Don't Be Scared of 'Ghost Taco' As They Host Grand Opening Of New Peterborough Location

Peterborough’s newest spot for one of Mexico’s most popular food, ‘Ghost Taco’ held its grand opening at its location at 110 Chandler Cres. on Friday morning.

(From left to right) Samantha Buckley, Ghost Taco co-founder and CEO, Addison Tomas and Chef Matt Basille doing the ‘Ghost Taco Challenge’, testing customers spicy limits with a ghost pepper consomme. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The grand opening opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Jeff Leal, Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP and the Peterborough and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce.

The event featured merchandise giveaways, a social media photo contest, raffles, drink samples (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and live cooking demos from chef Matt Basille.

Guests could participate in the ‘Ghost Taco Challenge’ to test their spice tolerance with the restaurant’s latest creation, a consommé made from ghost peppers.

The restaurant is known for experimenting with traditional tacos. It offers more familiar styles, such as ‘Carnita’ (pulled pork) and Baja fish but also original concepts such as ‘Crispy Korean Tofu’ and ‘Charred Brussels.’

Bowls, sides and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), including their own brand of beer called ‘Ghost Taco Cerveza,’ are also available.

The grand opening showcased their new limited offer: ‘The Ghost Taco,’ a birria beef and cream cheese taco in a deep-fried tortilla with a ghost pepper consommé.

“We call ourselves 'unauthentic Mexican' largely because it gives us the chance to really experiment with different flavours and different concepts,” explained Samantha Buckley, Ghost Taco co-founder and CEO. “There really is something for every flavour profile and they're all chef-inspired gourmet creations so it's not your typical build-your-own taco place.”

Tomas (left) checks in on Liam O’Connor of the Peterborough and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce (right) for social media during the ‘Ghost Taco Challenge’. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Ghost Taco was created after some creative pivoting from Buckley during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We own a couple full-service restaurants in Newmarket and a boutique event venue and in the middle of Covid, we were going into the second lockdown, we got shut down at our event venue and we just testing different take-out concepts,” she explained. “We figured, 'you know, what's really missing in the market?' and it's gourmet tacos in a quick-service setting.”

Through testing, social media and a pop-up, the restaurant started a hole in the wall before blowing up which started Ghost Taco.

The small franchise began in Newmarket and opened a second location in Vaughan. Peterborough has become home to its third restaurant and Whitby is planned to be the fourth in the winter next year.

“Jamie, one of our operators here in Peterborough, he really loved the brand and he inquired with us about what we could do to get one of these in Peterborough,” said Buckley. “It was always on our radar. We have ties to Peterborough through our family. You have such a family small-business feel so it really was the perfect fit for us.”

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Photos: The Chocolate Rabbit Makes Its Grand Opening of Third Location In East City

The Chocolate Rabbit has opened its third location in Peterborough with its grand opening in East City on Saturday.

Elaine Webster (left), Kristine Webster (middle) and Nichol Wagenblast (right) showcasing some of the chocolatier's featured items. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Several people and dignitaries including Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferrari and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Free samples, coupons (with purchase of times) and raffles for gift baskets were available at the event.

Customers could meet the Webster family who owns the business, who purchased the business from Lois and Larry MacEachern in August of 2021.

“We have been left speechless with the amount of turnout and support that the community has provided us today,” said Kristine Webster of The Chocolate Rabbit. “All in all, we had a wonderful experience and are so happy to have met and connected with each and every one of you.”

The other locations are in Lakefield and Bancroft and are also owned by the Webster family.

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Popular Bubble Tea Franchise 'Chatime' Hosts Grand Opening In Peterborough's North End

Peterborough’s newest entrepreneur Kanza Ghzanfar started her week-long grand opening of the popular bubble tea franchise Chatime in the north end of town on Friday.

Kanza Ghzanfar (left) with her brother Zaeem Ghzanfar (right) during Chatime’s first day of business. Their father owns the neighbouring Osmow’s Shawarma and is operated by Zaeem. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The grand opening runs until Nov. 23. The storefront is located on 1447 Water St. Unit 6 next to the Osmow’s Shawarma. Ghzanfar’s family owns the latter and had worked there for an extended period of time since opening in 2018. The young entrepreneur wanted to take a risk and bring her love of bubble tea to Peterborough.

“Personally, I'm just the biggest fan of Chatime myself and five years ago I was craving bubble tea,” she said. “I put 'bubble tea' in Google Maps and the closest it was taking me to was Oshawa.”

Bubble Tea is a popular Taiwanese drink commonly consists of green or black flavoured tea typically with chewy tapioca balls (that act as the ‘bubbles’) and can include milk. Other popular toppings include popping boba (encased spheres of syrup or juice), jelly or fruit.

Customers can adjust sugar and ice levels to their bubble tea as the beverage boasts to be a healthier alternative to other sweet drinks.

