In search for a restaurant to call their own, a couple with a passion for food stumbled upon one of Trail’s most reputable businesses.
Now serving up fresh food made from scratch, Trail’s newest business owners are literally relying on word of mouth.
Sean Tweten and Denise Works purchased the Trail’s End from former owners Dave and Bette Courtney in the spring and have made it their own since.
“We’ve dreamed of this restaurant for a couple years now,” said Works. “We had it all planned out in our heads so everything just seems to be rolling along according to plan.”
The Trail’s End now offers a soup and sandwich menu for lunch, which highlights the chef’s desire to cook “a la minute.”
Breads are made in house and sandwich meat and soups are prepared daily to support the menu that includes a crab and lobster salad, mixed with mango, avocado, peppers topped with goat cheese, lettuce and citrus vinaigrette; a roasted vegetable panini, made with herb roasted eggplant, peppers, onion, zucchini and Portobello mushrooms; and smoked turkey served on focaccia with caramelized Okanagan pears and cambozola cheese.
“I always said that when I open my own restaurant that one of the key things to success is that you make everything from scratch,” said Tweten. “If there is one thing I’ve learned from moving all over, it’s when you go into a city, you have to learn the demographic of the people . . .you can’t just go in and say, ‘I’m the chef, this is what I’m going to serve.’”
The husband and wife team come form a hospitality background – Tweten a chef for 25 years and Works, with nearly two decades experience in customer service and management.
They bring their own culinary experience to the restaurant, but say that their menu is never set in stone and await direction from their customers.
While the lunch menu has been pulled back, a variety of starter and dinner items can be found.
The new entrée menu touts options like prosciutto wrapped mahi mahi to herb crusted beef tenderloin or a lobster and Brie stuffed chicken breast.
“The hospitality business, specifically the restaurant business, for lack of a better term is a little bit gut wrenching,” said Works. “In a gut wrenching business to want to get into doing it yourself, you really got to want it.”
When the couple began looking to purchase their own business, the heritage home and quaint atmosphere of the restaurant peaked their interest but it was the city’s friendly people that sealed the deal and convinced the Maritimers to move out west.
The food remains the focus at the new Trail’s End, which now features deserts made in house and a brunch menu, served family-style.
Sunday’s brunch includes eggs any style, plus a platter of baked ham, fresh roasted potatoes, French toast stuffed with fruit and pancakes served with raspberry coulis and whip cream.
The licensed restaurant means customers can enjoy a spicy Caesar or sweet mimosa while dining from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sundays.
“When customers come in and try our food, that’s when we’ll really build our clientele,” said Tweten.
The Trail’s End is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5-8 p.m. for dinner; Saturdays from 5-8 p.m.; and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. for brunch.
Located at 1580 Bay Avenue, the restaurant can be reached at 368-5282.