Julie Normandin’s dream is morphing into a delicious reality.
Normandin recently opened Boho Bougie, a rather upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant in Chatham, which also offers afternoon appetizers and bottomless mimosas.
Located at 300 Lacroix St. in Chatham, Boho Bougie runs seven days a week, serving breakfast from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and transitioning to afternoon appetizers and cocktails from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.
The food is sourced locally as much as possible, Normandin said.
The vibe is “boho” – artistic and relaxed. The food is “bougie” – a step up from some of the other alternatives in the area.
“There’s no bougie breakfast in Chatham-Kent,” Normandin said. “I wanted to do something different.”
The cocktails, she added, promise to be equally bougie.
As for the boho element, the bright, decorated space also features chargers at every booth in the restaurant.
Breakfast items include quiche, interesting takes on eggs benedict, breakfast bowls and much more.
Afternoon appetizers range from charcouterie to brie and baguette offerings to avocado bites.
As bougie as Normandin said the place is, she’s also offering a seniors day, Tuesdays.
No stranger to the food and beverage industry in Chatham-Kent, Normandin is happy to run her own place.
“I’ve been doing this for 31 years as a server. I’ve been a manager at almost every restaurant I’ve served at,” she said. “I figured I’m sick of working for someone else. I might as well work for myself.”
And that means bringing her own visions to life in her establishment – in the atmosphere, on the plates and in the cocktail glasses.
The restaurant may close at 6 p.m., but Normandin said groups can rent it out after hours. Already in the works are paint-and-sip events and candlemaking nights.
Anyone looking to take advantage of such an opportunity can reach out to the restaurant on social medial.
Providing space for others is but one way of giving back. Normandin has plans to donate to Chatham-Kent Hospice, PAWR and Come Together CK.
Travel Expo
In celebration of their 70th year in business, Grace Dieleman of Vellinga’s Travel and Cruise Experts is inviting all to their Travel Expo on Oct. 2.
Chat with representatives from various cruise and travel suppliers, who will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Contact the office 170 McNaughton Ave. W. in Chatham at 519-352-5150 to reserve your attendance seat.
The expo runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed
Junctura Construction has ceased operations.
According to a company email to its staff and customers, a drop in business and the recent decision by the employees to unionize has made going forward unprofitable.
“While we respect our employees’ legal right to union representation, the resulting labour-cost structure represents a significant increase over the cost structure under which our existing projects were estimated, sold and contracted,” the email stated. “After reviewing the financial impact and available options with our professional advisors, we have determined that continuing construction operations under these circumstances is no longer financially sustainable.”
Junctura was part of the renovation and home improvement landscape in Southwestern Ontario for more than a decade.
$165K donation
The campaign to raise $165,000 for a new mobile X-ray machine at Newbury’s Four Counties hospital has been pushed over the finish line by Kent & Essex Mutual Insurance.
That push, in the form of a $50,000 donation, was recently awarded to the Four Counties Health Services Foundation to buy the state-of-the-art machine. It replaces an obsolete machine purchased in 2015.
By bringing high-resolution digital imaging to the bedside, it will help physicians assess patients who are too ill or injured to be safely moved – reducing stress for patients while supporting timely treatment decisions.
Kent & Essex president Kevin Konecny said the firm is proud to support a project that will make a “meaningful difference” in the community.
“Access to quality local health care matters to us and the people and families we serve,” Konecny said in a media release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help Four Counties Health Services complete this campaign and invest in equipment that will support compassionate, timely care when it is needed most.”
Home Sweet Habitat
The RONA Foundation has a ‘habitat’ of helping others.
This time around, the Home Sweet Home campaign is looking to support Habitat for Humanity in Chatham-Kent. It’s part of a Canada-wide effort to raise funds for 150 non-profits across the country.
From now until Oct. 12, the campaign seeks to raise $500,000 through customer generosity and team engagement to help the non-profits.
“Home Sweet Home is much more than a fundraising campaign. It’s an opportunity for our teams, all across Canada, to come together in support of causes of their own choosing that directly impact their community. This makes every donation especially meaningful, contributing to making a real impact at a local level, where it really matters,” RONA’s Catherine Laporte, president of the RONA Foundation board of directors and chief digital and marketing officer, said in a media release.
RONA Chatham and Wallaceburg are directing all funds raised to Habitat for Humanity Chatham-Kent.
- Business Voice is a bi-monthly column in The Chatham Voice that highlights some of the achievements made and efforts underway in Chatham-Kent’s business community. Send your information to [email protected].
