Adley’s Eats is a family affair. Even the name stems off the family tree: Adley is a combination of the names of the owner’s two eldest grandchildren, Adelaide and Alex.

This new eatery has been open at 36 Pearson Street off Torbay Road for just over a month, serving ready-to-go hot and healthy meals. Co-owned by mother and son Barbara and Paul Roebothan, Adley’s Eats is a new concept for St. John’s, aiming to provide a convenient place for families to pick up a healthy meal. There’s no other place like it in the city.

Paul has a background in business, and aims to fill an empty niche. The menu is different every day of the week, on a six-day rotation. Typically, there are three entrees, along with a hot side, two cold sides, a dessert, and a soup to choose from. Classic family favourites like cod au gratin, turkey tetrazzini, and chicken pot pie dominate the bill of fare.

“A lot of these are recipes that we had at home over the years,” says Barbara. The pot pies currently on offer are an amalgamation of two recipes: those of her mother and her mother in law.

“[It’s] basic fare we think local people would eat. Decent food … like your grandmother would make, from scratch,” says Barbara, who is full-time faculty at MUN working in nutrition and dietetics, in addition to her recent culinary endeavour.

While there are several tables to sit and enjoy a meal, Paul says most of the clientele call in orders ahead of time and grab family meals to go.

“I would say 97-98% pick up, take out,” he says.

Adley’s Eats’ website will be up and running soon, so customers can order online and pick up a hot meal on their commute home to “make it as easy as possible for busy families,” says Paul.

“Convenience is what we are selling. We’re selling decent food, but decent food that’s convenient. Convenience is a big deal,” says Barbara. In addition to families, they are finding many elderly people frequenting the restaurant in search of a home-cooked meal.

There are three portions sizes, with the largest able to feed several people, making it easy for families or individuals to come off the street and walk away with a meal suited for them.

The co-owners currently have four employees for cooking, with family helping out whenever they can.

“It takes a whole family,” says Barbara.Siblings, aunts and uncles have all stepped up to the plate to help out where they can with the new venture. Even Barbara’s husband, lawyer Glen Roebothan, has come in after a day of work to help with the dishes.

They plan on expanding into lunches by late summer and are testing the waters of catering after several inquiries. For now, Adley’s Eats is open 4-8pm Monday-Saturday to pursue to their initial goal of helping busy people who want a fast food alternative.

“Why I really bought into it is,” says Barbara, “I raised four kids and I was a professional — if I could’ve picked up decent food for a decent price, I’d have been there three times a week.”

Adley’s Eats is located at 36 Pearson Street; 747-5888