Zach Dies was on the lookout for an opportunity to turn his passion for food into his own business.
So, when he saw the Farmhouse Coffee and Deli in Preston was up for sale, he knew it was the perfect fit for what he was looking for.
Once the deal was done and the ink had dried, he rebranded to the Solarien Cafe and welcomed the community to a grand opening earlier this month.
Dies' path in the food industry began humbly as a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant in Oakville when he was 17 years old.
Through hard work and a willingness to learn, he continued to make his way up the culinary ladder, eventually obtaining specialized French training from Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute in 2021.
Following his studies, he worked at various restaurants, including the popular Canoe in Toronto before becoming an executive chef back in Oakville.
It was when his family purchased a farm in the Cambridge area and he came across the King Street East restaurant that he decided it was time to invest in a business all by himself.
"I was looking for my own venture," Dies said.
"I happened to see this for sale and got really interested in it. It was a great fit. I thought I may as well go out on a limb."
Dies wants to continue the former eatery's farm to table food approach as he believes working with local vendors and businesses is critical to providing the best experience to customers.
It also makes for the freshest ingredients, an important aspect of his model that's even hinted at in the business' name. Solarien refers to people of the sun, meaning everything is earthy, local and nothing is processed.
Home baked goods, fresh teas served in a teapot and coffee that's ground three times a week in Guelph are all anchors of the menu. He even hinted at the previous customer favourite pickle pasta being a special.
Cake services and catering is also in the works.
As he navigates this new adventure, Dies is hoping to balance familiarity with his own flare in the kitchen.
"Everything is very local," Dies said.
"I don't want to take away from anything the community loved. Through experiences I've had and places I've worked, there's a lot of techniques I've learned. So, even if it's old recipes, maybe I can fix it up a little bit to make it taste better."
He'll also have a new neighbour, as Top Market Family Farms behind the café was sold earlier this month.
Aside from the food, Dies wants to create a welcoming atmosphere people with remember.
"Going to eat out with friends is always good but sitting down for a nice meal and having that emotion that comes with it, I think that's a pretty big indicator of who the chef is," he said.
"You can't really compare to your home cooked meals. That's the nostalgia I'm trying to go for."
