Many faithful customers of The Little Shoppe will be thrilled to see the canopy up and construction progressing on the new store.    The Little Shoppe closed at the beginning of February after 12 years at the former location (across the parking lot from Kullberg’s) after the building had been sold.     Owner Rhonda Kullberg had planned to close the trendy shop permanently, but after overwhelming support from loyal customers decided to reopen in a new location. The new store will be located within the Kullberg’s building, on the north side. They are targeting for an early May opening with new and exciting products.    In the meantime, they have an Off-Site Clearance location at 1733 Pacific Avenue, which will remain open  Tuesday-Friday from 10 am - 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm, possibly until fall. 

Brandon, MB – April 4, 2018 – Genesis Hospitality Management is delighted to announce the purchase of 2 hotels located in Edmonton, Alberta, the Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton West and Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton Edmonton West.   Currently Genesis owns and operates four Marriott properties in Ontario and they are excited of the addition of another Marriott property in Edmonton. Courtyard has long led the industry when it comes to meeting the needs of the modern business traveler and has continuously evolved, pushing the boundaries of design, style and service. The Courtyard Edmonton West offers 136 modern guest rooms and features “Aqua Bistro Bar,” an upscale bistro providing a contemporary twist on local classics. Guests appreciate the fusion of the high tech and high style atmosphere of the 4,600 sq. ft. state of the art meeting space and use of the indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness centre.   The Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton is a new brand added to Genesis portfolio of properties.  Hilton’s global mid-priced hotel is known for its commitment to providing thoughtful service to their guests and serves as an innovative category leader. The Hampton Inn and Suites offers 103 plush and spacious guest rooms and suites with an indoor pool, fitness center and complimentary hot breakfast.   The West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in the world is located within a ten minute drive of both properties and Genesis plans on maintaining their success with a full property renovation for the Courtyard by Marriott including guest rooms, lobby and banquet space. For the Hampton Inn and Suites, a renovation of the front lobby and guestrooms are planned.   With the purchase of the Comfort Inn & Suites in Red Deer, Alberta in 2017, Genesis is proud to expand their services to Northern Alberta and look forward to continue providing high quality standards in their rooms and food and beverage divisions. Founded and based in Brandon, Manitoba, Genesis Hospitality Management is a privately owned company that owns and manages thirteen hotels with over 1,700 guest rooms across 3 provinces in Canada. Their executive team has years of experience in directing and overseeing the operation of hotels ranging from full service hotels, limited service properties and conference centres and are experienced in operating franchised and independent properties. Their team offers a full complement of management services to provide maximum support and achieve revenue growth. This year marks the celebration of their fortieth year in business.

One of the fastest and hottest franchises in Canada, Freshii, will be opening in Brandon on Thursday, April the 5th.  BDNMB.CA first reported back on May 25, 2017 that the health casual restaurant, serving fresh food, would be setting up shop in Brandon.   The Freshii concept seemed to be the perfect fit for Jody and Tyler Henry with their long history in the health and fitness industry.   The former owners of Body Force gym made the trip one day to Winnipeg to explore a current Freshii franchise.  Upon seeing the menu, and the ingredients, they both felt this style of restaurant is something that Brandon could really benefit from.   "My goal was to make it good and affordable for someone to eat healthy" said Tyler Henry.   Also, Henry said that they can cater to people with almost any dietary requirements. and for people with crohns and colitis.   For Jody Henry, the process has been a bit nerve racking getting all the final details hammered out. “In the first three weeks we had 190 applications for staff.  We were able to pick out the staff we wanted after listening to their stories and how we feel they will fit our brand" said Jody.   The Brandon location will occupy space inside the old Blockbuster location at 930-18th Street.  Freshii is a Canadian fast-casual restaurant that serves burritos, wraps, soups, salads and frozen yogurt featuring fast, custom-built fresh ingredients.   The Brandon Freshii Facebook page can be found here.

Suzanne Rowley has always had that entrepreneurial spirit and her latest venture could prove to be one of her finest ideas to date. The Wheat City Juice Co uses all natural and organic fruits and vegetables sourced from local approved farmers whenever possible.  All waste is composted and put back into the earth.  Orders can be placed on her website.   Once you have selected what you would like to order, the item is then made to order specifically for you. Select a date/time you would like your order to arrive and your product(s) will be dropped off at your home/business at no additional charge.  Their juice is packaged in mason jars which makes it 100% recyclable. Some of the options include Tropical Bliss which consists of pineapple, apple, mint, and coconut water or Very Berry, a combination of strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, apple & lemon. The Cleanse Menu is also available from a one day to a 5 day cleanse.   In addition to weight loss you may see additional benefits like better skin, hair and nails. Currently only available at Tour Indoor Cycling on 6th street, Suzanne is open to having her products at new retail locations in Brandon.  You can contact Suzanne at 573-0442, or email: WHEATCITYJUICECO@HOTMAIL.COM.

As the final touches and approvals go on this week, the management of Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s are hopeful to be open for business on Easter Sunday, April 1st. This restaurant design is the latest for both franchises and will feature a cutting edge APP to pre-order your food for pickup at their Express Pick Up area. 130 local staff have been selected from over 300 applications.