Cathy Dobson Paul Hartman doesn’t like to give the pandemic credit for anything. But there’s little doubt it brought the Sarnia business community together like nothing else could, he says. An unprecedented willingness to refer business to and promote one another has helped catapult Hartman’s On the Dot pickup and delivery service to the next… Read more »
Gus Tsaprailis calls it the workhorse of his new pizza business. The mammoth, 5,500-pound oven imported from Italy dominates the open kitchen of Tsaprailis’ new Oven 360 restaurant. Tsaprailis slides a Neapolitan-style thin crust pizza inside and waits for it to do a complete 360-degree rotation as a gas flame keeps the oven a toasty… Read more »
A Sarnia company is developing a unique micro-farming system aimed at a growing market for homegrown and healthy greens. And the timing couldn’t be better, says Eddie DeJong, leader of the design team and co-owner of Vita, formerly New England Arbors. Consumer interest was already high for fresh microgreens for salads, smoothies and garnishes. But the… Read more »
Scott Morrison calls his job “a really cool gig.” The Sarnia man works at a brokerage that matches aspiring athletes and musicians with accomplished professionals for one-on-one coaching. As business development co-ordinator, Morrison focuses on the sports side and finds clients willing to pay for training with icons like seven-time Stanley Cup champ Bryan Trottier… Read more »
It took a pandemic to motivate Melissa Jones to leave Toronto and head home to Sarnia and start her own business. “I just said the city is not for me,” says the 27-year-old owner of the new Daisy Fox Bakery. Jones was working at a kosher bakery in Toronto and found the risk of catching… Read more »
New franchisee Helia Goodarzi says she never considered buying into any other chain once she learned about Firehouse Subs’ commitment to first responders. “My husband is a police officer and this brand is doing so much for firefighters, police and paramedics,” she said. “I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and what I love is… Read more »
Brian Vickery says he’s going back to his roots by opening up a new deli and grocery in downtown Sarnia. The local businessman has co-owned a number of successful restaurants over the years, including Dockside at Sarnia Bay Marina and Los Puntos in Point Edward. He’s no longer involved in either operation, having struck out… Read more »
Eleonora Plata is frustrated that there is no way of knowing when her family’s application to open a cannabis store in Sarnia will be approved. She’s not alone. Seven applicants have asked for approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to locate cannabis shops in Sarnia. All are waiting in line. And it’s a… Read more »
Cathy Dobson The owners of a booming market farm business in Sarnia say demand is growing rapidly for their all-natural approach to producing vegetables. Ryan Slyzuk and Leah Murphy say they operate the only Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) project of its kind in the area. “We don’t believe in spraying chemicals and we harvest everything… Read more »
You might not associate Habitat for Humanity with business, but the non-profit’s growing HandyMan program operates very much like one. It’s a social enterprise that generates hundreds of thousands in revenue annually, employs three people, engages the help of dozens of volunteers, and channels the earnings into Habitat’s home building program. Everything from big jobs… Read more »
