Three more ribbon cuttings held in Amherstburg

Mayor Michael Prue cut ribbon at The Gentleman’s Reserve Barber Co.

Three more ribbon cuttings have been celebrated over the past week.

Two of them occurred within a one-hour period last Saturday afternoon. The first grand opening was at Pantry Heaven & Co., located within the Walmart plaza at 400 Sandwich St. S.

Owner Marieka Doornbos said the idea came from buying freeze dried strawberries in the U.S. Wanting to bring that here, she purchased a machine but still had a lot of product leftover.

There was also a desire to help those with dietary restrictions and who want to be gluten-free. After research, she wanted to bring in products to help those who needs them.

Mayor Michael Prue cut ribbon at Pantry Heaven & Co.

“I found out there were not a lot of choices,” she said. 

There are products other local small businesses often sell at markets and Doornbos said she wanted to support them as well. 

“I can give them a spot in the store six days per week,” said Doornbos.

Pantry Heaven & Co. actually opened to the public June 30 and she added things are going well thus far.

“Everyone has been amazing,” she said. “We have products you can’t get anywhere else.”

Doornbos said some have had to turn to Amazon for some products but “now you can come into the store and grab it.”

Pantry Heaven & Co. is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Golden Oven European Bakery opened shortly after that, with it being the first day for the new bakery. Owners Ablahad Abro and his wife Sonja noted it was their second location, the first being in Windsor. They will also soon open a third location, back in Windsor.

Abro stated Amherstburg is “a nice town” and they have always wanted to open in Amherstburg. They sell a variety of baked goods, from croissants to macaroons and more, and now have coffee, milkshakes and more. The name “Golden Oven” comes from a desire to offer “very high quality products,” Abro stated.

Mayor Michael Prue cut ribbon at the Golden Oven European Bakery.

“Amherstburg is a great place because people shop and support local,” he said. 

They are open Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Mayor Michael Prue thanked both businesses for opening and having faith in the community.

“You know what you want and you went out and got it,” he said at the Golden Oven opening. 

Stating the town is “booming,” Prue said he is regularly cutting ribbons.

“Every single week I’m cutting a ribbon somewhere,” he said.

At the opening of the Pantry Heaven & Co., he added “we admire you and your family for what you are doing.”

The Gentleman’s Reserve Barber Co. opened July 25 with the ribbon cutting for the new shop being last Friday afternoon. Owner Dean Cahill will be cutting the bulk of the hair to start with, and plans to expand to up to four staff members once they get the business off the ground.

Cahill thanked his wife Martha and his family as well as everyone who contributed to get the business open. He noted they lived in LaSalle but his wife wanted to move to Amherstburg. After they relocated to Amherstburg, the original plan was to open a barbershop in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that plan.

Cahill worked in Tecumseh for ten years and was encouraged to revisit the idea of opening a barbershop.

“Amherstburg is a great town,” he said. “This town has a great vibe. There is a great nightlife and great restaurants. There’s a great business atmosphere here.”

The downtown location at 274 Dalhousie St. – in the Queen Charlotte development – was something Cahill said he was pleased with being among other businesses and also liked the size of the unit.

Cahill added he has been cutting hair for 35 years. They are open from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit their social media sites or visit www.thegentlemansreservebarberco.com. Appointments are preferred.

Prue noted that he says similar remarks at every ribbon cutting he attends, but he does wish every business that he helps open all the best.

Prue voiced optimism about the town’s business community and pointed out a number of businesses in the Dalhousie St. area came out to support The Gentleman’s Reserve. He also pointed out the view of King’s Navy Yard Park the business has.

Whenever a storefront becomes available, another business moves in within weeks, Prue said.

Three more ribbon cuttings held in Amherstburg

By Ron Giofu