Whether you live in Innisfil, or are passing through and looking for a delicious home-style meal, The Cove Café is a community favourite that offers a plethora of menu options.
A community favourite since opening in 1998, The Cove Café has continued the tradition of being a community gathering place where locals and visitors alike come to enjoy a meal, socialize, and celebrate special events, since the Saunders family took it over in 2016.
While Covid was a challenging time, Rob Saunders, owner and catering chef at The Cove Café, said not only is business picking back up, but more importantly, it’s been great to see people they haven’t seen in a long time return for in-person dining.
Saunders said that The Cove Café has always been a community gathering place, and not only does he have family work alongside him, he also has, and continues to, employ local residents as well.
“Some of the kids start when they are teenagers and one of them now, she was 15 when she started, and now she’s become a nurse,” he said, adding it’s nice to see employees growing up and moving on to their careers.
The Cove Café truly is a place where everyone knows each other, and Saunders said they get to know their customers pretty well.
Unlike restaurant franchises, there’s comfort in coming to an establishment where you’re known and feel welcome.
“It’s very laid back and we know our customers, and the customers know the staff by name,” he said. The friendly atmosphere, coupled with great service makes coming to the Cove Café more than just about the food.
That said, according to their customer reviews the taste and the quality of their food is also what keeps people coming back, with fish and chips being their most popular menu, and about 50 per cent of their business, Saunders said.
“We use good quality fish and chips, good quality products, we don’t skimp on anything and if we are out of products, we don’t substitute a product, we won’t use a cheaper product, we wait until that product is back in stock so the consistency and quality is there,” he said.
Their menu is vast and include a variety of favourite meat, chicken and seafood dishes, along with staple favourites like burgers, wings, soups and salads. Everything is made fresh, onsite daily, and Saunders said at The Cove Café, you never have to eat the same thing twice. Along with their plethora of menu options, they also have a dessert menu and offer daily specials that change everyday.
“People like that because they’re not coming in everyday and seeing the same things, they can have the dinner special or the lunch special or the homemade soups,” he said, adding they change their menu seasonally as well, with July being the launch of their new summer menu.
The Cove Café is the perfect place to host a special event or to cater an event offsite
If running a busy, popular local restaurant wasn’t enough, Saunders said they also provide catering services with custom menus for weddings, corporate, private parties for any celebration, as well as for community events and local organizations.
Saunders said they enjoy providing the venue or the food to help their community celebrate their occasions and milestones, and once a month welcome 200 member of the local Ladies Group, cater events for the Innisfil Fire Department, and for the Town Hall, to name a few.
They also attend the local events, providing food for barbecues and holidays, and are truly enmeshed in their community. This is because Saunders cares about the community, so much so that he’s had many members ask him to run for Town Council, which he’ll be doing in the fall.
“Having the restaurant and all the people coming in, you get to see people and to know them and their issues and problems, and so now, if I get elected, I have a better chance of being able to help them out,” he said.
For the best in home-style cooking, visit The Cove Café today! Check out their website for their daily specials and menu options for dine in, take out or delivery. You can also call them at 705-436-2654 with any questions you may have.