Business is booming for Jamie Cummins at Ground Zero.
Across the street from Our Place and with ringside seats to the calamity of campers and drug users along Pandora Avenue, his tidy new restaurant is full most of the day. Earlier this week during mid-afternoon, there was a mother with a young baby, an older couple enjoying sandwiches and a group of twentysomethings laughing over coffee. There was even a cop lunching with some friends.
It's been a month since Cummins opened Relish Food and Coffee on the front line, and there are no regrets. Cummins shrugs off the media glare on the area and the doom-and-gloom of some neighbouring businesses.
"There are a lot of people who tend to focus on the negative ... I chose to come here. It's the path I took and I'm making the best of it," says Cummins, 32, a talented chef who earned his spurs at some of the region's most respected restaurants -- Rebar, Sooke Harbour House and Paprika.
Cummins admits the area has problems. His predecessor, an organic grocer, lasted only a few months. But he insists Pandora is a viable place to do business. "I haven't had a single issue. People are coming from the neighbourhood and enjoying the food," he said.
"I'm trying to help the situation by being here," said Cummins, adding he donates food whenever he can to Our Place.
Const. Mike Russell, a regular at Relish, said enforcement isn't the only way to clean up the problems on Pandora. "Being part of this community, that's where change happens," said Russell. "That's what [Cummins] is doing here, supporting the community."
But it's more than bravery and blind faith propelling Cummins' business.
The food is really a hit.
Cummins' roast pork loin sandwich is a big seller, as is the grilled eggplant with red pepper and goat cheese. One diner swears by the pork sausage sandwich with cilantro, ginger and smoked paprika on a bun -- sauerkraut on the side.
Blog reviews -- more often nasty because of anonymity -- are raving about the sandwiches, soups and salads. Cummins bakes his own bread, muffins and scones. He also makes his own pasta, sausages, preserves and sauces, most days arriving at 5 a.m. to start preparations.
The menu is sparse, but what he makes has been well received.
"Unbelievably great. The pasta was so good I'm thinking about it three days later," said one online reviewer named Lyn. "I suggest going soon and going often."
Another says it's "very sparse inside, but who cares because the food is fantastic. House-made chicken, pork, basil, sun-dried tomato and preserved lemon sausage on a nice soft yet crusty bun with mini gherkins. The side of blended mushroom soup was delicious. So glad this isn't a coffee shop that only serves coffee. A great addition to the neighbourhood."
Cummins said overworking food isn't his style. "I go home and I eat simple. When I cook for family and friends, it's simple and relaxed," he said. "I didn't want this to be complicated. I feel chefs sometimes push the boundaries just to show what they can do and there's a separation [with diners] there. It excludes people to a certain extent. Make good food and keep it simple. That's what people like."
Cummins said he is supported in his business venture by family and has no partners. Bank financing wasn't an option, he said, because they'd take one look at the location and deny a loan. "I've been thinking about this for years," said Cummins. "For me it feels natural."
Relish Food and Coffee, 920 Pandora Ave., is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 250-590-8464 or www.relishfoodcoffee.com.
