By Emily Stonehouse

The main street in Haliburton is about to have a taste of Italy on it. 

210 Highland Street will be the new home of Juna Restaurant, an upscale Italian restaurant with artisan pizza, pasta, salads, and cocktails. 

“It started with us originally looking for staff housing,” said Terri Mathews-Carl, one of the co-owners of the new space. “We saw the property that had an apartment upstairs, and thought to ourselves, ‘what could we do with the space down below?’ We wanted to open something that would complement the downtown, without being a competition.” 

Mathews-Carl, along with her long-time partner Christoph, are no strangers to the hospitality industry. The two are the current owners of the well-known Rhubarb Restaurant in Carnarvon, which recently expanded to include Rhubies, a cocktail and tapas bar onsite. 

“We wanted to build something upscale and a little different,” said Mathews-Carl. “And we knew we wanted really, really good homemade pizza and pasta dishes.” 

The recently acquired building, which was the former home of Cindy’s clothing store  in Haliburton, will be retro-fitted to accommodate a full kitchen, as well as 32 seats inside. The new owners also intend to bring the dining experience outdoors, with what Mathews-Carl referred to as “a secret garden patio,” which will accommodate an additional 30 guests, and have a whimsical ambiance for visitors to enjoy. 

Executive Chef Amber Husband, who is well-known in the area for her work with the Post House, will be leading the charge for dining, along with a team of highly experienced chefs and kitchen staff, including Christoph Carl. Local Nico Haedicke, who has experience in both urban and rural fine dining establishments will take the lead for front of house initiatives. 

The restaurant hopes to open their doors for December, catering to the local audience before jumping into the summer rush. ACM Designs has already jumped in with two feet, and has provided sneak peeks of the vision going into the Juna Restaurant; offering taste and style aligned with the new downtown destination. 

“We’re pretty thrilled,” said Mathews-Carl. “We’re just excited to see it all come together.”