Skip to content

Business Buzz

Wild Wing, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Lustre Bridal, Endeavour Brewing opens a cafe, and NABI changes date of annual BBQ.

Triple-digit chicken wing flavours

As the north end of St. Albert Trail continues to be developed, two new chain restaurants have opened their doors in the city.

Wild Wing — a Canadian chain restaurant that began in 1999 — celebrated its soft-opening at 1115 St. Albert Tr. on Aug. 12. The restaurant's co-owner, Krunal Patel, said the first day of operation was a success.

"It was very good, I really appreciate and thank the St. Albert community," Patel said. "They loved the chicken wings, and we had lots of positive Google reviews."

Wild Wing, as expected from the name, makes chicken wings — 101 flavours of chicken wings, to be exact. The restaurant isn't a one-trick pony, though, as burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, poutine, and other appetizers are also on the menu. Wild Wing has a full bar, offering beer, spirits, cocktails, and wine.

Patel said he and his business partner are thrilled about the restaurant's location, citing the ongoing development of new neighbourhoods such as Jensen Lakes and the proximity to major roads and shopping centres such as Costco. As well, Patel said he was happy to open the first location of the chain in St. Albert as "it's a growing a city."

'Legit Texas barbecue'

Another new chain restaurant opened its doors on Aug. 12: Dickey's Barbecue Pit. 

Dickey's is a Texas-style barbecue restaurant that was started in 1941 by First World War veteran Travis Dickey in Dallas, Texas. St. Albert's location is the second in Canada, following the Edmonton location near Terwillegar. 

The owner of Dickey's in St. Albert, Zai Abba Aji, said her team had a successful grand opening.

"We had family, friends, the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce — we got lots of support from the whole St. Albert community," Abba Aji said. "We are happy." 

Abba Aji said she chose St. Albert, "because we think it’s the perfect location [and] it’s a vibrant community [which loves] their barbecue."

Dickey's smokes all meat on site, and offers brisket, chicken, turkey, ribs, lamb, and a range of sides and sandwiches. 

"If you’re looking for a legit, Texas barbecue, it’s Dickey’s," Abba Aji said. "I have tried some others, but to be honest, when Dickey’s says they’re legit, they really mean it.”

Dickey's Barbecue Pit is located at 935 St. Albert Tr.

Endeavour opens a cafe

The owners and operators of Endeavour Brewing Company, Georgia and Matthew Atkins, have started to make more than beer. 

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week, Endeavour's tap room is now open as a cafe. July 25 was its grand opening for coffee.

Katherine Berard, a barista at the cafe, said the shop's first month of business has been smooth sailing.

"I believe, for a brand new business just starting up, it’s been pretty steady," Berard said, adding the coffee is roasted in house.

“Georgia roasts all the coffee here," Berard said. "She has a roaster in the back, and she makes the magic happen right here, just like how we make all of our craft beers in house.”

Along with hot and cold coffee options, the cafe also offers freshly baked pastries such as cinnamon buns, croissants, and muffins.

Berard said the cafe's hours may change once the company has a better sample size to determine customer needs.

Endeavour Brewing Company is located at 215 Carnegie Dr.

Lustre Bridal

After five years in West Edmonton Mall, Lustre Bridal has opened its doors in St. Albert.

The shop's owner, Cyn Punter, said she decided to close the shop in Edmonton and open in St. Albert because she wanted to keep the money local. Punter said she has been in the bridal industry for more than 25 years.

“We live in St. Albert ... and we decided we’d like to keep the money in St. Albert," Punter said. "We want to support St. Albert.”

Lustre Bridal celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 7 with a "meet the designers" event. "We have two [Alberta-based] designers that we carry. One is EME Couture, she’s from Cold Lake," Punter said. "She does fabulous work."

Besides about 75 wedding dresses, Punter said she also sells jewelry, accessories, graduation or prom dresses, and corsets, some of which are handmade.

"We bring in a lot of destination wedding dresses and a lot of stores don’t," Punter said. "Our stuff is very trendy; we do have some classics but we try to bring in more trendy stuff that people are looking for.

“Our atmosphere in the store is very laid back, relaxing, and we do one-on-one consultations."

Lustre Bridal is located at 14 Perron St.

NABI barbecue date change

The Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI), has changed the date of its annual barbecue to Sept. 8. The previous date was Sept. 14.

NABI, located at 200 Carnegie Dr., was created by the city in 1989 to help early-stage businesses grow by offering supports, educational programming, and mentorship. According to NABI's website, 87 companies are currently involved with the business incubator.

"Meet us in the parking lot and enjoy food, networking, and some fun! Please RSVP with your business name and quantity of people attending by Sept. 7," said Courtney Quirk, NABI's human resources manager in an email.


Jack Farrell

About the Author: Jack Farrell

Jack Farrell joined the St. Albert Gazette in May, 2022.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks