When Jeff and Heidi Ritter moved into their new building back in Oct. 2023 to permanently house their Yooper Pasty Co., they were nervous, and not just because of starting their new food adventure.
"Two days before we officially opened up, I was diagnosed with breast cancer so I was literally just floating around with a really scrambled mind. It was very emotional. So many big life changes hit us all at once, but you just got to keep on going. We put so much time, effort and love into this building. The pasties helped me stay happy. It kept me busy and we just kept rolling. I was able to get back into the kitchen after my surgeries because of my positive attitude knowing I was going to get through it." Heidi Ritter said.
Just last week, Jeff, Heidi and their children got some excellent news from the doctors.
"We are now on the other side of it. I just had my last surgery and one week out they said I look great and I will not need to go back to U of M," Ritter said.
Having excellent medical care is important. Equally important, however, is support from friends and family.
"Part of the reason why I did make it through this is because the community was behind me. People always were coming in asking how I was doing and checking in with the family. Everything works out for a reason. Jeff was able to be at my side through everything. Plus the people in Sault Ste. Marie are like family to us. They really lifted us up. Jeff jokes around that since he retired from the Coast Guard, he went from captaining a ship one day to washing dishes the next. And I love my dishwasher," Ritter chuckled.
In the time Yooper Pasty Co. has been open, things have changed. But Ritter says that is a good thing.
"I couldn't be happier because we are always learning. We are worlds away from when we started. Being the good Finnish girl I am, I started making these pasties all from scratch. But I am still learning about food. I am a teacher by trade. A year after we opened up, I thought 'wow, we have come a long way.' If we are still open in five years, we will still be learning. Everything changes in the Soo with the seasons. It is different every season. You learn from all the struggles," Ritter continued.
Let's talk about those delicious pasties. Homemade goodness no matter what you choose to order.
However, there is a local favorite and it's not even close.
"Absolutely the traditional beef pasty because that is what Yoopers know and love. Second is the breakfast pasty with the homemade sausage gravy. It can be eaten any time of the day because we all know it is not illegal to eat breakfast for dinner," Ritter insisted.
Variety is the spice of life and Ritter has continuously tried new menu items ranging from different pasties to dessert dishes.
"We started with just the traditional beef pasty. Of course, people always have suggestions and we try to honor those. We started by making a veggie pasty. Then the breakfast pasty. We went from one pasty in the beginning to having six eight on the menu nowadays. I never thought it would evolve like this but it has been really fun. It gets people in here who think they did not like pasties," Ritter concluded.
Yooper Pasty Co. is located at 951 E. Portage Ave. next to the Soo Locks Campground.
