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» Country Sisters Coffee Plus finds a natural fit at Club 86 building west of Elmira
By: Vanessa Moss | Posted: on August 16, 2008
A FAMILY AFFAIR Carol (left) and RuthAnn Wideman take a moment to enjoy their home-cooked breakfast at the Country Sisters Coffee Plus restaurant on Line 86. The sisters opened for business in April and are thrilled with the community’s response so far.
After a decade of following separate paths, two sisters have combined their talents to open Country Sisters Coffee Plus in the Club 86 building on Line 86, between Elmira and Listowel.
Carol Wideman had been running a sewing business and her sister RuthAnn was working at a meat shop when the two decided to join forces.
“We’ve always dreamt of having a coffee shop together. So when this came up, it was ‘oh, we’ll check it out.’ And it all worked out. It’s amazing how it all came together,” Carol said.
Since opening in April, the ladies have been pleased with the response to their home-cooked bread, soups and baked goods.
“I would say it’s been amazing. The community has been a good support. I guess everybody was ready for a coffee shop,” Carol said.
The process of buying and fixing up the former banquet hall has been a family affair. The sisters’ parents, Florence and Menno, have been supportive from the start.
Although Menno brushed off the idea when his daughters first mentioned it in July 2007, a week later he had set up an appointment to view the building.
“As soon as we walked in, we knew this would work as a coffee shop,” Carol said.
After discussing the project with other family members, the Widemans purchased Club 86 in October and moved into the attached house on the property four months later.
In the meantime, the family also had to sell their farm a few miles down the road and work out the logistics of housing four people under one roof.
Luckily they all get along well, so the transition was pretty seamless, Carol said.
“It wasn’t a huge change really. … I didn’t really find it that big of a deal to move back in.”
The next step was setting up the old building, adding display cabinets and wheelchair ramps. Since the tables, chairs and other fixtures were already there, the three-month renovation went quickly, Carol said.
And the fact that lots of other family members helped out was great too.
“We would never have been able to do it without them.”
In designing their business plan, RuthAnn and Carol agreed to keep the restaurant small to start, incorporating baking, light lunches and breakfasts with family functions in the hall at the back.
That decision proved wise because property zoning only allows for those services, with a maximum seating capacity of 30, Carol said.
“We would say what we were allowed to do was exactly what we had planned to do.”
As it is, the family is keeping busy, working Tuesday to Saturday with a 4 a.m. start; the bread has to be ready for the lunch rush after all.
Even though the days can be exhausting, RuthAnn said working with her parents and sisters is worth the effort and she is never too tired to “get up and try it again.
“I’d say we’ve got along really well: it’s the best way to have it.”
She has noticed that people appreciate the homey atmosphere of the café, along with the cookies and pies, which seem to be the biggest hits.
“It must be a pie community or something because people really responded to that,” Carol said.
Most of their clients heard about the business through word-of-mouth and the ladies would like to keep it that way. They enjoy having regulars that get their coffee each morning and stay for a chat.
So far, the only complaints they have received were about slightly over-salted soup, RuthAnn said with a laugh.
“You always have those that find something wrong, but that’s good for you too.”
Most customers, especially commuters to and from Kitchener-Waterloo, appreciate that the building is now being put to good use.
“Everybody’s reaction was ‘well there’s nothing between Elmira and Listowel’: you know, a place to stop,” Carol said.
RuthAnn noted she feels satisfied when she sees people enjoying the food they have carefully prepared.
She also likes meeting new people and working with her family. In fact, the project is running so smoothly, RuthAnn is already looking ahead.
“Well sometimes you have dreams of going really big and the next time when you’re really tired, you’re glad it’s not. Right now I’m happy with how it is, but if it ever does work in to go bigger, we’ll have to see I guess.”
