EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of this article originally appeared on SooToday on June 19. It is being republished for readers who may have missed it.
A new restaurant and gift shop opens today at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport, with some brand new offerings in the works for travellers who have already passed through security.
The Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation had been in search for a new business to take on the lease of the vacant restaurant space at the airport. That search concluded with Hogan's Homestead inking a deal to offer its products to travellers and staff of the airport.
Opening on Monday, the cafe and gift shop will be the fourth location for Hogan's Homestead, said co-owner Erica Hogan.
She and her husband Spencer Hogan currently operate a shop on Second Line, the Maple Boutique at Mill Market on Saturdays and Wednesdays, as well as their seasonal sugar shack in Goulais River.
Like the other locations, the cafe will have a box to take in books for The Piper Project, a program where people can donate children’s books to mothers at Sault Area Hospital’s maternity ward. It was started in 2020, after the death of the Hogans' daughter Piper shortly after birth.
The cafe will have limited soft opening hours and grab-and-go food for the remainder of June, with the kitchen set to open in July.
“We put in a tender to take over the operation of the food service. We will be having alcohol in a couple of months once our liquor license goes through," said Hogan.
Along with food and drink, the shop will offer locally sourced gifts from more than 25 companies, from books to bath products to engraved cutting boards and everything in between.
“The idea of having local is important and I think it showcases all the Sault has to offer, because we have some amazing hidden gems to be found,” said Hogan.
As of Monday, only the main restaurant space is open for business. But Hogan said a smaller gift shop will follow in about two months for travellers who have already passed through security and are still waiting for their flight.
Once the liquor license is acquired Hogan said that smaller gift shop will be able to provide beer for passengers who have already cleared security. There are also plans to be able to provide beer for The King's Lounge, a soon-to-open barber shop also in the airport.
Hogan said the hours of the operation will be tailored to the flight traffic in and out of the airport, which changes season by season. On some days that will mean a 5 a.m. start and an 11 p.m. close.
“We are here for the travellers, but we are also here for all of the employees who work on the property because when you’re out here it’s really hard to get anything on your break,” she said.