When Sugar & Rye Market • Deli opens its doors this autumn, it will mark the culmination of Candice Rischner’s long-time dream: to have “my own little place where I bake and have a specialty store” in her hometown of Sheffield.
Candice and her husband, Chef Pierre Cum, are the team behind Great Barrington’s GB Eats, the local favorite that started out as The Neighborhood Diner. The diner was started by Cum in 1998 and then rebranded as GB Eats in 2015. The new name and the renovations that came with it put Candice’s stamp on the eatery and marked the beginning of a true husband/wife collaboration. Candice manages the front of the house and does all the baking (many a diet has come to ruin with her cookies, cakes, and pies); Pierre cooks crowd-pleasing diner standards (corned beef hash) as well as an assortment of dishes with an international flavor (churro beignets).
Over the years, the couple has learned plenty about running a successful restaurant, and Sugar & Rye will reflect that experience. But don’t expect it to be a carbon copy of GB Eats in Sheffield. This business reflects Candice’s desire to provide quick, delicious deli fare to folks who are on the go. While Sugar & Rye will have tables where patrons can sit to enjoy their food, there won’t be table service.
“It’s going to be a deli with a lot of prepared foods, beer, wine, and ice cream,” says Candice. “And some of our most popular items at GB Eats will also be available at Sugar & Rye—salad dressing, jams, crab cakes, and potato cakes.” She’ll bake cookies, cakes, pies, and muffins, and will bring in bread from Berkshire Mountain Bakery. The shop will also carry local produce, rotisserie chickens, and will assemble picnic baskets for patrons.
“I have three kids and I’m always on the run,” says Candice. Hence, the “grab and go” philosophy behind Sugar & Rye. Customers will be able to custom-order sandwiches, but there will also be ready-made hot and cold sandwiches available. Candice’s biggest challenges: “I want a truck driver to be able to come in and have a basic sandwich, but I also want to have things that are a little more special.
“In the beginning,” she says, “we’ll start on the smaller side and see what works and what doesn’t.”
- 139 South Main St., Sheffield
