CORNER BROOK, N.L. — Allan Kendall wants to operate his new business in Corner Brook in a way to strongly involve the community.
Kendall opened his restaurant, the Wayward Spruce, on Lundrigan Drive this past September.
It is located near the Appalachian Chalets and RV which he and his wife Lynn opened in 2019.
They want the site to be a hub of community activity.
“We personally have a strong sense of community,” Kendall told SaltWire Network. “We want to see people out and about and enjoying community.”
Though they couldn’t hold it this year, last year, for example, they hosted a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night in aid of the Corner Brook Fire Department Toy Drive and food bank.
Families and friends are always encouraged to participate in various outdoor activities around the site, for example, sliding.
They’re also installing a concrete pad where they can have activities such as ball hockey and basketball.
Within the restaurant they also plan to dedicate a space to promote and sell the work of local artists.
The first few months
September through October involved gradually getting the word out and each week attendance at the restaurant increased.
But November saw a big boost generated by the 12 Months 12 Miracles Best in the West Burger Competition.
Across the entire month, various restaurants, including The Wayward Spruce, competed for the best burger to raise money for the Corner Brook Fire Department Toy Drive.
For every burger sold $1 would go towards the toy drive.
Kendall decided to match that and also involved friends in financial business to match the number as well, tripling, quadrupling and even quintupling the amount donated per burger.
The mutually beneficial competition far exceeded anyone’s best expectations, raising more than $15,000 for the toy drive and bringing more business to local restaurants.
“It was extremely busy, which was great from a marketing and awareness perspective,” said Kendall.
Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed some obstacles for The Wayward Spruce.
The original opening date for the restaurant was, in fact, scheduled for March but was postponed by the pandemic.
However, by June, when the province started to open back up, Kendall began to feel more comfortable with opening the restaurant.
By September, they were ready for in-house dining.
The seating capacity has been reduced in order to practice social distancing. In a non-COVID world, the restaurant would seat 67 customers. It currently has an indoor seating capacity of 32, along with a deck.
Background
Prior to his start in business, Kendall held various executive positions with the provincial government, Hibernia Management and Development, Cable Atlantic, and Western Health.
Kendall, a chartered professional accountant, has been a business owner since 2006, operating Steers Distribution Limited.
He and his wife opened Appalachian Chalets and RV in Jan. 2019.
The couple, who already owned the land, saw an opportunity for accommodations given the high snowmobile traffic in the area.
“So, we said, ‘we’re right on the trail, it might be a good opportunity to do some chalets and update the RV park that was there,’” Kendall explained.
At that point, they thought it would be a good idea to also have a restaurant on site.
The Wayward Spruce followed more than a year later.
They anticipate this snowmobile market will be great for the restaurant.
Furthermore, hundreds of people live nearby on Sunnyslope and Kendall anticipates The Wayward Spruce will meet a demand for a restaurant in the area.
