The Stable Restaurant does it all with great taste and style

The Stable Restaurant in Metcalfe serves up a tasty feast. Morin Photo

METCALFE – Starting up The Stable Restaurant in Metcalfe was a natural business transition for Jamie and Sherri Clarmo. The couple have owned and operated Clarmo Auto Repair on Victoria Street in Metcalfe for the past 22 years.

They are long-time Metcalfe and Osgoode residents who went to Osgoode Township and St. Mark high schools, met, and married, and raised their children Steven and Theresa, just south of Metcalfe.

The house they live in now was originally built by Jamie’s great-great-grandfather, so their family ties to the area run deep.

The Stable Restaurant came into existence in July 2020, but the story of how it came to be a great restaurant, and popular local gathering spot is an adventure in opportunity, perseverance, and good business sense.

The Stable Restaurant is a family business managed by Jamie and Sherri’s daughter Theresa.

“I am a mechanic by trade,” said Jamie. “I have had the business next door to the restaurant since 2000.”

Clarmo Auto Repair opened its doors in Metcalfe in August 2000. It is a full service, automotive repair and maintenance shop.

Jamie explained how after 22 years working at the garage, and accepting the fact that his customers, while pleased about the work he does for them, do not appreciate having to take their car to a garage, but love to come to his restaurant.

In 2003, the builder of the building that would eventually become The Stable Restaurant suggested to Jamie that he should buy the building and rent it out; Jamie agreed.

“It was split into two rentals. On one side there was a pizza store and on the west side was a number of different businesses.” It also sat vacant for a few years. “It was a struggle for a number of years to keep it afloat,” said Jamie.

While the building to the east of Jamie’s garage, just 60 feet away, went through its different versions of itself as a commercial rental unity, Clarmo Auto Repair was turning into a thriving business.

Jamie said he looked after the car repair side of their business and Sherri looked after the business side of things.

He remembers the day a regular customer of his, mentioned that the building next door would be a great location for a restaurant.

“The customer asked to rent the entire building, make it one unit, and turn it into a restaurant. That was back in 2014,” said Jamie.

Unfortunately the fellow was not able to make a go of it, so Jamie finally had to take it over.

“Many of the original investors into the restaurant still wanted to try to [make]

a return on their investment, so I rented it out again, this time it was called the Metcalfe Fare.

That venture lasted a little over four years.

Meanwhile Clarmo Auto Repair continued to grow and Jamie only wanted to be a landlord as far as that other building was concerned.

When Covid hit in 2020, the restaurant owner decided he did not want to try and hang on.

“So, I ended up with a restaurant again and an empty building,” said Jamie.

The cost of just servicing the empty building was starting to become a challenge, so Jamie and Sherri decided they had to do something.

“Some of the employees from the restaurant were still looking for work and wanted a job.”

The former restaurant employees offered to come and work at the restaurant during Covid, establishing a take-out service then hoping that when the pandemic was over they could go from there.

Despite Covid, Jamie made renovations to the restaurant including a new name. He built a patio, renovated the inside and created a welcoming atmosphere featuring a western kind of feeling including horses.

The name of the restaurant came from his daughter Theresa’s affection for horses.

My daughter is into horses and she was graduating high-school around the time we were thinking of having a go at the restaurant business,” said Jamie.

These days Theresa manages the restaurant leaving Jamie and Sherri time to look after the car repair business.

Thanks to skilled, and experienced restaurant staff, The Stable Restaurant has grown into a success.

The Stable Restaurant has a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu that includes salads, pizzas, a large variety of wraps and sandwiches as well as tasty burgers and pasta.

It is located at 7905 Victoria Street just outside of the village of Metcalfe. Its number is 613-821-0444 and website: www.thestablerestaurant.ca.

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