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t started with the bread. For the past 3 1/2 years, The Silos Restaurant owners Keri and Doug Delisle have been serving up burgers and hoagies. The rolls on which the burgers and subs were served proved so popular, Doug says “people started asking if they could buy them to take home”. Now they can – at the couple’s newly opened retail store, the Silos Pantry

The Silos Pantry

Doug says the Pantry is an extension of the Silos Restaurant. He wanted to offer a retail outlet where people can purchase items they’re already familiar with off the restaurant’s menu – staples like bread, cheese, deli meats, coffee and tea. Also offered will be items, though not on the Silos menu, that are “complementary to what we’re doing now.”

Inside the Silos Pantry

First, the bread.

When Doug and Keri took over the Silos Restaurant, one of the first things they changed about their business was the baking. Rather than relying on the delivery truck for baked goods, they became their own supplier. If it was on the menu and required baked dough, they would bake it themselves – from bread and pasta to hamburger buns and sub rolls.

It worked. Customers appreciated the fresh baking. Now, though, instead of having to order a Silos hamburger just so they can order a dozen rolls on the side (an option still available – and encouraged) they can just drop by the Pantry for those buns or that loaf of whole wheat bread. Baked goods more associated with desert, like pecan, coconut and creme pies, are available in a refrigerated case. Though these items may not appear on the Silo’s daily menu, they’re still baked in-house – an offshoot of the Silo’s growing custom catering business.

Fresh baked: The baking that started it all

In addition to baked goods, the Pantry offers the same cheeses and meats and meats offered in the Silos Restaurant, right down to the brand – Boar’s Head. Doug says he prefers this meat because, in addition to being high quality, it doesn’t contain a filler found in many other deli meats – gluten. For topping salads, dressings are available in flavors from Honey French to Cucumber.

Then there are the drinks.

For those who’d like to brew a pot of Silos coffee at home, there are bags of Lavazza coffee. There’s even a way for folks to enjoy a glass of iced tea without having to climb the stairs to the Silos’ upstairs dining room. They can buy the same tea bags the restaurant uses and brew that cup of tea at home.

Dressings: Honey French, Cucumber and Raspberry

While the Pantry’s core business focuses on items found on the Silo’s menu, Doug says the store also offers products not found at his restaurant, items “you don’t find every day or at the grocery store”. Things like cheese stuffed olives, already a big seller. Or a selection of private label wines from small vineyards.

For shoppers who are eliminating gluten from their diet, an extensive range of gluten-free pastas is available. There’s even a selection of cast iron skillets for chefs who want a break from frying on Teflon.

Alivia Delisle with a jar of canned produce. Behind her is part of the gluten-free section.

Some Pantry offerings are still in the distance, though. As they grow their business, Keri says they would like begin offering local vendors’ seasonal produce such as herbs and produce. She asks that vendors interested in offering their produce at the Silos Pantry contact her at 252 249-1050.

In the meantime, customers interested in picking up a dozen rolls at the Silos Pantry can do so Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. After they’re done shopping, they might just drop by the Silos to grab one of the hamburgers that made those rolls famous.

Posted Wednesday July 28, 2010 by Bernie Harberts