After ten years in business, Cranewood on Main has found its stride
It’s been about 10 years since Malcolm Fisher and his partner Debbie took over Cranewood, the 187-year-old Georgian style house on Main Street in Sackville, which for decades served as the official residence for the president of Mount Allison University. These days, the heritage building is home to Cranewood on Main, a popular cafe, bakery, and sometimes fine dining spot.
“It’s been interesting because the direction has changed over those years,” says Fisher. “But I believe we found our true place in the community, and this is what we’re building on from here on.”
Over the past year, the building has seen some significant renovation, including replaced doors and windows, and major changes in the kitchen. There’s a new, efficient walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer, and a large ventilation hood system that will allow for use of gas ranges. The floor has also been levelled out to make for a more streamlined workspace and accommodate new equipment. Plans also include an expansion of the seating area on the upper floor, where Bee Boutique was formerly located. It’s all working towards “more Cranewood” as manager Malcolm Campbell describes it.
That means additional seating, and also possibly expanded service. In 2021, Chef Kim Martin partnered with Cranewood to offer fine dining pop-ups in the cafe, after it closed for regular operations at 4pm.… Continue
New owner of Uncle Larry’s hopes to bring more live music and events to downtown Sackville bar
Uncle Larry’s Bar on Main Street in Sackville has seen some changes in the past few months, ever since new owner Matthew Bugley took over in May.
CHMA stopped by to hear about Bugley’s plan for the Main Street drinking establishment:
More live music and events are in the future for Uncle Larry’s Bar, says Bugley. “I’m looking for something that we can kind of make our own,” he says. “And I really want to focus on more live music… Everybody seems to enjoy it.”
Bugley has been working with a DJ group out of Moncton, and also local musician Kevin Christopher to host open mic nights. Bugley says he is “definitely open to suggestions on what we should do for theme nights, or any suggestions at all whatsoever.”
Bugley has refreshed the interior with some new equipment and a new paint job. The old pool table is gone, with space going to more seating when new furniture arrives. “We’re looking forward to making new renovations moving forward as well,” says Bugley. A name change is even a possibility, says Bugley and he’s open to ideas. “The overall atmosphere we’re looking for is friendly, fun, clean, and good spot just to hang out,” says Bugley.
Bugley is an Amherst resident who returned to the east coast a few years ago after working for a decade out west, and deciding to stay home to see his young son grow up.… Continue
The Vogue Cinema is closed, but owner Jeff Coates is hoping for a community takeover
Downtown Sackville has suffered plenty of slings and arrows in the past few years. Between fires, structural issues, repeated COVID shutdowns, and an ongoing and painfully slow COVID recovery, the downtown core is radically different today than it was back in 2019. And the slings and arrows are about to strike again.
The 77-year old Vogue Cinema is closed, and owner Jeff Coates says he will not be able to reopen the historic theatre, due to debts that have become too large to handle.
“I’ve been fighting and struggling and clawing to stay above water, to keep the place open and functioning,” Coates told CHMA this week. “I never wanted to lose it, but now we’re there. We’re closed, and the place is for sale.”
Coates is heartbroken, but is trying to be realistic after years of taking on increasing debt to keep the cinema technologically up to date, and the building sound.
That said, he’s also still hopeful that the Vogue might have a future, even if he’s not at the helm.
The Vogue is “more than movie theatre,” says Coates. “It’s a cultural centre where so many other things happen than just Hollywood movies. And I think that’s the direction the theatre needs to go.”
Between the Sackville Film Society, concerts by Sappyfest and other local promoters, and Sackville’s vibrant theatre scene, Coates thinks the Vogue’s future might be as a community-run arts space.… Continue
Chef Kim Martin strikes out on her own, with a little help from Cranewood
After a years of training and working in other kitchens, chef Kim Martin has stepped out on her own with a new dinnertime offering at Cranewood on Main, on Thursday and Friday evenings.
CHMA sat down with Martin one afternoon in June under the white Cranewood tent, to find out more about the pop-up restaurant within a restaurant:
Martin is from Sackville, and studied culinary arts in Charlottetown before going to work in Banff, Winnipeg, Halifax and the Annapolis Valley. For the past three seasons, Martin worked at Bistro Le Chat Bleu in Baie Verte. Martin says she has wanted to branch out on her own for many years, and felt ready to take the plunge this year.
“I’ve been learning, and I’ve been cooking for other chefs, and I was ready. I was ready to explore my own style and be a little bit more independent with my menu.”
Martin says her culinary focus is regional, but with inspiration from beyond. “All over the Maritimes there’s a lot of things to tap into,” says Martin. “I like being in season. I like looking at what we have available at that time, and just going from there,” she says. “I like to also blend in different styles, so bringing what we have here together with what’s available in the world, as far as styles and flavours.”
The timing wasn’t perfect, says Martin, what with public health restrictions limiting capacities and occasionally shutting down in person dining.… Continue