Sandwiched between International Cheese and Deli and Lapointe Fish & Chips in Ottawa’s ByWard Market is “Sweet Puspin” Filipino Dessert Bar: a pastel coloured, sweet-smelling, neon-lit Pinoy hangout with in-house specialties such as halo-halo and “dirty” ice cream.
Owner Michelle Anne Sartzetakis opened Sweet Puspin (42 ByWard Market Square) in June 2025 with no previous food business experience.
She said she has “always wanted a halo-halo truck”.
A former aesthetician, makeup artist and photographer, Sartzetakis had to pivot from her career when her health prevented her from doing her job.
After her doctor told her she didn’t have Parkinsons, she said she was so relieved that she “started dreaming again, I started having hopes again.”
“I started thinking, ‘what is it that I really want to do now?’,” Sartzetakis said.
She started by offering her food on Facebook, then a short-lived stint with another business, but then a spot opened up in ByWard Market.
She grabbed the chance to have a brick and mortar store, and it’s been a rewarding journey so far for Sartzetakis.
“We are very, very supported by the Filipino community.”
Her biggest surprise has been that the younger generation of Filipinos make up her largest customer base.
“It’s nice that they have a Filipino spot to tambay (hang out). They call me Tita (aunt)”
In-house Specialties
It’s not surprising that the youth make up her clients, with offerings such as Ube and Pandan Halo-Halo, ice cream flavours such as Turon, ChocNut, Queso, Mango, Biscoff and Hot Ube drinks and more.
“The great thing they love doing is bringing their non-Filipino friends,” she said. “I want halo-halo to be the next bubble tea.”
Sartzetakis makes everything herself, from the sauce, to all the ice cream flavours and baked goods, including condensed milk.
She said she likes to have more control over the flavour.
“I just look at something and taste it and be like, oh, I think it needs this and this. I play around with flavours…it takes a lot of tries,”
Sweet Puspin origin
When asked what Sweet Puspin means, Sartzetakis revealed that it’s a question she gets asked a lot.
It’s short for “Pusang Pinoy”, or street cat.
In December 2022, she was about to cross the street in Davao City when a cat limped towards her, and crossed the street with her.
She took pity on the cat, went to a pet store and bought a crate, and brought the cat everywhere on her vacation, eventually bringing the cat “Seda” back to Canada.
“I just didn’t want to leave her alone,” she said.
Today, part of the proceeds and all the tips at the store go toward a foundation she opened in the Philippines called “Pink Puspin Sanctuary” for rescue animals.
Seda, however, is not that sweet a cat. “She’s mostly spicy,” Sartzetakis said.
