San Souci a testament to dreaming big

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Michael J Brethour

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EMC Business -Belleville - What began as a side business over 13 years ago has blossomed into a dream come true for an adopted Belleville chef.

The humble beginning of the catering business San Souci was reflected in the simple fare of a Montreal smoked meat and the business's signature prepared mustard sandwiches, a beginning owner Greg Sheridan brought full circle with a mammoth sandwich that was ceremoniously cut at last Thursday evening's grand opening of the business.

Sheridan studied Hotel Restaurant Management at Loyalist College and graduated from advanced chef training at George Brown College in Toronto.

While it may be considered a strange substitution for the traditional ribbon, the over six-foot sandwich cut last Thursday evening symbolized the recognition of the business's roots.

After his wife got a job as a nurse at Belleville General Hospital almost a score of years ago the Pembroke native needed something to do here.

In the early 1990s after commuting back and forth to Toronto and abandoning his idea of becoming a corporate chef, he took a job selling cars at Trudeau Motors.

"I was the worst car salesman on the planet, but while I was there it instilled in me basic business practices. Then I started doing a few catering jobs on the side and that's how it all began," he said. "The next thing you know I thought I am going to go into catering."

Sheridan decide to name the business Sans Souci, which translates into "without worry."

His first function was for 150 people, then he decided to sell the Montreal smoked meat sandwiches at the Belleville fair with the homemade mustard.

Flyers went out, business picked up with five functions in the first Christmas season. Three years ago San Souci Special Occasion Catering did over 100 functions during the Christmas season.

Sheridan ran his catering business out of his 400-square-foot garage. Now he's offering his culinary expertise in a brand new location and home at Cafe Sans Souci and Sans Souci Special Occasion Centre at 240 Front Street in downtown Belleville.

He said the downtown location will fill a niche for corporate functions in the downtown and a classic cafe lunch bistro.

"Why not have, in the downtown core, a room that will be bringing a potential of 150 from outside the downtown to the downtown core," he explained.

Sans Souci will continue with its original format of catering as well.

"I have been a caterer for 17 years, that is my forte," he said

From purchasing the building at the former location of Tenth Ox Yoga Studio for $320,000 in March 2011, Sheridan said building a professional kitchen and renovating the building for the business has been a mountain of work.

"This was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," he admitted.

But will that pay off in the long run? Sheridan is hopeful, but he said only time will tell.

"In the long term this is my retirement program. I have built a successful business. I mean we turn more numbers than a lot of restaurants even without alcohol sales," he said.

But the cost of renovation and purchasing the building represents a significant risk for the award-winning chef, one he admits makes him a little nervous despite the over a dozen years of success behind his belt.

"This is my house, this is everything. I'm living in a van down by the river if this doesn't work," he said with a laugh.

The eatery is now offering breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at his new downtown cafe. For more information on the catering services visit them online at < www.sanssoucichef.com>.







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