Stacey and Alex Tsaprailis run the front of the house at the new Big Fish Steak & Lounge on London Line. The Tsaprailis family has a lengthy history in the local restaurant business and opened their latest venture in early December. CATHY DOBSON/ THE OBSERVER/ QMI AGENCY
No matter how successful, every business has to reassess and make change in order to stay in the game, says Stacey Tsaprailis.
She is one of three Tsaprailis siblings operating the new Big Fish Steak & Lounge at 1717 London Line.
It's been 19 years since their father, Lambros, bought the Olde Country Steak House and renamed it The Brigantine. The family's restaurant history goes back even farther when the kids were small and their parents owned The Valley House on Vidal Street.
"We grew up working there every Saturday and Sunday morning," said Stacey. Brother Gus was always in the kitchen and still cooks the steak at Big Fish.
The Brigantine was a popular restaurant but became outdated, explained Stacey.
"We had excellent food and fantastic service but it was time for a change." For a period, the Brigantine was up for sale before the family decided it was better to renovate and come up with a new concept.
"We wanted to modernize," said brother Alex Tsaprailis, who runs the front of the house with Stacey and also operates Lekoz Tap & Grill on Quinn Drive.
The old Brigantine closed last fall for four months while contractors stripped it right back to its studs.
The transformation was dramatic. There's a new bar with two flat screen televisions and an elaborate backbar display. The decor is all greys and blacks with brushed steel accents and black upholstered chairs and bench seats.
"We're not just for special occasions anymore. That's how some people thought about The Brigantine," said Alex. "Now, we're for everyday, lunch and dinner with a menu that has burgers, wraps, and flatbreads, as well as steaks, prime rib and seafood."
The new diningroom has 22 tables and the bar area has another five. Two banquet halls, each seating 50, are available but haven't been renovated yet. They still sport the old Brigantine decor.
"It's like going back in time between the two," joked Stacey.
The menu at Big Fish has appetizers priced between $8 and $14 each, including Saganaki cheese, a smoked salmon plate, steamed mussels and Oysters Rockefeller.
Flatbreads, like Jack Daniel's BBQ Chicken and a Chipotle BBQ Kielbasa sell for $14 each. A homemade burger costs $13 and is served with fries, salad or soup of the day.
A centre cut 9-ounce filet is $30 while prime rib goes for $28 or $38, depending on serving size.
Seafood features include Alaskan King Crab, sea bass, roasted trout, and tuna encrusted with cracked black pepper and served with soya sauce and cucumber wasabi aioli.
"Our customers can't believe what we've done with the place," Alex said. "Since the day we opened Dec. 9, we've been busy."
Big Fish is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Call 519-542-5553 for more information.
Moved out to the east end
Arkona Appliances moved from the corner of Victoria and Davis in downtown Sarnia to 1362 Lambton Mall Rd. this month.
It's been more than two years since the appliance and mattress centre came to Sarnia, adding a second location to the original store that's operated in Central Lambton County for many years.
The decision to move away from the downtown core was based primarily on a desire to be closer to their customers, says sales manager Ed Brydges.
"We wanted to be where everybody is," he said. "Our new location is more convenient for our customers."
Arkona Appliances offers free delivery and can be reached by calling 519-491-1300.
Sarnia Craft Supply now on London Road
Gladys Ottens of Sarnia Craft Supply says the store has moved to 1381 London Rd. and grand re-opening celebrations are planned for Saturday, Jan. 21.
Sarnia Craft Supply originally located at the corner of Finch and Wellington in 2003.
Its new location offers art and painting classes by well-known local artists including Ariel Lyons, Kathy Rath and Patty Therrien.
A ribbon cutting takes place on the 21st at 10 a.m., followed by free demos, door prizes and refreshments.
New hours are Mon.-Wed. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Thurs. and Fri. from 9:30 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Sundays noon until 5 p.m.
Networking opportunity
This month's Business After 5 hosted by the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce is at the new Lambton Financial Credit Union on Exmouth at Capel.
It takes place Wednesday from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. and is a great opportunity for local business people to network, win door prizes and socialize.
In other Chamber news, the annual Reverse Trade Show is scheduled for Thurs. Jan. 26 at the Holiday Inn.
