Now that our Restaurant has been open for over six weeks, we have had ample time to evaluate (and reevaluate!) how things are going. We have made tweaks and additions (our new 'Bœf Vin Rouge' #gravy, for example), and intend to continue doing so as we evolve the business. We are very pleased with the response and suggestions from local residents, as well as from visitors from far and wide, that have come for a meal. And if we can pull it off, we hope to have an announcement soon that is sure to be popular for Friday nights. ;)
For the most part, dinner hours on Fridays and Saturdays have been very successful and are growing fast as word spreads about Chef Matt's amazing menu. #Dinner on Mondays is slightly less popular, and we are looking at ways to boost it. On all evenings that we are open for dinner, the online takeout menu is very popular, with pizzas being the number one seller. Although food costs have increased substantially, we are always trying to hold our prices to a reasonable level. The economics are simple: we can't lose money just to run the #Restaurant.
For weeks and weeks before we opened for dine-in and #takeout, we were told by countless visitors and online commenters how the local populace was desperate for something new; something to allow them to not have to travel to the larger cities for a variety of dining options. So we opened on Friday nights for dinner, Saturdays for breakfast and dinner, Sundays for extended breakfast hours to accommodate those that like to sleep in or go to church services, and Monday evenings for dinner, as there was little else open on that day for a meal. We tested this plan for six weeks. And we found one small and one large flaw in the idea.
The smaller issue: the word has not fully gone out to those going to church, etc. that we are open for them to have a nice, hearty breakfast after services. As a result, we have been fairly quiet on Sundays for that 9am-2pm extended #breakfast. We are continuing the effort on Sundays in the hope that our online and local flyer marketing eventually reaches more people, and we will reevaluate again in the new year.
The bigger issue is on Saturdays for breakfast. So far, we are not seeing any more response than maybe a few tables on Saturday mornings. And as we mentioned, the economics are very simple here. It costs several hundred dollars just to open up, turn on all the appliances, prep the food (and throw out unused food as waste later), and have the whole family working for only a few tables. The local support just is not there at all to make Saturday breakfasts viable during this season. Dinners are successful, so those hours will be staying as they are for now.
So, at least for the moment, our new hours are below:
As you can see, we are open for our Dinner menu on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. The only day we're open for our Breakfast menu is on Sundays, which is the only menu offered on that day.
There are several ideas we're currently considering. For example, once snowmobiling season begins in earnest, we are thinking of offering a new and different Lunch menu for Saturdays, as it has been suggested a number of times that snowmobilers would stop in on their planned trips for a good, hearty and warm lunch. Nothing is set in stone yet, but be sure to Subscribe here, and follow us on Facebook to be 'in the loop' for any upcoming changes.
As always, we thank our friends and neighbours in the local areas of St.-Charles and French River for their continued support and suggestions. Please keep them coming! And we hope to see you soon for a return visit, or especially if you have not been able to come out and try our food yet.
- The White Family (Chef Matt, Tammi, Dave, Geoff, Andrea and Daniel)