Our Roots
It all started in the 90's with The Wooly Pub that's now become a neighbourhood staple in downtown Guelph. The foundation of environmental stewardship and supporting local farmers, brewers and makers all started here with founder Bob Desautels' philosphy of doing business with future generations in mind.
"I believe that we have no alternative as ‘There is No Planet B!’ Acting locally with environmentally sustainable business practices is really for our Children’s Children’s Children from whom we are borrowing this earth."
The first iteration of the Borealis concept was launched in south end Guelph over 14 years ago to champion local farmers and shed light on what's grown and produced in our very own backyard.
Local doesn't just taste way better - the ingredients are fresher, more nutrient dense and buying them supports our community while also significantly reducing our environmental impact.
With the sucess of our first location and looking to salvage a historic site in neighbouring Kitchener, the second Borealis location was born.
Restoring the 19th century schoolhouse was about more than just a interesting space for a resturant, we wanted to keep a piece of local histroy alive. Many guests who visit us share their stories and pictures of family members that attended the school!
Coming back to downtown Guelph, Miijidaa was created to celebrate the nothern bounty all around us with our roots, food, wine and brews. The word ‘Miijidaa’ is from the Ojibway language that loosely translates to “let’s eat”.
Many influences have come to define "Canadian" cuisine starting with the First Nations, followed by the influences of the French, English, Vikings, Portuguese and more. Miijidaa's menu is a modern take on our northern gastronomic history with each cuisine and tradition inspiring the tapestry of our culinary landscape that we hope to celebrate.
One of our biggest achievements as a team has been gaining our B Corp certification, one of only a few restaurant groups in North America to do so!
B Corp certification can take up to a year and requires auditing several aspects of the business like weighing garbage and submitting electricity bills to accurately gauge carbon output. B Corp also measures your social impact and other key elements of operation to ensure that we're using our business as a force for good.
The newest kid on the block, Park Eatery is our latest restaurant creation that offers a fresh, locally driven menu, made from scratch every day that serves up the neighbourhood's favourite goods like burgers, brisket, milkshakes and more.
And like all of our locations, Park is dedicated to serving the community by offering a fair living wage and health benefits to employees and supporting numerous local non-profits and community organizations.
Where It All Started
For us, it's all about people. For more than three decades the folks on our teams have been just as passionate about sustainability and social enterprise as we are and we wouldn't be where we are today without them.
It started with an amazing team and continues today because of them.
Core Values
Local Matters
We operate restaurants that promote locally crafted food and beverages while championing the farmers and producers that make them. This in turn keeps more money within the local economy and protects our local food systems for future generations.
People First
We love the community we're surrounded by - from our team members to the guests we serve every day to the farmers and makers we purchase from to the non-profits making a difference. We see our business as the business of people and all of our decisions are driven by a commitment to our neighbourhood and being more human.
No Planet B
Sustainabilty and stewardship underpins everything we do as an organization and we see whatever impact we may have through that lense. How does our carbon footprint impact the next generation in the neighbourhood? What trees are we planting for them to enjoy the shade?
Proudly B Corp Certified!
But what exactly is a B Corp? They're leaders in the global movement of people using business as a force for good with one unifying goal – to redefine success in business. B Corps are important because they inspire all businesses to compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best FOR the world. The performance standards B Corps meet are comprehensive, transparent and verified. They measure a company’s impact on its employees, suppliers, community, customers and the environment. We're proud to be one of the few restaurants in the world to be B Corp certified and strive to always do better for our teams, our community, and the world.