Fourteen14 Food Co. and Ruby’s Treats & Charcuterie have teamed up to share a location in Grande Prairie’s City Centre.
Fourteen14 Food Co. is a local restaurant specializing in unique sandwiches, soups, and sides. Their menu includes fun items like the ‘Piggy Mac’ sandwich, a twist on classic macaroni and cheese with pulled pork and a special sauce or the ‘Breakfast Garbage Plate’ that you need to try to appreciate.
Ruby’s Treats & Charcuterie offers artfully designed charcuterie and grazing boxes, boards, spreads, and tables filled with fresh & premium ingredients including made from scratch jellies, dips, toffee, sweets, as well as locally sourced products, making them ideal for any occasion big or small. They also teach build-a-board workshops, adding to the events offered in Grande Prairie.
Owner Jennifer Kuzemchuk has always loved cooking, baking and party-hosting. As she looked to grow her hobby business to full-time, she understood finding the perfect location and equipment could be costly.
“Getting into brick-and-mortars is very intimidating and hard for businesses just starting out,” said Jennifer.
She knew she was ready to take the next step, but she needed to find the right partnership.
“Before I dive in, I needed to get my feet wet and see if this is something I wanted to take on full-time on my own,” said Jennifer.
Jennifer reached out to a fellow entrepreneur, Fisnik Veliu, asking him if he knew of any local businesses looking to share a space. The stars aligned for Jennifer as the former owner of Fourteen14 Food Co. was willing to share the space. Fisnik Veliu later became the co-owner of Fourteen14 Food Co.
“It was just such a good fit because [Fourteen14 Food Co.] doesn’t use their backspace often,” Jennifer said. Being able to basically enter a facility that's turnkey, has all the amenities that I need without having to take out a huge bank loan to buy equipment and lease space has taken so much stress off me.”
The co-location has been beneficial to both businesses. It allowed Jennifer to scale up her business and helped Fourteen14 Food Co. reduce its overhead costs by renting out some of its underused space and equipment.
Seeking growth, Fourteen14 Food Co. is revisiting its food offerings and opening hours to reach a broader audience.
“Our focus right now is extending hours. We want to extend the hours for breakfast and supper. By adding additional hours and new menu items we have already seen a steady increase of customers,” said Fisnik.
“What makes Fourteen14 Food Co. [unique] is just the atmosphere when you walk into the building. You see locally made art, jewellry, and business cards. It’s a very inclusive and welcoming place. You don’t get that at a lot of restaurants,” said Jennifer.
Teaming up to share a location has been a positive move for both Fourteen14 Food Co. and Ruby's Treats & Charcuterie. They share space, with the Fourteen14 Food Co. crew getting the special task of trying Ruby’s Treats’ new creations and offering feedback to help perfect recipes.
Each business also draws in their own unique customer base and exposes new clientele to each other’s offerings.
Check out Fourteen14 Food Co. online by visiting their website and Facebook page and Ruby’s Treats & Charcuterie by visiting them on Facebook, Instagram, and their website.