Corner store bistro thrives in village of 1,000
The post office is gone and the school is about to close, but Linda Guitard's epicerie is booming
In September 2017, Séjour-jeunesse, the elementary school in Pointe-Verte, will close, and local children will get their education elsewhere. Five years ago, Pointe-Verte also lost its post office. A few years later, the village's only restaurant went out of business.
Still, Linda Guitard's corner store thrives in the village of 1,000 north of Bathurst.
"People are a little bit scared to do anything here, because the population is narrowing down," she said. "But I'm just too confident, I think."
People are a little scared to do anything.-Linda Guitard, on the dwindling business community in Pointe-Verte
"The previous owner liked hunting, and of course you have to use your passion," said Guitard.
"When I came in I said, 'I don't know anything about fishing, so I'm going to do my own clientele.'"
Guitard began stocking candles, women's apparel, purses, wallets and jewelry.
"But what surprised me that really hit was the little kitchen I have, the bistro," she said.
Guitard renovated the space to include a coffee bar and kitchen so she could pursue her true passion in what little downtime she had during the day.
"At first I thought I'd do a few orders when I'm working in the store when it's slow," she said.
She was wrong, and her customers are grateful.
Steak subs a draw
Guitard has carved out a space to be successful in Pointe-Verte, but her customers come from all over the Chaleur region.
"They come to get the steak subs from as far as East Bathurst, Belledune, Jacquet River," said Guitard
While the post office counter draws people in, the food keeps them coming back.
"They see that we have a menu and food and they order."
Guitard brought another passion to the Epicerie Acadie, in addition to her culinary talents. She worked as a counsellor in schools for almost 20 years before starting her second act.
"I always like to be with people," she said. "It's my number one job here.
"I make sure that I know them personally. It's a neighbourhood thing. I know them by name, I know if someone is sick in the family. And we talk."