Courtney Colas is one of the owners of Bistro Réunion, a chef inspired bistro serving brunch, lunch, and dinner. Courtney and partner Mike were the previous owners of La Parisienne in Oakville. They opened the bistro 2 years ago in Morriston.
“It was super easy and beneficial to the community and to us.”
“Opening a Restaurant is an expensive endeavour,” Courtney recalls when asked what their initial goals were. “We wanted to bring the building back to how it should look, the grant helped us significantly to restore the building to its former glory. It helped restore our floors, put in bathrooms, and take away the horrible sidings,” she added. Courtney also noted how the application process was easy. “We worked with [the county staff] mostly, and [they] made the process very seamless, very easy!” she stated. “We just gathered quotes and supplied receipts.”
As of the interview, Courtney was happy to report that sales have improved since they opened their doors. “People are attracted to the space after we restored it to how it should look – which contributed to captivating clients and getting them into our doors.” She recalled. “Join the programme! The funding is there to use towards your business. No harm giving it a go,” she added.
When asked to summarize her experience with the programme, Courtney answers “The programme was seamless and overall positive. It was super easy and beneficial to the community and to us.”