Peterborough Blogs
Dr. Hunger To Become Hot Grill On Wheels
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Dr. Hunger Hot Grill at 382 Water Street has closed its physical location, and will now become Dr. Hunger Hot Grill On Wheels. It can be found at special events and outside the Red Dog on Hunter Street starting in April on Friday and Saturday nights.
Stay connected with Dr. Hunger on Wheels through their Facebook page.
[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]
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DBIA Featured Post: Angela Mark Fashion Designs
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If you were to ask people what sets our downtown apart from others, many would say that fashion leads the way. It's no secret that Peterborough's downtown core has some absolutely incredible clothing stores that cover every style imaginable. However, did you know that there is an international clothing label that is designed and produced in our midst as well!?!
Angela Mark is just that label and has been creating women's fashion in our city since 1987! Angela Mark provides beautiful clothing and innovative wardrobe services geared to professional women who appreciate quality and excellent value; her collections include career wear, smart casual, special occasion and outer wear.
Originally from Montreal, Angela opened her original shop as a second floor studio at the corner of Hunter and Water, just above where St Veronus is today. From there, she moved her business to street level on Hunter Street, and in 1993, purchased the building which now houses her design, production and retail studio (which is open to the public), in the current downtown location at 231 King Street.
Angela's design philosophy has always been that clothing is intended to be a unique reflection of a woman's inner beauty. Knowing that she was not alone in her search for clothing to suit her classic yet current style preferences, figure, personality, colouring, beautiful fabrics and workmanship, and knew that the combination of all of these factors was important to feeling and looking confident.
Angela returned to Peterborough after having studied Fashion Design at Ryerson University in Toronto—there, she launched her own Fashion Label at 22 years of age! As one of the first Canadian Designers to implement CAD technology for patternmaking and markermaking, Angela Mark has remained in the forefront of technology to establish a competitive edge in this fast paced and competitive industry. Her label has expanded to include her Ready to Wear Collections, Made to Measure offerings and her exclusive one off creations.
World class quality and workmanship is found in each beautifully tailored garment. The structure and fit of Angela Mark's garments is distinctive. The experience and advantage of having custom fittings with individual clients for over 27 years translates into each beautifully fitting jacket, pant, dress, skirt, unique tops and piece of gorgeous outerwear! Angela takes great pride in knowing that many of her Ready to Wear garments fit like they were custom designed.
This unique boutique offers a private setting, personal style consultations, custom fitting, in house alterations, wardrobe building service, exclusive accessories and other innovative wardrobe services which all contribute to this unique shopping experience.
Angela Mark is sold directly to her clientele. This means that the client has the advantage of having beautiful clothing, personal service, quality fabric and workmanship, and garments designed made ethically in Canada without the mark-ups in traditional retail. In traditional retail, the garment goes from the manufacturer, to the distributor, to the retailer, then to the final client—Angela Mark sells directly to their clients so that they get the additional value and exclusivity, and personal service which is excellent value. Angela Mark's clientele appreciate the value working directly with the designer.
This label has a great following of loyal clients who appreciate having personal stylists assist with their wardrobe choices that suit them and their lifestyles. Angela's studio is a destination location for many out of town clients as well as seasonal shows in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston and London, as well as her newly launched online boutique.
The Angela Mark team includes production technicians, personal stylists and an administrative staff who take pride in delivering world class products and services. The unique experience is one you won't find anywhere else.
While Angela Mark's head office is located in Peterborough, virtual offices in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal offer their products and services to their discerning and appreciative clientele in those cities as well. Angela's shop is located in an area of downtown that is easily accessible with parking right by the front door, and is open to the public or by appointment to accommodate her clients' busy schedules and ensure the personal service that you deserve.
Although she loves visiting her hometown of Montreal, Angela is happy to call Peterborough home. She loves the quality of life that the area offers and appreciates the beauty of the surrounding areas. Many of her clients travel in from out of town to shop at her store and she knows they always leave the city happy after experiencing all that downtown has to offer.
You are invited to visit Angela Mark at the corner of King and Aylmer... in downtown Peterborough!
For more on Angela Mark (231 King Street) go to:
Website: AngelaMark.com
Phone: 705.742.7315
For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.
—By Aaron Elliott
A Customer Service Centre Is Considering Locating In Downtown Peterborough
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You might have noticed an ad circulating for Trigone in Peterborough. Trigone is a recruiting agency for a company that is looking to possibly locate its customer service centre in Downtown Peterborough. As well, it's listed on the City of Peterborough website, with a link to where you can apply for positions.
The GPA EDC (Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation) confirms to us in a statement that a customer service centre is indeed testing the waters here.
"Our business development team has been working with a customer service centre to locate in downtown Peterborough," the GPA EDC says in a release to PTBOCanada. "The company is a leading Canadian company in the technology sector. These customer service roles will offer wages above average, great benefits and excellent career opportunities. At this point, we are unable to provide more specific details about the customer service centre. We’re looking forward to making a major announcement with all the details in the near future. This will be a good news story for Peterborough."
Indeed it would.
If you're interested in applying, all the deets here.
