Page 28 - Biz X Magazine - June, 2014 Issue

Paula’s Fish Place MILESTONES Leamington Eatery Marks 20th Year By Steve Colm aula Ouellette loves making people Manager Lori Pouget, 13 years with me, Phappy. And she loves a challenge. and her team, kept the food coming out As the Owner of Paula’s Fish Place hot and delicious. Te wait staf, as well as (857 Point Pelee Drive, Leamington, and cooks and dishwashers, did a terrifc job on “Facebook”), which recently marked ensuring all our customers were happy.” 20 years in business, she gets to enjoy Paula’s Fish Place, which started out in plenty of both. 1994 in a “tired building that needed lots As the restaurant opened for a day of of attention,” with seating for 30, presented celebration on April 27, Ouellette and her Ouellette with plenty of challenges and has family – “I was very fortunate to have had kept her busy over the years. three sisters and four nieces as well as my “Te only real time we can renovate is parents in the last 20 years working side in our shut-down months,” she says. “We by side with me,” Ouellette says – treated now have seating for 85 inside and 50 on their customers to a day of gif cards our outside patio. We have redone 90% and gif baskets to thank them for their of the building and look forward to a full support. Many of the day’s 200 patrons renovation completion soon.” reciprocated with gifs of fowers and wine. Te lunch-and-dinner restaurant is In the afermath of the busy day, open March to November, starting at four Ouellette was quick to acknowledge her days a week as Ouellette’s staf adjusts to staf. menu changes and renovations before the “Enjoying the day with me was my busy season arrives. It recently made the Dining Room Manager (and sister) Donna move to open seven days a week. Paula’s Fish Place in Leamington – just a 1/4 mile before Point Pelee National Park – celebrated 20 years Shilson trying to keep the day in some “(In) May we usually serve 7,000 in business on April 27, 2014. Cutting the anniversary order,” Ouellette says, “while my Kitchen birders,” Ouellette explains. cake from left are: Lori Pouget, Kitchen Manager; Paula Ouellette, Owner and Donna Shilson (Paula’s sister), Dining Room Manager. For the frst 10 years, Ouellette put in 95-hour weeks as the “chief cook and bottle washer,” but having Shilson on board frees her up to pay attention to the bigger picture these days. “(She) has allowed me more time to concentrate and balance time for Heinz Cafeterias (which Ouellette has managed for eight years) and Paula’s,” Ouellette states. Ouellette, who over the years has also served on boards and committees with the Leamington Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Point Pelee, Te Lung Association, Heart & Stroke, Point Pelee Optimist Club and Child Can, still marvels at the support she gets from her family. “I have been visually impaired since birth … so my father, for the frst 15 years, drove me everywhere,” Ouellette says. “He has since passed and I miss his guidance and time together every day, but I am so lucky to still have my mom involved as well Posing in front of the restaurant with the 20th Anniversary special banner is Paula Ouellette (middle) and her entire as sisters and all my wonderful employees. family. Photos by Rod Denis. I consider myself to be very fortunate!” 28 28 BIZ X MAGAZINE • JUNE 2014 BIZ X MAGAZINE • JUNE 2014 BizX2014June52.indd 28 2014-05-27 9:43 PM