New focus
Membertou business hopes to help families stay home.
MEMBERTOU — A Membertou business is refocusing its efforts to provide a resource for the community, knowing some residents are still skeptical of leaving their homes to grocery shop due to COVID-19 protocols.
“Everybody seems to be doing what they can do to help out. The restaurant is down and we wanted to try and offer a nice healthy option,” said Shaun Zwarun, executive chef at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.
Kiju's Restaurant, located in the convention centre, is selling two food box options — one which includes vegetables, meat and eggs and a second box which offers several different meat and fish options.
Zwarun says along with all the health and safety measures they folllow, no more than three people are allowed in the kitchen at one time and work stations are 15 feet apart. He is also providing his staff with masks and recently purchased face shields.
“Now it's just myself and a few others in the building, it's kind of spooky,” said Zwarun.
Restaurant staff packages the groceries in the kitchen then distributes the boxes through CB Eats, whose staff members also wear gloves and masks. The boxes are delivered to the costumer's address.
“Alot of people are struggling to get around and this gets delivered right to their doorstep, so it just works out for everyone on so many levels,” said Zwarun.
The chef hopes to incorporate more local produce in the coming months and said local production of farmed commodities usually peaks in the spring, fall and summer months.
Zwarun is also planning new items for specialty grocery boxes such as a Mother's Day box, a barbecue box and a fishcake box in the near future.
“Families are spending a lot of time together and people are at home cooking meals together, which is a good thing," said Zwarun.
“We’re trying to think of things they can do together.”