Front Lines

FRONTLINES New Support Program For Food Service Industry, Plus Cash Prizes For Diners And Restaurant Owners

Eat. Drink. Win.

That is the prevailing theme of a local initiative launched by the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce (WECC), Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) and presenting sponsor CUPE 543. #DineYQG will support locally owned restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, take and bakes, wineries, breweries and distillers, at a time when their businesses have been severely impacted by COVID-19.

Although most local restaurants remain open for takeout, delivery or curbside orders, no in-person dining is allowed under the provincial guidelines in the “Grey Lockdown” level.

According to the latest survey from Restaurants Canada, eight out of 10 restaurants are either losing money, or barely scraping by; 65% are continuing to operate at a loss while 19% are just breaking even. While other industries have recovered at least 90% of their pandemic job losses, 21% of the food service workforce has still not recovered, and there are more than 260,000 fewer jobs in the food service sector across the country than there were last February.

Locally, one in six restaurants are likely to close permanently, a number likely to increase based on the duration of the lockdown. The sector has seen a 35% reduction in employment from September to December of last year, a decrease of 3,600 jobs.

Diners can visit: DineYQG.ca for menus, specials, hours, and delivery info for their favourite local eateries. As well, by submitting a photo of a receipt, a picture at the restaurant, or of an actual food delivery, diners can enter a contest to win weekly cash prizes of $100.

Not only will the diner win money, but the restaurant they supported will also immediately win $1,000 — money to be used at their discretion. There is $11,000 in cash prizes available from February 1 through April 10, 2021. Bonus entries are available for sharing on social media, using #DineYQG.

Local restaurants can submit a free listing on the #DineYQG website, with their contact information, hours, menus, specials, payment options and delivery partners. There are currently over 400 listings in the Restaurant Guide, categorized by food type and geographic region. #DineYQG marketing tools can be accessed through the website and downloaded for free, allowing eateries to use on-premises and in their advertising campaigns.

Restaurants can benefit from various support programs too.

The first 35 eligible eateries to apply will receive a complimentary 12 month WindsorEssex Chamber of Commerce membership ($750 value) courtesy of CUPE 543; a oneyear membership to the Ontario Restaurant

Hotel Motel Association (ORHMA) of

Windsor Essex as well as no-charge business and personal banking and financial coaching services from Libro Credit Union. Plus, one lucky restaurant will win a $500 gift card from Gordon Food Service. The application form can be found at: WindsorEssexChamber.org.

The program is an extension of the successful #ShopYQG campaign launched by the Chamber and TWEPI in spring 2020, as encouragement to “Shop Local” not just during the pandemic, but also in the future.

To receive more information on the #DineYQG initiative, contact WECC President and CEO Rakesh Naidu by emailing: rnaidu@windsoressexchamber.org.

FRONTLINES The Top Of The Pyramid For New Gold Club Is Vodka

Forging a partnership with a European business executive has provided Windsor’s Mark Van Watteghem with a new commercial opportunity.

Van Watteghem and Rana Sumar, who divides his time between England and Italy, have launched Gold Club North America Imports designed to bring Pyramid Vodka (produced by Zlatogor Distillery in Ukraine) to North American consumers.

“We already have an agreement with the LCBO and should be on their shelves by late February,” explains Van Watteghem. “And, as we roll out the product across Canada, we expect to develop agreements with other liquor control outlets over the next 10 months.”

Packaged in a distinctive pyramid-shaped bottle with a gold top, the vodka is infused with either rye, Ginseng or Amber Stones to give it a unique flavour, adds Van Watteghem.

“It’s already a huge hit in Europe and we expect the same results in North America,” says Van Watteghem who spent 36 years in the heating and cooling business before teaming up with Sumar. “A friend of a friend saw a Facebook posting from Sumar indicating he was looking for someone to help with importation and distribution in North America. We corresponded, had some long phone calls and realized we had very similar goals and business ethics.”

Van Watteghem adds that Gold Club is a completely new business venture and is providing him with a fresh start in a different commercial sector.

As the business grows, Van Watteghem expects to add champagne, wine, energy drinks and even bottled water to his line of imported products.

Van Watteghem and Sumar have only been working together since mid-November 2020, but both expect the business relationship to be long and successful.

“It’s a great product and we believe it will become very popular in a short period of time,” enthuses Van Watteghem.

Mark Van Watteghem holds a bottle of Pyramid vodka, imported from Ukraine by Gold Club North America Imports, which is expected on the LCBO shelves in February. Photo courtesy of Mark van Watteghem.

Inspire Your Creative Spark And Have Fun With New DIY Kits

In early 2020, Quality Manager Lisa Miller decided to seek a work/life balance that would allow her to spend more time with her granddaughter. Her employer (Magna) of almost 20 years agreed to Miller going part-time, but as she transitioned to the new schedule, the pandemic hit and part-time employees were laid off.

“I started looking inside . . . what could I do?” Miller comments.

With time for crafting, she began making signs and posted them for sale on different marketplace websites, but there was little interest.

Then she had an idea — “What if I just put all this together like Hello Fresh does for meals?”

So, since last summer Miller has been using her spare bedroom to run You Can Do It DIY Kits. This is a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) craft box that includes everything you need to create your own signs to match your home. And, as of January, she added a website: YouCandoItDIYKits.ca to accept orders and now the products can be shipped throughout Canada and the USA!

She cuts and sands the wood, designs and prints the stencils, and packages everything together. Kits range in price based on the number of signs ($20 to $30) and include wood, paint, brushes, and stencil(s).

Miller utilized many of her skills from her Quality Engineer career, creating prototypes, ordering a competitor kit to do a comparative analysis, even testing a variety of paint for durability. The result is a high-quality DIY kit that crafters can customize for their home.

She was hesitant to start a business without any experience, but her daughter encouraged her to try the new venture. And she is learning a lot as she builds her clientele!

Her advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs as they plan: “Do your research . . . If it doesn’t work, reflect on what you could have done differently and do something else.”

As a new entrepreneur, Miller is putting in some long days as the pandemic DIY trend has created quite a demand for her products.

Even though she is used to long hours because of her old job, she mentions this one has less stress and includes a creative outlet.

“What would I be doing with my time otherwise?” she says with a smile. “I’m so glad I did it!”

Entrepreneur Lisa Miller sells Do-It-Yourself craft boxes that include everything you need to create your own signs to match your style and taste.

Get ready to let those creative juices flow and celebrate St. Patty’s Day with a DIY kit. Photos courtesy of Lisa Miller.