29/08/2026
We would like to take this opportunity to answer some questions and to clarify our reservation policies at Pinecroft and I hope this will clear up any confusion about them.
Over the years, Pinecroft has developed into a day tripping destination. Since 1948 we have been a thriving business in Elgin County and one of its premier draws for people exploring the area. We have been very grateful for the attention Pinecroft has garnered and we are happy to share the serenity and peace we offer to all who visit us. The growth we have experienced over the 78 years has been gradual and we have evolved with that growth from a pottery studio to a studio that offered a tearoom for its customers serving only tea and homemade blueberry or bran muffins to the full service lunch restaurant we are today. We are not a high end dining experience but a location which offers homemade country fare that reflects the lifestyle of our county and community. All our entree menu offerings are recipes from our own family, family friends, neighbours, employees and most we have had for over 25 years. We try to locally source our ingredients using local farm produce and butchers. Our growth has been organic with local advertising and most importantly word of mouth. Over the last few years this has all changed with the explosion of social media. We have been overwhelmed with both Tic Tok and Instagram videos posted by visitors which has reached an audience that extends way beyond our local markets. We routinely drew visitors locally and from an hour’s radius but we now find customers coming from locations well over that distance. It has been overwhelming. Our customer base has grown exponentially but we have stayed the same. We are at our limit as to how many we can comfortably serve without impacting the experience we offer. We want to continue to be a place that offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle of life; a place where you can come and enjoy some quiet time with family and friends while enjoying a tasty home cooked lunch. We have always recommended reservations even 30 years ago but now we highly recommend them. If you are venturing out to drive 2 plus hours for lunch we understand that you want to know you can have a table. Our location pretty much encourages a reservation as there is no place just across the street or down the road you can go if we’re full. Our neighbours sadly cannot accommodate you. We have been getting heavy criticism for taking reservations from those who have tried just dropping in. We do set aside a number of tables daily for walk in customers but they too fill up quickly. We want to be fair to everyone and we work very hard at balancing everyone’s demands. Over a season it can become very exhausting keeping everyone happy but we will continue to try to do so. Empty tables do not mean availability or that we do not want to serve you. It means that we are at capacity for both our kitchen and serving staff. We rotate our tables to keep a workable flow of customers and if every table was full all the time we wouldn’t be able to cope. We have an amazing staff many of whom have been with us for many years. We know we’re not perfect, we’re human and with that comes imperfection at times. Please understand that we are doing the best we can and that every day we work hard to follow the vision we have focused on for Pinecroft, our family, our work family and you our customers.
Please, please call ahead to check availability before you head out. We also have a reservation submission form on our web page at www.pinecroft.ca and an answering machine where you can leave your name and number for a call back. We have a dedicated secretary answering the phones between 9:30 and 3:30 daily. Please call directly to our number at 519-773-3435 and don’t use the call button on Google etc. as we have been told by our local provider that that goes through another carrier which itself could be overloaded before we get the call. The message that this number is not available comes from those carriers not ours. There apparently is nothing we can do about that.
We are very grateful for and appreciate your patronage and we will continue to work hard at meeting everyone’s expectations. Thank you.
Pinecroft
8122 Rogers Rd S,
Aylmer West, Ontario
519-773-3435
www.pinecroft.ca
