Expanding a business doesn’t have to involve brick and mortar. It can be a growth of service.
That’s how the owners of Restaurant Nadeau marked their fifth anniversary at the iconic Timmins eatery. Service was expanded to include dinner and take-out and delivery service three nights a week.
Taking over the restaurant, even one well-known locally for its fresh, homemade meals, was a major decision.
“I worked construction for 16 years before this,” said owner Julie Therrien. “My mom worked for Madame Nadeau for 17 years before this. She was already here. I needed a change. I don’t regret it. It was a really good change.
“I just love cooking. It was always a passion in our family.”
For years, Restaurant Nadeau had been primarily all about breakfast and lunch. Now, three times a week it is a triple-threat restaurant, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, I have my restaurant open until 8 p.m. and then delivery until 9 p.m.,” Therrien said.
The first night for delivery was last Thursday.
“It was really good last night,” she said Friday afternoon. “We had a good turnout already.
“Everyone was asking for it. There was a demand. So, I decided to try it.”
There is plenty on the menu for dinner and take out.
“I have my daily specials, there are two of those every day. These are things that are not in the menu, like lasagna or cabbage rolls,” Therrien said. “Plus, our menu – just not the breakfast menu.
“It (take out) is pickup and delivery. We have the phone, plus I’ve taken some from Google and Facebook today. We are on it.”
Other than the extended hours for dining in and take out Thursday through Saturday, there are not any additional changes coming up.
“It was already a well-established business. My mom had been here a long time. You don’t fix something that’s not broken," she said.
“Homemade food goes a long way.”
Therrien has her own personal favourites when it comes to meals at the restaurant.
“My eggs benedicts are awesome, breakfast wise,” she said. “Our daily specials are awesome, freshly made every day.
“I’ve got chicken quesadillas, they’re great … I could go on and on. I’ve got my crepes with the fruit, freshly made crepes, they’re really good. My weekends, we sell a lot of crepes.”
The staff has been in place for a while, so it creates a family atmosphere that is reflected in the service.
“My waitresses are really, really friendly,” Therrien said. “It’s good, it’s fresh, it’s friendly.”
There are also some homemade frozen options people can buy for a meal at home — meat pies.
“With our meat pies, chicken pot pies and salmon pies, I can’t keep up with those,” she said. “They sell like hotcakes. They’re very popular all year.
“At Christmas we load up more because we have lots of requests. No joke, 1,000 of those (meat pies) around Christmas time and they’re gone by Christmas.”
There is no great secret to the popularity of these items, it is homemade food by great cooks.
“We make our own dough, everything,” Therrien said. “Like our dessert, it’s all homemade. We don’t buy nothing (premade). It’s all made here. Our butter tarts, the size of them, they’re amazing.”
For people looking to host a party or special occasion, the business also offers catering.
It was a big decision to get into the restaurant business. But Therrien is glad she made the change. And she thoroughly enjoys it.
“I’m with my mom and my sister,” she said. “And my employees are not employees, they’re like friends.
“I’m just so happy. I’m thankful for all our customers. Without customers, the business doesn’t run.”
Restaurant Nadeau is located at 293 Wilson Ave. in Timmins. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (9 p.m. for take out), Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (9 p.m. for takeout), and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact Restaurant Nadeau by phone at 705-268-2664 or find them on Facebook.
