so proud to be moving into such a beautiful location. We feel we are taking steps to make good use of the beautiful heritage buildings that are found on the main street. We're trying to add to what has already been done here on the main street."

Although Mary's is moving, Chantal said, she and Mario want customers to know the new location will be just as warm and cozy as the previous location.

"This is a very positive step forward for us," she noted. "It's a dream come true. The location will change, but everything that makes Mary's so great will stay the same. Our goal is to add to the main street and give people another reason to come here. The more Vankleek Hill has to offer, the more people will come to the community. Everyone benefits from that."

Chantal said Mary's will also be creating jobs in the community because the expansion will most certainly require additional staff.

"It's always good when a business grows and needs to hire more staff," she said.

Please watch The Review for updates on the expansion of Mary's Country Kitchen.