There's a new eatery in the north end of Orillia.
Taking the place of Sunday Stn., The Pantry Market + Cafe opened at 380 Laclie St. last week.
Owners Sarah Butler and Kalvin Sherry closed the breakfast spot in July after welcoming a baby into the world all while opening Front St BBQ and managing FARE Restaurant.
"We were trying to keep it consistent," Butler said. "We were trying to keep it up to the standard that we wanted, but ... the baby took precedence over everything."
Butler and Sherry were finding it difficult to manage their three restaurants and Krew Catering Co. with all fairly new staff, which is why they decided they needed to take a step back and create a less complicated lifestyle.
"We are sad about Sunday Stn.," Sherry said. "There are a lot of people who were sad about it."
After a six-month hiatus from Sunday Stn., The Pantry opened last Wednesday. It serves take-home meals, boasts a quick-service deli counter, and has a few breakfast items from Sunday Stn.
"It's a one-stop shop for quick sandwiches, breakfast, or lunch," Sherry said. "We have things you can take home frozen for dinner, too."
Butler says The Pantry is a place where people can buy prepared ingredients and frozen meal kits.
"It's a way to eat really great but in a quicker aspect," she said. "This allows us to put out really good and consistent food quicker."
Butler and Sherry say they wouldn't have been able to bring The Pantry to life without their staff.
"They work just as hard as we do. They help us push through everything," Butler said.
Fans of Sunday Stn. and new customers alike are thrilled with the debut of The Pantry, she added.
"I thought we'd have a lot more people sitting in for breakfast," she said. "That's what it was and what was missed, but people buying prepared meals out of the cooler has happened more than I expected, which is great."
Sherry says almost everything at The Pantry is made from scratch, which has made its frozen and prepared meals a hit so far.
"You can cover all three meals here without having to go shopping for ingredients or having to clean up the kitchen," he said. "When you break down the cost of everything, it's cheaper to buy it here prepared, done and packaged."
While other restaurants in town sell prepared meals, Butler and Sherry say they are filling a niche.
"People love our food," Butler said. "We aren't really in competition with anybody because we are an area of town where there isn't much, and Laclie Street is a busy road that connects to the highway."
The Pantry is open Wednesday through Monday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
