SAMBAA K'E/TROUT LAKE - One woman's idea has given Trout Lake residents an option when they feel like dining out.

On April 15, Helen Kotchea opened Helen's Coffee Shop, the first of its kind in Trout Lake. Residents have run fundraising canteens before, but there has never been a coffee shop or restaurant in the community, Kotchea said.

Helen Kotchea, the force behind Helen's Coffee Shop in Trout Lake, fries up some hamburgers for hungry customers. - photo courtesy of Brenda Jumbo

"It seems like it's going okay," she said about her first month in business.

Kotchea's previous kitchen experience included cooking meals for government parties and other groups when they stayed in Trout Lake for meetings. Building on this base, Kotchea and her husband Thomas spent a few years toying with the idea of opening a small coffee shop.

When she raised the idea with Rick Phaneuf, the general manager of the Sambaa K'e Development Corporation, he encouraged her to give it a try.

Kotchea's shop is located in the new Trout Lake Hotel. The Development Corporation owns the facility, which was previously a five-trailer 20-person camp located on the winter road.

Helen's is open for business from Monday to Friday for lunch and supper between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and on Sunday between 1 to 8 p.m. for brunch and supper. The shop is busiest between 5 to 7 p.m.

"People are off work and they come over right away," she said.

The menu changes based on what is available at the local store. If nothing on your grocery list is on the shelves, you change the meal plan, Kotchea said with a laugh. On May 3, Kotchea was waiting for a plane carrying a load of groceries that was expected to arrive on Tuesday to see what it contained.

The regular fare at the shop includes soup and sandwiches, fish and chips and hamburgers. Coffee, tea, pop and juice is also offered.

The big sellers include juice, pop, and cheeseburgers.

"When we do the cheeseburgers, it goes right away," she said.

Many community members are enjoying the coffee shop, said Phaneuf.

Phaneuf was first in line to place his order for chicken noodle soup and a hamburger on the shop's opening day.

"It was delicious," he said.

Kotchea said that she has also heard many positive comments from customers. Going out for a meal in the community is a new experience.

Kotchea's daughter-in-law Lyla Pierre assists her in the kitchen and with the shop's cash register. Although she's starting small, Kotchea said she is interested to see whether the shop will be able to expand.

"I'm enjoying myself, running in circles, cleaning-up and cooking," she said.