Doylestown Chef Opens Cafe, Pivoting Business Amid Pandemic

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Business owners nationwide have been forced to adapt in the current coronavirus climate.

No one knows it better than Doylestown Chef Michael Kanter.

Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kanter taught a variety of cooking classes from his Donaldson Street storefront. But in mid-March, he — like every other local restauranteur — was forced to close his doors.

That left Kanter in a position to pivot to something he'd been contemplating for some time. When the virus prevented him from teaching, he shifted to more cooking. And now he's selling his soups, sandwiches, and broths from his storefront.

He named the cafe Broth Thyme. The menu includes an array of soups, including classics like chicken noodle and beef barley. He also makes carrot ginger turmeric, hot and sour, asparagus cream, and more.

"My real superpower is my soups and my stocks," Kanter explained. He spends days creating his beef and chicken broths. "Those are the backbone to my soups."

He also offers sandwiches made from all homemade ingredients — right down to the cured pastrami and in-house roasted turkey. Additionally, he sells just the broths, which can be used as a base for soups, sauces, or cooking grains.

All items can be purchased for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery through Door Dash and Grub Hub

Kanter prides himself on his attention to ingredients — an attribute he gleaned from his years as a fine dining chef. His culinary resume includes six years at the famed Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, where he worked under Chef Georges Perrier. He's also worked at The Four Seasons in Philadelphia, Restaurant Daniel in New York City, Morimoto, and more.

"Everything has to be homemade, everything has to be fresh, and every detail has to count," Kanter said.

Despite working for 25 years as a chef for acclaimed restaurants, Kanter wasn't inspired to open his own eatery upon moving Plumstead years ago to raise his family. Instead, he gravitated towards consulting with existing restaurants, and eventually teaching his own classes.

"I got busier and busier, and kept adding classes," he said. But he always wanted to make stocks and sauces for his students and customers to purchase. When the coronavirus crisis shut his classes down, he took the opportunity to expand the broths to soups, and then the sandwiches.

Kanter says once he's allowed, he'll once again offer the cooking classes while continuing with his cafe. "The cooking classes are the engine the drives it all," he said.

Classes include a variety of themes, including French cooking, Latin cuisine, gastropub, and even Argentinian street food. You can learn more about the classes here.

"I believe that a restaurant is a cornerstone of its community," Kanter said.

Hours for Broth Thyme are: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Order online here.

Broth Thyme is located at 20 Donaldson Street, Doylestown.