A Flavourful Journey and New Beginnings: Mrs. D’s Jerk, Roti and Pastry Celebrates 11 years and their Grand Re-Opening | Written By: Lindsay W. (Dufferin Board of Trade)
On Saturday August 17th, Mrs. D’s Jerk, Roti & Pastry celebrated their 11-year anniversary and grand re-opening at their new location just off highway 10. The restaurant, known for offering delicious Caribbean-style food, invites customers to enjoy a homely dining experience as the community celebrates this beloved establishment.
“The inspiration was my mother; she has been a cook her entire life” Sherri explains, Mrs. D’s daughter. Her mother used to own a restaurant called “Friends” but due to her focus on family, the restaurant didn’t succeed as she had hoped. It wasn’t until moving from Brampton to Orangeville that Sherri and her father spotted an open location on Cedar Grove and quickly convinced her mother to open another restaurant.
“We noticed that there was only one Caribbean restaurant in Orangeville, and they served primarily Jamaican style,” Sherri says. “We could offer a variety of Caribbean styles” she continues, bringing some diversity to Dufferin County.
“It was very much a family business from the beginning,” Sherri notes, with her siblings and aunts helping run the restaurant. Starting with no advertising, the restaurant’s popularity spread through word of mouth. “We very quickly went from wondering how we are going to get by day-by-day, to a couple customers walking through the door,” Sherri explains, allowing them to expand their menu and dine-in seating. The dining experience is peaceful and quiet, receiving a warm response from customers. “I think everyone who has walked through the door has been like “Oh Wow!” Sherri says. “Normally the review we get from customers is that they feel like they’re at home.”
“After some challenges and coming to this new location, the growth has been significant,” Sherri says. During Covid Mrs. Ds grew a lot in terms of their take-out system, but now, at their new location “we are back to eating,” Sherri exclaims, “accepting all our old customers, and more new customers.”
“The best thing has been getting back to work,” Sherri says. After being closed for two months and unsure of their next move, opening those doors again was a sigh of relief. Sherri emphasizes “it started to all come together.”
Mrs. D’s is highly engaged within the community, hosting charitable events, including their book club, and giving money and hot food donations to organizations around Christmas. “I’m hoping the re-opening will bring new faces as well as familiar faces and show the community that we are really engaged in local events,” Sherri says.
“We are open to new ideas and customer feedback, and we are open to what people want to see on our menu.” If you’re visiting Mrs. D’s Jerk, Roti & Pastry for the first time or are trying Carribean food for the first time, Sherri recommends “If you’re a vegetarian absolutely try the doubled, and if you’re a meat lover, step out of the box and try a goat roti!”