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Casey and Derik Kesek, co-owners of the Green Teapot. (Photo by James Hopkin) |
By James Hopkin
Promising to deliver a truly organic experience, a new café is set to open its door to the Sudbury community.
The Green Teapot, which opens June 1at 65 Elm St., aims to serve quality food and drink with no chemicals, additives or genetically modified content.
?We just want to provide Sudbury with an alternative place to go and eat,? said Derik Kesek, co-owner of the Green Teapot. ?That?s our mission.?
The Teapot will offer a wide variety of dishes such as pizza, lasagne, and soups. Wraps and sandwiches will also be available to those on a tight schedule looking for a quick, healthy lunch.
Their range of organic coffees and speciality teas can be served alongside desserts like ice cream, muffins and cookies.
Kesek feels Sudbury is warming up considerably to the idea of making healthier food choices.
?It?s a little slower than Toronto, but it?s picking up here,? Kesek said. ?There?s definitely a market for it.?
The idea of opening an organic cafè came to the Keseks about a year-and-a-half ago when the couple was living in Newmarket. Originally from Sudbury, they headed south in 1999 to find work.
Kesek worked in a factory, while his wife found a job as a deli clerk. The couple ?worked the grind? in southern Ontario, which left no time for a social life. The Keseks missed friends and family in the north, and after the birth of their daughter Emma in 2000, they found themselves thinking about the idea of opening a small business in Sudbury.
The couple conducted some market research, and with the assistance of the Self-Employment Benefit program and a bank loan, raised the capital needed to bring their idea into fruition.
According to Kesek, the renovation was almost delayed when the couple was unable to obtain their Master Business Licence, due to the OPSEU strike, which they required to secure a small business loan.
The bank, however, waived the formality and the Keseks began renovations on the café.
Deals were also secured with distributors of organic food products while attending a Canadian Health Food Association Show in Southern Ontario.
?We find that it (organic food) almost lasts longer than the stuff at the grocery store, and it tastes so much better,? Kesek said. ?People are thinking about their health now, so hopefully it goes over well.?
The Green Teapot will be furnished with IKEA furniture and lighting in order to give the café a ?comfortable atmosphere,? and will also retail Mexican pottery and jewellery.
Kesek is interested in supporting local artists and plans to display their work..
?We want to be community-oriented,? Kesek said.
The café will seat about 40 people and all 30-plus items on the menu will be available for takeout.
Kesek feels there is a way to serve healthy food and drink in a convenient, cost-efficient fashion.
?We did a lot of market research, and it looks really good,? Kesek said. ?We?re making a stand. You can actually make a store with good, clean food and be successful.?
The Green Teapot will celebrate its grand opening June 1 with a performance by local entertainers Tuba Boy, and will hold a women?s poetry reading on June 2 at 5 pm.
