Did you read our social media post and think, “Hey, they’re a restaurant, why would they close before supper? That makes no sense!”. It’s true, we are shifting our hours to 8am-4:30pm. Here’s a little more to fill you in on our why and our mission.
Where we started
When I set out to open the Spicy Radish 10 years ago, I was driven by a desire to cook, to share the skills I’d learned through education and apprenticeship and to create a fresh dining space in my hometown. To create a job for myself in this rural community where I could express all those culinary lessons and experiences I had bursting inside me. I was basically a cook and a mom, not yet entrepreneur; a role I would learn to do by doing.
Over the years running this business the Radish has been in a near constant state of change and evolution. Just when things seem to get familiar and level out a big new hurdle is placed at the forefront. It must be a business thing or a hospitality industry thing, I’ve learned to roll with it…even like it. Turns out if things are going really well and smooth and an external force hasn’t won the race and thrown in a challenge, I’ll hand pick one and chase it.
What we’re doing
Business is business and business must grow, right? This mantra of constant growth and ever increasing profits is one I wrestle with often. While good cashflow is a necessary component of a healthy business, chasing max profits has never been a top motivator for me in how I make business decisions. And frankly, in the handful of situations I’ve allowed it to be primary felt wrong and out of place for my personal values. I’ve learned that making decisions driven by internal questions, challenges and long term visions of the future are far more rewarding and fulfilling.
That inner voice
How can I buy more vegetables from the hardworking market gardeners in our area? Cater big events. Inspire people with seasonal cooking. Could we do a cooking class for that? Hmmm, most people would want to do that in the evening.
How can I fill my freezer with local rhubarb? Barter with the neighbours. How can we make fewer trips to the dump? Compost other obscure items like paper towel, cardboard and grease. Could finished compost help our market gardeners? That would close some loops… How can we reduce the chore of mowing our little strip of grass in the summer? Turn it into a garden. Fresh herbs and lettuce anyone?
How can we host bigger groups of people in our space? Finish the banquet space in the back of our building. How can we work smarter? Seek out the friction points and make improvements. If I offered fewer entrée specials would it gradually dissuade people from seeing us as a dinner destination? I think it really has. If trading dinner service for breakfast service doesn’t balance the books, what will we do? Insert long list of ambitions. Could consistent daytime hours attract more long term, stable employees? I think so and I will do what it takes to find out.
Through my years running the Radish I have discovered each time I put forth a new offering, project, or renewed effort towards something old I’m rewarded with support, encouragement, patronage or a good lesson on how to do better or what to leave alone. All this in a setting where I can be creative and share my craft with the people around me. Pretty good deal.
Where we’re headed
As I travel into this second decade of sharing my culinary craft and entrepreneurial spirit through the Spicy Radish I’m ready to grow. While growth is often associated with bigger, that is not the direction we’re headed. I aim to grow deeper and stronger roots to keep a vibrant footing for the Spicy Radish in Whitemouth for years to come. That means supporting the healthy relationships and work life balances of our staff crew. It means connecting more deeply with other local entrepreneurs to collaborate and support one another. I wish to nurture new buds of growth to stay fresh and bold by offering valuable first work experiences to our youth, investing in developing our physical space, and embracing swelling catering opportunities for our business.
Our mission at the Radish is to build a special place in our community through warm, welcome service and great food. So that is just what we will continue to do as we change shape and shift our contributions to a daytime model with expanding catering services. Our supper time service will end Friday, July 8 when we begin closing the restaurant at 4:30. An earlier open time of 8:00 am and breakfast menu will begin July 13.
We are so excited about how this change will strengthen up our ability to offer what we best have to share with the world and sustain the Radish for years to come. Please tell a friend, breakfast is back, but don’t go for supper or you’ll be disappointed!
Sincerely with much gratitude,
Shannon