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DBIA Featured Post: Hobart's Steakhouse
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In 2012, Ken Found and Frank Peters were looking to expand their steakhouse Hobart's. Thirteen years earlier, Ken as the principal owner and Frank as the Executive Chef and Operations Manager created Lindsay, Ontario’s premier steak restaurant located in the heart of downtown.
After searching for a location that offered visibility, accessibility, and the opportunity to expand, Ken and Frank found just that at 139 Hunter St W in downtown Peterborough. After some expansive renovations to the 150+ year old landmark, they were able to create the upscale, yet casual restaurant they were looking for.
Named after Frank’s father—who was a respected beef cattle producer and marketer with a PhD—Hobart’s Steakhouse has become a go-to steakhouse in downtown Peterborough. It's a place where you can feel the comfortable and inviting atmosphere as soon as you come through the doors! Still on the renovation list is a private 24 seat wine cellar dining room to be finished later on this year that will only add to the incredible experience.
Specializing in Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Brand steaks, Hobart’s is a step above the competition. In 2013, Frank was named by the CAB Brand as an ambassador signifying a superior level of expertise in the brand and beef quality standards in general. As one can imagine, the menu centers on the almighty steak, but it is not limited to the idea of focusing on just high quality red meat only options.
Also available on their broad menu is a variety of chicken, veal and seafood dishes, as well as an incredible array of soups/salads and an appetizer menu that is sure to please any palate. The atmosphere Hobart’s offers is one that is casually elegant. Diners will feel immediately comfortable in its warm setting and use it for any occasion whether it is a meal before heading to the theatre, a Petes or Lakers game, a meeting with business partners, or anything in between. They have always worked with the philosophy that “We dress up, but you don’t have to.”
The new downtown Peterborough location suits Hobart’s well, as they believe they are in the company of many other amazing quality independently owned restaurants and bars, each with its own unique set of
options. They believe that Hunter St. offers a great central location within walking distance of every great shopping and entertainment venue that you could want to visit. The building they were lucky enough to find
is extremely beautiful and represents the history and quality that the restaurant and its owners would like to be associated with.
The Lindsay location has been a proud supporter of many worthy causes in its community with the contribution of many gift certificates for charitable endeavors. The United Way, Women’s Resources awareness campaigns, and Ross Memorial Hospital have all had campaigns that Hobart’s have been a part of. With their new location now in Peterborough, they intend to follow the tradition of giving in this community as well.
Ken and Frank invite you to come down to Hobart’s no matter the occasion and experience their world class restaurant!
The 10th Annual ReFrame Film Festival Starts January 24th
/The 10th Annual ReFrame Film Festival runs Friday, January 24th to Sunday, the 26th. Peruse the list of movies that will be playing this year, and purchase tickets for the shows (or a pass for the entire Festival).
DBIA Featured Post: YoYo's Yogurt Café
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Small businesses are run by people who are passionate about what they do. Often times, these owners take a leap of faith and leave a stable career behind to take on something they’ve always wanted to do. For them, the rewards far outweigh the risks. Yo Yo's Yogurt Cafe owners Ted and Carol-Anne Detmers are a perfect example of this.
Located in the trendy Hunter Street Café district, the café can be found at 188 Hunter St W Unit 8, a short walk into the Chamber St. Municipal Parking Lot between Burrow and Kouture Hair Studio. The café is built into an aesthetically pleasing location, combining 100-year-old brick walls with the modernist, colourful features characteristic of frozen yogurt cafés. Ted and Carol-Anne put all of the work into the café themselves, and used as many recycled materials as they could to keep the process as green as possible.
YoYo’s Yogurt Café originated in London, Ont., and was the first Canadian self-serve frozen yogurt chain of its kind. As the name suggests, YoYo’s offers more than 80 different individual flavours of yogurt or sorbet that, when combined with some of the 50 toppings available, yield the promise of a healthy snack or a guilty pleasure treat. All yogurts and sorbets are fresh frozen based and flavoured in house. Toppings include fresh fruits, a variety of candies and chocolates, and even the famous popping bobas—the signature ingredient in bubble tea.
Customers have not one but two different ways to enjoy their frozen yogurt at YoYo’s: a “Yo-Blend” smoothie or a “Yo-Bowl” of yogurt. Each order is paid by weight, with the option of adding protein to your smoothie. A few popular flavours worth trying out include: green apple sorbet, cookie dough, birthday cake and the ever-popular chocolate and vanilla—and they are all non-fat!
As the season changes from winter to spring and summer, YoYo’s will open up its spacious patio to add to the bustling café district’s atmosphere. Even with the cold season at hand, Carol-Anne and Ted say that they have a dedicated group of amazing customers that is steadily growing and spreading the word about them! Very shortly, they will also be introducing a “YoYo to GoGo” option that will allow their customers to take home a tub of their favourite yogurt or sorbet flavour(s).
Carol-Anne and Ted grew up in Peterborough and have been dedicated members of the community for years. They have recently joined the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, and have been long time supporters of the city’s youth soccer scene. Ted was a coach in the rep and house league, and he and Carol-Anne were also conveners for a few house league divisions. They encourage all soccer players to visit the café for a post-game treat.
