Back in familiar territory, chef Connor Blackmore has returned to Preston to open his standing-room-only cafe.
After spending just over a year running the Nook Cook House in Galt on St. Andrews Street, Blackmore has made the decision to close up shop and head back to where it all began.
"We are literally right next door to the old Sauce Boss location, which is no Lucky's and they also make killer food," said Blackmore. "At the Nook Cafe, I am hoping to have a bit more of a tame menu really focusing on food that will be take-out only."
Located at 769 King St. E., The Nook City Cafe will be focusing on soups, sandwiches and wraps that are portable and can be eaten on the go.
The return for Blackmore to downtown Preston is something he wasn't planning on doing, but was forced to when the business started to slow down at the Cook House location and then he was hit with unfortunate news from the city.
"When I was trying to get my liquor license I was told that I needed to do all these upgrades and add in a washroom and that just wasn't financially possible for me," he said. "Then they told me they would have to cap my capacity at only eight people, which would not make sense for me."
The regulations for trying to obtain his liquor licence, high rent and a lack of customers during the week made Blackmore weigh his options and then a property he was familiar with popped up.
"It was kinda by chance that this thing came to be," he said. "It is weird being back here, but the space couldn't be more perfect for what I am trying to do now."
This experience has taught Blackmore how to adapt and make the best out of a negative situation.
The Nook City Cafe is nearly ready to be opened with a soft launch happening on Sat. June 22, just in time for the Preston Food Crawl on July 12.
For the Food Crawl, the Nook will be serving apple crisp chili and bruschetta bites for those hungry Preston foodies.
Coming back to his old stomping grounds is something that Blackmore is excited about, but not without reserves.
"I was talking with my wife the other night and I told her that I'm actually kind of nervous to be back, it feels like there is a lot of pressure to do well and be what people are expecting," he said. "I feel like the real excitement for me now is I have this chance to keep on going and making food."
One of the headliners for the Nook's new menu will be Montreal-style bagel sandwiches with an emphasis on quality and portability.
Blackmore wants to assure some of his most loyal customers that the main items from his previous location are staying, but will be focused on take-out only at this time.
At the previous location, the Cook House dabbled in creating a dinning experience for its customers that went beyond jus the food. The dining in the dark and trivia nights were popular and drew in people from all over the region.
The issue that Blackmore was seeing was this was mainly translating to weekend customers, leaving the weekdays spotty with traffic.
"Now that I'm here I am ready to be open and start serving Preston again and I hope that anyone who has enjoyed my food in the past comes out and sees what's happening at the new location," he said.
