The only spot in Canada to get an ice cream filled donut...
July, 2020
Cardinal Café and Shop has been the passion project of co-owners Rob and Nancy Moore over the last five years. Cardinal is a hub in the Sharbot Lake community, with the Moores focused on serving the local economy and creating a high energy, customer centric environment.
Over the years, Cardinal Café’s menu has grown, but remains centered in an array of sandwiches, salads, and wraps, featuring gluten-free and vegan options. Sweeter items have become a recent focus, such as Cardinal’s array of unique donuts – campfire s’mores, anyone? The most recent addition to the Café is the arrival of Golly Gosh ice cream, making Cardinal the only spot in Canada offering an ice cream filled donut!
Rob and Nancy are deeply grateful to their wonderful staff making up the Cardinal family, who have continued to grow alongside the café. Rob attributes Cardinal’s success to their staff, as well as to the local hub of customers. The support of the local business community, specifically, was integral in getting Cardinal Café off the ground, for which the Moores remain very thankful.
On your next visit to Sharbot Lake, don’t forget to stop by Cardinal Café and Shop for a croissant breakfast sandwich, a simple cup of tea, or an ice cream-filled donut! Read below for more on Cardinal's history!
The success of Sharbot Lake's Cardinal Café, owned and operated by Rob and Nancy Moore, goes to show that young, skilled entrepreneurs are at home and happily thriving #inFrontenac
Sometimes the Cardinal Café is quiet and introspective; other times it's loud and busy in that inviting, family-reunion kind of way. Whatever the mood, the vaulted ceiling and criss-crossing beams, swaths of colour cast by stained glass windows, and happy/friendly/cool owners Rob and Nancy are always there to welcome customers to their café in a church.
In 2008, Rob and Nancy Moore moved to Sharbot Lake from London, Ontario with their two young sons, Mason and Miles. Right away, the couple was drawn to the old church in the heart of Sharbot Lake, which was being used for storage at the time. Turns out, Rob and Nancy have a "thing" for churches. Over their 21 year relationship, they've taken every opportunity (12 times all told) to look at old forgotten churches with dreams of converting one into a home or business.
Over the next eight years, the pair created a wonderful life in Sharbot Lake - good jobs, great friends, fulfilling community activities, and two growing boys. They were passionate about food and music, and busy reaching out to likeminded people.
In 2016, Rob and Nancy were presented with a serendipitous opportunity - to take over the Cardinal Café, opened in 2015 in the very church they'd fallen in love with years earlier. Rob gives original owners Nicole and Sylvie full credit for the café's incredible interior: "It was their vision for this building that allowed the Cardinal to be what it is today."
When Rob and Nancy took over the Cardinal Café, they "tweaked the dials" just a bit to make the space more accessible to everyone; expanded the hours and the menu (easy, Rob's a trained chef), and reached out to locals who weren't already engaged with the café.
They have a strict loitering policy: the longer, the better. "I love when there's a din... a cacophony to the space," says Rob. "When someone starts laughing and it's contagious and the whole space just comes alive. That's when it feels the best"
At Cardinal Café, success obviously isn't just about the bottom line, but Rob and Nancy did manage to triple the business shortly after taking over. And, through the winter, when some doubted they'd be able to keep the lights on, they've had steady foot traffic and days when they can't catch their breath. They've achieved their goal of becoming a gathering place for the community, and they're planning to ramp things up for the return of summer tourists. More staff, longer hours, and creative new offerings are all coming, as is continued one-on-one engagement that makes visiting Cardinal a really personal and satisfying experience.
"I've put in a lot of hours since we took over, but I really feel like I haven't worked a day in the past seven months," says Rob. "I can't believe I get to do this for a living. People tell Nancy and me, 'You look so good, you look happy, you look like your true selves'." That sincerity is propelling the café forward.
As for the boys, they're not bussing tables quite yet - Miles is nine now and Mason's 11 - but they're really excited to be part of Cardinal. Miles plans to take it over someday, while Mason uses the space to work on his art, mostly (really cool) hand-drawn comic books.
Cardinal was one of the first businesses to join the Frontenac Ambassador program, and that's because it aligns so well with their philosophy around local sustainability. Finding local businesses to work with in Frontenac has been easy for Rob and Nancy. There's the more obvious ones like Seed to Sausage, Gilmours on 38, and the Corner Bakery (at Grays Grocery) and the lesser-known ones like the Learning Curves Garden who supplies their organic greens. They even found a local baker to create their gluten free offerings, and they work closely with local producers like Conboy's Maple Syrup and Crooked Hills Farm Honey. Rob says there is ample opportunity to work within Frontenac and find everything you need to grow a business right here.
Swing by our Business Directory to get all of Nancy and Rob's contact information.
Are you thinking about starting a small business? Looking to grow your existing operation? Want to find a more meaningful place to pursue your entreprenurial dream? Visit our Contact Us page. Reach out to Richard or Alison directly by email or phone, or fill out the form and we'll be in touch.
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