Open 7 days a week, Carol-Anne and Ted invite you to come in and taste the difference! Once you experience their fresh products, clean environment, and friendly atmosphere, you’ll never look at frozen yogurt the same way again! Once you’re hooked, their “Berry Loyal” loyalty program will give you another reason to keep coming back. The innovative, iPad-based software allows customers to track each visit they make at any YoYo’s location using their mobile phone or land line.
After signing up for the program by entering their phone number on the Berry Loyal iPad, customers receive a $1 off coupon that they can redeem. After their tenth visit is recorded, customers will then receive a coupon for $5 off their next purchase. The Berry Loyal program also enables YoYo’s franchisees to send out promotional offers via text message to all members who signed up at their store. The YoYo’s difference is the unique combination of an old-fashioned approach to the customer experience combined with modern technology and quality products. Come in and experience Yogurt Yo way today!
For more on YoYo's Yogurt Cafe (88 Hunter St W, Unit 8), go to:
Phone: 705.742.0707
Website: YoYosYogurtCafe.com
Facebook: YoYosYogurtCafe
Twitter: @YoYosPtbo
For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.
—By Aaron Elliott
Charm Tree Toys In Downtown Peterborough Closing Down
/We're sad to report that Charm Tree Toys, owned by the awesome Maren Fine—a huge supporter of the downtown and all things Peterborough—is closing in downtown Peterborough. We wish Maren all the best—as she says to us in a tweet, "it is a very sad time." Indeed.
[UPDATE: We started a Facebook thread, with the question, "So how do we make our downtown thrive? A brainstorm. All ideas welcome. Fire away..." So many great ideas being generated there. Join the discussion. Click here.]
—pics via Julie Morris
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The Silver Bean Cafe Is Expanding
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The Silver Bean is making good use of both their "off season" and land resources by combining both buildings as they undergo some renovations.
The breezeway is no more, and the kitchen will be expanded. After work is complete, there will be an additional 128 square feet.
Here are some of the other plans they have in store for 2014:
- Showing every game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil (between June 12 and July 13)
- A weekly board games night
- A dedicated Scrabble afternoon (likely Tuesday afternoons)
- A chess night (likely Monday evenings)
- More outdoor concerts
- More #BeanUp (tweetup) social gatherings
- Gatherings of people in specific professions (cycling, graphic designers, writers, ukulele players, etc)
- Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Summer Social
The Silver Bean Cafe will reopen on May 1st, 2014. The countdown is on!
[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]
Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.
DBIA Featured Post: Charlotte Anne's Restaurant
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Small business owners are a different breed of person. They are drawn to their work life like no other, and always keep coming back for more. The owner/operators of Charlotte Anne’s, located at 390 Queen St. in the underrated downtown area just west of the Hunter St. bridge, are exactly that.
Michelle Christie recently became the restaurant's new owner, and works alongside her associate Tracey Ormond to form a team that was together many years ago under the same roof. Both ladies have come back in a different capacity to a place they pretty much call home. The name Charlotte Anne’s comes from the original owner from 30 years ago.
The restaurant aims to offer a little bit of something for everyone and still has a few original recipes available. They have a red seal chef there, Arthur Minor, who brings over 30 years experience. While offering a few high end dishes including steak, they offer a lot of comfort foods that have become favourites for people they know as regulars. Their half and half special offering—half salad and half fries—has become a must have for people on the go, either as a sit-in option or a fast and convenient takeout dish!
Offering daily specials, everything is made in house and from scratch. The ladies are proud to use many local ingredients and give you a product and service that is as down to earth as you can get. Must haves on the menu include the quiche, homemade soups, hot pastas, chili and more. One of their most successful meals of the week is their Sunday brunch with an all you can eat buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that has all the fixings!
Sunday brunch!
Both ladies have their specialties inside the restaurant. Michelle is hands on from start to finish. As the owner, you’ll see her on the floor taking orders and seeing the whole process through the kitchen until the food is delivered. She knows that as the owner she is a face of the brand so customer service is number one! Tracey is also all over the restaurant, but has a focus in Charlotte Anne’s budding catering business.
The restaurant’s “That’s a Wrap” special is a free delivery of wraps and salads made available for groups of 6 or more. They are always busy making deliveries for business lunches and even school study groups, and are now focused on reaching customers who aren’t aware that they provide this awesome service!
Charlotte Anne’s has been a proud member of our downtown community for over three decades now and is happy to be located in a great little neighborhood between Dan Joyce’s and Fontaine’s. They’re proud to carry on the tradition of giving back to the community, and plan on being a big part of it for years to come. They recently hosted the NHL alumni hockey party to raise money for the Special Olympics.
Now fully licensed and recently renovated, the ladies at Charlotte Anne’s invite you to come and give their style of comfort food a try. They know you’ll be happy you did!
For more on Charlotte Anne's (390 Queen St.), go to:
Phone: 705.742.2944
Website: CharlotteAnnes.ca
Facebook: Charlotte Anne's Restaurant
For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.
—By Aaron Elliott
