A longtime Crescent Beach business, known for its fantastic fare and atmosphere and even preparing in-flight food for the Vancouver Canucks and other National Hockey League (NHL) teams, is up for sale.
The Sunflower Caf茅, featuring organic, healthy offerings and homestyle cooking, has been operating at the Beecher Street location for more than 20 years; business owners Kathie Buote and Sym Thiele took over from the previous owner in 2006.
The caf茅 is constantly busy and often has lineups out the door, and offers catering services as well as home-cooked, frozen meals that patrons can take home with them.
One of the unique aspect about the caf茅鈥檚 catering is one of its main clients: The NHL鈥檚 Vancouver Canucks.
Thiele knew someone who was 鈥渋n charge of all things Canucks鈥 when the team flies out of Vancouver鈥檚 YVR Airport, using Air Canada鈥檚 private jet program. In 2011, they asked if she and Buote would be interested in providing the in-flight food for the team.
They said yes.
鈥淚t worked out,鈥 Thiele said, noting that, usually she or her husband will drive the food delivery right onto the south terminal tarmac.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always gone by the motto that you鈥檙e only as good as your last meal,鈥 she said modestly, when asked how the team likes the food, but by the next year, with some of her U.S. contacts, they had added the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders and San Jos茅 Sharks to their catering client list and terminal deliveries.
Now, 鈥渨e usually carry between 10-15 NHL teams each season鈥 (in addition to the Canucks), with most teams departing from the south terminal.
With plenty of fresh, organic ingredients, fruits and vegetables, the in-flight menus feature everything from short ribs and filet mignon to grilled halibut, chicken cordon bleu or shepherd鈥檚 pie.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e usually given a choice 鈥 beef, chicken or fish,鈥 Thiele said.
鈥淒epending on the teams鈥 travel schedules, we usually provide food for anywhere between 30 and 50 flights a season.鈥
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The original owner of the business, who is Ukrainian, started the Sunflower Caf茅 in 1999, with a focus on organics and healthy, local food.
鈥淪ome of the recipes 鈥 that we still use 鈥 were from her mother,鈥 Thiele said.
鈥淚t was real food 鈥 organic, free-run, roasted meats 鈥 not processed meats, is used for sandwiches鈥 she even used to have a little produce section in the back,鈥 she recalled.
The produce section disappeared as the caf茅 expanded, but Thiele and Buote, who is a holistic nutritionist and a master herbalist, embraced the concept the previous owner started with the Sunflower Caf茅.
鈥淲hat you gather is humanely raised, organically grown and locally grown wherever possible,鈥 Thiele explained, noting they use Mary鈥檚 Garden, a South Surrey garden known for its fresh, 鈥減icked-daily鈥 produce grown without pesticides, and serve Salt Spring Island鈥檚 Fair Trade coffee.
Thiele and Buote are both transplants from the Prairies, with Buote originally hailing from Winnipeg and Thiele moving to B.C. with her family from Regina, Sask. when she was four.
With a business education and sales and marketing background, Thiele said owning a restaurant has been something she and Buote, who was a longtime kitchen manager at The Old Spaghetti Factory in New Westminster, have always wanted to do.
Buote joined Thiele as her business partner in 2012, after her previous partner decided to pursue other things, Thiele said.
They managed to somehow, keep things going during the COVID-19 pandemic, still providing take-out food, pre-cooked, take-home meals, and creating a colourful back patio to match the caf茅鈥檚 vibrant interior, which features works by local artists on its brightly painted walls.
During that time, when teams were allowed to travel in pods, they could still provide in-flight catering to the Canadian NHL clients who flew out of YVR,
Now, however, she and Buote both feel it鈥檚 time to move on.
鈥淜athie plans to retire and spend time with her many friends, family and grandchildren,鈥 Thiele said.
As for herself, she鈥檚 not sure what she鈥檒l do next.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 figure that out until I have space in my life to figure it out.鈥
She is pleased that she got to work with both of her children, a daughter and son who are now both older and pursuing other passions.
As she reflected on the many years of owning the caf茅, her eyes glistened a little with unshed emotion.
鈥淭here are so many, many, wonderful people 鈥 staff and customers鈥 the young people we鈥檝e had working for us over the years have been 91原创enal. They鈥檙e the most loyal, smartest, nicest people 鈥 I鈥檒l miss that more than anything,鈥 she said.
鈥淚t gives you hope for the future.鈥
Caf茅 regular Susan Richards de Wit and Bob de Wit, like Thiele and Buote, are hopeful that whoever purchases the business will keep it running as the Sunflower Caf茅.
鈥淲hat we love about the Sunflower Caf茅 is the organic, homestyle cooking that is dependably delicious but also the friendly, welcoming Crescent Beach vibe that we love so much. We often pick up their frozen soups and other meals as well visiting the Sunflower. During COVID, Sym and Kathie did a great job of renovating and adding an outdoor restaurant space, which was lovely,鈥 Richards de Wit said.
鈥淲hile we are sad to see it change hands we are so grateful to Sym and Kathie, who have really created a community, a place to eat that we can rely on to have whole foods, who are friends and welcome you like a community does.鈥
Her husband agreed.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been amazed how such a simple concept: fresh, organic ingredients put together in a homestyle fashion, could be so unique. It should be easy to copy but I鈥檝e never come across another place so committed to such consistent excellence!鈥
Thiele says she and Buote are so grateful to all of the community and everyone who helped support their existence all these years.
鈥淭he friendships with the staff and the relationships with the customers 鈥 some of the laughs we鈥檝e had, the memories 鈥 the community just has such great, supportive people and we will both miss that.鈥
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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