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Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery immediately makes itself stand out by it being directly associated with its own, produced in-house, wine and beer options. At this time, there are only a handful of restaurants in the Sault that serve their own wine and beer products. In addition to that, Karl's also grows some of their own produce and ingredients for the wine and beer, through their 40 acre Wildwood Farm. Through these investments in not only their business, but in the wholesomeness of the food served, the owners of Karl's have been able to create an experience that allows anyone to enjoy delicious food, made from scratch, while watching freighters enter and exit the Soo Locks. If the food and view are not enough, you can always (when in season and if the weather allows it) try your hand at some mini-golf!
Speaking of the owners, Karl and Paula have been working on what is now Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery since 2002, but the dream of owning and operating a restaurant has been with Karl for many years. After working his way up in the food industry, he decided to accomplish the ultimate goal of most chefs, open his own restaurant. In the beginning, Karl's wasn't exactly what we all know today; in 2002 the business was not a sit-down restaurant, but a catering and home delivery company dedicated to the same values they have today, with an emphasis on bringing wholesome nutritious food to the doors of working families. This home delivery and catering business continued through 2003 after relocating from Pickford to the Sault. Then, in 2004 the Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery that exists today began to take shape. They rented the building they are currently in and decided to end their home delivery services. After several years, in 2010 they began to work with Superior Coast Winery to provide the option of wine with their meals and in 2015 they were able to purchase Superior Coast Winery. In 2015 they also purchased the building they are in. The next natural step occurred in 2016 when they opened the aptly names Superior Coast Brewery. Through these purchases and establishing new businesses, Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery is what it is today.
Karl's isn't a restaurant that works around the local economy, they are deeply invested in it. They source products from local farmers and shops, and participate in local events like the upcoming Restaurant Week. Karl's, like many local businesses know that the success of the area as a whole ties directly into their own success. Without reinvesting back into the community they exist within, eventually there may not be a community. Karl's not only reinvests into the local economy through shopping locally, they also employ approximately 24 people at this time, many of whom are the head of households. Karl's works to put family first by providing reasonable wages and being as flexible as possible, because life does happen.
Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery success has much to do with the drive Karl and Paula have for their business, but it also has to do with their willingness to work with those that can help keep them modern and relevant. They have worked with Northern Initiatives to better learn some of the intricacies of owning and operating a business and Gordon Food Services to better understand the up-and-coming food trends. They also worked with Old Mission Bank, but one thing I noticed while talking with Paula is they do their own research as well. They don't rely on someone else to tell them how to catch up, they work to move with the market in real time. They travel to national food destinations to see what is new and exciting. They attend festivals where they can network with other similar businesses. Some new things coming to Karl's to help continue their success is they will be bottling their various dressings, participating in brew fests, expanding the kitchen, and partially enclosing the outdoor dining area to add to the available dining space when the weather turns frightful!
Even with this lengthy post, there is still more to be discovered about Karl's, such as the food, the atmosphere and customer service at the restaurant. So, what are you waiting for? This week is looking a little gloomy, instead of running into the store and getting soaked while loading your groceries, let someone else prepare your food for you. If you want more information on Karl's Cuisine, Superior Coast Winery and Brewery you can find them on Facebook @KarlsCuisine and also on their website at https://www.karlscuisine.com/.