Sunny Side Up resumed what has become an annual tradition this fall, winning the Best of Cochrane Readers' Choice Award for Best Breakfast, while also nabbing third place for best patio.
It's an accolade the restaurant has enjoyed every year since first setting up shop in Cochrane in February of 2018, and it's a tradition that co-owners/brothers Stefano and Enrico Favalessa would like to see continue in the years to come.
“We are very proud," Stefano said. "We’ve won it every year so far, since we opened.”
Enrico said he thinks the breakfast-focused restaurant's continued success and popularity are due to the business' family-first attitude.
“We’re a family and everyone who works here for us, they feel like our family," he said. "I think the customers, when they come, they kind of feel it’s a family-friendly business.”
It's a family-run operation front and centre, with the Favalessa brothers keeping things rolling smoothly in the kitchen, while Stefano's wife Carmen Oros runs operations front-of-house.
"I think the people, they feel it," Stefano said. "They feel treated very well. My brother and I are in the kitchen, paying attention to every detail. That’s why I think people appreciate us.
“We’ve had staff working here for a long time, in the front and in the back, too.”
Prior to moving to Cochrane to open their restaurant, the Favalessas worked in Calgary for eight years, plying their trade in various Italian restaurants around the city. Before that, they grew up in Italy, learning the ins and outs of their country's famous cuisine.
But after toiling for restaurants in Calgary, they knew they wanted to branch out on their own, which led to them moving west and opening Sunny Side Up in Cochrane in 2018.
“There was something missing over here. We said, ‘Why not? Let’s try and see if we can do it.'” Stefano said.
Perhaps ironically given the Favalessa's roots, the Sunny Side Up menu moves away from the brotheres' Italian background, serving instead traditional North American-style breakfasts. The menu boasts a variety of Eggs Benedict dishes, in particular, that are a favourite among customers.
Business started out strong in 2018, and the restaurant's reputation grew as word of mouth spread.
Two years after opening, despite being in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Favalessas decided to move locations, as their initial spot was too small to keep up with the growing demand from hungry customers.
They now call a prominent address on First Street home, in the heart of Cochrane's downtown strip. It's a move that has clearly resonated with customers, who continue flocking to Sunny Side Up in droves, any morning of the week.
As for the business' future, neither Enrico nor Stefano could say exactly what the long-term future holds for Sunny Side Up. They said they'll continue to do what they can to improve the restaurant's offerings.
“We’re expecting to always grow, getting better and better,” Enrico said.
