The next time you need a post skate treat after departing the Queen’s Athletic skating track, consider Perk and Pine on Regent Street.
The new cafe, conveniently located next to the Nickel Refillery, offers customers a sustainable style dining experience that will satisfy your taste buds too with scrumptious soups, sandwiches, slaws, cookies and lattes.
Co-owners and friends Melissa Martell and Lisa Seguin came up with the idea last summer when the space became vacant in the West End.
“Melissa asked me to come view the space, as she planned to open a cafe in the old salt cave and cafe business, and we instantly fell in love,” Lisa says.
Melissa used to work at The Refillery and also studied Environmental Studies, so she always wanted to lead a business while implementing a vision of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Lisa is a great cook, so it made sense to bring her friend on board.
Their sustainability concept is that they try not to provide take out dishes and embrace local.
“We have dishware and prefer you eat here, but if you have to go, we want to prioritize that you use a reusable container instead of single-use plastics. If you need a container, you can take one of ours with the hopes you will return it by paying a deposit fee,” Lisa Seguin explains.
“There is a misnomer that we don’t do dishes whatsoever,” adds Melissa.
On this particular day, Lisa serves up a hot pot of homemade chili made with love.
While Lisa’s background is commerce, she also enjoys whipping up soups, garlic dips and making scrumptious sandwiches like the BrieLT with a side of apple slaw.
Her favourite dip is what used to be called “Cora’s blow your lips off dip” in her family. It pairs nicely with vegetable sticks or potato chips.
Melissa is a vegan and is also a sucker for the great vegan meals courtesy of another local company, Good Grab. She says she loves Lisa’s daily soups and the chickpea salad.
Melissa and Lisa have also collaborated with a few other locals. Billy Bakes Bread provides the daily supply of sourdough. which is great both fresh and toasted.
Hazel and Rosemary supply the soft and tasty cookies and any necessary ingredients or the Old Rock coffee beans come from The Refillery next door.
The walls brightly display mixed media art, from their friend Nicola Young. Right now the walls showcase her acrylic and watercolour work but they plan to invite other artists in the months to come.
“One lady has even approached us about selling pottery and we were totally open to the idea,” adds Lisa.
The duo have big plans for the new year.
New flooring was added to the basement space. The plan is to create a space that patrons can use for birthdays, work away from home, board games, yoga and dance classes and more.
Both would also like to see speed dating return to Sudbury, as it has been on a hiatus since the pandemic.
Hosting seminars on waste reduction, recycling and waste free living are also on the horizon.
They also want to add a patio space with live music come spring or summer.
Perk and Pine is located at 221 Regent Street, in the west end of Sudbury, next to the Nickel Refillery.
To learn more about the Perk and Pine philosophy and its menu, visit perkandpine.ca or look on social media.
The current hours of operation are 11-6, Tuesday to Saturday.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.