The Diner’s Corner Rice & Peas, Jerk Chicken on Top; Not my Style!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Twelve-hour days on your feet are hard!”

There are a few people who can relate to a statement like this: nurses, construction workers, and restaurant owners. It is no surprise to learn that owning a restaurant comes with a load of responsibilities that not only require you to be on your feet a lot, but also involves losing sleep, giving up on a social life, and going through several months of designing, and perfecting every detail that comes hand in hand with owning and running a restaurant,

Merrick Aries, the newest owner of The Diner’s Corner located on 51 St. Nicholas St. in Toronto, Ontario knows all too well about the time constraints that keep a restaurant owner looking at the clock and wishing for more time in the day. With his dedication to serving only the best in Jamaican Cuisine, Merrick can be found: sourcing the right ingredients, obtaining licenses, finalizing details on the new location of the restaurant (714 Yonge St, opening late spring), or interviewing prospective staff members. He realizes all of the hardships that come with running a restaurant, and he has taken on the challenge with a sense of purpose.

The Diner’s Corner is a laid-back Jamaican restaurant located in the heart of Toronto that provides a delectable array of Jamaican food. They are open to serve brunch, lunch and dinner crowds, and people are always welcome to stop by for happy hour, connect with their family and friends, taste their signature drinks (my favorite being the homemade Ginger Beer), and desserts all in a relaxed and intimate setting. The Diner’s Corner is not a new attraction to the Caribbean community living in the downtown area, but what Merrick has done is come in and rebranded the restaurant in an innovative way.

His love for cooking (more so baking) started back when he was in pre-school. Like many cooks who originate from the islands, Merrick’s lessons started in his grandparent’s kitchen. Although this was a passion for him, he was never able to truly delve into cooking. Merrick ended up attending Heartrust–Jamaica National Training Agency – an organization that focuses primarily on stimulating economic growth and job creation. As a young man, Merrick was going to find any way to advance his career options, and after completing his program, Merrick found his way to Canada.

So, this is when he forged on his goal to open his restaurant. No, actually, Merrick went into management after he completed school and landed his very first management job at McDonald’s as a Manager-Trainee. He took the time to learn the ropes and understand running a restaurant on a corporate level. He soon rose from Manager-Trainee to Assistant Manager, until finally, he went on to becoming a Store Manager. He did not stop there; he continued learning about how corporations operated by working at Rogers, CBC, Walmart, and Eddie Bauer, all the while, this need to bake and cook ate at his soul. There came a day when Merrick finally said enough was enough! He had been working with a company and they had offered him a position that would have forced him to have to work his way up to management level, and that is when he decided that it was time to do it! He was going to go after his dream and open a restaurant.

“You are running the f&*king place like a corporation.”

Opening the restaurant was a joint effort made by Merrick Aries and Antovin Aries, and Merrick’s first attempt at cooking at the public level. Diner’s Corner was established in 1999, originally located on Gloucester Street, and was owned by Cliff and Naomi Green, who operated it for over fifteen years. Merrick and Antovin were aware of the history and reputation both the restaurants and the previous owners had, so when they decided to do this, they realized that they would have to come hard. Aside from structural changes, the one major change that was made was they added a “The,” on the beginning of the restaurant name to make it their own, and then they were off.

It has been three years since Merrick has taken over ownership, and there were certain lessons he had to learn the hard way. One aspect of business ownership that comes difficult to most is how to manage a business. “It forces you to manage your time down to the minute. It is insanely difficult, but not impossible,” Merrick told the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. “There is no such thing as sick days. When you are sick, you go to work, and the nightmare truly begins when the Department of Health decides to show up, especially during a peak time in your day.”

Merrick does not take this job lightly and take pride in serving the very best food. He does not hold back when he is cooking, and he cooks for those moments when people feel good about their meals and walk away happy.

Another difficult aspect of taking over a business is fostering the respect of not only the staff but also the regular clientele. He had to deal with customers who were used to the way the old owners did things because they had built standing relationships with their clients. The issue with this is that they wanted things to stay the way they were, and Merrick was making the necessary changes that fit his vision of The Diner’s Corner. He retells the story of the day that a customer said to him, “You are running the f&*king place like a corporation!” He was taken aback by this remark and was surprised at such a reaction. His response was, “Yes, I am running it like a corporation because it is one.”  Merrick remains uncomfortable with the fact that as a community we don’t lend the same support to locally run businesses, as we do to some of the larger chains like Moxie’s, or the Keg.

Regardless of the ups and down’s Merrick remains committed to “Good food.” “If you buy good food, you will make good food,” he claims, and good food is at the center of all industry conversation today. Good chefs care about good food, and this will continue to set The Diner’s Corner aside from all other restaurants.

“We don’ just cook, we speak a particular language, good food language.” Merrick Aries