FOR THE MORNING STAR

When Marilyn Courtenay stood on the stage and made her pitch to judges in the 2019 Enterprize Challenge, she painted a scene of The Boarding House Caf茅: A group of 12 people surrounding a table in laughter as they played Codenames for the first time, while across the way, a professional working downtown ducked in for Marilyn91裸聊视频檚 signature scones and a latte.

91裸聊视频淢y business plan was for a board game caf茅 that was based on social interaction, getting together with people you might not know in large groups, and the closeness and camaraderie was a big part of it,91裸聊视频� says Courtenay, who took third place in the 2019 competition that helps aspiring entrepreneurs develop a business plan and compete to win prizes to give that business a headstart.

For several of her first months in business, all of it 91裸聊视频攈er cakes and brownies, the board games to play in groups 91裸聊视频� quickly became popular.

And then COVID-19 hit.

91裸聊视频淚 had to transition immediately to being a takeout baker and a board game seller. That91裸聊视频檚 what was left for me,91裸聊视频� says Courtenay.

Even then, and once people began spending more time in shops and restaurants, business was slower, but, abiding by restrictions for restaurants, groups of six or fewer would still gather and play. The caf茅 games would be set aside for 24 hours between being played again, and each of the 350 games you can play as a patron can be reserved. Sometime between the fall and Christmas, a board game revival emerged, and games are flying off her shelves.

91裸聊视频淐atan is always a really big one. So is Ticket to Ride. Those are the most popular but we91裸聊视频檙e bringing in a lot of games I haven91裸聊视频檛 seen anywhere else like Burgle Bros. and Magic Labyrinth. There91裸聊视频檚 actually a game called Pandemic that you just couldn91裸聊视频檛 get your hands on and it91裸聊视频檚 my third time selling out since the pandemic started,91裸聊视频� says Courtenay who attributes the game craze to everyone 91裸聊视频渂eing stuck at home.91裸聊视频� Though for now, the small groups kept two metres apart can play the board game rentals: 91裸聊视频淵ou might as well come and play while you can.91裸聊视频�

In 2019, first place in the Enterprize Challenge went to Teresa Sanders and FILL, Vernon91裸聊视频檚 Refill Store. The shop, which opened at Polson Park Mall in the fall of 2019, helps people use less plastic by refilling containers of household products such as laundry soap, shampoo and hand soap.

In those first few months, a highlight for Sanders and for customers was coming to the store, pushing the mass container pumps, and feeling, firsthand, the thrill of refilling a bottle. Every so often, she91裸聊视频檇 scrawl on a chalkboard the total number of plastics saved by the FILL community (three months after opening, that number was 12,078) and customers would proudly pass that number every time they opened FILL91裸聊视频檚 door.

And then COVID-19 hit.

Sanders brought all of FILL91裸聊视频檚 products into an online store, allowing customers to select set sizes of provided glass bottles they could then receive through curbside pickup or delivery.

91裸聊视频淲e had to shift pretty quickly and it worked out really well for us,91裸聊视频� says Sanders, who recently posted the new total of plastics saved: 74,501, and just opened another store in Kelowna with partner Gabi Dubland.

Much of that number comes from selling nearly 3,000 litres of surface and hand sanitizer, which FILL brought in after COVID struck, and which arrives in one of three drums that circles back and forth from the manufacturer so no new plastic is created.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a really nice, light, moisturizing sanitizer that doesn91裸聊视频檛 leave your hands sticky.91裸聊视频�

FILL even went through the Health Canada process of creating a new lavender-scented hand sanitizer that91裸聊视频檚 being used throughout Predator Ridge.

Looking back on the last several months, though, Sanders says one of the brightest spots has been staying connected to the FILL community.

91裸聊视频淥ur whole store has a huge community feel to it and people were reaching out even more (through social media). I feel like that connection deepened and we could be a highlight in people91裸聊视频檚 day when we did see them.91裸聊视频�

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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