Yes, We Are Open‪!‬ Moneris, Al Grego

Virginia Borges came to Canada in 2014 from Venezuela with the dream of starting her own business. She wanted her business to give back to the community in some way. She then opened Re:Grub Burger Bar.Known for their highly instagrammable milkshakes and burgers, Re:Grub has become a popular Calgary hotspot for their unique and delicious creations. This is Virginia’s story.

Al’s next stop in Alberta is beautiful Canmore, home of Sara and Joe Titus, owners of Going With The Grain. For almost 20 years Sara and Joe have been installing and restoring Hardwood floors in the Canmore area. They are one of only two husband & wife teams in North America to hold the designation of ‘Bona Certified Craftsmen’. All this to say, they know their craft! Throughout their 20 years of business, Sara and Joe have encountered many struggles. From building their brand when they opened, to a recession, to unpredictable scheduling issues, to increasing material costs, their business can be volatile. How have they managed? Listen to find out.

This week Al goes to picturesque Banff, Alberta to visit Ken McMurdo, owner of Mountain Chocolates. Ken started his business in 1989 when Banff was just beginning to grow into the tourist attraction it has become. But it hasn’t always been a sweet time for Mountain Chocolates. Being so heavily reliant on tourism has meant many ups and downs for Ken’s business and he’s seen it all, from natural disasters to global conflicts to the pandemic. His latest challenges involve inflation and supply chain issues. How is he managing? Listen to find out.

In this week’s episode of ‘Yes, We Are Open’ Al heads downtown to Calgary’s Beltline District to visit KAKS Bar & Podcast. You read that right. It’s a bar, with a built-in podcast studio! Needless to say, Al is more than a little excited. He speaks with the owners Kass Kielly-Burke and Shawn Chan. They opened KAKS in June 2023, so they’re approaching their first year in business. First years are a challenge for any business, but when you pair that with record inflation and rising interest rates, you have recipe for struggle early on. How are they managing? Listen to find out.

For season 6 of ‘Yes, We Are Open’, Al heads west to Alberta! His first stop is Prince’s Island in Calgary, an urban oasis located on the Bow River. The island park is primarily accessible by a number of footbridges. It is home to playgrounds, walking paths, several outdoor activities & festivals, and one notable business, River Café.
Sal Howell is the owner of the café, which started as a park concession. In 1995, Sal transformed the open-air space into a must-see year-round dining experience. For the last 30 years, River Café has served up cuisine from ingredients indigenous to the region, but a couple of major floods in the city, one in 2005 and an even bigger one in 2013 threatened to wash all of that away.
This is Sal’s story.

Season 6 of the award-winning 'Yes, We Are Open' podcast starts April 1st, 2024! Here is a little teaser for the upcoming season.