Melanie Merrill-Robinson had tears in her eyes when she finally flipped the sign hanging on her restaurant to open.
“It's like seeing everything come to fruition,” said the owner of Eclectic Café. “All of my crazy ideas and planning and menus and growing season finally caught up.”
The 2016 Chopped Canada champ re-opened the café Friday in a newly renovated location - the former long-time home of Fred’s Meat Market. She said it was harder than giving birth.
“I had no control over the childbirth, and this was all in my control,” said Merrill-Robinson. “I was always thinking, ‘Is this a misstep, could that have been done better?’ Or that I don't have enough money. How am I going to recoup this cost?”
But she pushed through to completion.
“I don't think I fully understand what I've done yet,” she added.
But Amy Grixti knows exactly what the young chef/entrepreneur has done: given people an option to eat real food.
“When I bit into the lettuce, there was a punch of freshness,” said the Gravenhurst resident, who was at the restaurant Friday with a friend “This is what they mean whet they say 'Eat real food.'”
She said she would travel to Orillia just to have a meal at the café.
“Everything this woman touches becomes culinary gold,” said Risha Yorke, who was with Grixti. “We are so fortunate to have Melanie in our community.
“It’s a big gamble opening a restaurant. She could work for any 5-star restaurant or resort, but instead we get to have her incredible creations in downtown Orillia,” said the Severn resident.
Merrill-Robinson said she obtained all permits to begin construction earlier this year. In her mind, she had a timeline to open by the beginning of summer, but it took longer than anticipated.
However, after a complete transformation, it’s finally done.
“The owners of the building decided they wanted to upgrade everything in the building, so they decided to upgrade the hydro in the building for the three retail spaces and the apartments they own,” she said.
The original hardwood floors had to be replaced, because they were too thin, said the chef. Nothing original was kept, because it was in disrepair and needed a complete overhaul.
The walls were built anew, and everything from the exterior was removed to make it a blank canvas, said Merrill-Robinson, noting a brand new glass window gives a view of Andrew Street while large glass panels open up the restaurant to Mississaga Street.
“They have a vision for what they want this building to look like and it's progressively going to get better along the way,” she said, adding the building owner has talked about creating a mural on the external wall facing Andrew Street.
“I would really like to see a collaboration of local artists for that mural. So it's not just one person's name but it's a collaborative — it's eclectic.”
An inner alcove features artwork from young artists that are part of the Otter Art Club. The wall across it features original posters that were found above the meat market fridge.
Having moved out of Carousel Collectibles when its owners retired, Merrill-Robinson said the new, larger location also means more staff. She said, including herself, she now has four part-time and three full-time staff, compared to five, total, before.
The anticipation from her foodie fans was high, she noted.
“Whether it was at an event I was at or grabbing coffee, there would be at least three people I would encounter every day asking me when I was opening,” said Merrill-Robinson. “As stressful as that was, it was also lovely to see that we hadn't disappeared and people were waiting for us to reopen.”
She attributes that to the food, but she also believes it's a testament to her strong presence online. She has also been visible in the community through her participation in large events, with non-profits and other community organizations.
“What's really interesting about what we do, and that sets us apart from anybody in town, is our extremely strong focus on local,” said Merrill-Robinson. “We get food from local growers, like the Roost, 50 Acre Gardens, Lavender Hill Farms, and a family-friendly fungi farm, and fresh pasta from Tre Sorelle — because I know these are high quality products.”
And since she uses fresh farm products, the café’s menu changes every month.
“We cook based on the growing season and what's available,” she said. “There are always new items on our menu.”
And Merrill-Robinson said she loves the spirit of collaboration she sees among her neighbours.
“The support from the community has been nothing I've ever seen in my life,” she said. “I'm a country girl and really often don't know my neighbours and to know I can just run down the street and get something from any one of the business owners is just incredible. I've never had that experience before.”
The café is open Tuesday to Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and there's an official opening planned for the end of July.
“I lead with my heart more than my head sometimes,” she said. “It's been a learning experience. It's going to continue to be a learning experience, but I hope we grow with the city.”
