~ Lia Crowe ~

乌鸦传媒淚t was different,乌鸦传媒� Peter Wood says with a smile and a shrug when asked about opening a cafe in the thick of a global pandemic. 乌鸦传媒淚n some ways our timing wasn乌鸦传媒檛 the worst. For a long time I was thinking, 乌鸦传媒榯his is going to be a disaster!乌鸦传媒� We were finally at the point when we were ready to open and then a pandemic hits. It was a bit of a kick in the teeth.乌鸦传媒�

But like any good entrepreneur, Peter quickly pivoted to a pared-down menu focused on takeout and says he乌鸦传媒檚 been pretty 乌鸦传媒渃huffed乌鸦传媒� by the positive response.

Officially open since early May, Bear and Joey Cafe, where I meet owner Peter to chat life and style, is a beautiful space. It乌鸦传媒檚 like nothing I乌鸦传媒檝e seen in Victoria before: gleaming in gold, green and pastels, playful and fresh and idly waiting to delight this city.

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As we sit inside the cafe on one of the days it乌鸦传媒檚 closed, Peter has to smile and wave his apologies to a steady stream of would-be customers coming up to the door and hoping for a flat white or perhaps Bear and Joey乌鸦传媒檚 incredible granola bowl.

Peter grew up in Sydney, Australia (more specifically, in the northern beaches), where he met his now wife who is originally from Vancouver Island.

乌鸦传媒淚n Sydney, I had two cafes and a pizzeria with a few partners. I studied business and property and worked in residential sales, commercial property management, as well as for a property developer. But I had an awakening, and realized that hospitality is my true passion. I started looking to do a restaurant overseas and when I came to Canada to meet my girlfriend乌鸦传媒檚 parents, I saw Victoria and thought, this is a no-brainer. So we started putting the wheels in motion to move here.乌鸦传媒�

Now after three years in Victoria, Peter乌鸦传媒檚 vision has become a reality with Bear and Joey. Asked to describe how his approach is different, Peter says, 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not trying to reinvent the wheel, but our food program is about light, balanced, healthy and colourful dishes, paying attention to gluten free, vegan and vegetarian. Australian cafe culture is coffee every morning and a simple breakfast grab-and-go, so you can eat off our menu many times a week and feel good about it.乌鸦传媒�

And what inspired the style of the cafe? 乌鸦传媒淲e were always going to go with pastels, perhaps a bit mid-century modern. We wanted something youthful, not formal, something inviting. We really want to delight the few and that was our thought process behind everything.乌鸦传媒�

Like every business owner, I assume, Peter must wear many hats, and I wonder what specific aspect of his work gets him fired up the most?

乌鸦传媒淪ervice,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淔ront row centre, service: seeing people delighted, choosing us and walking away happy. I have a thought process about what people will enjoy and then I get all the moving parts together. Like the staff we have now, they are super friendly, enthusiastic, all-round lovely people. Team them up with skilled chefs, and then there乌鸦传媒檚 the room乌鸦传媒�and when people walk away happy I think, 乌鸦传媒榃e did it; job done!乌鸦传媒� That乌鸦传媒檚 what gives me goosebumps. It乌鸦传媒檚 not an ego thing; it乌鸦传媒檚 being confident in what you乌鸦传媒檙e doing and confident that you can please people, and then delivering an all-round experience. That乌鸦传媒檚 what service front row centre is and it乌鸦传媒檚 a great feeling.乌鸦传媒�

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