The Lakeside

Toronto restaurateur transforms local motel

When Renda Abdo isn’t overseeing operations at the three restaurants she operates in Toronto, she heads east three or four days each week to check in on her latest business acquisition. The Lakeside Inn has undergone significant updating this summer as it transformed from its motel status to a smart lakeside lodge. Abdo is no stranger to Prince Edward County, spending about four years as a young child growing up here, as well as calling Kingston and Belleville home for a time before eventually moving to Toronto. Her parents have been County residents for over 40 years, and she has a sister here too.

Lakeside Inn owner Renda Abdo enjoys a late summer day on the back patio.

“I’ve been now 30 years in Toronto, every year coming home visiting, you do the drive and I never really thought it would pull me back,” said Abdo. Recently, she began to think about transitioning a little away from the restaurant scene, but keeping within the hospitality industry. “I certainly knew that it’s not an easier transition, but just something different,” she said.

Abdo talks about the madness of the city and the toll it takes even though she still loves it and still lives there. “I’m loving the County a little more and it’s harder to drive back [to Toronto] every week. It has a little hold and I never thought driving by the farms and the fields, it would have such an effect and it’s so soothing.” Delving into the accommodation business for the first time, Abdo admits to taking a chance. She was at a point in her life wanting to try something a little different in a place with some familiarity. “I thought it was a comfortable size, the 10 units, and I thought, give it a go.” As the owner of Toronto’s 7 West Cafe, Smith and Wish Restaurant, Abdo has a wealth of sound business and hospitality experience behind her.

A small team of family and friends spent several months refreshing the place, working day and night. There was a lot of updating, cleaning and painting involved in the process, including electrical and plumbing upgrades. All furnishings were replaced and bathrooms redone. Wanting to capture a little bit of the season, The Lakeside quietly opened its doors on the Canada Day weekend. Ten individual suites, as well as accommodations in The Wharf House and The Bungalow, make up the property. “I feel proud for what we’ve done and it’s comfortable, although there’s lots more to do,” said Abdo. “I see so much potential for the property, especially when I look down at the water.”

The two-acre lakeside property at the west end of Wellington’s Main Street enjoys 300 feet of waterfront. From its vantage point overlooking the gleaming water of Lake Ontario, the golden sands of Sandbanks sparkle in the near distance as the warm lake water laps at the rocky shoreline. Visitors can take a canoe out, sit and watch the world go by at the water’s edge or explore further afield on the bicycles provided.

General manager Wolfgang has worked for Abdo for 10 years managing her restaurants in Toronto. He arrived in the County in early June, completely unfamiliar with the area. “I was looking for something to get out of the city to do something different,” said Wolfgang. “My morning coffee has never been so easy and low stress and I really feel like I’m ready for every day. This was just an amazing opportunity and it also afforded me for the first time to be able to work with a Renda project from the very beginning.”

The outdoor space takes on a unique atmosphere on sultry summer evenings, with covered spaces and seating options, a screened porch, and fire pits for roasting marshmallows. The space brings friends and strangers together in a comfortable and relaxed environment. Given the close proximity to neighbours, Abdo acknowledges that everybody has to be respectful. “I’m not looking for parties or events, I think people need to come here and enjoy, kick back, it’s beautiful to see that. It’s absolutely beautiful here, and that’s the appeal.”

“So far, this summer has been wonderful, the response we have gotten from the guests and everyone in the community has been so supportive, it really makes it feel as if we are doing something right,” added Wolfgang. “It’s an intimate experience; you are coming and spending the night with us and that’s something very personal. It’s more personal than the restaurant industry, so it’s nice to be able to be there for people in that fashion, have them come and sit by the fire and share stories, make new friends, just to be able to interact with visitors.”

The former motel has in a few short months undergone a rebranding, transforming into a clean, bright and updated space. Decor is minimalist; accommodations are extraordinarily comfortable and inviting: it’s upscale yet casual, simple yet sophisticated, rustic yet chic. “People have been amazing, that I couldn’t believe,” said Abdo. “I have met so many people in a short period of time; everyone has offered their support, anything you need, every single neighbour. When we fill up, we will call each other and I think it is that idea that when one does well, everything does well.”