“That even includes the dough. Every single time you have a sandwich at our restaurant, that dough was made within 24 hours of you consuming the food” Cal - estagne added. There are only 5 ingredients in the dough, it is fresh with no preservatives. While sourcing ingredients, Broussard and Calestagne keep everything as local as possible. “The shorter the distance your food has to travel to the kitchen, the less ecological impact you have on the environment” Cal - estagne explains. He goes on to say that they have a great relationship with Vacheresse Meats. “80% of our proteins are sourced from them. All the beef, chick - en, pork, and eggs are from Antigonish County” he re - vealed. “I love to know where my food comes from.I love having our money go back into the local economy and support local entrepreneurs.” Calestagne said. The Waffle Bus Stop Inc was one of the very first restau - rants in Antigonish to move to a completely ecological distribution model. “Everyone talks about how import - ant the economy is. But if we don’t take steps towards minimizing our impact on the environment, we won’t have an environment to have an economy in. That’s something we’re very aware of” Calestagne remarked. There isn’t even a garbage can at their door because the cutlery, plates and everything in between is either
recyclable or compostable. While it may cost more for the production of these products, Broussard and Cale - stagne say the added expense is worth reducing their environmental impact.
After years of learning on the fly and balancing time management as entrepreneurs with two children, Broussard and Calestagne opened a second restaurant in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. The previous owners had a very large, specialty bakery in this location. The space is quite a lot bigger than their Antigonish restau - rant, seating more than double the number of custom - ers. Broussard and Calestagne understand that many people were disappointed when the bakery closed, and they took over the space. But they are happy to see those customers coming in to see what they have to of - fer. “The reception has been so warm. We are humbled by how many people have been coming out. It’s good to see that we can take it to a different demographic and the people are really enjoying it” Calestagne said. They have noticed some New Glasgow locals talking about their products on social media. Calestagne said it’s been heartwarming to see the positive feedback on so - cial media and the comments help them feel welcomed in the community. “The people really take pride in their town and the things it has to offer” he says. They have also lined up events in the New Glasgow area to take the food truck to this summer. They’re looking forward to exploring the area while expanding their business and meeting new people. While the couple doesn’t like to compare the two towns because they are vastly different, they say they keep their business priorities the same in both places. It is important to them that every customer who walks in their restaurants feels welcomed. “We take orders by name so we can start to know our customer’s names when they walk in” Broussard explained. They maintain a comfortable atmosphere for people of all walks of life to enjoy a meal with them. “Customer service is really important to us” Broussard continued. “We give a lot of consideration to our customers, especially in their first experience to make it the best as possible.” Broussard and Calestagne say they look to hire those who can highlight both high-quality products and high-quality service at their restaurants. “We spend so much time with our staff that they do become like family. We take on their joys and struggles. We really value our team” Calestagne says. “It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.” “Every single time you have a sandwich at our restaurant, that dough was made within 24 hours of you consuming the food”
“I love to know where my food comes from. I love having our money go back into the local economy and support local entrepreneurs.”
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 3
VOL 23 ISSUE 3 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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