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Written by: Abigail Guevara, Senior Content Writer – Freelance
Carlene Honigan is a woman with a sparkling personality, who is diligent in the face of challenges, and driven to make her dreams come true—all being the best qualities of an entrepreneur.
Photo: Carlene Honigan, Owner, The Original Patty Gyal
From concept to reality
One day as Carlene was waiting in line to be served at one of her favourite West Indian grocery stores, she made a keen observation—one that would launch her now successful business.
“Hmmm… Nobody is buying just one patty,” Carlene recalls. “I thought it would be great to open a patty shop where people could buy hot patties all day long.”
On December 12, 2020, Carlene did just that. She opened a patty shop, The Original Patty Gyal (formerly Patty Gyal), in Ajax in Durham Region.
“I chose to open my patty shop in Durham because of the demographics,” says Carlene. “There is a nice mix of Canadian and West Indian cultures here as well as so many other cultures, and everyone pretty much knows what a meat patty is. It’s a universal food and everyone enjoys them.”
The patty shop offers different kinds of patties—including spicy beef, mild beef, chicken, veggie, goat, shrimp, and ackee and saltfish—appealing to customers from near and far.
Scared, but did it anyway
The odds were not stacked in Carlene’s favour when she launched her business, due to circumstances affecting her and the entire world.
Carlene opened The Original Patty Gyal at the onset of the COVID pandemic. The public was fearful and concerned, and all businesses were adjusting their operations based on public health guidelines and there were so many unknown factors in play.
“I was nervous, but moved forward despite all the reasons I could have stopped,” notes Carlene.
Her cautious and steady approach paid off. Circumstances, both good and bad, came together like a perfect storm that worked in the shop’s favour during uncertain times.
“During COVID-19 many people worked from home, and came out to support the grand opening and kept returning. Restaurants also had very limited seating, so people were doing a lot of takeout, which was good for my patty shop since I didn’t have the overhead of an eat-in space,” she explains.
Unfortunately, 2020 was also the year that the George Floyd tragedy took place. Many people, from all walks of life, were looking for ways to show support to the Black community—patronizing The Original Patty Gyal was just one way people chose to do that.
Some might say it was a rocky start, but Carlene stayed the course, and four years later The Original Patty Gyal is thriving due in great part to its loyal customers.
“Our staff noticed that if a customer does buy just one patty before they finish eating it in their car, they are on their way back to buy more and often a box or two!” says Carlene, amused.
Building community
Carlene makes time to meet her customers, because they like to know who the owner is. Some she even knows on a first-name basis. As a result, they often bring her more business by way of catering for sporting and social events, and parties. They also share great business advice with her from their own businesses or suggest contacts for Carlene to consider to further the shop’s growth.
“I love my customers. They come from all over the Durham Region,” she notes. “I even have customers who come as far as Texas, New Jersey, and Nunavut. It’s a great opportunity to share Jamaican culture and show off Durham Region to visitors too.”
Carlene was glad to work with the Town of Ajax to set up her business as they were helpful throughout the process; some of the Town’s employees are customers now too.
Additionally, she is a member of Clarington’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force. And since opening the patty shop—and becoming a member of the Durham Region Association of Black Professionals and Entrepreneurs (DRABPE)—Carlene has had the opportunity to get involved in new opportunities, such as being invited to speak to students at Pickering High School about her business and entrepreneurship. When she asked if they had any questions, the room filled with raised hands.
“I’m happy to share my experience and what I’ve learned with young people,” says Carlene. “That is why I like to hire young people, so they can learn.”
Looking to the future
The Original Patty Gyal is currently located in a very accessible spot off Harwood in Ajax, surrounded by several other Black-owned businesses that are all doing well.
“It's one of the best corners in Ajax!” she says. “And there is potential for expansion to another location too. The Original Patty Gyal will stay in the Region of Durham though, it's been good to me and the Region is growing.”
Carlene’s observation was exactly right, people always buy more than just one patty! Her successful patty shop proves that to be true, with return customers buying anywhere from two patties to a box of 12 at a time.
Despite taking on a huge learning curve in business, dealing with challenges, and growing from lessons learned along the way, The Original Patty Gyal is a success.
“I’m sure I’m doing some things wrong, but I’m doing a lot more things right!” says Carlene, in the spirit of a true entrepreneur.
For more information about opening a business in Ajax, explore The Ajax Advantage.
Innovation and Inclusivity: Stories from Durham Region's Black Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals is a series of stories about thriving Black professionals choosing to do business in Durham Region.