This event is a twist to the traditional trade show because it allows sellers to visit manufacturers and government display booths and discuss their products or services with the people actually doing the buying.
This year, purchasing reps from Imperial Oil, Cabot Canada, WorleyParsons, Intertec, OPG, Jacobs, OLG, and Shell have already signed up.
The show runs 12:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. with a keynote address from Kerry Margetts of Shell Canada from 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Exhibitors are still being accepted. Call the Chamber at 519-336-2400 or email scarr@sarnialambtonchamber.com.
Tune in Monday
Don't forget that Point Edward's own Purdy's Fisheries will be featured Monday night on the Food Network.
Celebrity chef Lynn Crawford was in Point Edward in May to tape the show and prepare a meal of fiddlehead soup, pickerel quenelle, asparagus slaw, morel mushroom-crusted pickerel with a sweet pea risotto, followed by a lemon tart dessert that sounds really decadent.
The show airs at 7:30 p.m. and again at 11:30 p.m.
NewAlta relocates
The former Fibrex building, which closed last year on Scott Road, has a new tenant occupying about one quarter of its space.
Calgary-based NewAlta decided to pull up stakes in Corunna and move in December to the Scott Road facility where Fibrex used to make insulation.
NewAlta manager Tim Bechard says his company will continue to process used oils and solvents at its customers' locations in Chemical Valley.
However, future plans may call for the company to start processing on Scott Road. If that occurs, more staff will be added to the current complement of 16 employees.
Graphite Marketing promises to make your voice heard
Sarnia's Darren Hakker knows how to sell himself and says he's got the talent to sell his clients' products too.
"I'm a multifaceted marketing guru who has the skills, tools and connections to complete any task that helps to make organizations communicate their brands better," says Hakker.
As age 31 and with 10 years of marketing experience under his belt, he recently launched Graphite Marketing.
Graphite is Hakker's own business and he intends on being its creative director; in fact, his company's one and only employee.
He grew up in Sarnia, attending private Christian schools and left to study advertising and communications at Mohawk College in Hamilton.
A 12-month course on copywriting followed at Toronto's Humber College and Hakker landed a marketing job at a Toronto firm.
Five years later, he and his wife Darlene decided they'd had enough of the big city and wanted to return to their hometown.
"We were tired of battling the traffic and found we were coming home every few weekends anyway," Hakker said.
Once here, he worked for a local marketing firm. From the beginning, his focus was on small and medium-sized businesses as well as not-for-profits.
Now that he's made a decision to launch his own marketing company, the contacts he made over the past decade are invaluable, he said.
"I have an amazing network in Toronto, Calgary, the U.S. and Sarnia," he said.
Hakker said his strengths include understanding brands, knowing what's required to make them better, his copywriting skills and an ability to deliver on time and on budget.
"I'm not in it to get rich and famous," he said. "Really good marketing doesn't have to be expensive. It's not free either but I think there's a happy medium."
Many businesses and organizations depend too much on free online services like FaceBook to get their message out, Hakker said.
"I think people have to make an effort to manage their online profile. It's about building a relationship with customers."
To contact Graphite, call Darren Hakker at 519-383-8316 or visit darren@graphitemarketing.ca.
StrollMates goes international
Exciting news from Sarnia business woman Connie Quinn-Vaillant who, with husband Jack, came up with the concept of StrollMates, a walking cane made into a fashion accessory.
Quinn-Vaillant last made the news when she sent the late Jack Layton one of her canes while he was on the campaign trail. The publicity for her company went through the roof.
Now StrollMates has been licensed for manufacturing and distribution throughout North America. Already available online, StrollMates Cane Wear will soon be available in stores, says Quinn-Vaillant.
To read more about the company, visit www.strollmates.com.
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Your Business is a weekly feature highlighting new ventures and events in the local business community. If you have a story or photo idea, contact Cathy Dobson at 519-344-2112 ext. 2233 or cdobson@theobserver.ca.
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GUEST COLUMN: Know your business and market to find opportunity. Mary Devine is chair of the School of Continuing Education and Corporate Training, Business Development, at Centennial College. Photo/COURTESY Each month, Toronto Business Times solicits opinions from four experts on a question of relevance to the small business community. This month’s question is: What are the most important factors for a small business owner to consider when setting goals?