COVER FEATURE
A few years ago, the Pearl Eatery’s owners began reshaping the Pearl for the Island community. “We love that people see us as a special occasion restaurant, but we believe that the Pearl should not simply be reserved for special occasions,” explains Tanyia Kingyens. As the Pearl’s co-owners, she and her husband Rod Kingyens also wanted to welcome more PEI residents to the restaurant’s dining room, rather than focusing on tourists. They created new features targeted at locals—such as a monthly seasonal prix-fixe menu—and Islanders responded eagerly. “Guests loved knowing what the experience cost before making a reservation,” explains Tanyia, who estimates that the percentage of local guests at the Pearl Eatery doubled in 2019. During the 2019/2020 off-season, however, Tanyia and Rod learned that their grandson Camden was fighting brain cancer. As they devoted their energies to three-year-old Camden and his parents, Matt and Victoria, the COVID-19 pandemic placed additional strain on preparations for the Pearl’s 2020 summer season.
Last March, the Pearl’s website stated that the restaurant would not reopen as usual in June 2020. “The choice to remain closed last season was a difficult one,” Tanyia admits. “We notified our team members first, then made the public announcement. March 2020 was the first time that I shared our family’s battle on the Pearl’s business page.” Although she acknowledges that she had concerns about closing the Pearl, “Those days when we were able to support our son and his family were precious.” As the Island community learned of the crisis, their kindness—and kindness beyond the Island’s borders—became a constant in the Kingyens’ lives. “We were overwhelmed by the love and care that were poured out on our family. Gifts of food, toys, personal care items, financial support for Matt and Victoria, and prayers from every corner of the earth.” Camden eventually required multiple types of treatment at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, and the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the family’s prospective accommodations. “A hotel in downtown Toronto during COVID-19 seemed like a pretty frightening scenario,” says Tanyia. Before long, however, another Island family touched base to lend the
Kingyens their son’s vacant apartment. “We were granted the use of that apartment for the entire time at Sick Kids—two and a half months,” Tanyia marvels. “It was only two blocks from the hospital.” In early December of 2020, Camden Kingyens “left his earthly parents’ loving embrace, and is now safe in the arms of Jesus,” Tanyia says. She calls her grandson “a beautiful, happy, joyful and mildly mischievous little boy.” As Tanyia discusses her family’s journey, her thankfulness is palpable. While her decades as a businesswoman honed her self- reliance, she explains, “In difficult times, we tend to withdraw and try to solve our problems ourselves. If we share our struggles, our neighbours will work together day and night to help us. This island is not just a community; we are family.” Tanyia and Rod are preparing to reopen the Pearl Eatery for summer 2021. With chef team Josh Bird and Rachel O’Shea on board, the Kingyens are fine-tuning changes to ensure that the Pearl is COVID-safe, and Tanyia reveals that they’re planning to add a daytime patio cafe. “We’re so full of gratitude for all that our community has done for us,” she says. “We want to be the place where our neighbors gather, day and night.”
The Pearl Eatery | 7792 Cavendish Road, North Rustico | 902.963.2111 | www.pearleatery.com
WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2021
SPRING 2021 www.pei-living.ca
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