NEWSFLASH July/August 2023 – Funky Chow Kitchen
Follow The Flavours; Lean On Me; Complete Chiropractic Centre; Tunnel Golf; Recruiting Solutions by Deborah Zsebok; Em’s Crystals; The Grove Motel; BANA and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority New CEO
THE RUNDOWN
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island recently launched the tastiest trail in all of Ontario to celebrate the cultural diversity of our area through food. Follow the Flavours is a culinary discovery route highlighting 25 businesses of distinct cultural backgrounds across the region. The program was developed in consultation with the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, the Culinary Tourism Alliance and through funding from the Government of Canada. “What better way to learn about the cultural diversity of our region than by taste!” states Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “Whether it’s dumplings or Birria tacos or Shawarma, there is a story behind each dish, and we encourage you to connect with friends and family over food, but also to engage with the local businesses as you order and learn their story and history.” Some of the participating restaurants include: Funky Chow Kitchen, Thai Palace, Eddy’s Mediterranean Bistro, India47, Tacos Tony, Tropical Hut Philippine Cuisine and more. Foodies and curious explorers can go to the website: FollowTheFlavours.ca to register for their free digital pass. In addition, users can check in at three or more participating partners each quarter for the chance to win one of four foodie experiences, including cooking classes, group tastings and gourmet date nights.
After 30 years of running different businesses, Thanos Zikantas has stumbled upon another winner. This new company was launched in July 2022 and, as of March 2023, it has already expanded across the province. What type of business would produce this type of exponential growth you ask? Fixing fence posts! Yup, you read that right. Zikantas recognized that one in four homeowners who have a wooden fence have at least one post that has rotted at the base. The issue here is that contractors are generally too busy to fix fence posts and the traditional method of pulling out all the concrete and cutting out fence sections is too time consuming. Lean on Me Fence Post Repair (2366 Dougall Avenue, Windsor) solves this problem. Their patent-pending fixture was engineered to withstand high winds, it is powder coated to avoid rust and does not require the post to be removed. This simple innovation has taken Ontario by storm and Lean on Me now employs 20 different crews throughout Ontario who are repairing thousands of fence posts each week. “I am very pleased this has come together so quickly, and the rate at which we are expanding is a clear indication that we are doing something the customers love,” comments Zikantas. “When I was 19 years old, my first business was Quality Fencing and Bobcat Services. I did that for about seven years and who would have guessed that nearly 30 years later I would circle back to this.” If you would like further details or to request a quote visit their website.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . .
Complete Chiropractic Centre is celebrating 25 years in business! Centre owners Dr. Stephanie Medoro and Dr. Marisa Serra have had your backs since 1998. Originally located on Walker Road in Windsor, and now at 4100 Tecumseh Road East, Dr. Serra, Dr. Medoro, and Dr. Michael Merner continue to deliver exceptional chiropractic care. The clinic offers a warm and inviting environment, while providing ancillary treatments, Registered Massage Therapy, acupuncture, bracing and Kinesio taping. They accept all extended health coverage, as well as W.S.I.B and M.V.A. and treat patients of all ages. Crawl-ins are welcome! No referrals are necessary.
NEW IN BIZ
Tunnel Golf is a new online golf store at: Tunnel-Golf.myshopify.com, which began operations in May 2023. From the latest clubs and golf balls to stylish apparel and bags, the company offers a selection of golf products designed with each golfer’s needs (golf enthusiasts and athletes) in mind. Their collection includes golf tees, towels, gloves, balls, shoes, clubs, accessories, clothing, portable refrigerated bags and more. “I started my business in order to gain some experience and learn some new things about the sport of golf,” says Tim Olowokere, Founder/Owner of Tunnel Golf in Windsor. “Whereas we have initially launched online, we hope to attract some investors to invest in our business and open a physical location in the Windsor area soon.” He adds that he hopes to expand in the Windsor/Detroit region, Ontario, North America and around the world in the near future.
With 30+ years of experience in the human resource recruitment industry, Deborah Zsebok has again opened her own business — Recruiting Solutions by Deborah Zsebok — which specializes in direct hire placements of qualified candidates at any level within the organization. In this time of steadily increasing costs, she is able to reduce traditional fees as she has minimal overhead by working remotely and can therefore pass along the savings to her client companies. In addition to conducting a full candidate search from advertisement to placement, Zsebok also offers her 30+ years of recruiting skills to companies on a per hour basis. There are occasions when companies have already paid to advertise, or receive a pool of unsolicited resumes based on their great reputation in the marketplace, or find themselves in a situation where their Human Resource team is handling other urgent matters within the company. As an end user company, you still have the ability to make the final candidate selection. Her company (based in Windsor) is here to support the owners or HR team by handling the screening, interviewing, short listing and referencing.
Some might say the best restaurants are not always those situated on the main street of a city/town or in the trendy areas of a community. Many are found off the beaten path such as the Back Road Café, 3316 Grand Marais Road East in Windsor. The same applies to other small retail businesses and here is one shining example that has been called “the cutest shop with an impressive selection and prices, plus the owner is a gem!” Tucked away on Shepherd Street West between Church and York Streets amid 100-year-old residential housing, is a block-long strip of retail/commercial storefronts. The newest tenant is Em’s Crystals at 419 Shepherd Street West, which opened last November. The owner is Emelgie Barredo Soares, aided by her mother, husband and three school age children. This quaint shop is bursting with a wide assortment of crystals, pearls, jewellery and tapestries, with new products being introduced regularly. “I am happy to be part of the positive energy crystal culture . . . and we are always working to get our customers the highest quality and selection of crystals and stones at the most affordable prices,” says Soares. For store hours and to shop visit their website.
Get ready Colchester for a blast from the past . . . The Grove Motel is set to open in August! This is retro-style motel boasts 28 uniquely creative rooms, each filled with fun and funky vibes. It also houses the second location of JOE. HOT+COLD, serving specialty coffees, fresh pastries, fabulous lunches, and fun cocktails all day long (the other location is at The Grove Hotel, 12 Main Street East in Kingsville). Refer to the website to find out how you can book a stay and have a groovy experience you won’t soon forget!
HALL OF FAME
This year marks the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association’s (online at: BANA.ca; 1500 Ouellette Avenue, #100, Windsor) 40th year of service. This milestone anniversary presents a unique occasion for BANA to celebrate its history of extraordinary service delivery, growth, compassion and dedication in our region. And it is only fitting they chose to share their success with others in the community! On June 15 at their Annual General Meeting, BANA presented the following five community awards: Outstanding Business (Auntie Aldoo’s Kitchen); Outstanding Individual (Ryan Essery, Tecumseh Vista teacher); Outstanding Community Non-Profit (Windsor Regional Hospital); Outstanding Volunteer (Nour Akil) and the Moriarty Leadership Award (Jean Laforge, Mental Health Connections). Congrats to BANA and their award winners from all of us at Biz X!
ON THE MOVE
Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) welcomes the Government of Canada’s appointment of Charl van Niekerk as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With his role starting on July 25, 2023, van Niekerk brings extensive experience in public-private partnership projects, including planning, delivery and operations of infrastructure, and senior leadership to WDBA. For more information view the website under the Info Centre, News Releases section.
