Hey Paolo Spotlight: Silas Ulbrich of The Pantry On Egmont

For cafe owner and head chef Silas Ulbrich of The Pantry On Egmont, kindness and giving back to the community are as equally important as great food and excellent service.

Hey Paolo: What is the The Pantry on Egmont?

We are a small suburban brunch cafe in Adelaide. We have a strong focus on giving back to the community and serving quality food & drinks.

Hey Paolo: What’s on your menu?

Our menu is eclectic. We have the classic brunch staples like eggs, burgers, and our house specialty (gnocchi). Most of our specials draw influence from the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Hey Paolo: What are the key changes in your cafe over the years?

Our dinner events have grown significantly. Our dinner events give an opportunity for me to also plan different interesting menus compared to our standard brunch food. Adelaide brunch market has definitely grown significantly in the last 10 years too.

Hey Paolo: Why do you call yourselves a “Good Karma Cafe”?

I try to operate this establishment by the Golden Rule: “treat others the way you want to be treated.” For me, I like engaging with all our guests and we treat them with kindness.

Hey Paolo: How do you support local artists?

We rotate them every six weeks by showcasing their work (paintings, prints, sketches, etc.) in our cafe.

Hey Paolo: How do you give back to the community?

We try to give back as much as we possibly can. We also have our “Pay It Forward Coffee Campaign” and people can have coffee on me.

Hey Paolo: What is your “War Against Waste” campaign?

We try to be environmentally responsible. Very little gets wasted here and food scraps go to the compost. All our takeaway packagings are compostable and anything that can be recycled gets recycled.

Hey Paolo: How important is a vegan menu?

I think it is important, but for me, what’s more important is how we can be inclusive of everyone. In our cafe, we do have a significant number of vegan options. We try to cater to all dietary requirements too as best as we can.

Hey Paolo: How important is it to be a pet-friendly cafe?

A lot of our guests bring their pets with them. We don’t allow the pets inside the cafe, but we have the outside sitting where pets are more than welcome.

Hey Paolo: What are your best sellers?

Probably our housemade gnocchi which has been on the menu for several years now.

Hey Paolo: Your personal favourites?

I really think we do a good burger here and our smashed pumpkin is also one of my favourites.

Hey Paolo: How does Silas relax when he’s not at the cafe?

It can be hard to relax when you’re a small business owner. I just like spending time with my wife and kids.

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The Pantry On Egmont: 2 Egmont Terrace, Hawthorn SA 5062. Website: https://thepantry.net.au/. Instagram: click here.