Food services at Algonquin’s Perth campus is now being run by popular local restaurant Law & Orders.
With its original location just outside of Innisville, the restaurant draws people from all over the Ottawa Valley and from around the world. Home to the Rhippo Challenge – which consists of a 20-minute time limit, two one-pound Rhippo burgers and a pound of poutine – Law & Orders has become a hotspot for burger enthusiasts, competitive eaters and locals in need of a night out.
“People lose their mind when they finally eat one of my burgers,” said owner Jamie Law. “They’re like, ‘I’ll never go to McDonalds again’.”
Law & Orders was given the opportunity after previous food service supplier, Derek Bowes and his D’Dawg Café, decided to cut ties with the campus due to personal issues. Following this, the Perth campus reached out to local restaurants in order to find a replacement.
“They put it out there and I saw it, I kind of ignored it at first to be totally honest with you,” said Law. “I was just so busy with all the stuff going on here. But so many customers of mine in the Perth area, everyone was putting my name forward. So they kept sending me stuff to put a bid and a request in. So, finally I went through the whole process and it was mainly the public that got me here, which I’m very happy for.”
After being given the go-ahead, Law and his staff moved their equipment and products over the course of two days, before the Labour Day weekend. He has been faithfully serving the Algonquin community since then.
“It’s a good spot, I’m very happy with everything, the college and the people,” said Law. “The students have really embraced us right now, which has been really nice. We have feedback coming in to see if they want other things or different things added to the menu or off the menu. The students have been nothing but wonderful.”
After working in the restaurant industry for over 20 years, Law decided to open Law & Orders in 2013. He purchased an old building in between Perth and Carleton Place, and the name was decided by an unnamed burger connoisseur from Calgary after an online contest.
According to Law, a big portion of the restaurant’s success comes from their wide variety of burgers, fresh ingredients and their burger challenge. Their most popular product is the Rhippo burger: a pound of beef with a sweet backstory.
“I came up with the Rhippo burger, which became extremely popular,” said Law. “It was named after my father. My dad’s nickname was the Rhippo in high school, he was a big dude and his friends said he was half rhinoceros and half hippo, he’d just charge down the field. So I thought I’d name my big one pound burger after my old man.”
Bria Wood, who manages the Algonquin installment of Law & Orders, said that students “are responding really well. Everybody seems to be enjoying the food and the service. It’s been working out for everyone.”
In Law’s opinion, the success of his restaurant – both the original and the Perth campus’ version – boils down to three key ingredients.
“In my mind, if you have good service, consistent hours and good food, people will just keep coming back,” said Law.