VICTORIA, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. couple that converted an iconic 19th-century church into The Grand Victorian Wedding and Events Venue, is ready to celebrate an exciting new chapter this year with the purchase of a 150-year-old landmark in Victoria-by-the-Sea.
Marly Anderson and her husband, Greg, are in the process of renovating The Landmark Café with the intention to reopen the restaurant as the Landmark Oyster House in mid-May.
“We heard – through the grapevine – that the owner (Eugene Sauvé) and his family wanted to retire because they had been working at this restaurant for 29-years. We already felt a connection to this place, and we are friends and neighbours with the family,” said Marly.
Before the Sauvé family purchased the building, it used to be Annie Craig’s Grocery Store and Post Office at the centre of the village – often dubbed “The Landmark” on Main Street.
“We had to keep the ‘Landmark’ in the name because it’s such an institution in the village, and we wanted to keep that piece of history going, but add our own twist,” said Greg, who hopes the Landmark will be around for many more years.
The new oyster bar and restaurant will combine classy with seaside comfort and have a French-inspired east coast menu using locally sourced organic ingredients.
“I worked at the Oyster House in Charlottetown, shucking oysters for almost five years, so when we got the (The Grand Victorian) and were introduced to Victoria-by-the-Sea, I couldn’t believe there were no oyster restaurants,” said Marly.
“After we purchased this restaurant having an oyster bar seemed like a natural fit. We hope to support local with everything – from the honey, coffee, to the Island craft beer.”
Chef Kaela Barnett, who has been a huge part of building Anderson’s wedding and events business has designed the menu.
“The former owner, Eugene, did all the cooking before so we had to bring in a chef and Kaela is part of the family. She knows our vision and we couldn’t have done this without her,” said Greg.
The Anderson’s are overwhelmed with support from the community and said having the restaurant continue to be family-owned and operated suits the village.
“It just makes sense out here,” said Greg.
The restaurant has two dining rooms, an outdoor deck, an oyster bar, and eventually a private room on the second floor that could be used for wedding rehearsals and tastings – linking back to their second business that’s catered in a church.
The winterized restaurant will be open for a farm-to-table style brunch on the weekends, until Christmas.
“It’s going to be awesome. We were meant to do this sort of stuff, and we’re excited to see what direction we are heading in because we’re entrenched in the community now,” said Marly.
For more information on the Landmark Oyster House, visit www.landmarkoysterhouse.com.
