Kuugaq: a gathering place
Cambridge Bay getting new café
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, January 23, 2017
IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
The river is a social spot in Cambridge Bay where people fish and go for walks.
Fresh and healthy are first priority for menu options at Kuugaq Cafe, set to open in February. - photo courtesy of Stuart Rostant |
"It's a gathering spot that is always moving," said community entrepreneur Stuart Rostant.
That's why he and a team of four other residents have named their new business - a coffee shop and restaurant - Kuugaq Cafe, meaning river.
The cafe is set to open in early February.
The stop will serve homemade baked goods and gourmet coffees, as well as a light lunch menu leading into supper.
"We're going to have stuff like smoothies and healthy breakfasts that include nuts and avocados," said Joel Evans, who is heading the culinary side of the operation.
His colleague Ovilok Olsen-Hakongak will be focusing her culinary skill sets on baking. She said current dining options in Cambridge Bay focus on foods like burgers and fries.
"Everybody loves those classics," she said. "But we want it to be fresh and we want to introduce healthy options."
Sourcing the fresh ingredients needed for their recipes is one challenge for the new business, but the increase in flights coming in from Yellowknife helps a lot. And with CHARS opening up in the summer, the team believes there will be a higher demand for this type of southern-style space.
The cafe will be open concept to encourage interaction between the visitors and staff.
"We want it to be welcoming, a place you can come in and smell the cinnamon buns and the coffee beans roasting, and where there is nice ambient music and you are greeted at the door by somebody with a smile," said Evans.
This welcoming atmosphere is also an effort to build community, because the cafe's vision is about more than coffee, said Rostant.
"We want to create a space where we can host different events. A space that is interchangeable and multifunctional."
Kuugaq Cafe will be available to host events like conferences and birthday parties, kids' movie nights, elders' sewing circles and open mics.
The cafe will seat 30, and hold up to 50 people.
"There's not a whole lot to do in the North in the winter, it will get people excited," he said.
"We're trying to create a fun, vibrant, friendly kind of space where people can gather. And it's not just for kids and elders, it's for everybody."
They are hoping the space will become a go-to for both newcomers and visitors to plug into the Cambridge Bay community that the Kuugaq Cafe team are so passionate to share.
You can follow the cafe on Facebook for updates on its progress and weigh-in on recipes the cafe crew have planned.
