Her first cafe opened in 1984 on Sydenham Street, above a pair of doctors’ offices near Hotel Dieu Hospital — a location that would quietly help shape the early success of the business. “I borrowed $12,000 from my dad and just kept things simple,” she said. “Everything made from scratch, nothing fancy — just fresh and tasty.” The doctors downstairs became her first steady customers, ordering lunches daily and paying monthly tabs. It was an arrangement that gave the business stability in its early years.
From the outset, Paquette leaned heavily on lessons from her father, an entrepreneur who had run a Volkswagen dealership in northern Ontario. “He always said, ‘Be consistent. Remember people’s names. Treat your staff well,’ ” she said. “If you’re going to do something, do it the same way every time.” That philosophy became a cornerstone of her success. “If you came in and loved your sandwich, and then came back and it wasn’t the same, that’s disappointing,” she said. “So, it always had to be
the same.”
Delightfully Different, Kingston, Sydenham Street, Hotel Dieu Hospital, café closing, 1984, Paquette, doctors’ offices, homemade sandwiches
That’s actually kinda sweet they kept it consistent.
Wait so is this like a chain or just one local place? I feel like I’ve seen the sign but maybe that was something else. Borrowed $12k in 1984?? I mean good for her but also wow that’s not a lot if it lasted decades.
So it closed after decades… because it was “same sandwich every time”? Sounds like marketing to me, like people get bored but they kept doing it anyway. Also Kingston like in Canada right? I’m confused why doctors downstairs mattered that much, like did they own the place or just order lunch? Either way she seems stubborn (in a good way).
This is sad, I remember going there once and the sandwich was sooo good I swear it tasted like home. I always thought businesses like that never really close unless something bad happened, but nope just… decades and done. Borrowed money from her dad and it worked, meanwhile everything is overpriced now. I bet the location by Hotel Dieu helped a lot, but I don’t get how it stayed busy with all the other cafes around. Anyway, respect to Paquette for keeping it simple.