Welcome to The Danish Place
Restaurant & Catering
At The Danish Place, we pride ourselves on serving delicious, high-quality food in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Our menu features a wide variety of Authentic Danish options, including fresh soups & salads, smørrebrød, and mouth-watering entrees. Our friendly staff is dedicated to providing top-notch service to ensure that your dining experience is nothing but exceptional. Come visit us today and taste the difference!
About Us
Mark Mogensen
Danish Chef Mark Mogensen
Chef Mark Mogensen owns and operates The Black Birch Restaurant in Mono, Ontario; the same place where Darrin first began his journey in the hospitality industry! Mark worked closely with Darrin & Maria, sharing his knowledge and expertise to help The Danish Place thrive.
Born in Canada, Mark’s father is from Thorsager, Denmark near Aarhus, and his mother is of Ukrainian descent. Mark’s grandparents immigrated from Denmark to Canada in 1948 on one of the earliest transatlantic commercial flights direct to Canada, settling first in Lucan near London, and then moving to Burlington.
Sunset Villa Association
The Danish Place is located at Sunset Villa Association, a non-profit Danish-Canadian club, providing a taste of Denmark - close to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario.
A Brief History of Sunset Villa
Sunset Villa was created from the idea to have a group of Southern Ontario Danes, and to build a retirement home exclusively for Danes. On May 13th, 1950, the first Board of Directors was elected, thus creating SUNSET VILLA, an incorporated, tax-exempt charitable organization.
It’s mission: “To procure and operate a home for aged people of Danish descent or intermarriage who wish to retire because of age or other reasons.”
Sunset Villa’s Board worked hard for 4 years organizing dances, bazaars, lotteries and bake sales; raising the funds necessary to purchase a beautiful piece of land in Crieff from the well-known Publisher—Lt. Colonel J.B. Maclean. The original building, built in 1845, was renovated to create the restaurant and living accommodations.
On June 5th, 1955 the inauguration of Sunset Villa marked its first Annual Danish Constitution Day Celebration!
Since the first senior apartments built in 1972, Sunset Villa has continued to build: adding more buildings and apartments, upgrading and renovating the original buildings, as well as clearing and developing the areas used for the Trailer Park, ceremonies, celebrations, and the Mindepark.
In 1967, Her Royal Highness Princess Margrethe and Prince Consort
Henrik visited Sunset Villa and planted two beautiful beech trees, the Danish National Tree, beside the restaurant. The shovel that was used can be found above the fireplace in the Library Room here at The Danish Place!