“It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”
THE WAFFLE BUS STOP INC. ELEVATED SWEET AND SAVOURY WAFFLE CREATIONS by Gabrielle Gamblin
on the market. Due to the yeast, it rises like bread or a pastry when it’s baked. The waffles work with both sweet and savoury combinations, making the food pair - ings endless for Broussard. It didn’t take long for this idea to take off, so Calestagne joined her in the waffle business. Together they began selling waffles and in - vested in a food truck in 2011. During summer break and on the weekends, Broussard and Calestagne took the food truck to various festivals, fairs, and markets to promote their business. Calestagne took a year’s sab - batical to work the food truck full-time. While the spring to fall worked well in the food truck, the winter was much too cold. They had to come up with a better plan. Broussard had her eye on the perfect building for a
brick-and-mortar location in Antigonish. This particu - lar building caught her attention long before they ever planned to open a restaurant. After negotiating with the owner, Broussard and Calestagne bought the building and opened The Waffle Bus Stop Inc. in April 2015. Broussard left her previous job and took on the restau - rant full-time. When they first started the business, there was nothing else quite like it. They had an origi - nal idea that people took to very well. Most of the busi - ness sales come from the savoury side of the menu. Once they discovered the dough waffles resemble bread, they began creating sandwiches with them. “It is a very labour-intensive product for sure. There are a lot of components that go into it, especially where we make almost everything from scratch” Broussard said.
icole Broussard and Alexandre Calestagne had an original idea with their Belgian Waffle creations that are unique and made from scratch right in their very own kitchens. Together, they have over- come the challenges of being en- trepreneurs while working day jobs and raising a young family. Brous- sard and Calestagne continue to provide a welcoming space for their customers and staff members while expanding their business and waffle creations. N
Nicole Broussard and Alexandre Calestagne met in 2001 while planting trees in British Columbia. Born and raised in Antigonish, Nova Scotia Broussard was an Early Childhood Educator. Born in Montreal, Quebec but raised in Vancouver Island, British Columbia Cal - estagne moved to the East Coast with Broussard and taught French Language Arts. Together for almost 22 years, Broussard and Calestagne call Antigonish their “It is a very labour-intensive product for sure. There are a lot of components that go into it, especially where we make almost everything from scratch”
home. Outside of their work life, they enjoy hiking, mu - sical activities, and spending time with their two chil - dren. Broussard started her entrepreneurial journey by sell - ing crafts and handmade clothing at the Antigonish Farmer’s Market in the summertime. Not gaining the customer base she was hoping for, she started re - searching ideas on unique products to sell at markets. Noticing the lack of breakfast items within the market at the time, Broussard jumped on the opportunity to start something new. She began selling waffles at the mar - ket. But not the average North American batter-based waffle. She chose an authentic, dough-based Belgian waffle. Realizing how versatile it can be, Broussard & Calestagne said once they decided on the Belgian waf - fles, the ideas just kept flowing. Authentic Belgian waffles have a yeast-based dough. This alone distinguishes them from most of the waffles
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 3
VOL 23 ISSUE 3 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
58
59
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease