Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Rankin Inlet (Jun 13/01) - Necessity is known as the mother of invention, but it's also been known to flip a steak or two in its day.
Rick Strickland is the owner of the new 50-seat Wild Wolf Cafe, which opened its doors for business in Rankin Inlet earlier this month.
Strickland is best known for his work in local construction during the past 15 years, but a downturn in the industry had him looking at other options.
"These days, there's more contractors than available work," says Strickland.
"I had to branch off if I was to continue making a living in Rankin."
The Wild Wolf Cafe is located on the road leading to the ball field and offers a wide range of menu options.
Strickland says the cafe also offers a take-out menu and he'll be looking at a delivery service a little further down the road.
He says he decided to give the restaurant business a try in Rankin because the community didn't have much in the way of selection when it comes to eating establishments.
"The cafe also fills a void in this section of town, where there's about 30 potential customers a day who work in the direct area.
"I basically geared the business towards that, feeling I could count on 30 or so customers a day and build from there."
The Wild Wolf Cafe is open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. and offers everything from a breakfast menu to fine evening dining.
"I'm leaving the menu and those types of decisions up to my chef, Jacques Labonte, and his staff.
"Jacques is originally from Quebec, but he's familiar with the region and has worked here for the past few years."
In addition to its chef, the cafe also employs two waitresses and a kitchen helper on a full-time basis.
Strickland says he'll hire whatever staff is necessary as the business grows and adapts to the local market.
"We're offering the breakfast menu for now to see how it goes.
"If it turns out we only get three or four people for breakfast, we'll change our hours to open a little later in the morning and stay open a little later at night.
"I hope everyone comes in and gives us a try, because they'll be happy they did."
