Coffee brewing at River Landing
Joel and Chelsey Wilde have found a business that not only makes a great cup of coffee, but also aligns with their values.
The couple have opened Good Earth Coffeehouse in River Centre beside Persephone Theatre.
The couple have been looking to start a business for a couple of years and after taking a road trip to Calgary to visit Good Earth spots in that city, they were convinced they had found the right franchise.
“We fell in love with the coffee, the food and the company,” Chelsey said, “and their social and environmental responsibility.”
Almost all of the coffee is direct trade (working directly with the farmer), Chelsey said.
And it is ethically sourced through the Rainforest Alliance, which has standards that include eco and wildlife conservation, fair treatment for workers and soil and water conservation.
And there are little details such as having compostable cups and printing done with vegetable juice.
They bake muffins and scones every morning and also offer soups, sandwiches and deserts.
The pair have always loved coffee, “but now we appreciate it a lot more,” Chelsey said.
“People in Saskatoon are starting to really appreciate a good cup of coffee,” added Joel.
And they plan to soon offer a local fruit wine and beer from Paddockwood.
The coffee house, only steps away from River Landing, seats about 40 and has a patio.
“We want to have a warm and inviting atmosphere,” Chelsey said, adding it is a place for people to linger and enjoy their time at the coffee house.
“It has a very local feel to it.”
Chelsey said they received help from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Centre and the Youth Entrepreneurship Centre.
This is the couple’s first business.
“There is so much work, but it is fun and exciting,” Chelsey said.
Good Earth is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Brad Bodnarchuk and Jamie Miley have opened Yana Recovery and Addiction Services.
“We offer a service of hope and restoration for people affected by life’s challenges,” said Bodnarchuk of the business, located in the Cumberland Square Shopping Centre.
Bodnarchuk and Miley are both trained and educated in addiction counselling at the Hazelden Graduate School in Minnesota.
“We bring an understanding and an identification to people seeking support, understanding and solutions to their difficulties,” Bodnarchuk said.
They take a multi-faceted approach to counselling — physical, mental and spiritual.
Miley said they treat addicts with respect.
They emphasize this is not taboo or a moral issue.
“You need to focus on the disease,” Miley said, adding all the bad behaviour of an addict is part of the disease, not the person.
He said they treat not only the person, but also family and friends that have been affected.
While they focus on addictions, they also have a number of other services, Bodnarchuk said.
That includes individual, family and group counselling, consultations and workshops for businesses and other groups, evening group sessions, referrals to other health-care providers and weekend retreats around the province.
They are also certified interventionists.
No matter how dark a place you may be in, there is a way out, they said.
“This is a life process,” Bodnarchuk said. “People do get better.”
Yana is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and by appointment.
If you have purchased, started or moved a small business in Saskatoon within the last few months, let us know by calling 657-6293 or faxing 657-6437, attention Scott Larson. Submissions can also be emailed to slarson@thestarphoenix.com. Home-based and temporary businesses, as well as those without physical locations, will not be considered for publication. Businesses must
be located in Saskatoon.