POINTING TO THEIR ROOTS
P.E.I. businesses in Halifax help promote home province to customers
P.E.I. businesses in Halifax help promote home province to customers
Boom Burger manager Victoria Comeau loves when customers ask about the restaurant’s history.
The establishment shows off its P.E.I. roots with pride.
Posters hang throughout the Bedford location promoting its Island products, whether it’s raspberry cordial, Cows cheese and butter or the P.E.I. potatoes that are cut into fries freshly on the site.
So it’s no surprise when customers inquire more about the restaurant’s origins.
“People ask about the history all the time, it’s wonderful and people really love that (it’s from P.E.I.)” said Comeau. “Everybody is curious around here, and Halifax really likes to promote local (beef and produce).”
Assistant manager Dale Whynacht agreed there seems to be an appeal of Maritime-owned businesses in the region.
“It’s a pleasant surprise to a lot of people when they find out it’s a Maritime restaurant that started in P.E.I. and has really stayed in the Maritimes,” said Whynacht, adding that the company’s model of promoting local also fits nicely with its commitment of only serving the freshest food.
In fact, the location doesn’t even have a freezer.
“That’s the whole thing that’s promoted with BOOMburger, it’s fresh, it’s local and it’s simple,” said Whynacht, who started with the restaurant when it first opened on the North River causeway in 2011.
After leaving to work out West for several years, Whynacht later came back and received an offer to help start the Bedford store when it opened three years ago.
He hasn’t looked back. “It’s been great. I’ve seen this place grow, and we’ve had a really good year,” he said. “Everything has just been smooth and really wonderful.”
How Bazaar is another P.E.I.-based store promoting its home province at its newest store on Halifax’s Barrington Street.
“We let everyone know that we’re originally from Prince Edward Island,” said manager Avery Hillstrom, who previously looked after the store’s Cavendish location. “It took us 17 years to cross the bridge, but here we are. And we’re happy to be here.”
With six locations already in P.E.I., the unique store, which is modelled after world markets, opened its new location in late May.
While the business has received numerous requests over the years to set up locations everywhere from Newfoundland to Western Canada, Halifax seemed to be a natural fit with Hillstrom moving to the city earlier this year.
Since then, she’s seen the store attract a mix of customers familiar with the P.E.I. retailer as well as new customers happy to discover the store’s unique vibe.
“Love it, it’s authentic. It’s definitely different,” said U.S. resident Kai Wes, while browsing through the store.
The vibrant storefront led to Wes and friend Samantha MacCallum making the location one of their first stops in Canada.
“And I’m going to spend all my money here,” said MacCallum. “I don’t even know how to explain it, but it’s very cultural and it’s really nice.”
While the store keeps the feel of its P.E.I. locations, Avery noted that many items are original with each store having its own variation.
The store may also tempt some Halifax customers to come to P.E.I. to see what else the store has to offer and then perhaps tour the rest of the province.
“If anyone tells me they’re going to P.E.I. I have a long list of things for them to do,” said Hillstrom. “I love the Island and can’t say enough good things about it.”
“It’s a pleasant surprise to a lot of people when they find out it’s a Maritime restaurant that started in P.E.I. and has really stayed in the Maritimes,” said Whynacht, Assistant manager Dale Whynacht of Boom Burger