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| The Fireside Cafe |
It's certainly an unusual story. But then, most tales of the restaurant
trade are a tad whimsical - it's not uncommon for folks in the hospitality
industry to feel something closely akin to a calling to the business.
In the case of Dave and Linda Phillips, this certainly seems to be the
case.
Linda had it bred into her bones. Her family has been in the restaurant
business for years, and before she and her husband launched the
Fireside Café, she worked for Mike Kanellis, owner of
Golf's Steak House and Seafood in Kitchener, for more than two
decades. But Dave's story is unique. He was the director of the
well-known Venture's Drum and Bugle Corps, also based in Kitchener.
His office was on the second storey of the Donato's restaurant building,
and he became friends with the owners of Donato's.
And a not only friend, as Dave describes it: "When he was short wait
people, he would have me come in, and I developed an interest and a
passion for it."
What this unlikely connection meant was that Dave was now as
intrigued by the restaurant business as was his wife, the veteran of the
trade. They started to look for an opportunity to go into business for
themselves.
But in the end, although they bought an existing business, they
virtually started from scratch. Because what they purchased was a
truck stop; but what they built in the months following was a fine
dining establishment in a part of Ontario where no such business
existed for at least half on hour in any direction. They establishment,
"The Fireside Café", is located on Highway 4, south of Wingham, and
about 15 minutes from the Blyth Theatre. Dave says they attract
regular customers from all over the area: from Goderich, Listowel,
Kincardine, Blyth.
The Phillips' bought the restaurant - then named the Western Star
Truck Stop - seven years ago. They came with a vision - their travels
through the extended neighbourhood convinced them that within 40
minutes or so, there were only typical small-town eateries. They aimed
for something a bit more upscale than that, and Dave admits that they
have taken Golf's Steak House as their model. He describes Mike Kanellis
as "a mentor to our business." However, they continue to service a "very
diverse" clientele including a lot of local people, and offer a varied
menu that ranges from Dave's favourite, filet mignon, down to burgers
and fish and chips.
Dave says that the menu always includes steak and seafood, and lighter
fare like lasagna and stir fries. He knows that they must meet the
needs of customers ranging from farm families to professionals, and
that they have to remember they are "catering to all income levels."
That attention to customer demand "is what allowed us to be
successful."
The transition from truck stop to the Fireside Café was neither
immediate nor easy. The business had traditionally catered to the
breakfast and lunch trade; the new owners added dinners, with the
eventual foal of eliminating breakfast, but at first, their decision meant
they worked double-plus shifts, every day. For the first three years,
Linda was the one and only chef.
"Our aim," says Dave, "was to create a dinner trade." They other aim was
not to go even more out on an economic limb than they were - they
had "invested everything we had in the business."
So Dave and Linda worked as the only staff (with occasional help from
two young children, Jamie and Julie, then aged 11 and 13). They couple
were on the job from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. They are at
the restaurant, and were so frugal that their meals often included
bread crusts and food that had been accidentally overcooked so it
couldn't be given to customers.
They also lived in the building, and only moved out to a separate home
in the last year - and that has been a tremendous relief, says Dave.
The Phillips worked those tough hours for a year and a half, until they
had made the transformation from Western Star to Fireside Café. They
could then shorten their days to some extent by eliminating the
breakfast service. They also knew they needed to hire staff - "we had
to....we couldn't keep it up" - and now they have 15 full and part-time
employees. That expansion of staff has come with consistent expansion
of the business. Originally, the restaurant sat 32 people. Today, four
expansions later, they can seat 130 people, including 25 on the patio.
Dave laughs as he explains that one of their first investments was to
put a fireplace into the dining room, to give some credibility to the
name. Each expansion brought a new fireplace, so even the banquet
room on the lower level has its own "fireside".
Dave laughs again as he remembers the original layout of the
restaurant. The truck stop had windows only on one side; and being a
truck stop, that side featured the parking lot and the highway.
Apparently, truckers like to look at trucks.
Apparently unknown to the diners, the rest of the building, all three
sides, faced beautiful forest panoramas. So, the next change was to
open up windows on all sides of the Fireside Café. That was all part of
the plan to gradually create change and improve the décor of the
restaurant.
The owners admit that their vision was not shared by all of the Western
Star's clients. "There has been significant client change" says Dave, but
he clearly enjoys their customers, most of them bringing back repeat
business.
The Fireside Café is now open six days a week, serving lunch and dinner
from Tuesday to Friday, dinner on Saturday, and Sunday brunch and
dinner. After four expansions, the Phillips' have no immediate plans for
further growth. Dave admits that at peak times, it is tempting to
consider further growth, because they often turn people away on
spring and summer weekends. But, he says, they have to remember
"the long hard winder months of Huron County." So instead of
expanding, they are trying to put all their energies into "doing the best
possible job for our customers."
And while Dave is modest about their accomplishments, when pushed
he will agree that they are going just that, and that the Fireside Café is
indeed a success.
