Saucie’s By the Lake Pizzeria & General Store has officially opened.
Located on Okanagan Landing Rd. — in the same location that the old general store once stood seven years ago — you’re sure to feel a sense of nostalgia.
Kim Modde has seen it all. She has worked in the restaurant business for decades — she’s done fine-dining, seafood, steak restaurants, family-style diners and pizzerias. She has also owned various restaurants throughout her career, mostly in Ohio. After moving to the Okanagan and marrying Randy Modde, an Okanagan local for over 30 years, she decided she wanted to open one more restaurant before retiring from the business.
The concept came after noticing a challenge for those who were living outside Vernon’s core; if people needed one or two items, it was an inconvenient trip into the city. Modde said she came up with the idea last winter and after three months of labour, it has been revamped, renovated and renamed Saucie’s By the Lake. The doors officially opened Canada Day.
Store owners Kim and Randy Modde said their focus was to create a community-centric hub — an escape from corporate restaurants and grocery stores that have permeated modern communities. They want to connect with the community.
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The Okanagan Landing General store closed its doors almost seven years ago. It seemed like the perfect location to satisfy the couple’s passion for restaurants and cooking while serving and catering to the community they live in.
“You look at this building and it’s like, people need this and then we can employ people and we can give back to the community,” said Kim. “We’re all about the ‘ma and pop’ vibe because that’s really what I’ve done all my life — everything is from scratch.”
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They want to provide a little bit of everything and walking through the doors, you can easily see this. There are beach toys, coffee, hotdogs, self-serve ice cream, popcorn, pizza, grocery essentials and a variety of homemade items.
“We have fresh spicy salsa, potato salad, macaroni salad, nacho cheese. I’ve got fresh pasta from Italy and I do the spaghetti and meatballs,” said Kim. “We want to carry a little bit of everything and by not having to go into town and buy retail, we can keep our prices low for people.”
“I sort of acted like Chef Ramsay and said, this is where you’re messing up and this is how you do it.”
She knew she could be successful where the last one wasn’t because when she didn’t own a restaurant, she worked in consulting.
With an attached patio, Saucie’s by the Lake will be open seven days a week 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. all summer long. The hours will be reduced slightly in the winter when people fly south and the beach is closed, though they still plan to be a convenient location for those needing a few small items or wanting a freshly cooked meal.
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