People are bursting into Un Petit Cafe with big grins on their faces.
One man strides in and laughs as he looks around, happy to grab a coffee in the heart of downtown Prince George again.
The cafe is right across the street from the courthouse at the corner of Third Avenue and George Street. There used to be a coffee house there and now there's another one.
The big windows shed a happy light on things, the curtains are pulled wide open to shine a brightness that is reflected in the staff's faces, happy to be working there. The ceilings are high, the walls are light with fresh paint, and the tables and chairs are brand new.
Marcel Landry, who has been in the retail business since 1991 knows what it takes to make it work.
"As long as we come out ahead every month by one dollar or one cent I will be happy," he said. "It will grow from there."
The building was empty for months and Landry said after years of hard work, putting in effort 24/7 he went on extended vacations that he had wanted to go on all his life.
Each time he returned to Prince George from one of several holidays he would check to see if anyone had snapped up the ideal location for a cafe.
"I go on vacation, I come back, still no one," said Landry. "I go on vacation, I come back again, nothing. I go on one more vacation and come back and I said OK, let's do it."
The opening day was Jan. 12 with samples of desserts offered by donation with proceeds going to the Handy Circle Resource Society that offers a resource centre for those with special needs.
"I love how grateful Lorraine Young (director of the Handy Circle) is for everything she gets," said Landry. He feels it's important to give back to the community whenever he can, he added.
That's also why he chose to go with the Spirit Bear Coffee Company that offers fair trade organic coffee where 15 cents of the cost of each pound of coffee sold goes toward the preservation of the Spirit Bear, the white Kermode, that only exists on Canada's west coast.
Each type of coffee the Spirit Bear company offers is named for an animal in Aboriginal folklore, such as the Orca, Raven, and Eagle.
To accompany the organic coffee Landry offers tasty treats.
"I can't make these desserts any cheaper, so I buy," he said. "We will make are soups and sandwiches from scratch."
He is a firm believer in supporting local merchants so he will be purchasing ingredients from as many local businesses as he can, he added.
When weather permits there will be patios in front and back of Un Petit Cafe, so patrons can enjoy the weather.
In keeping with the giving back to the community theme, which Landry embraces, he is offering registered charities the opportunity to make a little money with a day each month where 10 per cent of proceeds will be donated to the charity. Non-profit organizations can apply at the cafe for these events.
Un Petit Cafe is located at 1085 Third Avenue.