Chatime is an chain with over 3,000 locations worldwide according to their website. It is widely popular in the Durham and Greater Toronto Area region.

Ghzanfar is from Toronto and attended University of Toronto (St. George Campus), earning a double major bachelor’s degree in criminology and politics. She earned her Masters at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying national security. She turned down a Ph.D offer and wanted to stick to her roots. She was immersed in a business with her family for several years and wanted to continue that.

“Back then, I didn't know I was going to get involved in the business world but I knew that if I was going to do something at any point, it would have to be bubble tea related,” explained Ghzanfar.

The week-long grand opening has a photo booth with bubble tea props. There are also two daily promotions during that week including a buy on get on free promotion on select drinks (Pearl Milk Tea, QQ Mango, Peach Green Tea) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Customers can spin a wheel to possibly win free drinks, toppings and other prizes from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The store is fully-employed by Trent University students and accepts Trent flex cards as payment. Ghzanfar had many food and drink options in close proximity to her post-secondary institutions but believes Trent students do not have the same luxury.

“I feel like with Trent, there are wasn't that many options for students that were available so close to campus so that was primarily why I wanted to target that kind of community,” she explained. “At the end of the day, I still wanted to get involved with the locals are aware of our presence, what the product is and what we bring to the table.”

Chatime is open seven days a week and are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delivery orders can be made through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.

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The Chocolate Rabbit Hosting Grand Opening For East City Location On Dec. 2

East City is going to get a little sweeter next month as The Chocolate Rabbit is having a grand opening at the East City location on 72 Hunter St. E. for Dec. 2 at 10 a.m.

The shop’s signature item are ‘Mud Bugs.’ They are bite-sized chocolate with caramel and almond centers and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The shop started in Lakefield by Lois and Larry MacEachern in 2006. The Webster family took ownership August of 2021 and opened their second location in Bancroft at the old fudge factory location in June of 2022. The Websters own and operate all three locations.

The ceremony will have an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the chocolatier’s third location in the Kawarthas.

Customers can meet the Webster family, enter a draw to win a few personalized Chocolate Rabbit gift baskets and and taste test chocolate during the grand opening.

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Photos: Rollz Ice Cream Makes Parkway Place A Little Sweeter With Grand Opening

Rhaelynn Gaspari, 5 (left), celebrating her friend Charlotte Miller’s birthday, 5 (right), during the grand opening. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Rollz Ice Cream had customers pouring into the store during their grand opening on Sunday afternoon. The store is located at Parkway Place on 1135 Lansdowne St., Unit 11.

The parlour serves rolled ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, falooda, cheesecake (from the Cheesecake Factory), popping soda and ice cream burgers. The first 50 customers received free rolled ice cream during their grand opening.

@ptbo_canada Have you ever tried rolled icw cream before? It originated as street food in Thailand in 2009. #ptbo #ptbocanada #fyp #food #foodtok #icecream #icecreamrolls #journalism #journalist #grandopening #dessert ♬ Ice Cream - Tydus

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Franchise 'Rollz Ice Cream' To Hold Grand Opening This Sunday

Another sweet treat business is coming to Peterborough as franchise Rollz Ice Cream is hosting its grand opening at Parkway Place on 1135 Lansdowne St., Unit 11 this Sunday.

Rollz Ice Cream’s Biscoff Salted Caramel. There are 15 locations of the franchise in Ontario. Photo courtesy of Rollz Ice Cream.

The parlour serves rolled ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, falooda, cheesecake (from the Cheesecake Factory), popping soda and ice cream burgers.

The first 50 customers to arrive at the grand opening will receive a free rolled ice cream according to an Instagram post.

Rolled ice cream originated in Thailand as street food in 2009. It is made by pouring a milk and cream mixture over a cold stainless steel pan that freezes it into ice cream. A choice of sauces, mix-ins and toppings are added to the mixture so customers can customize their ice cream. After being slathered and chopped, it is scraped into rolls and served in a cup.

Rollz first opened in 2017 in Scarborough and shortly opened five more locations according to their website.

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The Vine Bringing a "Plant-Forward" Pescatarian-Friendly Menu As Peterborough's Newest Restaurant

Showcasing vegetables and incorporating seafood in a ‘plant-forward’ approach is the philosophy of Peterborough’s latest restaurant, The Vine which is having its soft opening over three days from Thursday to Saturday.

Flowers had the soft opening on Thursday and Friday with the brunch on Monday. Bookings for the first two days have already filled up. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The business is owned by couple Tyrone Flowers and Lauren Mortlock and is located at 165 Sherbrooke St. at the former Electric City Bread Company location. Flowers took a leap of faith when he discovered the business was closing down.

“Just on a whim, I came to look at it and then decided, 'You know what? We talked about this five years ago when we moved to up Peterborough that we wanted to open a place,'" said Flowers.

