SO MANY GOOD THINGS TO TRY
If you haven’t recently had the chance to stop by Que de Bonnes Choses, Hudson’s freshly renovated and expanded health food market and bistro, you really should take a bit of time this weekend and treat yourself to a visit.
Co-owners Gwen Giberson and Heidi Niderost, and their hard-working, ever-smiling corps of associates are hosting a wide-open open house. Beginning with a cinq à sept on Friday, their welcoming staff will be keen to assist you, ready to point out the many new niceties in stock, offer tasty samples, and happily show you around.
“We see ourselves as more than a store: we see ourselves as a destination and a gathering hub for the community,” Giberson said.
“Our mission is a simple one,” she added, “a commitment to offering well-priced, quality health food and specialty products in a welcoming place, with a focus on local suppliers, all underscored by exceptional customer service.”
That they manage to do so and retain the unique cachet that defines Que de Bonnes Choses is a marvel.
“There is no denying,” said Niderost, “this renovation was a difficult chore. But what a success! Once we reopened, the first word we heard from customers was, ‘Wow.’
“Now it’s up to us to ensure our welcoming, homey atmosphere remains the same.”
To quote Giberson: “On top of everything else, we want our little corner to be fun.”
While the owners’ responsibilities cover all the bases, each also has her own specific duties to attend to. Giberson’s challenge is perhaps the most critical, product selection and keeping a wary eye out for the quirky and unique, that unusual element which, when you discover it, you know it’s special.
One example is Elba, from El Salvador, who lives in the area and is a coffee roaster.
“At harvest time,” Giberson noted, “Elba returns to Central America and visits a coffee-picking community where she will live with them. Her joy is finding their needs and then giving them funds or supplies to address them. Upon her return to Canada she roasts the beans and then offers her coffee for sale. They say it’s to die for.”
All this to confirm: Que De Bonnes Choses is here to stay. Giberson and Niderost have seen to that. As will their high corporate standards: Social justice, environmentally friendly, and sustainable: three principles of the Free Trade movement.
Find out for yourself this weekend at Que De Bonnes Choses, 484D Main, in Hudson. For information, call 450-458-0558.
And feel free to add your “wow” to their story.