THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay residents looking to grab coffee or snack on the go will soon have a unique local option, as The Sweet North bakery prepares to launch a drive-through location in the Intercity area.
The business hopes to open its new location on Fort William Road by February, offering products like pretzels, sandwiches, and sticky buns that have proven favourites at its existing Court Street location, which opened in 2014.
The bakery had operated a second location in the Intercity Shopping Centre since 2018, but opted to shift its focus, and some of those workers, to the new location.
Co-owner Erinn DeLorenzi said it was the right time to make the move, despite – and in some ways, because of – the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think it has changed customer buying habits,” she said. “Maybe someone who’d never been through a drive-through before loves [it] now, because it helps them manage their anxiety about going into a public space during a pandemic.”
Aside from COVID-19 considerations, DeLorenzi said there are many reasons the new location, which will also offer walk-in service, might be friendlier to some customers.
That could be because they live outside of Port Arthur or are juggling small children. And while the bakery's Court Street location offers atmosphere and charm, it also comes with parking and sidewalk accessibility challenges, she said.
“I have three sons, and when they were small… you just want a coffee, you don’t want the whole getting the baby out of the car seat [thing],” she related. “That’s a barrier, and we want to make our business more accessible.”
DeLorenzi respects the chain alternatives she’ll be competing against and their contribution to the local economy, she said, but believes The Sweet North’s focus on quality – such as the use of local flour and real butter – will set them apart.
She also expects it to be competitive with other drive-through options on their price points.
“I think it’s safe to say we’ll be comparable, and some items are cheaper than what’s out there,” she said.
Residents have also consistently shown a desire to support locally-owned options, she added.
“I think Thunder Bay will be happy to support a local business with a drive-through," she said. "They’ve shown that in the past – Thunder Bay is amazing for supporting local.”
To that end, the Fort William Road location, the former site of a Robin’s Donuts location, felt appropriate.
“Robin’s was also a home-grown franchise, so that’s kind of cool,” she said. “My childhood is filled with memories of going [there] with my dad.”
The drive-through isn’t the only exciting news on the horizon for the business, which is also preparing to open a new production bakery that will support the new location as well as an expansion of wholesale operations, helping to make its products available in local stores.
The bakery is currently looking to hire staff for both the drive-through and production bakery. While there’s been plenty of interest, filling some key positions such as professional bakers is challenging, DeLorenzi said.
Regardless of the challenges, and the risks, she said the Sweet North team doesn’t take their ability to expand for granted.
“We’re thankful that because of the support we’ve been shown through the pandemic, we can make this move,” she said. “[It’s] a time when businesses are closing their doors, so we don’t take that lightly. Our hope is to give back to our community in many ways, but one of them is providing jobs.”
