When Sarthak Patel decided he wanted to get into the restaurant business as an owner, he dove in head first.
Not only is he a partner of the Coop Wicked Chicken on Hespeler Road, they doubled down with desserts and opened a La Diperie next door.
Because nothing goes with something savoury quite like something sweet.
The newest dessert spot offers residents a variety of options, from soft and hard serve ice cream to donuts, cakes and cookies.
When brainstorming ideas for how to make his business stand out in a busy area of town, he figured creating a one-stop eatery made sense.
"This is the first concept with Coop and La Diperie," Patel said.
"Years ago it collaborated with Mr. Sub but here when we were looking at the Hespeler area, there was D-Spot and one Dairy Queen, so we thought let's try and bring this combination."
Patel began his journey in the food industry like many.
An engineer by trade, he began working in a restaurant that his partners owned and eventually worked his way up.
"Their first restaurant was in Guelph," he said.
"I was working for them as a kitchen guy. Then I started to grow, they helped me with serving, bartending and managing."
Now, he's added owner to his list of titles.
Coop Wicked Chicken is running a grand opening today and tomorrow.
