Public Kitchen restaurateurs to open market in Central Frederick area

You could call it a public market of an entirely different sort. Public Kitchen & Bar, the small but popular bistro located on Lancaster Avenue, recently announced that it will open Public Market at 324 Frederick St., in Kitchener.

Public Kitchen owners Carly Blasutti and Ryan Murphy have started building at what is popularly known as the former Fisher Variety store (until recently Convenience Plus) at the corner of Frederick and Filbert streets in Kitchener. They're hoping for an early February opening for their food shop and take-away restaurant.

"We're going to have a retail element with daily essentials. We plan on having milk, eggs, bread, butter, cheese, and that sort of thing," said Blasutti.

The husband and wife team had been exploring expansion options next door to their Lancaster restaurant in order to have space for creating prepared foods and preserves, but vacancies and logistics didn't work out. "So we just kept talking about the plan and expanding on the concept we wanted. A second restaurant is not exactly something that we are interested in doing at this time, so we thought we'd try something a little lower key."

Given the travails of running a restaurant, that's understandable. Then, when the current landlord of the Frederick Street property approached Blasutti and Murphy about the possibility of testing the concept, the pair took it.

According to Blasutti, the store will have pantry items and will source locally made products where possible. "There will also be a short but sweet little import section too, just because we can't help ourselves," she added. 

Neighbourly feel

If you are of a certain age, you will recall the original Vincenzo's Italian shop that operated out of an older home on Bridgeport Road in Waterloo. I see this venture as a return those local neighbourhood stores, and I, for one, couldn't be happier. 

In many older neighbourhoods in Kitchener and Waterloo, corner stores in residential areas were quite popular but eventually were shuttered.

Public Market captures an idea that I think swirls around in many hopeful food entrepreneurs' heads: they imagine a small sandwich and coffee shop in a dense, residential neighbourhood, within walking distance for families.

The plan for Public Market appears to do that: it offers pastries, a decent cup of coffee, and what Blasutti calls "a strong grab-and-go element for lunch." They will also offer take-away meals and preserves. And it's all from a mom-and-pop indie hoping to serve local residents and some of the small businesses in the renovated houses in the nearby blocks. 

Zoning in the area allows for a small restaurant-style seating area that will feature a simple blackboard menu of daily hot lunches. Some of the cooking will take place at Public restaurant but other products, such as baked goods, will be made on-site. The new venture will employ a small group: bakers, prep cooks and counter help. 

Social capital idea

Why is this kind of project important? I think it's essential from a social capital point of view that makes stronger, more liveable, more family-oriented neighbourhoods that in turn help build stronger cities.

For nearly a decade, my kids travelled to Fisher's Variety to pick up a forgotten loaf of bread or a bag of ice – and of course for candy and sweet treats.

I've long thought the renaissance of neighbourhood shops, like those in the Central Frederick Neighbourhood, Kitchener's east ward area – and likely throughout many older residential areas in Waterloo Region – is upon us.

And Blasutti agrees. "The idea of reviving these neighbourhood hubs certainly intrigues us and it's something many people are really interested in pursuing as well." 

The LRT's presence will help create more walkable and sustainable neighbourhoods with amenities and community attributes, moving away from centralization in malls and toward a more local foot traffic mentality that is in the urban zeitgeist. 

Listen to Andrew Coppolino's weekly food column on The Morning Edition, Fridays on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo 89.1 FM