Robyn Cameron, right, offers decorating advice to Sherri Hull as the sisters go through the final stages of getting the Sidewalk Grill in downtown Alberton ready for re-opening. Hull and Cameron are holding an open house during ladies night on Thursday and plan to open for business in early December.
Kathryn and Ian Curtis, both recently retired from the Royal Air Force, have purchased a flower shop which closed last December. Also two sisters who moved to Alberton from Peterborough, Ont., earlier this year are taking over the operation of the Sidewalk Grill Café which has been idle since September.
Both businesses are feverishly preparing for re-opening.
Kathryn is eying a Nov. 29 opening for Alberton Florist, just in time for Alberton’s three-day downtown Christmas shopping promotion.
Sherri Hill and Robyn Cameron are hoping to have the Sidewalk Grill re-opened by early December but they do plan to participate in Thursday’s Ladies Night with an open house and free refreshments .
Ian Curtis, who grew up in Alberton, retired from a 23-year career as a policeman and Kathryn from a career as an air traffic controller. They and their sons, Sean, five, and James, two and a half, moved to Alberton two months prior to their retirement.
Kathryn admits the pressures of running a flower shop will be different than those she faced in air traffic control and said she is looking forward to the challenge.
While running a flower shop is new to Kathryn, she is drawing on the experience of employee Inga Ellsworth who worked at the former Primrose Lane flower shop and made the floral arrangement for the Curtises wedding nine years ago.
The Curtises first learned the flower shop building was for sale last December, but couldn’t proceed at that time.
“We actually thought, if it’s still available when we get there, maybe it’s meant to be,” she recalled.
The flower shop will operate on the main level and they are working on plans for the upper level.
Hill operated a bakery and Cameron a tearoom in Peterborough before relocating to Alberton. They said they plan to incorporate healthy meal options into their menu.
The sisters are eagerly awaiting the re-opening and Hill said they are doubly excited about a second business reopening at the same time.
