In the heart of Markdale, Ontario, situated in the former home of the town's volunteer fire department, you can find Marilynne Restaurant – a living love letter to the people and places – both past and present – that make up this small town about two and a half hours northwest of Toronto.
Owner and chef Brandon Bannon, who grew up in Grey County just minutes away from Marilynne, named his Markdale, Ont., restaurant to honour his grandmother—the same grandmother who encouraged him to pursue culinary arts and who always served roast beef for Sunday dinner.
"Every time we went to her house, we were cooking and chatting and talking about food," he said.
Now, as part of a menu overflowing with specialty dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, Bannon serves up family-style roast beef dinners with all the trimmings—Yorkshire pudding popovers, mashed potatoes and gravy—at Marilynne's every Sunday starting at 4 p.m.
It's a cozy space that's meant to feel like a second home for diners. In fact, Bannon sourced much of the restaurant's décor and furniture from folks nearby.
The walls are lined with his grandmother's bric-a-brac. Neighbours handed over vintage dining rooms tables and dinnerware that were hiding away in storage.
"People come in here and are like, 'This is my grandmother's dining table.' Same with the plates that we use," said Bannon
The charmingly mismatched and eclectic aesthetic lends a homey and welcoming vibe to the community-oriented space—and new décor donations arrive nearly weekly, adding to the intentional farmhouse vibe.
Bannon's menu is also nostalgic. Along with his weekly roast beef dinners, the fan-favourite lasagna is a family recipe, too. This one belongs to his wife's grandmother. And despite making a few tweaks, Bannon says it's a nearly authentic replica of a dish his late (grandmother's name TK) taught him to make.
Grey County is a locavore's dream
But none of his homestyle food would be possible without the bounty of the many farms that call Grey County home.
When Bannon was honing his craft in Toronto kitchens,he would often work with high-quality ingredients from vendors in Grey County. Despite growing up in a farming family from the area, he didn't realize how much Toronto-area chefs revered Grey County's local fare—like lamb, pork, mushrooms and other seasonal produce.
So, he set a goal for himself. Once he learned all he could in Toronto, he'd move back to Grey County to open a farm-to-table restaurant. And in 2021, he transformed a more than 100-year-old Markdale firehall into Marilynne Restaurant.
But before he served up his first latte or roast beef dinner, he sought help from a neighbouring storefront: his local TD branch.
Helping local businesses thrive
"The branch in Markdale is well-known for having a fantastic staff… They're accepting and helpful in the restaurant industry," said Bannon.
Along with providing Bannon with trusted advice to help turn his restaurant dreams into reality, the staff at TD help Bannon with his day-to-day at the restaurant through TD Merchant Solutions. This includes a POS (point-of-sale) system that’s fully integrated with TouchBistro, a Canadian-owned restaurant management software that Bannon uses.
With the integrated TouchBistro system, Bannon has the flexibility to manage many aspects of his business—from menu pricing to staffing—whether he's on-site, on the golf course or even abroad.
For Bannon, having his bank two doors down is invaluable. He and his team members regularly pop in for banking needs, and to chat.
"Our local customers, they're almost like family," said Jessica Attwood, Branch Manager.
Attwood has lived in Markdale for 20 years and from her role at TD, is now watching the downtown strip evolve as newcomers (or returnees like Bannon) revive old storefronts with new businesses.
"When Brandon came in to introduce himself and to look at some Small Business Banking solutions, we had a chance to hear his story… We were very excited to help him get started towards reading his goals," Attwood said.
Attwood is no stranger to Marilynne, especially given its proximity to her branch. She's not shy about sharing her local intel on the menu.
"They make an amazing chicken sandwich. It's a must, must try."