Monique Tamminga

Times Reporter

It was in 1997, when Wendel鈥檚 Bookstore and Caf茅 first opened its doors at the corner of Mavis and Glover Road.

Since that year, locals-turned-regulars, visitors and tourists have flocked to the popular cafe to sit down for a meal, a glass of wine or a coffee, or to browse in the quaint bookstore.

On nice days, the outdoor seating is filled with visitors and their dogs, soaking up the sunshine and the atmosphere. In the early days, Wendel鈥檚 was also one of the only places open in the evenings.

Over the last 20 years, Wendel鈥檚 has remained a local hotspot for locals and visitors alike.

鈥淭wenty years later, the energetic buzz is still present when you walk through the doors,鈥� said owner, Diane Morrison. 鈥淔or a small, family-run business, it is an amazing accomplishment.鈥�

Wendel鈥檚 success can also be attributed to the distinction of having a bookstore within its walls.

鈥淪urprisingly, 20 years ago, books and coffee were not a popular combination,鈥� said Morrison.

鈥淭he bookstore within a restaurant concept is unique, as it turns going out for a meal or a coffee into an entertaining outing.鈥�

In 2017, words like 鈥渓ocal鈥� and 鈥渉and-crafted鈥� appear on menus all over the world. But Morrison said she followed that philosophy long before it was mainstream.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the way we鈥檝e always prepared our food, because that鈥檚 the way food was made within my own home growing up,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hole fresh ingredients, prepared by hand.鈥�

And that鈥檚 how Wendel鈥檚 got its name.

鈥淲e named Wendel鈥檚 after my grandfather. He loved great food and always liked a full house and lots of people at the dinner table 鈥� he would have loved the caf茅,鈥� she said.

鈥淢y Mom Erika helped me start Wendel鈥檚 鈥� she baked and cooked鈥� and many of the recipes we use today are hers or my late grandmother鈥檚, Ethal.鈥�

Pictures of Morrison鈥檚 grandfather and mother adorn the walls of Wendel鈥檚.

GLUTEN-FREE BAKED GOODS

In 2009, Morrison opened Wendel鈥檚 True Foods, a gluten-free bakery. This company was created due to customer demand.

All it took was one small boy coming into Wendel鈥檚 and asking for a gluten-free cookie, and the rest is history, she said.

Today, Wendel鈥檚 True Foods operates out of a 13,000 square foot certified-gluten free commercial bakery in the Township that employs 30 staff.

The products, including cakes, cookies, pies and dry mixes are sold across Canada, and into the Pacific Northwest, with a reputation for high quality and taste. The gluten-free baking is also available at most 91原创 grocery stores including Nature鈥檚 Fare, Lee鈥檚 Market, IGA, Buy Low and Save-On-Foods. Baked goods are also available at Wendel鈥檚.

Between the two companies, Wendel鈥檚 employs nearly 100 people, many of whom have been with the company more than 10 years.

鈥淓ven with the best menu and the best environment, it means nothing if you don鈥檛 have great staff,鈥� Morrison said.

She is making a book too.

鈥淲e have a cookbook in the works celebrating the food of Wendel鈥檚 from the past 20 years.鈥�

BOOKS AND COFFEE FOR A YEAR

To celebrate 20 years, Wendel鈥檚 will offer prizes, including coffee for a year, a book a month for a year, gift cards, baskets, prizes and treats on May 17.

They will draw the winners the next day.