Sydenham Country Café – adapt, adapt, and adapt again

Jeff Green | Nov 18, 2020

When Peggy Hallett opened the Sydenham Country Café in late January of 2020, it seemed like a good time to start up a home-cooking style restaurant and take-out business at the former Hillside Face location on Rutledge Road.

The community has been growing in recent years. People are traveling back and forth to Kingston for work and are looking for a place to relax on weekends and to pick up dinner on their way home as well.

And for the first 7 weeks, it looked like she was being proven right.

The café was also doing a good business as a dessert spot and the catering business was ramping up

“We were busy most of the time, and I was hiring staff to cover all of the business that was coming in,” Peggy Hallett recalled, in an interview this week

The came March 15, and we all know what life has been like ever since.

During the lockdown, Peggy had to lay all her staff off, and she stayed open for take-out and delivery. She had already opened a take-out window and the was helpful during the early days of the pandemic when people did not want to enter the building.

In May, when outdoor dining returned, she put a few tables in front of the café, and was happy to open inside when that became possible as well.

Slowly staff have been returning, and the café has been ramping up its online and telephone ordering service.

Among the offerings is a dinner for two, including an entrée, salad and dessert, for $25.

“We have developed menus to fit the market. It’s the good stuff, comfort food,” she said.

Peggy does not know what is going to happen in the coming months, but she has been working hard with her staff to adapt thus far, and will react to whatever the future brings, but it hasn’t been and will not be easy.

“Even though we are open for sit-down dining, people are not relaxing and enjoying themselves the way they did before COVID hit. It’s not the same atmosphere anywhere,” she said.

There has been one change from COVID that may be helpful going forward.

Ever since the Country Café received their liquor license in September, they have been able to provide beer and wine to customers along with their take-out meals.

“It’s another thing that we can offer our customers.”

To order online from the Sydenham Country Café, go to Countrycafe.ca and click on “see menu and order”. The entire menu is available, and orders are confirmed in real time. Or call 613-376-3205

Pickup and delivery are available.