Mike’s Pizza in Sydenham

Apr 16, 2025

By Jemma Dooreleyers

It has been almost a month since Mike’s Pizza and More in Sydenham opened and according to Mike Tougisnant, the owner and life-long Sydenham resident, he could not asked for a better welcome from the community.

Tougisnant chose not to do a grand opening because he wanted to ease his new staff into the business. But word spread across social media, and Mike’s Pizza quickly became a bustling hub for people and students in the town of Sydenham who wanted to support local without breaking the bank.

“We kind of knew that was going to happen,” said Tougisnant.

Mike’s Pizza has been an institution in the town of Bath for two years and according to Tougisnant, the same thing happened when they opened there, so while they were prepared physically, the response from the community has been “awesome but a bit overwhelming.” “It’s nice to have that following and I enjoy being well-received,” said Tougisnant.

While Tougisnant has always loved cooking, it did not occur to him to start a restaurant of his own until he was at a crossroads.

For 31 years, Tougisnant had been a worker at a factory and while he had worked his way up from the production line into a more managerial role, he was feeling ready for a change.

When a location in Bath came up for sale almost two years ago, Tougisnant jumped on the opportunity, and while there have been some adjustments and learning opportunities along the way, the overall positivity from the experience in Bath inspired Tougisnant to pursue his goal of bringing the business back to his hometown, Sydenham.

“Growing up in Sydenham, I know this community, and I know its heart,” he said. “The response from the village has been phenomenal and it’s even better be cause I grew up here. Before it got cold again, we had the garage doors open in the front and all of a sudden I’m seeing people I haven’t seen since I was a kid. Even though I’ve lived around the corner but I don’t feel like I’ve been out in the village for 30 years. It’s nice to be here and part of the village again.”

Mike’s Pizza is special for a number of reasons according to Tougisnant.

“Well, first our staff is incredible,” he said. “I always get calls from customers telling me how friendly and helpful every one is.”

The quality of the food is something else that Tougisnant is committed to.

“Anything I can make from scratch, I can. That gives me the opportunity to tweak or fine-tune it, because if I hear a complaint about the sauce, I can fix that and it allows me an attention to detail. People tell me I could make more money if I put less quality in my food. I won’t do that. I try to keep my prices as good as I can keep them and still exist. I won’t charge what I wouldn’t pay and I won’t serve food that I wouldn’t eat. It’s just important.”

Due to this commitment to quality, Tougisnant is always thinking about the business. He is awake early in the morning to be the first one at the restaurant, prepping and making sure the recipes are as good as he wants them to be and while he is there 12 hours most days, according to Tougisnant “it never feels like work.”

“When I used to work at the factory, I used to have to drag myself out of bed,” he said. “Now not being at work is the hard part, I always want to be there doing what I love.”

Mike’s Pizza and More is located on MIll Street in Sydenham and they offer a variety of grab and go slices, pies and other items.

Their hours can be found on their website.

“We’re just really happy to be here and I know people were following us on social media and it was an ordeal getting here with some humps and bumps along the way.”

“There were a couple of times where I didn’t think it was going to happen. So yeah, we’re just excited to be here and we’re thankful for the reception from the community we’ve gotten so far. Everyone’s patience has been appreciated.” ■