When Schlegel Villages founder Ron Schlegel recalls his home growing up in the countryside of Southwestern Ontario, he often recalls two key points; there were always lots of guests and conversation and always plenty of good food.
In his capacity as a pastor, Ron’s father Wilfred would often welcome neighbours into his home to offer counsel and commiseration. Ron’s mother Emma, always the gracious hostess with a penchant for honest, home-cooked meals, knew to prepare for guests at all times.
The spirit of hospitality within Emma
and Wilfred Schlegel is embodied in
The Ruby's unique dining experience.
“There were always a lot of people at our house,” Ron recalls. “I don’t remember many evenings where we didn’t have people coming into our place to visit . . . and so my mother would always make lots of extra food because she knew there’d be extra people there.”
The sense of community and comfort created in Emma’s kitchen and around her dining table is the essence of the restaurants that carry her maiden name in three of the Villages her son developed. The Ruby overlooks the cities of Burlington, Hamilton and Mississauga from the top floors of the Villages of Tansley Woods, Wentworth Heights and Erin Meadows.
While The Ruby offers guests in each location similar dining experiences in beautiful dining rooms overlooking their respective cities, each Ruby Chef offers their own unique sensibilities to the exquisite menus. They bring passion, creativity and culture to their kitchens and take pride in offering guests their best, just as Emma Schlegel did for those she welcomed into her home so regularly.
The Ruby restaurants honour the legacy of a humble woman who nurtured the spirit of the Schlegel family, a spirit that endures today in the reimagining of what retirement living and long-term care can look like. In the expanding Villages of University Gates in Waterloo and Taunton Mills in Whitby, The Ruby will offer its unique experience to new waves of guests who will feel firsthand the essence of true hospitality.
Visit DineAtTheRuby.ca for information
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