- Paul Knowles, Flanagan Foodservice - Selections, Summer 2000
trade are a tad whimsical - it's not uncommon for folks in the hospitality
industry to feel something closely akin to a calling to the business.
In the case of Dave and Linda Phillips, this certainly seems to be the
case.
Linda had it bred into her bones. Her family has been in the restaurant
business for years, and before she and her husband launched the
Fireside Café, she worked for Mike Kanellis, owner of
Golf's Steak House and Seafood in Kitchener, for more than two
decades. But Dave's story is unique. He was the director of the
well-known Venture's Drum and Bugle Corps, also based in Kitchener.
His office was on the second storey of the Donato's restaurant building,
and he became friends with the owners of Donato's.
And a not only friend, as Dave describes it: "When he was short wait
people, he would have me come in, and I developed an interest and a
passion for it."
What this unlikely connection meant was that Dave was now as
intrigued by the restaurant business as was his wife, the veteran of the
trade. They started to look for an opportunity to go into business for
themselves.
But in the end, although they bought an existing business, they
virtually started from scratch. Because what they purchased was a
truck stop; but what they built in the months following was a fine
dining establishment in a part of Ontario where no such business
existed for at least half on hour in any direction. They establishment,
"The Fireside Café", is located on Highway 4, south of Wingham, and
about 15 minutes from the Blyth Theatre. Dave says they attract
regular customers from all over the area: from Goderich, Listowel,
Kincardine, Blyth.
The Phillips' bought the restaurant - then named the Western Star
Truck Stop - seven years ago. They came with a vision - their travels
through the extended neighbourhood convinced them that within 40
minutes or so, there were only typical small-town eateries. They aimed
for something a bit more upscale than that, and Dave admits that they
have taken Golf's Steak House as their model. He describes Mike Kanellis
as "a mentor to our business." However, they continue to service a "very
diverse" clientele including a lot of local people, and offer a varied
menu that ranges from Dave's favourite, filet mignon, down to burgers
and fish and chips.
Dave says that the menu always includes steak and seafood, and lighter
fare like lasagna and stir fries. He knows that they must meet the
needs of customers ranging from farm families to professionals, and
that they have to remember they are "catering to all income levels."
That attention to customer demand "is what allowed us to be
successful."
The transition from truck stop to the Fireside Café was neither
immediate nor easy. The business had traditionally catered to the
breakfast and lunch trade; the new owners added dinners, with the
eventual foal of eliminating breakfast, but at first, their decision meant
they worked double-plus shifts, every day. For the first three years,
Linda was the one and only chef.
"Our aim," says Dave, "was to create a dinner trade." They other aim was
not to go even more out on an economic limb than they were - they
had "invested everything we had in the business."
So Dave and Linda worked as the only staff (with occasional help from
two young children, Jamie and Julie, then aged 11 and 13). They couple
were on the job from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. They are at
the restaurant, and were so frugal that their meals often included
bread crusts and food that had been accidentally overcooked so it
couldn't be given to customers.
They also lived in the building, and only moved out to a separate home
in the last year - and that has been a tremendous relief, says Dave.
The Phillips worked those tough hours for a year and a half, until they
had made the transformation from Western Star to Fireside Café. They
could then shorten their days to some extent by eliminating the
breakfast service. They also knew they needed to hire staff - "we had
to....we couldn't keep it up" - and now they have 15 full and part-time
employees. That expansion of staff has come with consistent expansion
of the business. Originally, the restaurant sat 32 people. Today, four
expansions later, they can seat 130 people, including 25 on the patio.
Dave laughs as he explains that one of their first investments was to
put a fireplace into the dining room, to give some credibility to the
name. Each expansion brought a new fireplace, so even the banquet
room on the lower level has its own "fireside".
Dave laughs again as he remembers the original layout of the
restaurant. The truck stop had windows only on one side; and being a
truck stop, that side featured the parking lot and the highway.
Apparently, truckers like to look at trucks.
Apparently unknown to the diners, the rest of the building, all three
sides, faced beautiful forest panoramas. So, the next change was to
open up windows on all sides of the Fireside Café. That was all part of
the plan to gradually create change and improve the décor of the
restaurant.
The owners admit that their vision was not shared by all of the Western
Star's clients. "There has been significant client change" says Dave, but
he clearly enjoys their customers, most of them bringing back repeat
business.
The Fireside Café is now open six days a week, serving lunch and dinner
from Tuesday to Friday, dinner on Saturday, and Sunday brunch and
dinner. After four expansions, the Phillips' have no immediate plans for
further growth. Dave admits that at peak times, it is tempting to
consider further growth, because they often turn people away on
spring and summer weekends. But, he says, they have to remember
"the long hard winder months of Huron County." So instead of
expanding, they are trying to put all their energies into "doing the best
possible job for our customers."
And while Dave is modest about their accomplishments, when pushed
he will agree that they are going just that, and that the Fireside Café is
indeed a success.
- Paul Knowles, Flanagan Foodservice - Selections, Summer 2000