A different type of pancake house is now open for business in Sault Ste. Marie.
After discovering mini pancakes through social media, Thea Barsanti is the owner of Mini Morsel Co. on Queen Street East in the city’s downtown.
“I thought what a cute idea mini pancakes are and I literally kept myself up at night writing on notepads of how I can incorporate mini pancakes into a brick and mortar store," Barsanti told SooToday.
"I came up with this concept and ran with it and here we are.”
Mini Morsel’s dishes are available in batches of 10, 15, 25 or 40 bite-sized mini pancakes.
The batches are covered with sweet toppings such as various types of fruit, maple syrup, cinnamon sugar and whipped cream.
“It’s all yummy stuff,” Barsanti said.
The batches have different names including Berry Bliss Bombs, Banana Split Stacker, Peachy Queen, Cereal Party, Crumbly in Love, Strawberry Shortcake and S'more Please.
For those customers who prefer a breakfast taste to their mini pancake order, The Brunch Buddy includes scrambled eggs, bacon bits, powdered sugar and syrup.
“The Brunch Buddy has been a favourite so far. It's our more savoury batch," Barsanti said.
DIY mini pancake batches and other sweet treats such as cheesecake and parfaits are also available.
Customers can also sit and enjoy hot or cold drinks in Mini Morsel’s small but pleasant space, which includes coffee tables and a comfortable couch.
The walls are painted pink and are covered with artistic images of pets and people to give the cafe a retro, eccentric feel.
“I want people to come for the flavour and stay for the vibe,” Barsanti said.
“I wanted to create a place where you feel like you can come for a coffee and a treat and not feel like you’re in a restaurant and waiting for your bill. That's why I have the couch in here. I want it to feel homey.”
Open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Barsanti plans to have Mini Morsel hold birthday parties with a mascot and she already has a few bookings.
Located in the 700 block of Queen Street East, Mini Morsel will stay open late for Downtown Association street parties, Halloween on Queen and the Rotary Santa Claus Parade.
Barsanti grew up in the food industry.
She worked for her family, which owned Barsanti’s Restaurant and Root River Golf Club until 2021.
“I grew up seeing that and now I just want to do something in the food industry and be my own boss.”
Barsanti is pleased to be employing her daughters.
“I love to be able to provide. I started working at my family’s restaurant at the Root River Golf Club and that was a privilege. Now I want to create that for my kids.”
