In a few weeks time, Calvin Vincent will bring the successful Canadian breakfast chain, Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch, to St. John’s. It will be the second restaurant the entrepreneur has opened, and his first franchise venture.

“Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch is a unique restaurant for St. John’s”, says Vincent, who also owns the popular Water Street restaurant, Oliver’s. “Not only is it the only national chain that specializes in breakfast and lunch, it is also the leader in the breakfast industry across Canada. As the first Cora’s franchise owner in Newfoundland, I have the pleasure of introducing the people of St. John’s to an amazing concept with exceptional food. Cora’s does breakfast like no other restaurant I’ve seen. I think it’s going to be a huge success here.”

For 18 years Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch has been delighting customers with its creative all day breakfast menu. Open daily from 6:00 am until 3:00 pm (7:00 am on Sundays) Cora’s has built an enviable reputation by serving up such traditional breakfast dishes as omelettes, bacon, sausage and eggs as well as one of a kind menu items featuring fresh fruit, cheeses, cereals, custard and English cream.

“We are very excited to be opening our first Newfoundland restaurant in St. John’s,” says Madame Cora. “We also are thrilled that we have found a franchisee like Calvin Vincent. His restaurant experience and passion for excellence are the very things we were looking for in a Newfoundland franchise owner. We now that the banner is in good hands with Calvin and we can’t wait to open.”

Vincent has already secured a prime location for Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch and construction recently got underway at Atlantic Place for the 158 seat restaurant.

“There isn’t any doubt in my mind that we have the best view of any restaurant in St. John’s,” he says. “With one wall built entirely of glass, guests at Cora’s will have the best of both worlds; extraordinary food and a view of Signal Hill and the Narrows like no other.”

With construction moving forward (Vincent anticipates a December opening date), the restaurant is putting out a call for employees. “We need cooks, kitchen staff, service staff and hostesses and we’ll also be looking for a couple of talented individuals to be trained as ‘fruiters’. Fruiters are specialists at Cora’s and are trained to cut and prepare some of our most exotic fruit dishes,” says Vincent. “We’re looking for employees who are real morning people, who want to help customers start their day off on the right foot. That’s what Cora’s is all about. We’re excited to show what we can do.”

Those interested in applying for a position at Cora’s should drop their resume off a Oliver’s – 160 Water Street in St. John’s.

The Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) will be hosting a breakfast meeting on October 27th at the Holiday Inn, 180 Portugal Cove Road. The guest speaker for the breakfast is Constable Kevin Foley from the RNC.

Due to the increasing number of break-ins and theft in commercial and retail premises the show will educate business owners on what they can do to ensure the safety of property and their employees.

Registration is at 8:30 am. Breakfast is 9:00 am. The Trade Show takes place from 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Cost for breafast is $30.00 for members and $35.00 for non-members. Payable at the door by cheque, VISA or Mastercard.

Cost for the Tradeshow is $30.00 for members and $35.00 for non-members.

Proceeds from the trade show will be donated to the RNC's Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program.

For more information please call Nicole Roberts, Dundee Realty Management Corp. at 738 4100 or by email nroberts@dundeerealty.com

South of the Border opens today at 179 Water Street in the former Vibe Accents location. Check out the newest location for products 'south of the border'.

Michael Wahl co-owner of the fitness lifestyle company Definitions will receive the province's Young Entrepreneur Award from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) during an awards gala this evening in Calgary.

The 27-year old Wahl and co-owner Mike O'Neil, who began the enterprise about 18 months ago, show people how to lead healthy lives. The company promotes the holistic approach to fitness, which takes into account numerous lifestyle elements, such as nutrition, hydration and planning.

Definitions restricts its membership to 100 people who have access to personal trainers so their individual needs are met. Their clients include athletes, people with physical challenges and individuals dealing with serious illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.

The BDC awards, which are the highlight of Small Business Week, recognize the achievement of people in each province and territory between the ages of 19 and 35.

For more information on Definitions call 576 3339 or drop by 197 Duckworth Street across from the War Memorical.

Excerpt from the Telegram, Tuesday, Oct 18, 2005.

Downtown's newest clothing retailer Johnny Ruth swings open its doors at 166 Water Street on Friday introducing downtown to its sweat-shop free clothing store. Owner/operator Kim Windsor gets back to business almost directly across the street from her old stomping grounds of Wenches & Rogues. Be sure to drop by and check out Johnny Ruth and the great selection of mens and ladies fashions and accessories. For more information check out Johnny Ruth online at www.johnnyruth.com or call 722-7477.

Twisted Sisters Boutik are movin' on up! Up the street that is to the former Tectonics Studio space at 175 Water Street. After two years in business on the corner of Water and Prescott, Twisted Sisters have outgrown the small 650 sq.ft. space. The new space is double in size and will allow Jaclyn and Tennille to expand their inventory. Congrats Twisted Sisters and good luck in your new digs!

The Oriana, carrying close to 3000 visitors, (2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew) is scheduled to arrive around 1:30 pm this afternoon. Chairman of the St. John's Cruise Ship Committee Dennis O'Keefe says the visit is a fitting cap to a very successful season. That vessel leaves around 6:30pm.

The Star Princess is scheduled in port tomorrow from noon until 7pm. She will be the largest ship ever to enter St. John's Harbour, weighing in at 109 thousand tonnes, carrying upwards of 4 thousand passengers and crew.

For more information please call 576 8106.

The newly opened Sound Salon & Spa, located at 301 Water Street in the former Decadence by Design space, is the creation of Tim Howard and Nancy Day Howard. After nine years in business as Tectonics Hair Studio at 175 Water Street, Tim and Nancy have moved west on Water Street to open the new salon as a place for ultimate relaxation with its main focus on being a spa rather than a hair studio.