Flowers has worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years from dishwasher to head chef. He worked at the Publican House for four years.

The menu showcases salads, soups, sandwiches, entrées and pizza. A brunch menu that also incorporates eggs and dairy is available on Sundays. Pitchers of Gatorade and Kool-Aid and a tater-tot waffle are ‘hangover specials’ that are featured in the brunch.

Despite Flowers being a meat-eater, he believed offering a pescetarian-friendly restaurant and beyond would offer a different dining experience for Peterborough. He still strives to make plant-based ‘meat’ taste like the ‘real thing.’

“I was given the idea from a former colleague and we went with it,” he explained. “We did some research and we saw all the fun things we could do with making everything like all the vegan options seem real and everything so that's why we did it.”

He recognized the vast and diverse range of restaurants that already existed in town and that going pescatarian would be a unique take that would not trample on other businesses.

“There's already a bunch of great places in town that do the meat well, you've got some vegan restaurants too and we didn't want to step on anybody's toes by doing one thing so we decided, ‘Why don't we combine it?’” explained Flowers.

The Vine is having its grand opening on Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. The restaurant is currently trying to obtain its liquor license at the publication of this article.

The following are the restaurant’s operating hours:

• Tuesday to Friday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

• Saturday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

• Sunday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Monday: Closed

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Photos: Peterborough Businesses and Communities Getting Petes Fever As the Team Aims For an OHL Championship Friday

Several businesses and communities have come out in support of the Peterborough Petes as the team is in London to take on the Knights in Game Five of the OHL Championship.

The Downtown Business Improvement Area, Canadian Tire, City Hall, Angevaare Mazda, Anden Kitchen & Bath Centre, Whelan’s Flooring Centre, FreshCo., Aon Inc’s Royal Gardens among several others have dressed in Petes apparel to show their team spirit.

A Petes watch party is taking place at the Quaker Foods City Square rain or shine from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and is being nationally televised.

The Charlotte Street square will have a 16-foot mega screen that is live streaming the game. Face painting and a small vendors market with grab-and-go snacks such as popcorn, candy, mini pies and tacos) are amenities that are provided during the watch party.

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The Beers Kept Flowing At the 100 Acre Brewing Company Grand Opening

Peterborough’s newest brewery 100 Acre Brewing Company has opened its doors and kicked off its grand opening on Friday morning.

Bentley Vass, 100 ACres Brewing Company CEO pours one of his four beers the brewery has on launch. The business was four-and-a-half years in the making from getting the property rezoned appropriately to opening and operating a brewery.. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Bentley Vass is the brewery’s CEO and has his sister Nichea and brother Colby Vass as partners in a family-fun business. Their father has lived on the property since he was a child. He has an ‘open-door policy’ for anyone to come at any time and share the experiences he had when growing up on the 100-acre spot.

“All those fun memories of playing around outside just kind of come back, it's great to see people bring their kids out, running around in the field and stuff like that,” explained Bentley. “It's reminiscent of the childhood that I had and that's what we wanted to share with everybody.”

It is located at 390 Ashburnham Dr. at a 100-acre homestead with the grand opening running for four days, ending on Monday. The location is considered an ideal spot for the business according to Bentley as it is a quick turn off Highway 115 for cottage-goers to take a break and enjoy a drink. It also gives a rural setting but remains close to Peterborough residents so that they don’t have to go far for a countryside setting.

“People are recognizing more now than ever how important getting outside and enjoying some fresh air is,” explained Bentley. “To be able to have this oasis — for lack of a better term —, where people can actually escape, spend time outside, enjoy the beautiful scenery enjoy the beautiful weather for mental health, it's just a no-brainer.”

100 Acres feature four beers brewed in-house that are available with each beverage named with a nature theme: Flight Path (table beer), White Tail (pilsner), Monarch (Saison) and Snapper (India Pale Ale). Their beer is described as being crafted using traditional styles while also being creative and experimental as nature intended according to their website.

Take-home cans are available for purchase or patrons can enjoy a draft beer on-site. The brewery is in its infant stages but will have pop-up kitchens from several local restaurants that serve food at their establishment.

The following are the grand opening hours:

• Friday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

• Saturday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

• Sunday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

• Monday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

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Photos: Bobcat of Peterborough Cuts the Ribbon To Mark Its Grand Opening

Ryan Dibello, president and general manager (left) with Kerri Currins, manager (right) at the grand opening. A BBQ and refreshments were served during the festivities. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Outdoor equipment retailer Bobcat of Peterborough held its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon.

The business provides parts, servicing, rental and equipment purchasing for outdoor equipment. Ryan Dibello, Bobcat president was joined by his staff, customers and business neighbours in celebrating the occasion. Bobcat of Peterborough is located at 2161 Whittington Dr., Unit C.

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