SUMMERSIDE — Alex Clark and Scott Brown took a chance on bringing their concept restaurant Open Eats to Summerside late last year.
The co-owners had already attempted one restaurant venture outside the city that didn’t work out the way they’d hoped.
All they needed for Open Eats was for the community to embrace it — a gamble that seems to have paid off, as evidenced by Clark and Brown winning the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Excellence Award for New Business of the Year.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS
“People have busy lives and maybe they don’t fully see the vision, but once they get there and they’re enlightened to something different, and experience it and have that moment away from home, they really appreciate it,” said Clark.
“They realize … it doesn’t matter if you’re in a big city, you can make it happen anywhere.”
Seven awards were handed out last week during a ceremony at Credit Union Place.
While the winners were a mix of established and new businesses, a sentiment of cooperation and community was echoed throughout the night’s acceptance speeches.
“That makes it worth a lot more. These are our clients, this is our livelihood,” said Clark of those gathered in the room.
“If they like it, we love it.”
Carol Gaudet, a longtime employee of the P.E.I. Bag Company who still works there to this day, HMS Office Supplies, and Kool Breeze Farms were among the familiar faces at the podium. Wins for Open Eats, The Humble Barber and Spotlight Theatre Company, meanwhile, heralded the new wave of business owners for the Summerside area.
Spotlight owner Reasha Walsh said the company’s People’s Choice award was earned through partnerships with several local businesses, including fellow nominees Enman’s Audio Video and Kool Breeze.
“Regardless of what kind of business you are, you need the community support, and when you’re getting the support of other business people … who are encouraging of your idea and your dream, it’s unbelievable,” said Walsh. “I call Spotlight a ‘we,’ not just a ‘me.’”
Established in 2010, Spotlight expanded its offerings to Charlottetown just over a year ago.
So where does Walsh think being the people’s choice will propel her company?
“Any news is good news,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m just in shock still.”
SUMMERSIDE — Alex Clark and Scott Brown took a chance on bringing their concept restaurant Open Eats to Summerside late last year.
The co-owners had already attempted one restaurant venture outside the city that didn’t work out the way they’d hoped.
All they needed for Open Eats was for the community to embrace it — a gamble that seems to have paid off, as evidenced by Clark and Brown winning the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Excellence Award for New Business of the Year.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS
“People have busy lives and maybe they don’t fully see the vision, but once they get there and they’re enlightened to something different, and experience it and have that moment away from home, they really appreciate it,” said Clark.
“They realize … it doesn’t matter if you’re in a big city, you can make it happen anywhere.”
Seven awards were handed out last week during a ceremony at Credit Union Place.
While the winners were a mix of established and new businesses, a sentiment of cooperation and community was echoed throughout the night’s acceptance speeches.
“That makes it worth a lot more. These are our clients, this is our livelihood,” said Clark of those gathered in the room.
“If they like it, we love it.”
Carol Gaudet, a longtime employee of the P.E.I. Bag Company who still works there to this day, HMS Office Supplies, and Kool Breeze Farms were among the familiar faces at the podium. Wins for Open Eats, The Humble Barber and Spotlight Theatre Company, meanwhile, heralded the new wave of business owners for the Summerside area.
Spotlight owner Reasha Walsh said the company’s People’s Choice award was earned through partnerships with several local businesses, including fellow nominees Enman’s Audio Video and Kool Breeze.
“Regardless of what kind of business you are, you need the community support, and when you’re getting the support of other business people … who are encouraging of your idea and your dream, it’s unbelievable,” said Walsh. “I call Spotlight a ‘we,’ not just a ‘me.’”
Established in 2010, Spotlight expanded its offerings to Charlottetown just over a year ago.
So where does Walsh think being the people’s choice will propel her company?
“Any news is good news,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m just in shock still.”
Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Excellence Award winners
• Business Excellence, 11-plus employees — Kool Breeze Farms
• Innovator of the Year — HMS Office Supplies
• Employee of the Year — Carol Gaudet (P.E.I. Bag Company)
• Community Impact — Vector Aerospace
• Business Excellence, 1-10 employees — The Humble Barber
• New Business of the Year — Open Eats
• People’s Choice — Spotlight Theatre Company
