BizLink is a program offered by Community Futures offices across Simcoe County. Bruce Wine Bar accessed the program through Community Futures South Georgian Bay (CF SGB) in Collingwood.
There was no time like March 2020 to take over a restaurant in Canada.
But that’s exactly what Bruce Wine Bar buyers Shaun Edmonstone and Nicole Paara did, with some help from the team at Community Futures South Georgian Bay (CF SGB) and their BizLink program.
Bruce Wine Bar is located in Thornbury and has a proud 13-year history in that region. “Bruce has always had the philosophy of globally inspired, locally sourced, quality food,” explained Nicole. “My partner, Shaun, was part owner and chef since the beginning, and when his partners decided it was time for them to move on, it made sense for us to buy out their shares and make it a real family business.”
“It just happened that the timing of all of this was right at the beginning of Covid. It made for an interesting first couple of years, to say the least,” she finished.
Nicole and Shaun pivoted, as so many restaurant owners did at that time. “The 40-seat dining area became a packing room for our take-out meals. We are known for our wood-fired pizzas, so those went down very well during the pandemic,” she smiled. “And we opened the Bodega shop, where people could buy prepared meals, pastries, wine, and craft beer as well. We couldn’t have done any of that, or even take over the shares, without CF SGB.”
Nicole went on to explain that not only did CF SGB loan them the money to buy out the shares and do some needed renovations, “The staff were amazing at helping us with all the business planning that we needed to do, so we knew what we were getting into. Manager Gillian Fairley and the Loans Coordinator at the time helped us put together a business plan, do our financials, make some educated forecasts and projections…so much more than just a loan.”
Nicole smiled broadly. “I’m proud to say, even during Covid, we blew those projections out of the water.”
Now that Covid is in the rearview mirror, Nicole and Shaun are excited to be expanding and making plans in other areas. “We are in the second year of a five-year contract to provide food and beverage services for the Beaver Valley Ski Club, here. This gives us somewhere to base our catering out of in the off-season as well. We are expanding our catering, and this allows us space to do that.”
The pair have returned the Bodega area to seating and moved to wholesaling their prepared foods to other retailers. With the increased off-site catering as well as the ski club operation, Nicole estimates the pair has added 40 to 50 jobs, both full-time and seasonal, to the area.
“As our catering continues to grow, we are hoping to make many of those jobs year-round,” she added. “We have also worked hard to make sure our fulltime employees are supported, we have put benefits in place for them and a standard five-day work week.”
The couple remain grateful to the local CF office and the town of Thornbury and area for all of the support. “We have four children between us,” said Nicole. “We would love to sustain the business for them as well. Thornbury has a penchant and desire for quality foods, locally sourced. We have options for everyone, from handcrafted entrees to more accessible wood-fired pizzas. We offer Bodega-themed nights with three course menus that are a great value, as well.”
Bruce Wine Bar’s new owners, Nicole and Shaun, are set for a bright post-pandemic future in Thornbury, thanks to some fantastic new ideas and support from Community Futures South Georgian Bay. “We feel like we got what we needed, and more, from Community Futures South Georgian Bay,” said Nicole. “We are very grateful.”
To learn more about Bruce Wine Bar, visit www.brucewinebar.ca or call (519) 599-1112.
For more information on Community Futures South Georgian Bay visit cfsouthgeorgianbay.ca or contact (705) 445-8410. BizLink is our Regional Community Futures Program assisting business owners and entrepreneurs in successful Business Transitions through connections, coaching and financing.
*Special thanks to the project funder, The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). OTF is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $108 million to 629 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.
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